Dinner & Dance 2009 (Prom & after)
I really don't feel like typing but I have to otherwise my brain will constantly bog me to stop bottling it up (even though I released some of it in yesterday's counselling session). Prom was fun and was really something to remember. At first I was a little embarrased wearing & carrying 'business style dress code' on my way to L'Hotel Rendezvous via MRT. Then I entered the lobby and found myself a little under-dressed, so I quickly put on my jacket. I found Adryan in Texas 'formal cowboy' style 'tuxedo', and Glen in some 'latest fashion' Winter Season New York that you'll typically find in Saks Fifth Avenue boutiques (did he get a discount for being the first few customers to make those boutiques profitable from winter season sales or did he get slapped with a 8.375% New York State tax plus 7% American GST? LOL). Then Yiliang came up to me wearing the Black Tie Affair dress code you'd see in Las Vegas. And I have to be honest, he looks damn good in it. It seems like he (or his body) was born to dress up. Also met Randal and Timothy outside the ballroom, both without second layers (are they thinking that the ballroom is a pub? just joking). In the ballroom where the 5 star Chinese cuisine is served onto Table 14 where I sat next to the rather quiet Adeline (who's apparently here because of the price tag of $65 and not wanting to be here because of the fight with Dawn on the 2nd last day of school) and near Marcus (I was like 'He's here!? Why the hell did he sign up for Prom and dress up as if he's going to a beach party in Miami?). At Table 10 there was Siravit wearing double layers fit for nightlife in Thanon Sukhumwit. The girls dressed up and put make up as if they are going to an important fashion business conference in Paris. Among the girls was Wen Jun, who I'll see for the last time (she's leaving for Canada for a 5-11 month University Transfer/Immersion/Foundation Program before officially becoming a Freshman at a Canadian university). Among the alumni who organised the Prom was Edmond (surprised!) and I should have asked for a picture with him while he takes our photos inside & outside the ballroom. The Dance part of the Prom was wild (Picture a New Year's Eve in Bondi Beach of Sydney)! Tried to join in, but can't dance, and was a little too embarrasing just shaking your body. I dedicated a message, which goes:"To (my classmates in) 4F and my friends outside 4F, you have made my social circle come to life. Hope you'll realize your (wildest) dreams and see you again later in life." I could have added more, but anyway no one seems to be listening, so there's no point. Then there was after-prom, went to take the group photos, and then the 'controversial' (to me) after-prom 'program' organised by around 10 of my classmates begins. It was totally unexpected. At first they told me that they would just be watching a late-night movie at Plaza Singapura. They bought 2.30am tickets (!!!) and went back down to 7-Eleven. And guess what they brought out of 7-Eleven? A_ _ _ _ _ l and C_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s, using Siravit to meet the age limit. It's not like I've never heard of them using them before, but just look at them. I know it's common of teenagers trying these things, and it's even more common in the USA, but, I have to be very blunt, when that 'all-innocent' Dawn finished a whole bottle of soda-like beer till she became drunk, when another 'innocent' Si Wei was almost lying on the floor taking in huge quantities, and when Yiliang looked like he's drinking against his will, it really gave the impression that they were in an extremely sorry state. Even with Siravit & Taufiq (another surprise!) s_ _ _ _ _g doesn't look as pathetic. Already that has got me thinking, I've been wanting to be included for so long, and I thought I am getting there, yet this has...disappointed me a little. The counsellor at Shan You and the Facebook quiz is right (3rd time mentioning), I felt excluded all along because I put them at the top tier of my social circle, yet the truth is that they are good friends, but sorry to say, they are simply not my type. Went to the billiard room at the former Le Meridian Hotel, felt too unconscious to play pool with them, Dawn fainted onto a couch, I looked out of the window, watching cars go by, swearing this is the last time ever I'm doing this. At 2am, made a move to the cinema, and watched Love Happens, loved it a lot. Taking place in Seattle, it indirectly inspires me even more to go to America, and helps me cope with my own losses. It's about (copied from Wikipedia) a widower's (Aaron Eckhart) book, A-Okay!, about coping with loss, turning him into a best-selling self-help guru. While conducting a bereavement seminar in Seattle, he falls for a woman (Jennifer Aniston) who is a florist providing flowers at the hotel. She helps him realize that he hasn't yet truly confronted his wife's death. After that, we went to the empty Kopitiam food court, and while discussing about the movie, I realized yet another difference between me and them, they don't like and don't understand the movie, while I felt the opposite, already indicating my fit in their clique. 'Lounged' around till around 5.30am, and made our way to the MRT station, only to find out that the station but not the trains have started operations. So Yiliang was the 1st to make a move via taxi (for any underlying but not obvious reason?) Siravit & Taufiq went back to the surface and pulled out c_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s to s_ _ _ _, offering me one. I was extremely skeptical, should I accept? I felt my brain was in confusion. In the end, I declined one but shared with them a few times. How I felt was...neither good or bad. In fact I was confused with how I should feel. It's indescribable. Anyway, after that, we took a taxi back to Serangoon and I spent the last 15 minutes with them at McDonald's before going home. That last 15 minutes was also the last time I saw Siravit in person (he's going back to Bangkok for good to study at Mahidol University [ranked #220 by Times-QS Top University Rankings in 2009; not bad]), as I couldn't be at the airport to see him off this Saturday. You know, for Siravit being one of the most popular/significant student in my school, for his friendly, funny, witty, positive, playful, (but still) mature, educated personality, for all the good times both of us had together (as well as accepting me unconditionally as a friend), for our similarities and for everything he did, it's not possible to not miss him and remember him as someone significant in your secondary school years. Yet he may not feel the same way about me. And that night's 'horror' makes it easier for me to separate with the ~10 of them for life, although for Siravit's case, maybe a little more. And what about Yiliang whom I suspect (SUSPECT only; don't think too much) may be in the same boat as me? It can only be done reciprocally with him starting 1st. As for me & the future of my social circle, I really hope to find my fit, find where I truly belong to, and find my community. And that is yet another reason to inspire me to go to the USA.
Plans for this November/December
This Thursday, after 8 months of waiting (never waited so long before), I'm going back to Kuala Lumpur for 4 days (I seriously hope I can stay longer). Hope to talk about life with my cousins/relatives, help out a little at Shui Yee's mother's new restaurant, do the things/go to places I've always wanted to do/go in Kuala Lumpur (including living the life Shui Yee's been living), and most of all, get a respite from everything in Singapore (not to say I hate life in Singapore totally; don't think so much, I just want a break). And then later in December I'll go to my father company-organised trip in Melaka. The final one, experiencing -10 degree Celcius or colder for the first time, will be in Beijing (finally a trip on Singapore Airlines again! hopefully the plane used will be a B777-300ER), taking advantage of the pre-/post-Olympic developments such as the new subway lines, and the gigantic Terminal 3, among others. Hope Lonely Planet publishes a new edition of Beijing by then.
O Levels performance & release of results
I guess you've been for me to talk about it, so here is how I fared. How well I did on my English paper will determine my eligibility to go straight into an American university, which I partially screwed up, so I just hope for at least a B4. My performance in Social Studies will pull down my Combined Humanities, even if my answers in Geography are valid explanations & examples. My Science is unpredictable, though the Chemistry Paper 3 was easy and Physics Paper 2 was manageable. Elementary Mathematics could've been more lenient in the timings to let me have a chance to score full marks. Additional Mathematics had every question answered, though the scribbles don't guarantee much. And whether I pass it or not will seriously affect my choices in subject combinations if I'd go to Junior College next year. Design & Technology Theory Paper was a chance to over-elaborate, hopefully qualifying me with more marks. All-in-all, the O Levels were filled with unexpected questions, but was as manageable as the 'expected' questions.
Future in Singapore Polytechnic and American universities
Because of the controversy over examinations (that determines your future) such as the O Levels and A Levels, as well as the outlook of my performance in it, I would most likely end up in Singapore Polytechnic. I will no longer be persistent in choosing Junior Colleges, as after all, a lousy junior college will not guarantee me even more admission into a prestigious American university. And I'm tired of too much exam preparation culture. Also increasingly Singapore Polytechnic is getting more recognised by American universities. So I've decided that would be my most likely destination. In fact, I already have plans in mind. Other than pursuing my childhood dream of becoming an architect by joining the Diploma of Architecture, I will take the SAT Reasoning Test in January or June next year, and the SAT Subject Tests in November 2010 or 2011. I hope to qualify for Diploma Plus Certificate Course in Business. I'll study Korean, French, Spanish, or improve my Mandarin. I'll take up to 4 CCAs such as Changi Youth Ambassadors, Student Exchange Club, Adventurers, Buddhist Society, Assistant Courses & Careers Guidance Officers, Student Golf and start a new business following the guide Secrets Of Millionaire Students (and maybe incorporating this with a membership in SP's Student Entrepreneurial Club). I'll study the mandatory General Elective Modules in Backpacking, Appreciating Cross Cultural Differences, and Understanding the Secret in Life in each of the 3 clusters. Lastly I'll take 3 Advanced Placement (AP) exams or study college courses at the Centre of American Education in 2012. See, it's definitely more exciting than taking yet another exam in Junior College. And the A Levels used to have a higher guarantee; since I don't think I'll qualify for a good junior college, since I hate mugging for exams and I don't think I'd do much more fantastic than anybody else (American universities want to see your ranking in your cohort), I'd probably do better in Singapore Polytechnic. All of what I'm going to take in Singapore Polytechnic will be better resume-fillers than the A Levels with just a scattering of CCAs (even though I won't take them just to fill my college applications!).
I went to the Center of American Education/United States Educational Information Center yesterday. I was initially dismayed of the dilapilated facade of Bestway Building it was housed in. I went into the office, and found so many brochures of universities I wanted to go to! I went into their library, and found partially outdated catalogues of universities. Later, I talked to an officer, who introduced me to the 2 year Broward College program that can be taken in Singapore. They only required 4 O Level passes (indicated 'Cambridge') and has a decent reputation for transferring students to the 2nd or even 3rd year in prestigious universities. But in the end due to monetary (Citibank's and POSB's Education Loan is unable to rescue my mother's bank account for the moment) and obligatory issues (National Service, remember? Grrr...), I decided that if I were to come here, I will only attend on my final year of Polytechnic and during my National Service years. I think I can use their courses to prepare me for the AP Exams, can it?
Closing down of my other language blogs and starting of 2 new interest-based blogs
I figured out that it's better for non-English speaking readers to use online translation tools and not depend on me translating for them. At the same time, I will start a blog based on Travel & Living, and another based on the American College Admissions process for international students like me. And I will link the latter to a Facebook group of the same name. Keep a lookout.
This is a song from Pocahontas 2 (albeit a little childish but still meaningful and relevant to our situation) called Where Do I Go From Here?
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