Fortress NJC

2004-01-10 9:44 p.m.

Ok, about two more days before I embark for my National Service. However, let’s not talk about that. I promise I’ll give you a short entry on life as a soldier soon enough.

Went back to NJC for mostly fun and to see the debaters. However, due to my erratic sleeping times this past week, I woke up at 1100hrs and by the time I got there, the whole event was finished. (The event I’m talking about is the CCA carnival). Therefore, I missed seeing the debate booth—which probably would have been the same as the one used for Open day—seeing the new JC1s who signed up and missed the performances. I was sort of looking forward to the Western Dance performance to see whether it was on par with that of Grace & Co. standards. Still, it was just a small disappointment. The bigger hassle was getting into the school. Of course, I remembered the security procedures and stuff, but even my persuasive powers wouldn’t work for the guard at the bus stop gate. Had to walk all the way to the Hillcrest Road entrance, exchange my EZ Link card for a badge and then enter. It looked exactly like the security procedures one would encounter at military base. No matter, good experience before NS> All cynicism and sarcasm aside, the school does look more like a fortress with all this checks. The fence seems to have additional barb wire around it to.

So I found the debaters at the flag pole area. Talked mainly to Mui Kheng as the rest seemed to be busy with some skit. It was later that I would come to the conclusion that it was the usual morning assembly skit that CCAs would use to entice students to join their CCA. However, from what I heard from Mui Kheng, over 20 juniors signed up at the debate booth. That’s good, I said, and was quite surprised to hear that over 80% were IP students with only a handful of JC 1s. Talk about déjà vu. We as in my year), go the same number of interested students last year but the number fell down to only 8. I also found out that the IP kids would be sent for the JG Secondary School Debates because of the age difference. That’s nice, I thought, but remembered how tough the motions were for even the Secondary School debate teams. I wondered how it would look if NJC’s first batch of IP students won the JGs.

Left eh debaters and proceeded to the canteen, passing a few OG groups and the board for the final class list. Looks like the school still kept the number of Arts classes at 3, just like for our junior batch. It was a shame to see a reduced Arts Faculty. The JC 1s looked exactly how we looked during our first few weeks in NJC. Same mix of schools too. Just before I reached the linkway, I bumped into none other than Ms Dorothy Chua, my Civics Tutor. Exchanged a few words to her, but it was nothing much. After all, she seem like she was in a hurry—as she’s always been. She did seem delighted seeing me back in school, but I could have mistaken that for her cheerful face. Her presence brought back many memories of Civics lessons and Contact time with her, where she would just read out announcements after announcements.

I am digressing too much. Found my ACS Junior Le Wen busy with e Western Dancers. He told me I should have been around at 1030hrs for their final performance. Le Wen’s always been a great friend and I saw him as a potential candidate for Western Dance ever since our days in scouts. Western dance was a sort of consolation for him after he failed to get a position as a House Representative. After leaving him, I strolled to the canteen any observed everything from a distance. Same food stalls, same smells and almost the same scene as in JC 1 and JC 2. I strolled back to the atrium and found everything quieter. The OGs had left, save one group still discussing some stuff. I headed upstairs, glancing at the CCA boards. The Debater board was still the same as before, with eh new EXCO and their contact numbers on it. The S cube board still had the picture of Lucas and his EXCO on it. Lit Wing seemed hardly altered but the Western Dance board was quite plain without any pictures on it. Made my way to my old classroom—TA 11 but found it locked. Feeling a sense of emptiness and lost, I head back for lunch. Chose Won Ton, the first stall I visited when I first entered NJ. The Stall owner recognized me instantly and knew what I wanted. Then I bought the same drink I’ve been drinking for all my life in NJ—a cup of Milo. The school grew quieter, with groups scattered her and there, Individuals conversing in English or Chinese, people from the same school sticking together. Saw a bunch of RV students and that brought back even more memories of my class. Alex Wee suddenly appeared and chatted with him for a while. He has been busy with some science competition that seems to be really prestigious. Then again, it was a tradition for all NJ debaters to participate in all these other competitions, such as Physics and Maths Olympiads.

Went back to my favourite spots after lunch—the Oasis, the Raintree and the classroom corridors. Everything was just so eerie due to the silence. I walked up to the hall but did not enter it. Found myself in near the AVA room where we would have our History lectures but did not proceed inside too. Tried to open the door to GR 34, my second most common venue back in my school days—especially during year two—but found the door locked. I just could not experience those days again—the times when I waited with CH inside that cozy room, the times when I just popped in and out to receive a dose of cool air and the times I just was there for no clear reason. GR 34, TA 11, the AVA room and the hall are all just distant memories which are clear at times but fuzzy at others. All the poignant moments can be kept in my mind, but they can never be relived again. What was I doing here I asked myself. I initially wanted the same atmosphere, but found that as not the key reason. Perhaps I wanted to discover some form of equilibrium, something not reached even after two years in NJC. I wanted, no, demanded some form of peace and tranquility which I thought would naturally come in JC. I sound like Major Richard Winters from Band of Brothers now. He wanted some form of peace ever since D-Day in Normandy; some where he would find not disorder or violence. I still seek for it today. It’s something abstract that is hard to explain, but something that keep tugging me something that just won’t go way….

On a side note, my first entry of my NJC recollections is available at this site Note that it is meniwellt with two ls, a typo error on my part when I first formed the diary site. In English it means my world and it is suppose to be meinwelt. Enjoy reading my entry.

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