8 Facts you Wouldn't want to know

Calvin tagged me. So I have to do this meme thing. Welcome to my life.

Meme #1:
When I was young, I lived in a government quarters. Both my parents work for the government. So we got a free accomodation. (Not exactly free, but both my parents didn't get any housing allowance back then.) I was a heartless brat despite I was only 5. As we lived on the highest floor of a 3 storey flat, we were used to climbing stairs. I remembered there used to be a mama cat on the 1st floor. And there was once when she gave birth to a few little kittens. Such cute little kittens that you really would not want to harm and feed them this BIG bowl of milk instead. But, being young AND innocent, I would go and steal the kittens from the mama cat. I could feel the kitten's heartbeat, and I was damn nervous when I climbed up to my floor as well. My heart was jumping like mad as I fleed up the stairs, scaring I might drop the kitten, knowing if I didn't handle the kitten well, it might just drop on the floor. As I reached outside our unit, I would lean on the balcony and look at the kitten with this pity eye, before I knew, I actually threw the kitten out from the balcony. It landed on a tree, but being young and new, it couldn't really hold tight, so, it'll slowly fell to the floor, bumping into all the branches and scratches all over. Ouch... 20 minutes later, I saw the kitten beside mama cat again.

Meme #2:
When I was 6, my dad sent me to this kindergarten cum tuition centre. Not really a kindergarten anymore, as I was then enrolled to another kindergarten which taught in Chinese language. So this tuition centre as I put it, is purely westernized. Now that I'm putting it that way, all the teachers there are like... nuns... It's a church I think. Yea... a church. So, they reared turkeys for the Christmas and there were prayers everytime before class and after class. My sister was there as well, but in another class of course. Anyway, I remembered the final semester once, purely English. And I scored 82%. Not exactly the best in the class, but still, not too bad either. And I still remember what were my mistakes back then. I thought the 3rd person for a HE is a HER. I got all the X-es for my pronouns questions. LOL. But then again, now that I brought it up, I think I should start saying I've had English tuition at the age of 6.

Meme #3:
My parents signed me up for this kid's talent contest since I was 4. It was organized by the Leo Club with the sponsor of Dumex. I couldn't remember what I did when I was 4, but mum and dad must've been terribly embarrassed back then, couldn't find any photos in the album as well. I wore a yellow shirt and a bow tie when I was 5. Then when I was 6, I sang "6 little ducklings". The kiddy song that goes from 6 ducklings to 5, 4, 3 and to one... My mum spent 50 bucks at the tailor to prepare me this purple coloured tux. I mean kiddy tux. 50 bucks back then IS a HUGE sum. And my dad lent me this ring of his, just to show off I guess. I don't think it's a wedding ring though, my parents don't wear any, I think it's a special gift or something. Apart from the ring there's also a tie clip of the same colour. But I guess it's worth the spending. 1) I won the 2nd Runner Up, with a huge Dumex hamper and the first trophy ever in my life. 2) I was involved in all the similar competition after I stepped into school: story telling, speech and debate. I guess I have to thank my parents for exposing me to standing in front of crowds.

Meme #4:
We moved to a different town when I was 7. Dad got transferred, and the whole family followed. This other small town is closer to Kuching compared to the earlier. It's less developed, very small, but fresh air. I started my primary one there. Mum began to be very strict with our studies. Before we moved there, my elder sis wasn't that bright a student. She was only able to make it to the 1st when she was in primary 3. It was the result of mum bringing her along while she was on warden duty (she has to study with mum watching her, how stressful!). So when I first enter primary one, mum had already became someone who pressureed us for the 1st place. And well, since it's a small town, it's not really that hard a problem. I got the 1st place in my class (and also the overall). And during the prize giving ceremony the end of the year, I got to go to the grand ceremony held at the Grand Hall of the entire district. Well, as you know, primary one is always the last to go on stage. Plus, all the performances and stuff, it went late into the night before it's finally my turn. When it was finally my turn, due to bladder overflow, I didn't get to go up the stage. I was standing beside the stage, just a few more students to go before my name being called. And it'll be too late for me to run down to the washroom, either way, I won't have the chance to go up the stage. I actually peed on spot. I mean, with my pants still on and stuff... And yea, it's one of the most embarrassing moment I had in my life.... But then again, I did get to go up the stage for the next 5 years. :-)

Meme #5:
When I was in primary school, my mum came to fetch me up from school AFTER she finished her class. We studied until 3 (yea, we had a long day!). Mum's off work at 4. Normally, we would call my grandma, I mean my mum's mother. Mum would talk to her about stuff I don't know, and then she'll pass me the phone so that I could talk to her. I guess moving to the new town meant it's harder to meet my grandma, because before that, we went to grandma's house every weekend. So I would be telling her what good news I had on that day. From getting full marks in my spelling test to major ones like getting the 1st place. Sometimes, it's about my birthday, sometimes it's about me being selected to represent the school in some competitions. It was during the long holiday when I was in primary 2 that grandma passed away. Mum rushed to the hospital and asked me to stay at home. I was terribly shocked and I prayed that grandma would be alright. It was like ages before she finally called me and cried. Hearing she cried I knew she's gone. So I just put down the phone and ran to the living room. All the images of my grandma came flashing before me. I cried for an hour at least before falling asleep. When my mum came home, the kakak told her I cried myself into sleep. Mum came to me and stroked my hair, crying silently. I remembered because I wasn't really sleeping, I heard she came back, I just didn't want to open my eyes. The burial ceremony after that, I didn't cry. But I miss her all dearly. It's been 11 years now... I still remember vividly the little times I've spent with her, talking about Kapit as the suitcase, and telling her how tall the trophy I won from the singing competition... So if you say you lost someone, and when I say I undestand, I really do mean what I say.

Meme #6:
I was not a celebrity like you, Calvin. But I did took part in quite a lot of competitions. When I was in primary 6, I went to Miri for the state level inter-school speech competition. I represented my region after getting the 1st place. It was a huge achievement really, the first time I ever fly on a plane. But then again, I didn't win anything. There was another one when I was in primary 5. It was a story telling competition. A state level as well, didn't win anything either. But at least the organizer of the story telling gave everyone a souvenir. It was really nice, it's a pewter plate. When I was in form 4, I joined the debate team. I took part in the parliamentary and the conventional debates. My luck with the debate team was not as glamorous compared to my primary school "career", but we did won the 2nd place in the regional level, for conventional debate. The trophy was really a glass pyramid, pretty cool. For my pre-U, I participated in a public speaking competition. I won the right to represent my college at the selection competition, and went straight to the national level. Competitors came from all the other states as well. I won the 2nd Runner Up. When I was in secondary school, I joined a few national level competitions. And I bagged 2 winnings. The first one was when I was in form 3, there's a history writing competition organized by the Malaysian History Association. I wrote about one of the rebels in Sarawak, a Chinese miner in my the town where I used to live in. If you did your secondary school in Malaysia, recall your history. During the English occupation, Sarawak was actually under the Brooke family. Due to some policies, the Chinese miners in Bau (used to be a gold mine, where I spent my primary school life..) rebeled and lots of blood were shed. And with that writings of mine on Liu Shanbang, we won the champion for lower form category. I mean me and my team. 3 of us flew to KL in form 4 to receive the 1000 bucks from the to-be Sultan of Perak. Such handsome man he is. And he's a BIG man. When I was in form 5, I took part in the Consumers Day Elocution Contest. Of luck I guess, I won the 1st runner up. I forgot how much the money prize was, but I remembered the school sponsored my flight over to KL for the prize giving ceremony again. It's not in KL, it was in Shah Alam. Yea, so there you go. Apart from the debate and public speaking, I guess these 2 are the achievements I'm most proud of all my school years.

Meme #7:
I'm not a head prefect (I was a normal prefect in primary 5 and 6), neither a librarian. I'm not the class monitor as well. I'm just a normal student. If you were wondering, no, I didn't have the chance to walk up the stage at the end of the year when I was in secondary school. That's because I moved again, to Kuching. And for what I know, there are just too many smart arses in Kuching. In case you haven't read, I did mentioned how many future doctors from my batch in secondary school are doing meds now, all over the world. If I'm not mistaken, there are more than 2 dozens struggling their arses off in various med school. Part of them won the Public Department scholarships, part of them are on their own expanses. I used to be a straight A students, but somehow, I guess my form 5 wasn't that well done. I slipped in my English for Science and Technology, and with 9A1s and 1A2, it was said to be NOT good enough to be given the scholarship to do medicine overseas. But anyhow, I scored flying colours for my pre-U, that's how I ended up here in one of the local unis.

Meme #8:
This should be the last bragging about myself. I used to be a best subject student in Malay language. I kid you not. My Malay language was superb when I was in secondary school. I went to this tuitin centre in Kuching I'm pretty sure all the Kuching-ite know. It's a massive, business-minded, but quality guaranteed tuition centre. 98% of those who went for Malay tuition there got As in their SPM. I was there since form 2. When I was finally picked into the class of this teacher in form 4 (he's the owner of the tuition centre, also the best Malay language teacher you can get; he used to be an examiner, and he's got lots of contact in the exam board), he recognized me straight away. Partly because 1) my sis was his student, and my sis was a very hardworking and pretty good in her Malay as well; 2) partly because I'm good. LOL. No seriously. I was good in my Malay language, that's how I won the Malay essay writing competition. And well, I was in the Malay debate team. I represented my school when I was in primary school, in the Malay speech competition. And I was also in the school Malay forum team. Only the public speakin in Pre-U that I actually challanged myself to speak in English. So you see, I'm not telling lies. At the tuition centre, we were given one sample essay every week. My essays made it to the "sample" pile for 8 times. 8 times, I tell you, is NOT easy. I'm still the record holder, in my year I think, no one else has more than mine. And I bet you there are some who just adore me because I am darn good in that language. When we write auographs after form 5, practically everyone who drop a line in mine commented they know me through my essays. LOL. Now, seriously, I forgot half of my Malay after 2 years not using it. I can barely speak fluent Malay, despite I was darn a Malay speaker before. You just have to believe me I didn't know how I became that good in Malay. Seriously.

__________________________
So, there you go. I wasn't really bragging how good I am. It's because my childhood is basically all about getting good results. There might be some really sweet memories before I enter school. But after I entered school, my memories evolve around being the cream of the cream. I was a kiasu student, and I mean I WAS. I'm taking my time slowly now, life's just not enough if you keep on pushing yourself to the brim. I have been thinking about my childhood memories the whole morning as I'm writing this meme. I guess I have to thank Calvin for making me remember how desolate my childhood and teenagehood was.

I was constantly reminded how much I need to study now that I'm in med school, or else I'll become such a dangerous doctor in the future. But what's the use of becoming the top when you're ignoring all the sweet little things in life? My proffesor told us that, once we chose this line, there's no turning back. It'll be plain sacrifice for the society. We will not stop working until we're 60. So there you go, by the time you're 60, can you still go play squash like a mad man? Or swim in the pool at 930pm knowing you will get pain all over the body the next day? Or eat 4 lo mai kais in one meal knowing your digestive system is not as good as before? Or even cam-whoring and show off your cute faces when you're just not as cute as when you're 20? (honestly, I've got people telling me I'm just too cute to be 20.)

I'm taking my chances, I know school's important, I'm not neglecting it. I just don't want what happening to me now happened again in 30 years to come. I don't want to be 50 and all I can remember about my youngster years to be all school and no fun. I want to be able to remember I risked my career blogging everyday, I want to remember I actually have good friends whom I share everything with, I want to remember I actually loved taking a stop and enjoy the beautiful things in life. And sitting there 30 years later when all I can think of about school is just study and being kiasu to the extreme is the last thing I want.

So there you go, I've opened up the door to my past. I never really did that before. I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did relieving my past on this Saturday morning. Have a good weekend everyone. >_<