suddenly wondering where all of us are - scattered in various parts of the world, or residing in various islands or studying in different locations of this sunny island. what new things have we experienced? how have we changed? how have we grown up? suddenly longing for another class outing. hahaha. and cant wait for those in fa rfar away locations to join us :)
what have you gotten out of your rjc experience?
xx
Ever tried lying down on the track at 10pm at night, looking at the stars?
Or watching the sunset from the spectator’s gallery (“spex gal” for short) in all its lovely reds, pinks and purples softly fanning across the sky, fading gradually to a cool darkness?
How about listening to the train rumble past every morning while morning announcements are being made, much to the chagrin of the announcer?
Or even sleeping on the ratty-but-oh-so-comfortable couches of the council room during a hot afternoon when work just seems impossible.
Climbing over the school gate to leave after studying late into the night.
Watching guys play floorball in the canteen; hearing shouts and screams of people just having some good fun. J Playing floorball myself (not in the canteen though) and getting bruised all over and not minding it a single bit.
Making pilgrimages to Ghim Moh for Ah Balling tang yuan and Prima Deli WAFFLES.
Walking down the platform of the Buona Vista MRT station all the way to the end before stopping and waiting for the train, a ritual assiduously practiced by the “Easties,” or so we called the bunch of us living in the East across the island from RJC.
Cliched as it may sound, I could go on forever. An endless list of memories. Little, seemingly inconsequential snapshots that somehow form the entire basis of my bond with RJC.
I’m forgetting something, though.
I’m forgetting those familiar faces in purplish-white fire-and-waterproof uniforms or in worn-out yellowed and often oversized T-shirts, those faces that inevitably blur in and out from one particular memory to another, laughing, crying, looking harassed (by exams, most probably) or simply looking contented.
A particular friend tying himself to the canteen pillars in an effort to make himself sit down and study during that extremely crucial pre-A-level period.
Long random conversations with random people in the council room late into the night until bugs eventually started (equally randomly) appearing.
A certain operations manager with funky golden hair trying to fix the broken-down air-conditioning in LT 4.
Green Men.
People (person, actually) with fetishes for chocolate ice-kacang, which look absolutely disgusting but supposedly taste absolutely wonderful. And it’s always “Auntie, ice-kacang kosong with chocolate please.” Which makes it just ice with chocolate syrup.
A “chi-go-pak” (some random childhood game) tournament with my class with an extremely exciting and nerve-wracking final showdown.
Grown-up kids playing on the swings in the playground opposite Henry Park Primary after birthday celebrations at Secret Recipe. Walking down that stretch of road leading to Secret Recipe while trying to convince the birthday girl that “No, nothing is happening, we’re just going for a walk.” And grinning uncontrollably, which gave everything away, pretty much.
May I never forget those faces that breathe life into static memories.
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This has been one long exercise in nostalgia. However, at the risk of sounding even more like a sentimental fool, I would just like to add:
I miss you, RJC. What a wonderful 2 years.
-Ms Lim Ming Jing (Class of 2004)
President’s Scholar 2005 and undergraduate at University of Pennsylvania, USA
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