It was the fourth time I paid a visit to Balestier Hill Secondary School. But this time, it was Graduation Day. As I stepped into the school hall, I suddenly felt a little awkward. My eyes glanced from the left of the hall to the right and was greatly impressed with beautiful decoration. It was well-decorated and it implicated that the teachers certainly put their efforts in. :)
As my best friend, Kim Leng walked towards the front row where he was invited to sit, he began rehearsing with Mr Elfie who was his speaker during his speech. I stood alone outside the hall watching proudly at the students who were busy doing the final touch up. Suddenly, a female student hosted me to be seated at the HI (Hearing Impaired) row. Feeling strange and uneasy, I walked obediently to the seat where she pointed at. I was completely alone with the empty seats behind me, with the colourful hands pasted on the dark blue chairs.
The starting time approached like a snail. Finally, the audience was asked to stand up, clapping happily while all the balestierians marched down the corridor towards the hall with their sunflowers held in hand, according to their respective classes. They were being seated according to their names written on the hands which were stuck on the chair.
The idea of designing the colourful hands and pasted them on each chair at the hall were Ms Yati and Ms Wong's. It was definitely creative and unique as there were different motivational quotes on the back of different hands. The quotes would keep the graduating students going during their criticial period of O Level.
At long last, the event started to unfold. The first programme was to warmly invite each of two ex-balestierians upon the stage to give their speeches. There was a round of applause when one went up the stage.
One of the speakers, Mr Ng opened his speech by greeting the audience. As the speech went on, one thing I learnt from him was that we got to embrace, persevere and the last point which I failed to remember. But despite being retained twice in secondary five, he graduated with good O Level in 1997 and is now a research engineer at an A star company. It is an inspiration to a great degree.
Next, Kim Leng was asked to go up the stage. Before he took off his seat, he gave me a nervous look. I told him to relax and did what he could. He then smiled almost nonchalantly. I smiled back.
There, he stood on the stage and started to proceed as planned. I leant back and listened with enthusiasm. The parts I loved the most were the parts that talked about his transferral to Express stream before secondary two began and the study tips. The three tips I exactly recalled were "Be Prepared. Persevere till the end. Practise makes Perfect". What a coincidence that all three tips started with 'P'. :) Well done, Dave aka Kim Leng. :D I think I clapped the loudest after he concluded his powerpoint with "ALL THE BEST! Thank You". You have done your dear best friend proud since the day you met her. :)
The next few programmes were for the students to go up the stage according to their respective classes to receive their individual graduating certificates and awards.
Finally, the principal came up to the microphone and spoke. What she had announced had nearly brought me to tears. My favourite former Chemistry teacher is going to retire soon this year. It is likely after O Level exams.
Moreover, Mr Chua who was nominated as the most dramatic teacher on Teachers' Day, is retiring soon too. He was my former English and Combined Humanities teacher since secondary three and four respectively. He had painstakingly taught my secondary four class Combined Humanities and I still vividly remembered his loud banging on the student's desk. Not only that, he looked more like Hilter. The more I saw him coming to my class last year, the more I thought he resembled Hilter in our History textbook. He is a very good Combined Humanities teacher.
It was sad seeing more teachers retiring and more newcomers as teachers. :(
In between the event, I dug out two gifts bought from Shanghai and passed to Jaslyn and Bee. I then observed Bee's face. His face merely lit up like a shining star and the smile was shown, just as I expected. It was a wide smile I ever witnessed. He just told me, ''I am touched.''
Unfortunately, I did not scruntizise Jaslyn's facial expression as she knew what gift was expected. But she later tweeted me a thank-you and said that she would treasure it dearly.
As for Kim Leng, his facial expression displayed the familiarity of a red packed box which consisted a somehow similar gift he bought for me from China back in 2008. There, his name was engraved on a blue stone which could be used as a keychain. He signed a thank-you to me and cheerfully said, ''I need it for my keys''.
It warmed my heart to hear that my three friends loved their gifts. :)
As my best friend, Kim Leng walked towards the front row where he was invited to sit, he began rehearsing with Mr Elfie who was his speaker during his speech. I stood alone outside the hall watching proudly at the students who were busy doing the final touch up. Suddenly, a female student hosted me to be seated at the HI (Hearing Impaired) row. Feeling strange and uneasy, I walked obediently to the seat where she pointed at. I was completely alone with the empty seats behind me, with the colourful hands pasted on the dark blue chairs.
The starting time approached like a snail. Finally, the audience was asked to stand up, clapping happily while all the balestierians marched down the corridor towards the hall with their sunflowers held in hand, according to their respective classes. They were being seated according to their names written on the hands which were stuck on the chair.
The idea of designing the colourful hands and pasted them on each chair at the hall were Ms Yati and Ms Wong's. It was definitely creative and unique as there were different motivational quotes on the back of different hands. The quotes would keep the graduating students going during their criticial period of O Level.
At long last, the event started to unfold. The first programme was to warmly invite each of two ex-balestierians upon the stage to give their speeches. There was a round of applause when one went up the stage.
One of the speakers, Mr Ng opened his speech by greeting the audience. As the speech went on, one thing I learnt from him was that we got to embrace, persevere and the last point which I failed to remember. But despite being retained twice in secondary five, he graduated with good O Level in 1997 and is now a research engineer at an A star company. It is an inspiration to a great degree.
Next, Kim Leng was asked to go up the stage. Before he took off his seat, he gave me a nervous look. I told him to relax and did what he could. He then smiled almost nonchalantly. I smiled back.
There, he stood on the stage and started to proceed as planned. I leant back and listened with enthusiasm. The parts I loved the most were the parts that talked about his transferral to Express stream before secondary two began and the study tips. The three tips I exactly recalled were "Be Prepared. Persevere till the end. Practise makes Perfect". What a coincidence that all three tips started with 'P'. :) Well done, Dave aka Kim Leng. :D I think I clapped the loudest after he concluded his powerpoint with "ALL THE BEST! Thank You". You have done your dear best friend proud since the day you met her. :)
The next few programmes were for the students to go up the stage according to their respective classes to receive their individual graduating certificates and awards.
Finally, the principal came up to the microphone and spoke. What she had announced had nearly brought me to tears. My favourite former Chemistry teacher is going to retire soon this year. It is likely after O Level exams.
Moreover, Mr Chua who was nominated as the most dramatic teacher on Teachers' Day, is retiring soon too. He was my former English and Combined Humanities teacher since secondary three and four respectively. He had painstakingly taught my secondary four class Combined Humanities and I still vividly remembered his loud banging on the student's desk. Not only that, he looked more like Hilter. The more I saw him coming to my class last year, the more I thought he resembled Hilter in our History textbook. He is a very good Combined Humanities teacher.
It was sad seeing more teachers retiring and more newcomers as teachers. :(
In between the event, I dug out two gifts bought from Shanghai and passed to Jaslyn and Bee. I then observed Bee's face. His face merely lit up like a shining star and the smile was shown, just as I expected. It was a wide smile I ever witnessed. He just told me, ''I am touched.''
Unfortunately, I did not scruntizise Jaslyn's facial expression as she knew what gift was expected. But she later tweeted me a thank-you and said that she would treasure it dearly.
As for Kim Leng, his facial expression displayed the familiarity of a red packed box which consisted a somehow similar gift he bought for me from China back in 2008. There, his name was engraved on a blue stone which could be used as a keychain. He signed a thank-you to me and cheerfully said, ''I need it for my keys''.
It warmed my heart to hear that my three friends loved their gifts. :)
