Sunday, August 20, 2006
Went back to jjc to play squash with the usual peeps once again yesterday. I would say it's been more than 6 months since I last went back to the place we ac guys called "hell". Our usual sms to each other would be like, "See you in hell tomorrow" or "Squash in hell at noon tomorrow". It's funny and amazing to hear of gerald saying stuff like we all can't believe we were again yesterday.
So much has changed, the place, the staff and students etc. The squash court has been repainted but the flooring remains as screwed up as ever. Court 2 can never be used once it starts raining because the rain will leaked through the roof. We remain the only cca who can function during cat 1 conditions because we're located indoors. We always see the people from the other ccas rushing for shelter once the thunder roars and the rain starts pouring down. Then it's time to see crowds of people overlooking us from above since the courts are located in the middle of the school. Miss Lum remains the overall teacher in charge of squash but Mr Chin is no longer in charge and replaced by 2 new teachers. The tables located besides the vending machines remain a convenient resting place for us after a tiring session of training and games. It's also a place to study before and after school as well. I remember the scenes of me and my classmates gathering either at the lockers or at the tables awaiting the morning assembly bell.
Those container classrooms were gone and replaced by a 4 storey high building if i'm not wrong and yesterday the minister of education was there to officiate the opening of it. Mr Koh has brought so much positive changes to this jc since he was transferred there by moe. Assembly in the hall was so cooling and I took my a levels in comfort because he decided to install air-con. He renovated and expanded the canteen so it could accomadate more people and it wasn't as stuffy as before. The "Knowledge Box" aka the bookshop finally got its own space which was pretty spacious. No longer was it holed up in a container. The auntie still rememberd us and reminded us to keep visiting her because she was getting old and she would have problems remembering us if we don't. I miss the comfortable sofa we used to sit all during recess, lunch break and even when we got sent out of classes for not doing our tutorials.
There's not many places to seek refuge in when I get sent out of classes. It's either I head to the squash courts or to the bookshop. It's probably the latter because playing squash so early in the morning is probably gonna attract unwanted attention. The bookshop provides a safe haven for me and there's always some one to talk to and the occasional girl that comes in to buy her stationery. I thank the auntie for making space and time for us time and time again even though I must admit, we sometimes make a nuisance of ourselves. I, for instance, couldn't watch my mouth with my never ending negative comments about jjc people. It needed tong and gerald to keep my mouth shut.
I went with paul to take a look at the photos of the teaching and non-teaching staff located near the general office. I see so many new faces and the old ones have left. Hopefully for greener pastures like the few that I respected in jjc. People like Miss Yap and Mr Arthur Kok. I really miss teachers like them. Miss Mandy has been promoted to HOD while I saw something amazing. My bmt platoon sergeant, Hafiz, is working as a technological assistant in jjc as well. It's a small world really. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw his photo.
I met up with Mr Seah, my rugby and fitness coach, as I was about to leave school. He had the usual perception the rps are downgraders, something that I do not blame him. Yj told me before that we should be proud of our vocation and I confidently told Mr Seah that we are airforce rps, not the normal ones that you see slacking around. We're slack but we've suffered before. I told him that I'm going to nie to read sports science and asked him about some on the job stuff. He told me to become a pe teacher in a jc, I needed a recommandation. Mr Seah referred me to the case of Mei Lin, a senior of mine in jjc, that they're trying to pull her in. It's ironic but I wish to work here as well, a school that I hated so much but could never believe that I would entertain the thought of working there in the future.
I've never seen the soccer and rugby pitch in such a nice condition since I left. Jjc is so damn lucky because moe is testing a new kind of grass pitch that's to be used in schools and jjc was selected to be the pioneer batch. As a result of this, rugby training continues but no scrums are allowed because every movement spoils the grass. Can u imagine the damage that 2o over pairs of boots can do to that nice pitch? It's better off that they train in the new police academy located in choa chu kang. I've not seen coach selemat since the a division. Mr Seah told me that the future for rugby is bright for jjc as we've got 16 jc1s. A nice figure for the a division in 2007. I'll probably join them for training after I ord if time permits.
I bidded him goodbye and left the school. I felt so old walking around the school because I knew that I'm no longer a student there. Compared to the 18 years old that I see around me, I know that I've moving on to another stage of my life. The university life after I completed my national service. After that, it's to the workforce.
The head intel 150 racket of mine finally broke after 2 years of usage. I can't say I'm sad to see it go but it's been through alot of shit with me. There's already been a few hairline cracks on the surface after I whacked it against the wall 6 months after I bought it but it wasn't serious enough to condemn the whole racket. After yesterday, the racket is finally good to go. After a volley that didn't go according to plan and followed by a cracking sound, I knew the time was up for my racket. The $185 that I spent on it was worth every cent. It's time to save up and explore what options I've got before making a sound decision. It will probably be head again as I like to stick to the tried and trusted. Maybe it's head liquid metal 150? I don't know.
I miss being a student with stacks of notes in front of me instead of seeing a m-16 rifle and 5 rounds of ammo time and time again.
