Farewell, Stripey Couch..
{Started writing on February 18, just finished today.}
Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we? Down my Education Memory Lane, more specifically. Just feel like reviving old memories. Ahh, the good old days.. :P
The Seed Montessori School (TSMS)Years of study: 1994-2001
Levels: Prep 2-Grade 6
Sections/Classes: Section B, most of the way (I think). We didn't bother much about it because there were only 2 classes.
I was part of the batch one year after the pioneering batch. It was a small school when it started. Nestled in a tiny subdivision, Don Antonio, and built in a way such that it incorporated several of the homes, it was a homely little place.
In Prep, I remember the Pink Cube Tower and the Ribbon Frame and all the pictures we could colour. The tiniest member of the Pink Cubes was always stolen. I learnt how to tie a ribbon differently from how the majority ties one; Teacher Mai insisted I learn that particular way. I still tie my ribbons that way today. I remember my best friend, Julianne. We were always together. I'll never forget you! Hope you are doing well, wherever you are.
I remember the Elocutions and Quiz Bees. The good thing about Elocution is that everyone is "forced" to develop their communication and speaking skills, both in Filipino and in English. Everyone had to deliver the chosen speech, Bible verse, etc in front of the level (which at the time consisted of only 2 classes). I won runner-up for
Mark Antony's Funeral Oration for Caesar (by William Shakespeare) in Grade 4. And was tied for 3rd place for
Kay Ganda ng Buhay in Grade 6. Got me a huge bronze medal. :D
I remember how the boys in my class would always tease all the girls. The girls would then hit or kick them in return. SO imature. Haha. I hope I'll have the chance to see all my classmates and apologise to the guys for hurting them. But only if they apologise first. Haha, kidding. :P
I remember how we were always so free during our breaks. We would play games like
Agawan Base or
Patintero, etc. I remember the Monkey Bars and the Balance Beam in the sandy playground.
I remember the glass Coke bottles we had. And occasionally we had ICE CANDY. Yum.
I remember having to memorise a tonne of countries and their capitals. For what? I don't know. Laos--Vientienne. Poland--Warsaw. Yugoslavia--Belgrade. Mongolia--Ulaan Baatar. And many more. :D
I remember
Delta Drawing, a pioneer in digital art. We learned how to use it in Computer Class. And
Math Blaster. Muhaha.
I remember the Christmas and Linggo ng Wika and UN Day performances. Especially the Christmas ones. We always went to Abelardo Hall, as we had no hall for ourselves. When I was in Grade 4, we had a special performance-- a Disney Christmas musical that involved the whole school. I was one of the angels. Though I only came out in the last scene, it was fun! We practised a lot. And even hired instructors to help the main characters with their acting. Although I never figured out how it all pieced together or what the story was all about, it was great. I hope I get to participate in a similar production in the future.
And of course, how could I forget my 3 best friends? Hannah, Charmaine and Molly. We need to have another gathering in June guys! {We
did have a gathering!} :D
Many, many more memorable things to relate; so little time and energy. But I'll always remember them. (:
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School of the Holy Spirit (Quezon City) (SHS)Years of study: 2001-2003
Levels: 1st year-2nd year (and one quarter of 3rd year) High School
Sections/Classes: I-Handog, II-Banaag, III-Kalayaan
The best thing about SHS was that it was only a few yards away from my house. At the end of our street. During rainy weather, I could always tell if school was cancelled for the day: there would be no cars causing traffic in our tiny street.
Going to an all-girls' school was different. No boys to harass you. But there were
mean girls (if you know what I mean). They weren't so bad though. And the 1:50 teacher-student ratio took quite some getting used to.
Lessons were also a shock. One was actually being graded! :P Needless to say that in my previous school... well you get the picture. :P I remember those index cards that we needed to have for all subjects, for us to take down our scores and the like. Recitation, seatwork, projects, quizzes, exams. All with their own column.
I remember the canteen. We had assigned tables at the Mother Maria Annex. I remember the all-time favourite shake, which had lots of flavours. And the sizzling plates. Sigh, too good. :D
When I was in 1st year, in October (Rosary Month), aside from praying the rosary daily, SHS also had a Living Rosary in the Gym one day. Each bead of the rosary was represented by a person. Then for each mystery, a dove was released. I thought it was really cool.
We had Intramurals every year. And everyone had to participate in a particular event. I always ended up cheering. :P
I remember the swimming lessons! Trust me, you wouldn't wanna have Swimming as your first lesson. The water's freezing. But it was fun.
For PE we learned dances, tumbling and other weird stuff like how to do the Chinese Get Up or the EGGROLL. Haha. We had sports too, like Softball and Table Tennis and Volleyball.
First year, I joined the Newsletter Club. I wrote Feature articles for
Voices. The next year I joined Crafts and Stuff Club. We made crafts and.. stuff. :P
I remember Home Economics. For Sewing class, we learned how to use the sewing machine-- the Singer one. And we had to make our own outfits, a skirt and top. Because I didn't haee a sewing machine at home, I stayed in the Sewing room until evening after school and.. sewed. It was all dark outside and I was the only one there. Quite spooky.
For Cooking class, we had to cook different dishes every time. We had other teachers sample our culinary delights and grade them. And we had to learn different napkin folds! We had a practical test on napkin-folding. I liked the
Bird of Paradise the best. But alas! I have forgotten how to fold each and every fold I spent time learning. :(
We had an English Week thing. I sort of forgot exactly what it was. But each class had to choose an English movie and there would be an inter-class competition. We had to break up into different groups: some chose acting a scene of the chosen movie, singing a song (from the movie), making artwork relating to the movie, etc. My class did
The Parent Trap. I joined the singing group and we did
LOVE. And danced too. In the end, the class that did
Anastasia bagged first for all the categories except the acting. My class won! It was really cool, the way my classmates did the skit. We were more or less certain we would get 1st place. (:
And of course, my
barkada. I made many friends there, like Vicki, Kaydee, Tep, Carmi, Coco, Melai, etc. And I won't ever forget the Farewell Party you guys gave me before I left for Singapore! I miss you guys!
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St. Margaret's Secondary School (SMSS)Years of study: 2004-2005
Levels: Secondary 3-Secondary 4
Sections/Classes: 3/5, 4/5
After that arduous rask of finding a school, Natalie and I finally landed in St. Marg's. It was the only school where we didn't have to take a
difficult entrance exam. We were about to but stopped right before. Instead, we had an interview/on-the-spot acceptance, because we passed the CQT. The CQT is an IQ test we took when we first arrived in Singapore. And since I find IQ Tests really easy, well.. you get the picture.
Not different from SHS in the sense that both are girls schools. But a lot different in terms of education system. If I thought SHS was tough, Singapore's education system is the ULTIMATE. They have a totally different way of doing things. Talk about
education shock. Higher-level in terms of academics, less in the creative side. No offence.
We had Math Revision Tests, to practise what we (ie. not me) learned in Sec 2. I always failed. Yesss, my Math
sucked. What could I do? I never learned those stuff in the Philippines. And so I got a 6/40 for my Mensuration test. Haha, I said MenSUration. Which leads me to my next paragraph. But before I get to that. I remember getting a C6 for Physics I think. And I was so ultra sad. Until I found out grades don't matter. :P
I remember not understanding the school terms used, like
O Levels,
elective vs
pure, etc. And also the more everyday terms like
plaster = "band-aid", or
foolscap = "one whole" paper. :P
I found the uniform weird. Not the polka dots, no. The short, above-the-knee skirts (compared to the calf-length skirts in the Philippines) with white rubber shoes (compared to the black leather shoes in the Philippines). I kept on pulling my skirt down, haha.
I remember the
Saintsational Fair we had in October 2004. We had an ASEAN food stall put up. Along with the foods the other ASEAN students brought, there was
turon and.. others, I forget. We initially sold them for $1 each, but since they were a big hit, we upped the price to TWO BUCKS. Contrast that to the, what, P5? P10? cost in the Philippines. :D Oh, and we had to dress up in our traditional wear and parade around the school. Needless to say we elicited stares. But it was fun.
This was where my Choiring all started. I needed to choose a CCA, fast. Natalie somewhat spur-of-the-moment-like chose Choir. And impulsively, I did too. Yeah, I know, copy cat. :P But from then on I realised it was real fun to sing in a group. None of that solo limelight for me, thank you. Sure, I could carry a tune. But it was different, learning more formally. And of course, there was the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF). And our favourite,
Dang Lor Jui.
I remember having a hard time using chopsticks. My noodles always slid off. My friends had to help me. Lol. But I did learn how to use chopsticks.. even if it wasn't the correct way. Eventually. :P
I made friends there too, like Meisi, Yim hui, Karin, Nha chi, Nha mai, and many more. :D
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Pioneer Junior College (PJC)Years of study: 2006-2007
Levels: JC1-JC2
Sections/Classes: O6S08 (PAE), 06S16
If I thought Secondary School was hard, was I in for a surprise. That's when I learned my lesson that life (or education, at least) was not gonna get any easier. Ever. *sniff*
I was posted to PJ for the first 3 months, during PAE. It's a sort of "trial" period where you get to "try out" JC life. And I found it really fun. And the schoolwork was easy! :D
My classmates would always cut classes. Whether to catch a movie, go to a poly open house or just play tennis in school. I was the good girl who never skipped or cut classes. And I always did my homework and actually studied for my Physics test. But that's only because I enjoyed studying. Yeah, you read right. It was fun 'coz there wasn't a lot to study, and it wasn't so difficult. It was fun!
..Until PAE ended. The real work began. JC wasn't as fun as I thought it was. It was a battlefield.
Although tough, it was fun. In a way. Especially Choir and my dear ExCos and Music Com. Even JC Choir was different from Sec School Choir. It was more independent in the sense that handling and responsibility was given to the student leaders, not teachers. It was a big challenge for us, especially me. Now I'm not the leader type-- me being the shy, afraid-of-the-limelight girl that I was. So it was hard for me to warm up to my role as VP of Choir. It took some getting used to, but eventually I overcame my timidity to be able to address the Choir. And although I know I could've done a better job, I'm grateful for the experience since it taught me to step out of my comfort zone. I became more open, friendly, outgoing, confident.
So my friends say I changed a lot since my PAE days. They say I was so quiet back then. Now I'm not. Not to say I'm loud, hahaha. Just less quiet. BUT the shy, reserved side of me still dominates. Much less now than before, however. Muhahaha.
Continuing about Choir. Although there were the long practice hours, the endless attendance problems, the complaining and more, we still enjoyed. It was respite for me after a long tiring schoolwork-laden day. I always looked forward to Choir. Except of course when I got to J2, and SYF and Viva Vivacious attacked almost simultaneously. :P
And how could I forget the Japan trip? Seeing the sights, experiencing the culture, eating the food. :D But the real fun began at night, in our hotels. We snuck into each others rooms and played cards, or prank-called each other. :P It's when I first found out I suck at
Bluff (
Cheat). I remember singing in the queues at Disneyland. Even that bad day I had. ): But in the end, I have this to say: Japan was so fun!
And then there were all the blogposts I had about how stressed and tired I was. When I read through my archives now, it's hard for me to imagine how expressive I could be, while exhaustion reigned supreme in my being. Hahaha.
I really grew in PJ. I learned a lot. Team dynamics, relationships, perseverance, and more. Yup, it's where I experienced
unimaginable stress and yet managed to come through. (:
Then there're my friends. The Choir people: Karen, Joanna, Pei zhen, Keh kiong, Sze xin, Winston, Azu, Ke min.. Class people: Kai yih, Jie ying, Lalita.. Morning table people: Kai chi, Guo min, Michael, Bing shu.. Others: Gerald, Siew ting, Gabriel, Hwee peng.. My friends' friends: too many to mention. :P What can I say? I made TONNES of friends! :D
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Now, after a long hiatus, another chapter of my education will unfold. I am on the brink of starting a more independent, mature life in university. :P Sigh, I wish I could remain a kid forever. ): I have 3-4 years of studying left. More mugging. More stress. But I'm sure I can brave the storm, just like I did for the past 15 years. How can I not, if I have the Lord by my side? (:
But of course, uncertainties await. Pain and suffering loom in the distance. Such things cannot be evaded. Pray that I'll have the strength to be steadfast, and be that one step closer to fulfilling God's will in my life.
A-S-T-H-M-A. What does it spell?
Ooh, looky here:
When a cough frequently occurs during the night, and / or in association with other common asthma symptoms, such as wheezing or shortness of breath, then asthma should certainly be suspected.
From this
asthma website I found. Since I exhibit ALL those symptoms, now I've confirmed I
do have asthma. Every night.
And I've been having it for months now. Rawr. I need a doctor. ):
Saaave meee..
In other news.. I watched the National Spelling Bee on ESPN yesterday. The words were so difficult. Each contestant was given 2.5 minutes to spell the word, and the first 2 minutes to ask the definition, part of speech, etymology, etc. It was just like in
Akeelah and the Bee. What struck me was that many (if not most) of the kids were Asian. Well, of Asian descent. There were Chinese, Indians, Filipinos. Yep. Mostly those. Cool eh?
Anyway, the kids there are like, brain-Y. Hahaha. There was this one kid who had a
spelling suitcase. He brings it around wherever he goes. *shudder* Lol, I don't mean to be mean (pun intended). Hahaha. It's just unbelievable. But I guess it's cool since they like what they're doing. (:
Towards the middle, I started looking away from the screen (they show the TV audience the word) and tried to spell it. Needless to say, I wouldn't reach Round 2 if I were a contestant. Blech, I wouldn't even be eligible to enter. :P The second-to-the-last word was
prosopopoeia. And.. I spelled it correctly! I'm not
that bad. The winning word was
guerdon. Which I spelled incorrectly. :P So much for my "not bad" spelling.
Anyway, to boost my readers' vocabulary, I'll include the definitions. Enjoy!
PROSOPOPOEIA
pro-so-po-poe-ia [noun]
1. personification, as of inanimate things.
2. a figure of speech in which an imaginary, absent, or deceased person is represented as speaking or acting.
GUERDON
guer-don[noun] 1. a reward, recompense, or requital.
[verb] 2. to give a guerdon to; reward.
