Seasonal fruits

I realise that some seasonal fruits are making their appearances when theoretically, it's not that particular fruit season yet. Walked past fruits stall just now, they were selling durians for $1 per pack. Too bad sis is still having her exams. Better not get sick, so decided not to buy.

Still, nowadays, people no longer have to look at the shell, feel the thorns to buy durians. Everything can be prepacked, so I don't think buying durians requires that much skills isn't it? Pardon me if I'm wrong, but I thought it's a, if it looks good then buy? But if it looks crumbly, then you'll just avoid it?

By the way, I heard it's chiku season now. Somehow, I think I'm just plain unlucky, I don't see any chikus in the supermarket yet, not even unripe ones!

******

There's definitely something wrong with me.. some screws missing I think. Why am I so hyper and high today? Even for lunch, although I'm normally quieter when there're strangers, I was actually super high and a bit nonsensical even with Chee Min around. I'm sure he thinks there's some screws missing from my brains too.

Oh, and my pupil master asked me if I want to follow him to court on Tuesday. That's rather rare, but interestingly, I'm not that excited. Since he says he's bring a bitch (in my own humber opinion) for one of his court stuff, why doesn't he bring her for the other? Just saves time for him. Oh well.

Buried Memories and Calm

I wonder if it's a sign of aging when you hear a song that you used to dislike on the radio and find it calming. I sure hope not, considering that I just found myself relaxing as I listened to one Aaron Kwok's song on radio today (a soothing one, not the noisy ones). Given how much I didn't like Aaron Kwok's song in primary school, such reaction does provide some food for thought huh?

Anyway, a recap of last week. No, I did not disappear into thin air. Rather I was just way too tired... from watching VCDs late into the night. Not that I can help it either, given that by the time I get home from tuition, it's already rather late.

As I was saying, last week was peppered with more divergence from the usual week. There was the Monday meeting. Then the lunch on Thursday with Tee Meng. It's quite amusing how we've never actually talked to each other before this. The first and last time I saw him was during my sec 4 RGCO concert and we roped him in to sabo Jamie. Jamie and her blue rose. For most strangers, there would usually be some awkwardness. But not for this 'senior'.. although strictly speaking we are really very much like strangers too!

Then, there was Thursday night dinner with Meisi. Much as I think that the Certificate of Good Character (or something to that extent) is crap, it provided a reason to meet up after so many years. Although I can't say that we've not seen each other for as long as I've not seen Tee Meng, but considering how our friendship goes back to primary school days, the few years since the two of us have really sat down to chat and chat and chat can really be considered super long. That said, I miss having her living nearby. Not that it makes a real difference but, it's just a feeling.

Reminds me of Jo and how she used to live opposite too. Somehow a certain scene of her waiting at her void deck to pass me the homework when I was on MC from school always flash across my mind when I think about how nice it'll be to have her opposite. It's always a good feeling to have your closer friends nearby.

Speaking of which, I was still asking my sis whether I should get Ciyao or Jo to sign my other set of forms.

Friday night dinner with Weiguang. How bad can dinner be when you have your friends as company? In fact, without all this tiny "checkpoints" to tide me through the days and weeks, time would pass so much more slowly and it'll feel a lot more painful! Which brings to mind something Gary wrote in one of his entry. I'm not sure for others but I still need little rewards along the way to push myself forward, so things like meeting up with people who mean a lot to me, or even talking to them just makes all the difference.

Fastforward to Sunday, I turned up for the first time at the clan building since the dinner a few weeks ago which ended with me offering to help out. Although it was almost half a Sunday spent with a bunch of grandfather-like figures, it wasn't really all that bad, even if they were speaking Teochew most of the time (and my brain had to work overtime trying to decipher what they were saying). Still, unlike what people think about clan associations being dowdy places, I actually thought it was rather homely, somewhat like having a bunch of grandfathers looking after you. It's really not too bad. Seriously.

Ah.. and of course the main news for the week. Polling day is next Saturday! How I love parallels especially when they are brilliantly done.

Hmm... would you ever liken yourself to an animal just because you like a particular song with that animal? Take for example, would you want to be associated with a cockroach just because you like the song "Bu Pa"? I won't definitely. But then, there are always people who would (I mean the analogy, not referring themselves to cockroaches)

That's enough on polling day. I'm actually looking forward to attending the rallies once again. This would be the 4th round of rallies I've attended! From the basketball courts to the field opposite Nativity Church, to Hougang Stadium (and probably Hougang Stadium again this year). How things have changed and how I've grown from the primary school girl I then was to the first-time voter I am now. Hmm...

Much Ado About Nothing!

Just as what Gek Koon had said, I was worried for nothing!

Basically nothing was really said during the meeting that couldn't be said over emails. Even the waiting part.

I actually regret saying the lower end of my expected salary. I can so expect them to at most give me my minimum expected. Forget it, like what Wanqing had said, if not happy, just move off. So I'll just take one step at a time, yahz?

You know, it's times like these when you feel most loved. Whatever would I do without the people who are so dear to me?

Gary, thanks for the offer to let me call you after 8.15pm. But I'm fine what... did I sound any bit like I wasn't going to be? =)

Weiguang, thanks for you 101 reassurances.. and company

Gek Koon, for always believing in me, the day before I went for my scholarship interview, all the way till now, the meeting before I start work..

And the bear that I was clutching to at work.. my favourite 18th birthday present from one of my closest friend....

Irene too, for providing me with so much insider info...

AND of course, the unexpected:

Thanks Xinyi, for the well wishes and the listening ear..

And Mingyi, for calling those few times to check if I'm fine..

With so many people giving out warmth, and such safe shelters to rest in.. there's no reason why I should not be grateful =)

Nervousness...

Gosh..

I'm nervous I'm nervous I'm nervous...

Less than 24 hours left.

Why am I nervous anyway?

Still,

I'm really nervous..

I saw my MP today!!!

Ok, the title sounds pretty lame, but yes! I saw my MP today. =) Just suddenly realised it's been 15 years since I watched my first election rally. Back then, it was held at the basketball court downstairs, then it went to that area beside Nativity Church and the last time, it was at the sports stadium. How things change, just like.. my MP seems to have aged a lot since the last election when I saw him at the polling centre.

Anyway, no blogging on political matters.

Other than that, it was pure tuition today. Once in the morning and once in the evening, even though the two places were so near! And I so wanted to strangle the second kid when he perpetually couldn't do simple multiplication and division for fractions although he's in Primary 6! That's not the point. The point is.. his mum said I wasn't to give him any homework! Oh well, but after what I commented today, I think I've sufficiently freaked his mum out to make her more receptive to the idea of homework for her kid. Parents these days are just plain weird...

As I'm typing away, it's Derrick's birthday again. Even though he doesn't know of this blog, nor does he really care about non-important-people wishing him.. as a matter of habit though.. "Happy 24th Birthday, Derrick!"

My wrist hurts!

Contrary to what Weiguang chooses to think, I'm actually not irritated. I even told Joseph that it was ok when he says he owes us lunch. I mean, this is part of my job. Remember NJC's school motto? "Service with honour" Well, I'll just call this service. You pay me, I do whatever you tell me to do. That's it, isn't it?

Ah.. but of course it makes a difference who does the asking. Some IDIOT pupil came over apparently trying to get me to do a repeat of yesterday (Oh yah, unless you are Gary or Weiguang of course, you wouldn't and couldn't have known that I stamped the page number on 5608 pages yesterday, though I did more stamping than that since I made some mistakes and had to redo some of them, but that's another matter). Of course I said no. Firstly, you are but a pupil. Secondly, I do not like your face. So what if you think you're very great? You are but a pupil too, so don't try to tell me what to do. It's your work, so you jolly well do it yourself.

That's all I shall say for work.

I still love my personal friends more.

Was looking forward to having dinner with Weiguang and Weishi, but yesterday's work made me think that it wasn't possible. So I told Weiguang and in the end, dinner was cancelled even though in the end, I changed my tuition till tomorrow and Saturday. =( In the end, I got Gary to keep me company instead. I guess the Income meeting is kind of weighing me down, making me nervous... but with a wonderful company, how can one ever continue to feel down for so long? Thanks Gary! For making me so much cheerier... and for giving me an "immunity boost" for what is to come on Monday.

As you can tell, I'm still kind of apprehensive.

In the end, I did ask that colleague if he was free for lunch on Monday. Although he gave a non-committal answer, somehow, it didn't matter to me. Not when I have comforting-to-talk-to people like Gary to talk to about anything, or when there's always the ever-dependable Weiguang around online, or the always-supportive Gek Koon who is just an sms away. Yup, so I don't need to artificially get someone else to calm me down, cause I'll be fine!

And of course, the start of my weekend just got even better as I'm typing this, just cause I've one of my most-trusted friend online now too!

"Dreamer: My computer runs slower than the time I take to shower says:
i always see u online very late into the night... take care hor"

JianPing, THANK YOU!! I know this sounds stupid and ultra emotional, but.. that just made my day.. I mean.. week..

Then again, that's so not right!!! I've already stopped going online so late into the night, k? But still, that bit of concern just feels super nice on this cool Friday morning.

Yaofang will be fine cause despite a sleepy start, she's now feeling ultra happy! =)

Let's just hope Monday will turn out fine.

Walks

Somehow, people tend to comment all at the same time. Or is it because I haven't been online for quite a while, so the moment I'm on, I get the same comments about how I haven't been online and how I haven't been updating my blog.

These days, I tend to walk home from tuition, whether it's at Woodbridge.. I mean Buangkok, Hougang or Yio Chu Kang. Partly to save bus fare (cause in any case I still have to walk a distance to the bus-stop where I get on and then get off) but also, walking especially late at night allows me to think (unless I'm on a lookout for stalkers). That's the time I used to plan my speech on Saturday. The time when I get my thoughts sorted out too.

As I was walking back today, I suddenly thought of dinner at somewhere East this Thursday, just so that I could deliver a cake to someone's place. Still remembered approximately 5+ years ago, on an early December night, someone commented about how he liked chocolate fudge cake, and I promised/offered to get one for his birthday. Somehow that never materialised, simply cause the friendship started turning haywire about 2 months later when our A level results came out. I don't think you still remember that day, we were out hunting for your tie after my work and dinner was at Snoopy Place cause I liked Peanuts then and had wanted to go there a long while ago. That was one out the two times I dined there before it closed and frankly, I still like that place quite a bit. And I still remembered the comfort you provided the following day, during my class chalet, just because I didn't want to see the bitchy teacher.

Back to your birthday. I wonder if you still remember I actually promised to get you one of the Swatch watches when I finally start work? That was when we spent half a day hunting for the piano book that I needed for my exam and we finally found it at Peace Centre. Neoprints was still a fad then, and we took some that day. In fact, I was quite pleasantly surprise to see one of it pasted in the card that you gave me for commencement.

So many years have passed, I wonder if you still remember the things I had promised then, but I still do. Just that, I don't even know whether I'll be sending you that birthday sms since I don't think it really matters to you. That day, you were talking about birthday presents, but you know, you do have some very precious presents, in the form of 2 friends who would probably do anything to protect you if the need arises, even if they are pissed with you. Really. But whatever it is, your birthday is worth celebrating even if from afar because without the wonderful friend you were during JC times, I wouldn't have been as happy and cheery JC girl as I was then, right?

Then, as I came closer home, somehow, there were a lot more bicycles along the road. Watching them cycle reminds me of 2 friends too.. Guoxing used to cycle to school too, until his bicycle was stolen. Still remembered this time when I was super pissed with you for don't-know-what-reason and didn't really want to talk to you. But you still brought me the papers.. 6kg worth of it.. On top of your school bag and stuff.. And you cycled to school. All this just because my class wanted to win that chalet stay and I asked you to. Just like the Cebu trip when I refused to have the raw egg on my breakfast or the greyish-black looking rice at Maranathan.. Or the times when you would get biscuits for me when you hear of me skipping lunch/recess cause of the long queues.. In fact, that day I had the strawberry Polky(correct spelling?) for lunch just cause it reminded me of JC. Come to think of it, I really miss those days when we talked on the phone, at the staircases, along the corridors and wrote postcards.. Those were such carefree days (ok, minus school work since I remembered our grades were almost equally bad.. Must be my bad influence..) I really missed the chats we had then. But we've all grown up over the years and have changed somewhat. Somehow we aren't as good friends as we were then. But you know what? No matter how we grow, one thing will never change, that is, you'll always remain one of my most treasured friends (yes.. even if you were to irritate me at times)

Talking about treasured friends and bicycles, how could the image of a certain Mr Chai not pop up? You wrote either in one of the letters or in my autograph book that we would still have to keep in contact after graduation, cause you still hadn't taught me to play the guitar or cycle. Actually, till now, you haven't! But I've more or less learnt how to cycle, albeit rather dangerously still. I still remember my first attempt at learning. You were the one teaching me and as usual, you took extra care so that I wouldn't be injured, even though it meant you ending up with cuts given my perchant for zooming into rubbish bins =) Even though I kept commenting about how I couldn't learn properly as a result of you focusing so much on not letting me get injured, I was and still am very thankful for that. Really. Just like how you played a role in ensuring that I didn't get straight Fs for my A levels. Stupid whoever. I so wanted you to come down for the mass call, but they had to make it so early which means you can't be there. I wonder how you're coping with your exams in US now. Hmm.. I really miss the times when we took the bus to that SCGS bus stop together, come to think of it, I must have been quite a chatterbox during those few minutes huh? Actually, I can't remember why I started changing buses instead of taking that one direct bus home.. but if you ask me, I don't think I'll regret the changing bus. Even if we were having cold wars on the bus at times. Hmm... I really really miss those bus rides, but even if we do take the same bus again, somehow both of us have changed so much, sometimes I think we've even run out of things to say. Perhaps that was one reason why I enjoyed my commencement that much too.. somehow that day it just felt so much like JC.. Have I ever said this before? Thank you, JianPing.. really..

If Jianping was the pitiful classmate who had to bear with my chatterings and kiddy behaviour, then Koon must be the poor classmate who always had to hear about my problems, when I do feel like confiding. Don't know why, I kept having this memory of us sitting in the Chinese books side of the library and I started talking about something that happened at home. Or the times he had to get me out of scrapes, for example the stupid bitchy Ms Yang incident. I spoke my mind about her childish behaviour, and then refused to contact her further and Koon had to take over the dirty job and he never once scolded me too. And then there was the time when I was doing attachment at Income and was somehow somewhat akin to having depression. Smsed in the afternoon, and we met up in the evening and just talked and talked. He was still in NS then, so I can't remember why he could be out on a Wednesday evening. But as usual, he's always able to drive the rain clouds away. Although I know you'll find me irritating for saying "thank you" on and on.. I really really mean it.. Thanks for being my safest and sturdiest pillar all these years. Really...

Wonder what made me think of these 4 most treasured JC friends. Perhaps work, Income just makes me miss them and the very safe feeling...

In any case, the Income meeting is next Monday. Don't know why I'm feeling nervous now. If only one of them were nearby. But of course that's only a "if".. Hmm... don't think a certain Mr Wong Kum Fu reads this.. else he promised lunch on the afternoon of my meeting with Income HR. But.. I don't think I'll ask.. somehow, I really don't understand why I'm so conscious of what Derrick's friend said to me the last time.. It's just plain old-fashioned thought... but...