Reasons To Go To School

Foreword: This article was written so because the writer was goaded by a friend into writing a cheerful article initially meant for the sch mag. But due to space constraint in the mag (and to make life easier for the editor, her friend), the writer didn't turn her masterpiece in. Prior to writing this, she has attempted to think of her glass as ‘half full’. The writer also wishes to state that she will not be held responsible should any party feel slighted or offended by the contents of this article. Lastly, think happy thoughts.


Reasons To Go To School

1.You never know what might happen the next day
Seriously. Like where L’s* bottle might turn up next. For those not in the know, she has wonderfully managed to misplace and recover back her; I quote Ms. Leong* “cheap red plastic bottle” in various places.The school canteen and under Ross’s* desk being one of the many places. Who put it there I wonder?

2.The weird wacky people
This school is a potpourri of different cultures, customs and mindsets. From jocks to drama queens, inspirational speakers to crafty businesswomen, how could school possibly be dull when we are peppered with characters such as these?
To me, small happiness is when Yap* condescends to humour the class by crooning her favourite songs. Or when my friends listen to me enthuse about Utt for the hundredth time with minimal eye-rolling and no snide comments.

3.Dodging the dreaded ‘Kelas Terkotor’ award… yet again.
“Reporting live from ABC (Arifian Broadcasting Channel), Head prefect Nikki* was heard reminding the residents of the class beside the agama room (5 A*) to clean up their act. Sources say that the aforesaid class managed to miraculously avoid being called up to pick rubbish in the school premises for the seventh consecutive time. The residents are duly impressed. It is later reported that the Arifians have been picking up after themselves and are generally living cleaner lives.”

4.Events and happenings in school
Being the self-confessed couch potato that I am, I’ll be the first to admit that 51% (that’s the majority by the way) of my social life happens here, in school. So I guess school isn’t such the ‘horrid’ place that I sometimes make it out to be. In my four ++ years in this school, I have (not in any particular order) turned entrepreneur and hawker (selling overpriced drinks on Canteen Day), upholsterer and interior designer’s assistant (decorating the hall with baubles the day before our ranger’s annual gathering), maid-of-all-work (scrubbing the walls and screaming every time a lizard drops out of nowhere during Gotong-Royong) and a performer (Speech Day).


5.The very essence of my school
Just being in school; breathing in the rather polluted ‘fresh’ air, getting love-grass stuck to your socks as you walk across the field, floating from class to class because of the shortage of classrooms…. These are some of the things that make C__ * so C__*. Yes, there are times when I get frustrated by the pointlessness of certain school rules. But hey! Would you rather be on the streets selling pirated DVDs instead of getting yourself a (not-so-free) education to better your future?

author's note: names of ppl n places have been changed to protect their anonymity