A Summary of 2008 - My Year of Firsts

The end of another year - the passing of my 15th year in this world.

And, with it goes my meaningful, wonderful Form Three life - "A Year of Firsts", as i call it.

What are my achievements in this Year of Firsts?
What are the changes that i've experienced?

Plenty.

I suppose i'm gonna summarize up all (all that i could remember) the things that makes my Form Three life memorable.

My list of "First"s :

= Highest mark that i ever got for English in my secondary-school history - 97%.
- Actually i don't know whether my English proficiency DID improve, or its just because that my English teacher favours me :|

= Submitted an English essay entitled "Never Give Up Hope" to the school magazine.
- The essay was accepted, waiting for the magazine now.

= Tried my luck + confidence by attending the public speaking "audition".
- Got my first impromptu speech, didn't get chosen (Foreseen..), but yeah, i'm contented with my confidence to embarass myself when i gave my impromptu speech.

= Embarassed myself by singing Secondhand Serenade - Fall For You on-stage, during the last few days of school.
- No idea how serious the damage i did to plenty of eardrums.

= Actually widened my "scope" of life.
- Participating in as many competitions as i could, and joining in many activities that i could find, and making as many friends that comes in my sight.

= Started my first blog.
- Yeah, this is the first.
(The "amateur" website(s) and blog that i made when i was in Standard Five doesn't count, right?)
*Don't ask me for the link to the old blog, some things are best kept secret, XD.*

= Joined a band - the Banana Chapalang Bloody Band.
- Really thanks a lot to Fish. My first chance to hold (and play) a bass guitar - it's all because of Fish who gave me a chance.

= Made my first card.
- Of course, with guidance from the legendary card-queen, Inn. The results turned out quite okay, and i'm (quite) happy with the purple sunflower card that i made, XD.

= Experienced the feeling of having someone close to me pass away.
- What with my grandmother's and my uncle's death both in one year, i understood - and appreciated life more than before. Moreover, the first two funerals that i've ever attended in my life are theirs - a Buddhist (Taoist to be exact) funeral and a Christian funeral.

.. List of "Tried and Achieved" :

= Submitted a Malay essay (Anti-drug) for a competition in school.
- Got second place. Not perfect, but contented anyways.

= Extended my writing-skills for English.
- Thanks to blogging, and some "long-essay-writing" when i'm bored.
(Au Revoir, The House)

= Made up two poems (The first two that i've ever made in my life)

Sunflower
A sunflower so perfect, so flawless,
Brings nothing but joy and happiness;
Surviving rain and other hardships,
The true symbol of eternal friendship.

Hailstorms of Light
Showers of joy, hailstorms of light,
Eliminates darkness, diminishes fright;
Moments of rapture, moments of bliss,
Precious memories that I savour and miss.

= Brought more exercise (sports) into my life.
- Thanks to Teoh, i've discovered a new sport - Frisbee. Moreoever, weekly badminton games make me happy too, :P.

= Won the inter-class volleyball team for the year
- Not much actually, but it's kinda proud to win with a team like this, XD.

= And, of course - Getting 7A1B for my PMR exams.
- Disappointed, but still contented.

And, a list of "Changes" :

= The most obvious change in me - my looks.
- Used to be quite "flabby" and "sideways" when i was in Form One + Two. Glad i don't look like that anymore.

= My attitude.
- Quite a helluva change from my past years' attitude. A lot of changes for the better, and for the worse perhaps. But still.. There're still more, there're still more..

= Sheer drop for gaming.
- I haven't been gaming as much as i did last time. Reasons? Blogging, MSN, forum, homework, etc etc etc. Even now, the only game i play is World of Goo, a "physics-puzzle-game".

A year of firsts,
A year of achievements,
A year of changes,
A year of memories.

That's the one - Form Three.

I'll miss this year - most of us will.

I miss my classmates - even though some of them sucks, XD.
I miss my teachers - even though some of them sucks, haha.
I miss my class - even though it sucks, lol.

*Reminiscences*

No choice.

Goodbye, Form Three.

*Comment all you like about me, or all you hate about me, i'm okay with them~*

PMR Results

The days before -

"what shud we wear to school?"
"confident or not?"
"what time collect results?"

The DAY before -

"did you cut your hair?"
"goodluck 2morrow wor.."
"im dead T_T"

And still, the DAY before..

I phoned my aunt to ask about tomorrow's details - what should we wear, when are the results announced, do i need to have my hair trimmed etc.

What should we wear?
She - PJ shirt and green long pants of course, i doubt that other outfits are allowed.
Me - What about PJ shirt + jeans?
She - Absolutely no way.

When are the results announced?
She - It's just nice to come at 11am, but you can come earlier if you want to chat with friends or something.

Do i need to have my hair trimmed?
She - Yes, you MUST! The disciplinary teachers won't only kill you when they see your hair - they'll kill me too for being your aunt!
Me - Oh, crap, but i have no more alternatives already, dad's not at home, and its too late for a barber trip i guess (its already 11pm)
She - Err, come on over to my house and i'll give you a quick haircut.

So i turned off my computer, saying quick goodbyes to the army of MSN soldiers firing nonstop at friends chatting with me. And i drove to my aunt's house after locking up the house.

***

Today
Come to think of it, is it worth it for me to have my hair trimmed earlier by one week just to go to school for 2 hours? I could save ONE WHOLE WEEK if i trim my hair only on the day before school starts, geez.

No idea - i guess the school disciplinary teachers were being hyper-psycho as usual, making me thank god that i trimmed my hair yesterday.

***

*Skips plenty of the story*

Well, after the results were announced and students started vacating the area already, Mah and a few other frisbee friends started a frisbee game right in the basketball court - my weird idea of course. Wonder how many people thought that we're mental :|

While playing frisbee, my mind was full of thoughts - till i missed most of the throws made by Mah.

What was i thinking?

My PMR results of course.

I've only got a 7A - 1B for Chinese.
Big deal huh?

Actually expected that would happen, but still, it was quite a blow for me.

Chinese..
Chinese..
A Chinese that couldn't get an A for Chinese?

"Ang mor sai".

The term keeps floating to the front of my mind, no idea why.

Well, after i informed my family about my results - i got encouraging remarks instead.

From my parents, from my sister, from my brother.

They were all supportive, happy for me that i got 7As, while asking me not to be overly disappointed.

Nah, i'm not disappointed..

Or am i?

My sister got 8As,
My brother got 8As,
And i got 7As.

I've single-handedly broke the 8A-streak among my siblings! XD..

Well, there has to be a first for everything as i understand.
But i'm still disappointed.

I've always been "full-speed-ahead" on the three subjects i like - Maths, Science, English.
Guess i neglected Chinese. My Chinese standard was usually around 70 during past exams. I guess i was unlucky this time :|

Oh well..

Wasn't just me alone who got unlucky perhaps, haha.

So i should think more optimistically.

I won't say that im a failure as many of my friends call themselves.
The finishing line is still ages away, how could i know that i've failed if i haven't reached it?

By surrendering, of course.
Unfortunately, i'm not going to surrender.
It takes more than that to make me fall.

Strive, strive, strive for the future.
PMR is just a benchmark for me to set my foundations on so as to improve myself from Form Four and beyond.

Chinese - you're my first target.

And now i'm wondering whether i have the initiative to improve my Chinese, sigh..
Wonder what my Chinese teacher would say if he ever sees this post.

Form Four.. Here i come.

No, wait, i've got to get my hair fixed by my dad first - Pn Ho didn't exactly do a perfect job on trimming my hair, XD. But still, i'm grateful that i was safe from today's "disciplinary-purge".

And about my results..

"We may have lost the battle, but not the war" -Quoted from Call of Duty 4.

"You are in a lion fight. You lost. But that doesn't mean you don't know how to ROAR." -Quoted by Yimin.

So.. RAWR!!