Over and out... for now

I wore my badge and name tag for the last time today. The name tag lasted me seven years, since Form 1, and the badge symbolises seven years, from 2000 through 2006.

The STPM is over, and so is my life as a schoolboy. Thirteen years; fourteen including kindergarten. Yet I do not feel overflowing exuberance as I'm sure many of my friends will; indeed, I'm a little sad that it's all over.

But I'll still be returning to school when term starts next year, this time as a teacher. Teaching Biology to Form 5 students and Science to Form 3 students. So I guess I'll be coming full circle.

I still have no idea when I'll start driving lessons. I'm probably one of those dinosaurs that seem quite comfortable with walking and taking trains.


This is how I celebrated today:


Lunch with Soo Tian at Chili's. In his words, "We came, we saw, and we were conquered... by [the enormous portions served at] Chili's."

Coincidentally, we wore the same T-shirt. I had a rum and strawberry cocktail; it's pretty cool to have the waiter ask for ID then walk away satisfied that you're over 18. ;-)


Just before Soo Tian and I parted at MPH, we dropped by Rock Corner. Much to my delight, they had the deluxe edition of U218singles, which comes with a bonus DVD. I couldn't resist.

I asked the cashier if I could get a discount. She gave me a 10% discount so I only needed to pay RM105. Steep, it would seem, but worth it for a set containing a U2 DVD, I'd say.

Turns out she's a fan of U2's as well. Has only listened to their more recent albums, and loves Bono's voice. Indeed, there's something powerful about his voice that can take an audience to another place...

She asked if she could unwrap the CD/DVD booklet-box set. Well, she didn't actually need to ask, as she would have to do so anyway, in order to remove the magnetic tag. But she had an ulterior motive; she wanted to see the pictures inside! When she saw this, she said it's one of the best pictures of Bono:


(He's the only one out of focus, with half his head lopped off...)


Much to write. Coming soon over the next week, in no particular order:

1. Winning the MPH Search for Young Malaysian Writers
2. More from the Poetry Speaks calendar
3. My hospitalisation during part of the STPM trial exam
4. How Steven Curtis Chapman and the apostle John made me cry
5. A neighbourhood papaya tree's claim to fame


If C.S. Lewis were still alive, he would've turned 108 on 29 November, exactly one week ago.