To Ber the Nerd
Mummy just drove me back to Hall.
Since I've already missed the first two lessons, I might as well just take the day off and rest. Plus I really am not feeling too well.
Did I mention while she was helping me lug my many bags full of clothes (I brought them home to wash and oh my gosh, I miss the smell of my laundry washed by my home washing machine! A one and only acquired unique CLEAN smell!) back to my Hall room, she just mentioned that a guy like my primary school friend Ber (the very same one who's in the same course as I am and living in the same Hall) is the best for me!
Was that a joke mum? Cos Ber and I are as different as can get, other than the competitive streak in us (which I have conveniently lost mine after graduating from Cedar). The only common points between us are a shared history of kindergarten/primary school memories.
Kindergarten saw both of us being in a clique with two other kids, a boy nicknamed King Kong and this other girl whom I've forgotten. Somehow or another we got along. Me being the tomboy constantly not behaving like any other girls, and playing catching with the rest of the boys speaks a lot of being more a guy's girl than a girl's girl. Being class monitress from that age meant I was naturally the teacher's pet and the only way I could convince kids my age I was a good leader then was to score in my tests and spellings and art and just about everything. Of course with smart hardworking Ber in my group, spurred me on to study! In most aspects, Ber and I were on par, from subjects like English, Chinese and Mathematics, and even running (since the physical advantage of a male is over a girl is not as obvious at such a young age) but there were clearly two things I definitely won him hands down... Art and Craft and Music! He was not made to be creative.
I went on to primary school, wondering where this childhood friend of mine has gone to. And lo and behold, he was in the same school as I was! And my elder brother (of 2 years) happened to be his buddy (unknowingly)! Talk about Singapore being small! VERY small indeed! But this discovery of attending the same school and all was only made in primary 3 when we were in the top class together cos prior to that, our first 2 years of primary school life were spent 2 classrooms apart (him in 1E/2E and me in 1H/2H) and there we re-bonded and competed over recess games of hopscotch, police and thief, marble, frog catching, school bus card games and ji gu ba (a kind of fist game), etc and our studies naturally. And throughout the next 4 years which we would to spend together, one particular subject became our pet challenge. Our English essays. Both of us frequently take turns to top the compositions in class (and school as well) with my highest once scoring 38 out of 40 and him 38.5 out of 40! Grrr. The bad is he wins for Chinese, I do for Maths (only cos I am less careless) and him again in Science. (I never do like Science anyway).
Of course, he out-ran me in short sprints by primary 5, however I fared better in our 1.6km napfa tests. Then again I was the fastest girl and 3rd or 4th fastest kid in my age group for 4 years consecutive.
We parted ways in secondary school when he being the smart ass he was, went on to Chinese High. That Ber will always be a nerd. The beauty of friendships is the resilience. And boy I'm glad mine survive somehow even despite the missing years.
A toast to my oldest friend, Ber, of 16 years. And to his Econs tutorials that I borrowed. Chuckles. And to his girlfriend. Fortunate woman, Ber's really easy to bully.
Since I've already missed the first two lessons, I might as well just take the day off and rest. Plus I really am not feeling too well.
Did I mention while she was helping me lug my many bags full of clothes (I brought them home to wash and oh my gosh, I miss the smell of my laundry washed by my home washing machine! A one and only acquired unique CLEAN smell!) back to my Hall room, she just mentioned that a guy like my primary school friend Ber (the very same one who's in the same course as I am and living in the same Hall) is the best for me!
Was that a joke mum? Cos Ber and I are as different as can get, other than the competitive streak in us (which I have conveniently lost mine after graduating from Cedar). The only common points between us are a shared history of kindergarten/primary school memories.
Kindergarten saw both of us being in a clique with two other kids, a boy nicknamed King Kong and this other girl whom I've forgotten. Somehow or another we got along. Me being the tomboy constantly not behaving like any other girls, and playing catching with the rest of the boys speaks a lot of being more a guy's girl than a girl's girl. Being class monitress from that age meant I was naturally the teacher's pet and the only way I could convince kids my age I was a good leader then was to score in my tests and spellings and art and just about everything. Of course with smart hardworking Ber in my group, spurred me on to study! In most aspects, Ber and I were on par, from subjects like English, Chinese and Mathematics, and even running (since the physical advantage of a male is over a girl is not as obvious at such a young age) but there were clearly two things I definitely won him hands down... Art and Craft and Music! He was not made to be creative.
I went on to primary school, wondering where this childhood friend of mine has gone to. And lo and behold, he was in the same school as I was! And my elder brother (of 2 years) happened to be his buddy (unknowingly)! Talk about Singapore being small! VERY small indeed! But this discovery of attending the same school and all was only made in primary 3 when we were in the top class together cos prior to that, our first 2 years of primary school life were spent 2 classrooms apart (him in 1E/2E and me in 1H/2H) and there we re-bonded and competed over recess games of hopscotch, police and thief, marble, frog catching, school bus card games and ji gu ba (a kind of fist game), etc and our studies naturally. And throughout the next 4 years which we would to spend together, one particular subject became our pet challenge. Our English essays. Both of us frequently take turns to top the compositions in class (and school as well) with my highest once scoring 38 out of 40 and him 38.5 out of 40! Grrr. The bad is he wins for Chinese, I do for Maths (only cos I am less careless) and him again in Science. (I never do like Science anyway).
Of course, he out-ran me in short sprints by primary 5, however I fared better in our 1.6km napfa tests. Then again I was the fastest girl and 3rd or 4th fastest kid in my age group for 4 years consecutive.
We parted ways in secondary school when he being the smart ass he was, went on to Chinese High. That Ber will always be a nerd. The beauty of friendships is the resilience. And boy I'm glad mine survive somehow even despite the missing years.
A toast to my oldest friend, Ber, of 16 years. And to his Econs tutorials that I borrowed. Chuckles. And to his girlfriend. Fortunate woman, Ber's really easy to bully.
posted by Sheena at 6:01 AM
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