Fortissimo

For the Alumni, it's more Get-Back-Together-by-Rushing-Down-or-Even-Ponning-School Day.

I woke up at 6, but obviously it was too early to go to school unless I wanted to sing the National Anthem. The next time I woke up was 10. Nick called me to hurry me up. I thought I was one of the five people of 4H who weren't there and the rest were waiting restlessly. I took a freaking taxi. Didn't cost much though hehe. $5.50. And I know the route now, too.

On the way into the school I met Cher Li going out.

Eh hi!!! No rush man, they're having some lousy maat rock concert in there.
... Ok. Thanks man.

When I got there the first person I saw was Andrew Chua in the distance, on the phone. We waved to each other and turned away. I looked around and saw the 4D people... Yong Chuan, John, blah blah. And nearly severed my head nodding and smiling to all of them. Then I saw Farand in a hurry, with his ever-present laptop with him. I finally saw some of the class downstairs. Denys was like 'Oh my God'... Wilfred was like 'Oh my God'. I'm flattered. There was Mok too, and oh yes I'd met Tat Chung and Marcus before that, Tat Chung is almost as tall as Marcus... And then I saw Andrew Ong, Makoto, Nicholas Ong that #&^$*&!@^%, and Samuel... Ah the memories that flooded me... Nick brought me upstairs to the now air-conditioned gallery where I met the MJC people... Mason, Daniel, and well I dunno whether Darren is in MJC... And Bertrand! Ahaha... He took one look at me and said, 'Oh, you came.' and then apparently decided to be nice and turned away before he could say something to spoil my day. We were watching the concert when these two people began singing a capella... Well actually with someone tapping the hi-hat behind the curtains for rhythm. Daniel watched for awhile, and then said to Nick and me, 'It was even worse than your item last year.'

Nick choked on his nugget and I on my drink. Nick started attacking Daniel across like half the gallery. Haha but yeah last year was a fiasco. I still blanch whenever I hear The Longest Time on air or being played.

The next half an hour or 45min was spent alternating between the canteen to check for newcomers and the gallery to make faces at the lousy sub-marine standards of the items. The future of VS Drama will pass out next June along with the pending 'O' levels of next year's batch, Martin and co. Someone was lamenting that next year's ELDDS ExCo would probably have to be Sec 2s, what with talents being 'brain drained' to the VIP (Victoria IP). I shall have nothing to do with them after that.

Honestly though, I'm back because of Martin and Mao and the last of the old crowd. Once they leave, it will mark the leave of my generation of EL members, and what use will I be then?

Thinking is rather bad for health.

I purchased a ticket and by some miracle there was one seat in the right of the second row facing the stage. Still better than peering over the balcony glass. And if I don't hear the actors it will be have to be my fault.

Anyway we decided against Seoul Garden because Wenhao, bless him and his stupid teacher, was stuck in school having a chemistry test, NCK was nowhere in sight, and Isaac left for I dunno where. We went with the rest of the gang to Parkway where we settled on BK.

Wow isn't it? Yeah I know.

Sam had an SLR camera. It was another beauty but of course we couldn't be shutter-happy because it was film after all, not an SD card. Bertrand estimates a DSLR to be $1300. Alrighty boy...! After lunch (Wenhao joined us midway) Wenhao Nicholas Mason and me went to play pool. Wenhao and Nicholas changed their top before going in, Nick into a lovely Adidas collared, and Wenhao from his school uniform into the T-Shirt I had seen Graham wearing.

Once a Saint, always a Saint.

I decided it was rather useless to bitch about it even though the others wasted no time in it. However the lady behind the counter, bless her soul, had uber-sharp eyes and spotted Wenhao's and Nick's school pants. As well as my own pants.

Schools pants are not allowed in here guys.

What?
Huh?
Shit.
Man...

I of course immediately said that mine weren't school pants. She spotted Nick's beige pants, which were glowing painfully obviously in the general darkness of the place. 'And yours too.' We turned to see where her finger was pointing, and we couldn't believe it. Wenhao in his navy blue pants, had been spotted and sniped.

Nick decided to try out his lying/acting skills.

That isn't school pants.
Then what about yours?
Mine?
Yes? Those aren't school pants? o.0
o_o ... ... *shrug and make lame chirping noise*

We knew we had lost. Badly. We really dropped flowers and bled water this time. We shuffled out of the place. We didn't mention it, but we know now why Nick never joined ELDDS don't we?

Met Bertrand and Wilbur downstairs again (pool was on the fifth floor). When they suggested Daniel's house I was ready to leave, because I knew Daniel lived in Changi. I followed them when we learnt that he had shifted to the Cotê d' Azur, just next to Parkway Parade.

We waited downstairs while Daniel went up to check if his mother was there. She wasn't, so we all trooped up, Daniel, Mason, Wenhao, Nicholas, Wei Min, Samuel and me. It was a lovely apartment, with a breathtaking sea view. While Samuel and Wei Min watched some car thingy on Wei Min's sleek iBook G4, the rest of us took turns playing bridge. Chee Kian and Ian came up, and later Ian and Nick left for awhile.

Daniel provided clothing for Wenhao and Bertrand, and Samuel had brought his own clothing. After changing we proceeded back to the pool place earlier. As expected the damned woman tried to find fault with the most school-looking pants - mine. Daniel and Mason had to lift my shirt to prove it wasn't. It wasn't amusing.

My playing was terrible on the whole, save for a couple of spectacular shots. Siva had become a pro from nowhere, and wherever he pointed and I shot, it was almost guarantee to either score, or snook the opponents big time. With Mason, quite a good player himself, I started clearing table, but I 1) forgot, and 2) honestly didn't think my black ball would go in. But I fired, and the black ball spectacularly rebounded and threw itself right into the pocket I was standing next to. The next match was equally good, and we both struggled until Mason managed to get the black ball in first. Oh well.

Ah it was great with the old crowd again. I was certainly sorry to part with them. But then there is always EMD on Friday to look forward to.