point of reference part two

i could not remember how i passed my last summer holiday as the sixth grader. the fact was that out of 3 close friends, one went to new highly scrutinized school at that time, Jubilee. One went with me to Penabur. And, one had gone to, well, an unknown school. It did not come as a surprise though. My mum once told me that this friend's mum told her that education is never of high importance in their family. She continued in typical student's mums' tone in 90's, "My husband's friend always topped the class during school. And, now, he is just running a pork butcher"

i will put some videos here and there to accompany you in my long-winded post. And, here you go the first one. It was the song that one of my very first friends in that new school introduced to me. A song that magically stays on my mind for years, yet i only know the chorus.

i always thought for many years that my secondary school time is the best years of mine. i got to know many things during those years. And, many of those can be derived to one crucial existence of: internet. 

Internet-eval 

I went online the first time here. I started reading soccernet here. Before, i thought talking to girls are for girls only. And, there was no use of talking to the opposite gender members. Once, during the primary school, i was really annoyed by this one girl seated with me.

She was very skinny and super pale. We were teased like a couple, just like any other that were seated together. i hated her so much, and i would scream to her "hey! PKI!". PKI was a communist party in Indonesia during 60's that is infamously known for its coup d'etat effort. Why i called her so? because she was really fierce. She would run around punching the boys. Gosh, a nightmare for any boy isn't she!

And, of course, as you can expect, during secondary school, i relearned all those things about girls. i learned talking to a girl, well, girls.

Technology, of course, should be thanked for all the breakthroughs. i got my first cell phone, and i started texting the girl.

i downloaded MIRC, and i started talking more intensely with the girl. And, MIRC was the thing. Oh yeah, the penguin here was from there too.

Back to school

Here i won't go on further talking about my internet journey. Here is the chance for my academic result taking the centre stage.

Once i started my secondary school, i realized that i was pitted against monsters! It would take me a tri-semester or so to adjust to this new life. Fortunately, i successfully luckily went back on track competing for the top spots. Fate was a bit different for my friend that went together with me. He went downward spiraling, and off of the board.

And, the second year was somehow one of the most crucial year in my life. i took one decision, and i am pretty certain that i have never gone back on that. i decided to stop cheating for good. i was four years late compared to Teresa. And, this stance funnily would later make me so angry when my rival cheated during exams. The fair playing ground suddenly became so much important to me. So foolish of me. And, so forgetful of me.

All went so well, and i even scored full mark for my secondary's national examination. Something that my tuition teacher would later be very proud of that her product made all those people, who were paying for grades, look stupid.

Then, time came to decide where should i go for high school.

SINGAPORE

Yes, i wanted badly to move there. For three big reasons:
1. i want a buffet of internet. i am a big fan of any buffet. And, the luxury of internet was just luxurious. it was a no brainer.
2. my brother had moved there earlier, and a reunion would just be awesome.
3. remember the earlier girl? yeah.

i had *cough* many friends moving there too, you see. Thus, moving there was again a no-brainer.

i had plan B too. i wanted to join the best school in this Penabur franchise. i wanted to go the accelerated class to finish high school in two years. Well, there are three reasons too:
1. competing against the best is cool. Fighting the best gladiators sounded like a cool guy's plan.
2. being liberated from own's parents looked cool at some point in my life. Moving to this school would most likely make me to rent a room near the school.
3. And, remember the earlier girl? it was her plan B.

later i would go on ruminating how i failed to seize the chance to go to Singapore. i was on the paper, back then, one of the stronger candidates to go all the way. Yet, i ended up joining the school next door to my secondary. It was not a bad school. I entered the school in the category I, where my first fee would be discounted a lot. And, there lied the chance to challenge for the very top too as many of the smart lads went to option A or B earlier presented.

Yet, it was just not my dream A or dream B.