2009 went and 2010 came without any disruption in my uneventful life right now.
Just came back from the countdown at Vivo with Yizhen and it was nothing special, probably because 2010 doesn't hold anything special for me and we couldn't even squeeze into the area. Yesterday's gathering with 07S63 was heartwarming, in the sense that many people still bothered to come even though our class wasn't that united. Skyped with Changling in London too (her room is so damn cool) and due to the surrounding din, we could hardly hear one another but you could literally feel the joy radiating off Changling's image. ((: Bernard drove all 13 of us around aimlessly and we unintentionally arrived at East Coast Park, our homeland. Basically loitered around and as the night drew in, Bernard graciously drove us all individually home. It's funny how I never noticed their chivalry before, and it really made me reminisce all those times in tutorials where someone would make some funny comment and had the whole class erupting in laughter. NS is subtlely making its mark on my dear former classmates. This reunion made me savour the importance of friendships as well as to truly appreciate the beauty of letting go of good times, embracing new ones but tucking in pocketfuls of memories to relieve once in a while.
2009 is the most eventful year of my 19 years of life so far. Everything proceeded at godly speed with the end of A levels, with me diving in headlong into the corporate world within a few weeks after examinations ended. I realised I had gone too obssessed with earning money/getting experience to beef up my resume that I had forgotten to properly enjoy the longest vacation I would ever have. My first official job at Aviva was not enriching enough, but it was the happiest period of this first half of the year. The colleagues were not demeaning, arrogant or snooty towards the temps but quite the opposite. I mean, where else do you get companies inviting temps to Christmas dinner, corporate dinner/lunch, giving temps Christmas presents, red packets and as many day leaves as we needed? Not to mention the elaborate farewell they gave us; Stacy got the best deal eh. My next office job was uhm, challenging. Way too challenging for a vacation job. Let's just say that it was a constant nightmare regurgitating worksheets, running all around Singapore, playing the middleman and talking back to the manager. Thinking back, I didn't know where I got the courage to talk back and even hung up the phone on her. Let's just say that I have matured from then. On top of these, there were still the tuitions, in which I realise that I could never become a teacher. I was going at 5 tuitions simultaneously on top of a full time job and well, the outcome is predictable. The greatest effect any tutee had on me would the Yuyang, this primary kid who lives opposite. I taught him for the longest period of time, meaning he gave me the most grief. I would never ever forget the time he hugged me after I punished him. Im not teaching him anymore, but I guess I will see him around the neighbourhood.
Interacting with society allowed me to learn so much, maybe not as much as temps are generally treated with leniency and more tolerance. I feel so much more independent being able to spend the money I earned for the first time ever. With so much forces working against me at certain points in time, I have learnt, that certain things are out of your control no matter how much you wish to steer your own path, that it sometimes takes more strength to accept things as they are with grace and not whine about it.
The second half of the year takes on a totally different turn. Camps were of such different frequencies from the corporte world that it took me quite a while to tune back. And with that, university was off to an exhilarating start. Dealing with friends who are older and wiser are not without no effects. Im proud to say that my emotions are better suppressed and an incident made me think more about what Im going to say before I say anything at all. It's also a humbling experience to finally be able to voice out my innermost thoughts and feelings, even if it's only to very close friends. And I learnt that with different groups of friends, I take on different roles. Sometimes Im the organiser, but I have since retired from that role. Sometimes Im the welfare officer, making birthday cards once a month and planning birthday surprises. Sometimes Im the backstage crew, doing the little things behind the scene while my friends tackle the limelight. Sometimes, I can just be Mieo.
And of course, I wouldn't have gotten through this year so smoothly without a handful of people, people who had helped me in extraordinary ways and hence hold a special place in my heart. I shan't show my appreciation to individuals because I would just keep ranting on and this post will never stop. As another year passes, Im grateful for the people around me who understand and can read me like an open book, who tolerate my pettiness at times and accept me for the whole package, imperfections and all - Yizhen, Kaili, Xinru. Nevertheless, there are the new friends I have made, from the Aviva saigang warriors who have proved themselves very good friends, Joyceline, my only companion during the dark Elite times, tutorial mates like Cherie, Terence and KahYee, Hall 10 people like Qiaohan, May, Jason and of course, CAC og Phyre and the FOC comm. (: Three cheers to friendship, the ship that will never sink.
May 2010 be nice to everyone. (: Happy New Year. Not to forget, Happy Birthday Mum.
