Erik, xp and zl, prolly the only shot I have with all of you inside. Good luck for your Indonesia / army days. You guys are the first to go. Good luck!
Despite the Prom euphoria, I was struck with the sombre realisation that we are all going to pursue different paths. This feeling was exactly what I felt in Primary 6. I felt slightly bewildered back then when my primary school classmates left me for different schools. Six years of education on this granite hill has taught me quite a bit, and now it is time to move on with the next phase in life. I would not say I am unprepared for this transition phase, but still I feel a little befuddled. Whilst my peers prepare themselves for their future endeavours, it is with this dose of realism that I must do the same. No one stays with you forever.
In Secondary 4, there was not a Prom or anything to that effect to mark the end of our secondary school life. Integrated Programme meant that there should not be a characteristic staccato shift from high school to college. It also helped then that half the guys in my college class were from my former high school class. The change then, was at its worst, a subtle one. After the end-of-year examinations in Secondary 4, I busied myself with the SSEF project and NCC Camp. I knew that College would not be much different and I would meet my friends in school again. Now, a new phase beckons, and never would you see a lot of your friends again, at least in the context of a school. The girls are going to pursue tertiary education and the guys are well, going for national slavery.
Still, it is said that e- and mobile technologies close the physical distances between people. This is true, albeit to a certain extent. They require the users to be physically there, to say the least. Bah. I guess when the guys go for BMT (first), my msn list would be cut to a pathetic fraction. This is reminiscent of the Friends Forever song.
"Graduation (Friends Forever)"
And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25
I keep thinking times will never change
Keep on thinking things will always be the same
But when we leave this year we won't be coming back
No more hanging out cause we're on a different track
And if you got something that you need to say
You better say it right now cause you don't have another day
Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down
These memories are playing like a film without sound
And I keep thinking of that night in June
I didn't know much of love
But it came too soon
And there was me and you
And then we got real blue
Stay at home talking on the telephone
We would get so excited and we'd get so scared
Laughing at ourselves thinking life's not fair
And this is how it feels
[1] - As we go on
We remember
All the times we
Had together
And as our lives change
Come Whatever
We will still be
Friends Forever
So if we get the big jobs
And we make the big money
When we look back now
Will our jokes still be funny?
Will we still remember everything we learned in school?
Still be trying to break every single rule
Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?
Can Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly
And this is how it feels
[Repeat 1]
La, la, la, la:
Yeah, yeah, yeah
La, la, la, la:
We will still be friends forever
Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?
Can we survive it out there?
Can we make it somehow?
I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it's like we're women and men
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round?
Will these memories fade when I leave this town
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly
[Repeat 1 (3x)]
To close upon this redolent nostalgia, what await us are new opportunities, social webs and lessons. I guess I am thankful for my experiences in the last 6 years.
4H. I still remember the classroom days and how we used to complain about tests (i love exemptions, lol), slack around in class rooms and fervently wait for the clock to tick faster so that we can go home. Life on the granite hill has been great. Thanks cyc, xp, zl, erik, lionel, kayiu, josh, … and so on, for being such nice friends. Apologies for not mentioning everyone.
SSEF and Biotech. I remember how Erik roped me in for our Secondary Three project regarding alcoholic fermentation by yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, muahaha). I remember the putrid and pukish ferment cultures. In Secondary Four, Lionel came in and the microorganism of interest became Lactic acid bacteria. Ah, how we crapped and wayang-ed on the reports. The time we spent in the holidays and the after-school hours we invested. Mrs. Sow, Mrs. Goh and Madam Lim too. In retrospect, the monotony I felt had metamorphosed into fond memories. Lol. I also remember how we prepared for Projects Day, Biotech Fair and SSEF, and how we walked up the stage to collect the prizes. SSEF was a tad disappointing though. I really learnt from you guys and applied them in SRP. My SSEF silver goes to you guys too. Thanks. I have no idea what is up with that flash. Maybe a sprite flew past. Or maybe it is the victory glow.
PW. The great, charismatic, wonderful teammates (Tongyuan, cyc and yee chien). PW brought about some nice (i guess, undeniably so) and fucked memories I do not want to be reminded of. Nice working with you guys. =) 
Erik, xp and zl, prolly the only shot I have with all of you inside. Good luck for your Indonesia / army days. You guys are the first to go. Good luck!