[spicycurrypuff]

I came from one of those neighbourhood schools that no one would care about nor want to go to, at least not that I heard of anyways.

Being poor in studies in primary school, I didn't stand a chance of getting in anywhere else.

Back in those days we had to fill out a choice of 6 schools that we aspired to attend.

Really, at that age, our dear education ministry allows 6 choices that will l, in a way, decide our fate. Don't know how it works now, but then, I literally saw it as a make or break issue. FML.

I begged my mother endlessly not to fill out that school, unfortunately, she didn’t listen and true enough.

I ended up in the school 6th on my list.

The school sat on top of a hill in a small estate in the East side of Singapore. It was built to serve the residents in that neighbourhood and from the surrounding Eastern islands.

Every now and then, some cat or dog would sneak into the school any drive the teachers and staff crazy. Students would go crazier over the cuteness overload and at times, try to hide them in all corners of the school.

The school only had a morning session and the afternoons were reserved for remedial sessions, ECAs (now known as CCAs) and detention.

I was then, a librarian, nothing special, just a guardian of books. To get up to the library, one has to climb the stairs to the top of the building - the library was located on level 4. There was a staircase right next to the library and another staircase at the end of the corridor. To get to the other staircase, one had to walk past 3 classrooms.

I still remember my first day in Sec 1, everything was so new and rather different. My class consisted of boys that were older than me. Due to my poor score during PSLE, i ended up in the last class. Almost the entire class was older than me and mostly, either Chinese or Malay. I was the class only mixed guy in the class. Neither here nor there. Seems that everyone has formed cliques within the first few days. What made it lagi difficult was my apparently goodie shoes behaviour. The boys were being boys and bouts of vulgarity and such spouted from them. Due to my strict upbringing, I was always afraid of opening up and trying out new things.

This all changed after i met Sylvia.

I remember that day quite clearly.

Still remains as one of the defining moments in my life. It also served as an awakening of sorts for me