The Bus Is My Other Car.

Did They Really Say That? Quotes from teachers

"The paper is soft, not hard." -- what Mr Foo will say when students complain of "hard" (difficult) Maths papers

"Two years ago, they trained hard and they did a good job." -- What Mr Yeo said every year to encourage us to train hard for NPCC Day and National Day

"There is light, so he can seek enlightenment." -- Mr Venu Rao on why Russell was able to do the Maths question on the OHP

"Time is really not on your side." -- Mr See on the impending O-levels, which was over a long long time ago

... And the ULTIMATE!
"You should not talk about it when you're at the bus stop, or when you're swimming in the changing room!" -- Mrs F Tan on keeping our mouths shut up about the expulsion of students

posted by 23degreecelsius @ 10:46 PM

2 Travel diaries

Monday 26Apr, 171 was exceptionally empty. Had 2 seats for myself. 67A was totally EMPTY as it whizzed past me outside church of st joseph. Buses (961, 170) came one after another.

Today's travel on 171 was damn scary. The driver greeted everyone that came onboard with "Good morning sir/miss" (no problem with that). Then the 171 driver tried to overtake a 67 Bendy in front of him. The 67 driver "kuai lan" and continued driving at top, constant velocity. "Tu lan", the 171 driver had to go back to his left lane. On the 2nd attempt, the 171 driver overtook at Hume Park the 67 and he turned back and stared at the 67 driver with a cap. Peace for a while until Bt. Timah Rd, when the 67 driver was being really "kuai lan" and the 171 driver couldn't overtake 67 at top speed. The 171 swerved back to his left lane and SLAM the steering wheel. *scary. When it finally overtook 67 before NJ, the 171 gave the 67 driver a cold HARD stare.

Anyway, when the courteous 171 driver was greeted with smiles generally in return for his poliet good mornings. Found that students seemed to be less friendly and didn't return his greetings. I said my usual "hello".

On my return home at about 7pm, 2 ahem-JC students boarded my 171 and started talking hell (literally). Overheard that Virginia has been demoted from principal, or rather, been promoted from a toilet ah soh to a driver! Heard that her latest ambition is to drive the students... wow. But I don't think she's a good driver though. Or rather, she's a screw-driver, since she screws up her "chauffer" profession at ahem-JC. I couldn't suppress my laughter in front of the 2 poor "passengers" of Virginia. They sorta tried to spite me (but in vain) by saying, "and ACS motto is the best is yet to be...". No matter what, my deepest condolences to them. Virginia's probably going to lead them into deeper shit than the latest NCHighway.

The latest taste tasted was the sweet taste of victory.

posted by 23degreecelsius @ 9:00 PM 0 Comments

Last week, I'd been returning home late due to VnR gateway making. Very tired. Food at Prince restaurant at Coro is nice and cheap. $6 for western food and free flow of drinks. Atmosphere is good also.

The Time Theory states that should the amount of time increases in a day, the amount of rest one get increases momentarily but will eventually fall. Why? Because school will eat into more and more of our time! Miss the good old days... :(

Does it sound familiar to Law of Marginal Diminishing Returns? I sat for Econs test today and I'm suffering from a psychological trauma.

The latest talk in town is the Nicoll Highway collapse.

posted by 23degreecelsius @ 6:56 PM 0 Comments

Tue Apr 13, 11.30pm+

I was so damn tired I couldn't study for Chem Test the next day, so I took a short nap at 9.45pm and intended to wake up at 10.30 to study again.

The next thing was my dad waking me up in darkness. There was a blackout. Couldn't find the torch, and when I found it, it had no batteries. It was easier to use my Nokia torch. I took the opportunity to enjoy the stars... It was really dark, and hot. Cashew Road looked like some road in Malaysia because the terrace houses and shady raintrees lined the totally dark road. And high-rise residents were having fun shining their torches at the terrace houses below. Hillview and city weren't affected by the blackout from my view. I was quite surprised to find the lights of my condo's lift lobbies and stairwells still on... hmm, new buildings have better safety regulations. DairyFarm had a total blackout and the condo couldn't be seen in front of Bt Timah Hill! Older buildings didn't have their corridor lights on.

When the power finally came back 1hour later, I read a few lines of my chem notes, then went back to slumberland again.

posted by 23degreecelsius @ 5:54 PM 0 Comments

Tue Apr 13, 7.38am

I jumped off the bus, looked at my watch, scrambled up the stairs, dashed across the bridge, sprinted past the canteen, whizzed past the teacher who books late students, stepped into the parade square, threw my bag onto the floor, and the commander shouted 'marktab sedia'.

It was 7.39am. I wasn't late for school. I did better for this speed running than the one I did in NJ during PE. Speed comes naturally.

posted by 23degreecelsius @ 5:32 PM 0 Comments

Today after physics make-up practical, I went to KAP for a late lunch in my latest biege uniform, which automatically associates me with the big hwa chong family and its affliates. I saw a nanyang girl and a scgs girl, both sitting alone. Of course, I chose to sit with the chio scgs girl.

"Hello, may I sit here?" I asked.

"Sure, not a problem," she replied. I grinned to myself.

We striked a conversation easily. Being a secondary 4, she asked me for study tips, why I was so smart to get into Hwa Chong and whether she'd like it there. Throughout the 'date', I ate with table manners: I dipped my french fries into the chilli sauce as gently as a damsel, took small bites off my Big Mac, cleaned my mouth periodically and I chewed my food thoroughly. Not to mention I didn't talk when I ate. Then, she said something.

"Gee... you don't gobble up your food hastily like your schoolmates do..." she sounded astonished.

"My schoolmates? Most of them were born and fed with silver spoons in their mouths," I chuckled, but still dumbfounded over her sudden remark. I washed the fries down my throat with the iced milo. I was prepared to counter any remarks regarding my alma mater.

"Yeah... You behave more like an ACS boy, refined and cultured. And you have the right amount of the snob element that makes you one!" she joked.

"The 'right' amount of snob element? Isn't being a snob bad in the first place?" I asked her and she replied my question with a chuckle. Then I froze for a moment. Wait a minute, I thought. I behaved 'more like' an ACS boy? Ain't myself an ACS boy in the first place? But before I could speak...

"Hey, you don't look like you're from Chinese High, you know..." she said.

I got what she meant. Well done, I thought. I wanted to splash the ice milo on her face to wake her up.

"Oh, it was SO nice meeting you," I rolled my eyes and flashed my ACS smartcard to her as I walked off and sat with another chio bu. Muahaha...

Never judge a book by its cover.



Anyway, HAPPY Belated APRIL FOOL. Just a short story production =)

posted by 23degreecelsius @ 6:39 PM 0 Comments

A Chameleon's Poem

I turned biege today
But at least it wasn't gray

I feel hot in my new coat
But at least there's the air-con
Working ones
So I won't moan

Chameleon

posted by 23degreecelsius @ 7:45 PM 0 Comments