My Common Sense of Nostalgia

I studied in Mei Chin Primary School. It became history following its closure in 2001 (?). Its name, however, resonates in my mind even as today. So be it for as long as it wants to.

I first stepped into the school in 1990, before which my poor memory could barely recall. If I have not been gravely mistaken, my first friends-cum-classmates were Melvin, Ruiliang, and Limin, none of whom should be reading this because we had long lost touch with one another (except for Melvin, but he knows nuts about this blog). And then by Primary 3 and 4, I got to know Crystal, Javern, Moiha, and Yonghan. Amongst others, these were the bunch with whom I had spent a significant part of my childhood.

I was never too bright a student in primary school. I fared badly in class tests and final exams. I was too talkative for my own good. But it takes two hands to clap. I was, however, the unlucky one to be punished most of the time. Just my luck I guess. No grudges borne though. Those were the innocent days when I spent each day without thinking how the next would be.

I went home every day for my daily dosage of cartoons and TV programmes. I was so glad that my parents did little to interfere with my routine. The lazy bum of me simply hated sports and the rough outdoors, and Chip & Dale with their Disney friends kept me entertained for afternoons upon afternoons. Lackadaisical? But I loved such inactivity. I am the epitome of such a past.

Something changed all these. The wretched streaming system came and drove many parents into unnecessary panic, and to some extent including mine. I was marched into tuition without much of a consciousness of what it actually entailed, except for working through countless assessment books rather aimlessly. I usually copied the answers from behind and made some deliberate mistakes to make my assignments look "authentic" before submission, but my individual tests showed it all and I was often reprimanded for my lack of effort. Even my Chinese was bad during this period of nonachievement. I was, however, not at the least affected. I had not understood the importance of studying then.

The tuition did help, however. By a twist of fate, I found myself in an undersized EM1 class of only 8 students. I had an excellent teacher Mdm Tan who forced us to recite idioms and poems every lesson, and Chinese characters relentlessly flooded my brain until they were all too firmly imprinted to be dislodged. My EM1 stint was a turning point in my academic life. I finally felt a slight urge to maintain my grades and to pursue my interest in the Chinese Language.

The tuition helped in other ways too. I actually topped Maths in class on a few occasions. My class position rose to unprecedented levels after Primary 3. My English poem of 6 lines was chosen on display at the school bulletin boards. I was never too mindful of these things, because I had other pleasures to derive from my life then.

I loved my Social Studies projects. I think they had boosted my interest in current affairs and general knowledge. And they offered perfect opportunities for me and my project mates to enjoy some great fun at the playgrounds and games arcades. Ice-cream sticks and super-glue. Styrofoam boards and plasticine. I could always look forward to either Police-and-Thief and Street Fighter after my project ordeals were done. Eventually we got sick of queueing for our turn at the arcades, and when Yonghan's parents bought him a Sega set (?) we would piously visit his home everyday to discuss homework with him. On a pretext of course. Behind closed doors.

I dreaded rainy days. Earthworms abound under a shroud of muddy tracks that we walked on to get to school. Our young scientist Ruiliang would lead us all on a trail of adventure and excitement in his opinion. For me it was more of fear and disgust. Nonetheless, by peer pressure, I would drag my prudent feet with a few others to follow him in his daring explorations. Millipedes and toads often joined the earthworms in a concert of unison, and I simply prayed that they would not crawl onto me or cross my path for any reason.

Delinquency was in the air in my final primary school year. My classmates Ken and Denise were caught smoking at a carpark within the neighbourhood, and I happened to sit in between these two colourful characters. I myself was involved in a tussle with an EM1 girl and soon our parents became involved when it became too heated. I guess we just could not stand each other then. Kinda childish eh? Well, we were young and juvenile, and hence excusable!

My lazy bone has called out to me to stop acting like an old man. I should get some sleep before I really look like one.