u WON, i WIN...

Picture this:

Phenomena #1
Jimmy is only 4 years old, but his mum's sending him to English tuition and Science tuition. Don't laugh... Kids nowadays need to be exposed to sciences young, at least they know why plants are green and why there is the different shapes of the moon. So, Jimmy has to go to tuition every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. English tuition is twice per week, Monday and Friday, starting from 2pm till 5pm. Who knows what they do there, but at the very least, Jimmy can pronounce "hipopotamus" without being heard as "hi-po-ta-mus". And guess what, he knows that light is made up of 7 colours. Amazing...

Phenomena #2
Jimmy's older brother, Jonathan, 8, in his primary 2, came back from school holding his Maths paper. Semester one that is. Mum would ask how he did. Jonathan knew, he'll need to report to her mum how much all his peers did, so he jotted down everyone's marks. Mum would start to compare each and everyone. "Gosh Johnny, Samanatha got 2 marks higher than you!" "Johnny, there are 2 full marks scorer in the class, how come you didn't get it?" "Johnny, how can you do such a silly mistake?" "Johnny...." yea yea, I'm not as smart as you , MUM...

Phenomena #3
Jonathan's elder cousin, Rose finished her STPM last year. She was offered dentistry in University of Malaya. WOW! Dude, that's an awesome course! The Faculty of Dentistry in University of Malaya is actually recognized worldwide! Rose was so delighted that she can now speak with pride whenever there will be a family gathering. Not that she never was a great student, she was in fact the type A student, getting top in the whole form in secondary school, sweeping all the best subjects prizes, and leaving everyone envious with her straight As results. Even the Medicine to India offered by JPA two years ago was rejected, as she knew she deserved better.

Phenomena #4
Rose has another elder cousin, Mickey. Mickey however, wasn't as smart as Rose. He was, however, quite a good student. So after his STPM, his dad sent him to study medicine in Penang Medical College. He did his clinicals in Dublin and finally, he graduated in the class of 2007/2008. The college had a great big congratulations ad on THE newspaper, and Mickey's dad was so proud his son bagged the award of "Best Student in Surgery" or something like that, heck he didn't even understand what MB Bch BaO... whatever his sons' degree was... But at least he knew, Mickey is going to be such a great cardiothoracic surgeon soon.

Phenomena #5
Mickey's neighbour, Lam Lam. Lam Lam on the other hand, although just 2 years older than Mickey, was married and blessed with a son. Her son just turned 3 years old last April. Seeing how her neighbour came from such a smart family, she wouldn't want to lose out either. Her husband was quite a smart fellow, having a double degree of Engineering and Law from Layola University. Now, queer you may wonder, she's actually paired with him by their parents long before she knew what sexual intercourse was. And well, bless her, at the age of 25, she was driving a Toyota Altos and sending her young son to the private tutor NEXT to Sri Montesary Nursery. She was going to educate her 3 year old Ah-Boi into the next Larry Page OR Sergey Brin (the founders of Google), and made sure he's going to triumph over her long time lover, Mickey.

Now... reality? Nah, the names are made up. But the story, real. Lam Lam, if you're reading this, I hope you don't mind I adapted you... But nope, I'm neither Mickey nor Rose. And definitely, I'm too old to be Jonathan or Jimmy.

My younger brother came back from school the other day, and told us about his finals result. He slipped one possition and had to be satisfied with the fourth position in the whole form.

Mum asked, "Who's the top?"
Brother answered, "Joy"
"Her marks?"
"95.43"
"And yours?"
"94.21"
"What about Michelle?"
"95.11, she got number 2"
"Who's number 3?"
"Ted, he won me by 0.5 marks."
"What did I say about computer games? Wasn't I right all along?"

Brother went mute. He must've known his habit of playing DOTA every night ever since I got back for holiday taken some toll. First week I was back, he was having his first paper. Since then, all he did at home every night after he came back from tuition was to try out all the different characters of the game and fighting over some guy he barely knew over the internet. Whenever I asked him, he would say he had done his revision. Can't blame him for that, his Physics tutor told my mum "he's very hardworking and attentive in class..." Fair enough, so he did his revision in tuition centre instead of at home, guessed I must've disturbed him or something.

But I have to agree he's pretty impressive. He managed to get full marks for his Additional Maths and Physics; Modern Maths was, well, if you don't get full marks, you're a loser subject; even Biology had not really troubled him much, as he managed to get into the 90-s, considering how that Biology teacher was such a stingy person in giving marks (he taught me as well). So I'd say I wouldn't be surprised if he obtained straight A1s in his SPM later this year. In fact, I would be very surprised if he hasn't. Me and Sis have both set good examples, so SIS thought, bro must've been in terrible pressure.

Before I forget, Ted has an elder brother and an elder sister, both of whom are of same age as myself and sis. I know his brother, and my sis was his sis's friend. Sis managed to get into the "top university in Malaysia" (so proclaimed by the university), but his sis's was only offered biotechnology in another "lower-ranked" public university. Aah.. his sis must've been very angry, considering she obtained 5As in her STPM. Well, his brother and I, on the other hand... I wouldn't say who's superior. No no no, I'm not saying Sis is superior to HIS sis, as one of them would be doing a talked-about course, and the other doing a different course but in a mroe superior university. Back to his brother, he got offered Medicine to India under JPA 2 years ago. But I suppose he's leaving this coming September for his first year. I think. Me on the other hand... I'd consider I'm well-attended by the government, although I was pretty devastated I missed out the opportunity to study abroad.

So much that I have been bragging how well I am, I would actually consider the fact that my brother is by far smarter. Perhaps he went to more tuitions, or that he was fed with better formulated milk when he was young, of my parents must've done such a great job watching him. And dude, I AM JEALOUS. Ha-Ha. My friends scolded me for not being proud of him. Not that I am not, but I can't help feeling envious. HECK who can? He's basically a GOD in his studies! And he's the president of the school's St John Ambulance, while I was only the storekeeper last time. And he managed to help the school to get 1st runner up in the divisional level inter-school debate competition, but I on the other hand, was only able to compete in 2 rounds before being eliminated. So figured out why I do feel a bit "inferior" now?

Okay.... So now I know I will be having such a good job in the future after I graduate. Ted's brother will be bonded to the government for 10 years upon graduation. Sis's going to go for Master's and PhD, and decided that she's going to apply for that in the UK; and before she got her "Doctor" title, she said she won't quit as her basic salary only with the "Doctor" title can match mine once I gradaute. Bro's still on the crossroads as to what he really want to opt for. He's not going to face much problem if he takes accounts for STPM seeing how fast he can pick up. So I guess it won't be impossible he makes more money than me in the future.

What the...

Perhaps sometimes, we have to agree "scare-lose" (kiasu) is pretty much of a good cause. And I'm thinking of marrying a Singaporean. You know what I mean... I'm saying "kiasu" is GOOD.
Thanks for reading. :-)