With a little help from my friends *

2006-12-15 11:04 a.m.

My birthday fell on a Tuesday which meant it was the day for Ben’s tutorial, followed by four hours of four different lectures back to back until 1800 hours. Not exactly a day to celebrate especially since it was packed in the middle of term time when there were tutorials to prepare for, essays to write and maths test to study for. But still, it’s a birthday and it’s the day I stepped into official adult hood. So I woke up bright and early, giving thanks to God and then not soon afterwards found a card from my sister, and e-card from and received calls from my parents. Then I bumped into Rhys who greeted me to. The greetings flowed quite rapidly with in the next hour or so, most of them coming in through facebook (the wonders of modern technology) and even from old acquaintances whom I thought I really lost contact with. In total, twenty five people wished me or sent me wishes. Ok, I’m crazy to count but hey it’s the first time so many people wished me happy birthday and well after all, it’s my birthday. It doesn’t matter whether you wished me on the day itself or afterwards—thank you once again for the greetings, cards and wishes. Off I went to Ben’s Class and afterwards to a little treat.

I really didn’t suspect it was treat. The day before as a I pondering over my Politics 102 tutorial, I somehow noticed the “1 Message Received” flash on my mobile phone (in Singaporean context, the handphone). I open the message to find it from Shuying (former Sinsoc Vice President) asking me whether I was free to meet up with her and Meng Chai (former Singsoc President) tomorrow—that is on the day of my birthday. I looked at my schedule and decided the break was long enough and I said yes. I sort of have been placing work over social life (refer to previous entry) and that meant saying no to Singsoc outings to. But it was the fact that I knew it was a birthday treat that made me say yes. It’s, well something unexplainable. Maybe it’s because I was sick of eating at the University Centre for the past few weeks. Maybe it was the fact that I wanted to know them better that I said yes. Maybe.

So anyay, I met them promptly at 1200 hours and they led to way to Selly Oak. If you recall my previous few entries, I had yet to discover this student haunt which they said was quite a fair walk from the main campus. But to my surprise, we moved past the physics buildings and through a side gate and Meng Chai remarked, “here’s Selly Oak.”. Wo wee, new food area discovered. There were rows of food outlets from Fish and Chips, to Indian and a whole host of pubs. We entered the nearest pub and found a cosy spot.

About conversation yes, the usual how do you dos were exchanged as we walked to the pub. Then Shuying was trying to recollect was course I was reading when Meng Chai helped here, remarked, “poor memory lah you,” or something to that effect. More small teasing came about as I told them of my annoyance with finding library books and Meng Chai recollected how she once hid ten books. Or something like that.

We decided on our ordered and I was quite disappointed that there wasn’t any other steak save rib-eye or rump steak (if I remember correctly, I chose the later), but well that was that. Then Shuying popped a question, “who taught you econs in NJ (my junior college in Singapore)?” A sentence later, I discovered she was was exactly one year my junior in NJC and an Arts kid like me. Wow wee number two. We recollected certain common areas but it flowed so naturally. I mean, I usually don’t pour out all my frank thoughts of my JC life to many people around my age or so, but this was different. Call it shades of the various discussions with Claire back in July and August of this year.

Then Meng Chai returned and the topics shifted to my weekly life and theirs and how we managed our weekends. They gave me franks but useful advice on food, place to visit and such and when the food arrived. I always thought pub food would be just normal in size but the plate set before me was comparable to the size in New York. But hey, it was my first lunch outside university and it was a treat. So as I attacked my steak and they ate their chicken and chips, the topic moved to that of our future life—well it was more on internships and plans for the summer and such. Meng Chai even mentioned IDSS as a possible place when I remarked I did intern there this summer. They both seem really knowledgeable on the prospect of future jobs when I discovered that Shuying is an MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) Scholar and that Meng Chai was bonded to the SAF under the ATA scheme. Oh ok, scholars. No offence, but I seem to be picking them up as friends. As with regards to SAF scholars, I seem to have quite a few of them as friends. So I know that I’m (or rather my nation) will be safely guarded in the future.

We continued to talk about future prospects and jobs and since Meng Chai and I both knew SAF/NS stuff, we touched briefly on that. Nothing classified at all, but it seemed we had almost common views. Somehow or the other, we three also briefly touched on life in general. What I gathered is that despite them having a set future in different arenas and um secure income, they are downright humble and have a strong and frank philosophy of life. Both definitely look beyond norms and set ideas and if I may say, this is how Singaporean scholars or even Singaporeans in general should be if they really want to move up the ladder and lead justly. (Shades of Platonic justice? Maybe. Haha)

And so as I parted from them, I really cherished that sort of talk and moments which I don’t often get. Treat number two was justly recently, where Stacey and the girls of Flat 72 cooked me a sort of steak dinner. The reason for it being held so far from the birthday itself was that the constant piling of work. In fact, our Politics essays were due the next day so I am truly grateful to Stacey and the others for sacrificing their time to cook up such a lovely meal. And I really didn’t expect that sort of meat steak too, for as Stacey remarked after I told her my favourite food/dish, “Steak is expensive.” And after that meal, where there wer many perculiar and hilarious acts from Phil (shan’t go into detail), we trotted off to Bar One at Shackleton where Paul treated me to a rather sweet and syrupy drink mixed with beer. Then he a Phil shot several rounds of Billards while I watched Heather and Stacey try the electronic quizz machine. Bar one is perhaps the bar to try if you’re a novice and pubbing and don’t exactly prefer a noisy environment. There’s even a pub quiz on every weekend and that’s common in every pub in the UK. Wished they had that back home. Oh, Stacey is really the wiz at billards. Yeah.

So as I enter the world of adult hood, I just look back and thank God for the gifts he had given me along the way. One which is sometimes transient and sometimes permenant. It’s also something that constant fluctuates—sometimes it’s a joy to hold on to it, sometimes it creates misery at every step. But looking at the list of people who greeted me and sent me wishes, I can’t help but feel there’s and unsaid agreement that we’ll somehow never part even dozens of years down the road. Looking even at those whom weren’t that close, it feels as if we never had those conflicts in the past. Maybe it’s the occasion that changed things, but really I’ll always treasure the moments and most of all the bonds we had. And so here’s a song to suit the occasion. No, it’s not the “With a Little Help from my friends” as the entry is titled, but a song I instantly liked so many years ago. It’s not to be taken as a song of love and relationship, it’s a song of friendship.

Sarah Brightman & José Carreras - Amigos para siempre
(Friends for life)
Sarah
I don't have to say
A word to you
You seem to know
Whatever mood
I'm going through
Feels as though
I've known you forever
José
You
Can look into my eyes and see
The way I feel
And how
The world is treating me
Maybe I have known you forever
both
Amigos para siempre
Means you'll always be my friend
Amics per sempre
Means a love that cannot end
Friends for life
Not just a summer or a spring
Amigos para siempre
I feel you near me
Even when we are apart
Just knowing you are in this world
Can warm my heart
Friends for life
Not just a summer or a spring
Amigos para siempre
Sarah
We share memories
I won't forget
And we'll share more,
My friend,
We haven't started yet
Something happens
When we're together
José
When
I look at you
I wonder why
There has to come
A time when we must say goodbye
I'm alive when we are together
both
Amigos para siempre
Means you'll always be my friend
Amics per sempre
Means a love that cannot end
Friends for life
Not just a summer or a spring
Amigos para siempre
I feel you near me
Even when we are apart
Just knowing you are in this world
Can warm my heart
Friends for life
Not just a summer or a spring
Amigos para siempre
José
When
I look at you
I wonder why
There has to come
A time when we must say goodbye
both
I'm alive when we are together
Amigos para siempre
Means you'll always be my friend
Amics per sempre
Means a love that cannot end
Friends for life
Not just a summer or a spring
Amigos para siempre
I feel you near me
Even when we are apart
Just knowing you are in this world
Can warm my heart
Friends for life
Not just a summer or a spring
Amigos para siempre
Amigos para siempre
Means you'll always be my friend
Amics per sempre
Means a love that cannot end
Friends for life
Not just a summer or a spring
Amigos para siempre
Amigos para siempre

previous - next