TANGLIN TECHNICAL SCHOOL, T4A, 1975
wow! it's unbelievable! seems like yesterday we were still a bunch of fresh teenagers studying hard for the GCE 'Ó' level exam. almost 37 yrs have flown by and now most of us were in our 50s.
we wouldn't have met again if not for the yearly visit by an emigrated girl classmate, Judy. many years ago, she went to work in oz, met a cute angmo driving instructor, married him and bore him a cuter son, Michael who was now a teenager like what we used to be preparing for GCE.
the cycle of life repeats....
so judy was back again. this should be the 3rd or 5th meet up we had so far. it was customary we held our meeting at HAN'S located at bt merah. it was perfect cos it wasn't crowded most of the time. in fact, every time we met there, it seemed that we were the only crowd there. (got a strange feeling that bt merah HAN'S may close soon. bo sen li.)
we chatted about the good o'days and tried as much as our deteriorating memories could even recall our "original" names. Judy wasn't called judy last time. she was known as her chinese name tham swit chan.
the faces still remained familiar though and some - ahem, like yours truly - still looked about the same. the hairs were still intact except for extra load of fats. some looked haggard and whitening hair or receding hairline or worst, both.
there were quite a few of us who remained singles. ya, ya...we should now be the lauhanku or the laukuaybu or nicely put it, upgraded status of uncles and aunties. :p
we chatted. we laughed. we updated ourselves our current situation. some were good, some were blessed. some were truly happy, some just put up a show and some seemed quietly distressed. :(
well, that's life....
one bright spark among us who was IT savvy decided to create a website just for our class and called it http://www.tanglintecht4a75.com. it was already started and actively on now a day after the meeting. fast worker, isn't he!
one thing for sure, many of my classmates were badly hit by the current bad economy. ex-high flyers were now resigned lowly paid employees doing things that would never have anticipated when he was high-flying. worst of all, he still got a family to support - tertiary going kids and etc...
then there were the fallen go-getters who once were proud businessmen whose deals gone bad and fallen from grace. it was a painful setback. but like i mentioned they were courageous and resilient. much humbler by their ordeals, perhaps they had become more humane and mindful.
as for me, well, i remain the happy-go-lucky blurcock. the important in life is not to own more and crave for more. the best thing to want is actually NOTHING. if u want nothing, then there would be lesser load to bear u down, stress u out and worry the hell out of u non-stop.
a friend actually asked me what birthday present that i want. yep, my next birthday is around the corner. without hesitation, i told him i want nothing...and thank you.
according to my just as joker sifu, quote: birthday means you are one year closer to the coffin. there's nothing much to be happy about. - unquote.
hmm.....so it's unhappy birthday and not happy birthday?
whatever it is, just live for the day, be happy, crave for nothing, ask for nothing and most things should just be fine....and happy.
sadhu..sadhu... :)
