High School Anniversary

Note: I will be attending Nuffnang Gathering in Penang this Saturday, try to chat me up cause I’m shy in person.


I didn't realise it was the time of the year again two days before the event when an old schoolmate reminded me over Msn.

I remember my high school years, down it might be, every year in June when the anniversary is approaching, the entire school is hype up for preparation.

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We will spend almost an entire month preparing for the event. Buying materials within class budget and decorating the classrooms, going out to sell charity vouchers to public, our relatives and sometimes when out of desperate measures, we will 'eat up' the coupons ourselves (buy what we sell).

It’s one of those peak moments in dull school life that you actually get some activities away from class. Even though we have to go out of school after class in small groups and walk from shops to shops or area to area under the hot sun, just like those American high school girl guides selling cookies to their friendly local neighbourhood, only, people in real life are not so friendly.

And even though people say that this is child labour or student abuse since we were ‘forced’ to become volunteers and do this in the name and for the sake of our dear school (private school needs financial funding constantly); it were these little things that kept us looking forward to going to school each day, decorating and competing for the most creative looking class became the main highlight during our school years.


It's been years since I returned to my high school for a visit. After five years of torment that sent me swirling in dark moments of my past, returning for a visit is the last thing I ever wanted to do.

"But heck" I thought. It's been years, if all the lecturers and juniors during my time have not already retired or graduated by now is not a convincing excuse; it's time to get over it and put the pass behind me. So this year, I decided to visit my high school anniversary, and rid of that melancholy within me once and for all.

There I was, at the entrance of my high school, with a friend (of course), looking at the entrance where I once stood as a prefect (worst decision ever made) every morning to be on duty and check for late students.

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On duty by the gate thing is so utterly pointless. Why can’t they just lock the gate when the bell rings like traditional Japanese high school?


The structure of the school changed a lot. The four main buildings: South, East, West and North blocks still stand, imposing extensions and renovations have obviously been carried out, heck they even have auto student log in and out machine and pass! I don’t remember having a student card even back in my school years, man we were like, dinosaurs.

Or prisoners… who the hell have their student numbers sewn onto the front of their uniforms! It’s like a code that assigned to you from the first year of your imprisonment till the day you are released six years later.

“Hi, I’m 97-018, what about you?”


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Young prisoners… poor souls


One thing I used to dread was bumping into those school bullies in school, before and after graduation. This year was no difference, though I don’t see them bullies anymore, I mean, they turned out, well... pretty normal after graduation. They always do, don’t they? I could be stereotyping but popular girls and guys back in school always seem to turn out either horribly unsuccessful or just your average Joe or plain Jane.

But even that, I still don’t fancy meeting them. Could be my personal grudges or they make me feel that they’re still living in the glorious past when they are just so normal in the present. It could be both. Don’t know don’t care.

Don’t flame me for chauvinism. I’m mentioning this in an ex-unpopular-ugly-nerd point of view and this is how we (or I) feel.


So I entered the school, with four coupons bought from some little prisoners wondering around town few weeks ago in my hand, I headed for the canteen to see what they were selling for charity.

There was some pretty awesome cheap tasteless-looking food selling at the stalls, which I’m too reluctant to buy even with my coupons. As I stroll along the stalls, heaven forbade I met a group of my old classmates!! SHITE! Pretending to be oblivious of their existence, I walked pass through too quickly despite some of them trying to call out my Chinese name. Ewe….

“See no evil, hear no evil…”


We proceeded the tour and decided to look around some of the classrooms made and decorated by kids age 13-18 and laugh myself silly by the amateurish construction of newspaper and cheap glue and paint. Probably going to have Pikachu soft toys everywhere and childish drawings just like old times.

I couldn’t be more wrong…

Most of the classrooms turned out so impressively creative, they would make a 15 year-old me feel so stupid and fallow. (No, I don’t need your opinion here, growl)

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Fee-fi-fo-fum…


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Chu-chu~~


Some are so cute you want to kiss them,

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Or bring them home,

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Some are remarkably realistic,

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Tea shop..


You become part of the theme

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Omg, this sewing machine is antique!


From gun shooting in the West,

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to taking a stroll in the alleyway in the East..

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Hong Kong red light district?


Some of the drawings are so real you can taste them,

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Yum~


This is also my favourite classroom design, cause it matched my dress that day and I love the entrance hallway they built too.

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Grapes are never too sour here


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Ribena fountain! :D


But the most creative classroom belonged to a class of senior threes of Science stream,

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“I have a feeling someone is looking at me…”


Theme: “Hell”

Upon entering the place, visitors can sense an eerie vibe and faux blood couldn’t look scarier in dark, some kids were even too scared to enter. In fact, the place was so spooky, flash photos just don’t do them justice here.


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“Are you afraid of the dark?”


Creativity is not the only thing kids have these days, after an eye-full, I decided it was time to head back.

At the entrance, I saw this bunch of kids (elementary-level?) holding boxes of prizes (Mamee and tissue packets, yea, sad prizes) so I went up to ask them for a photo. They couldn’t be more enthusiastic.


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Then a phone rang, and one of the kids picked up his phone…

Jie Jie (elder sister), wait a, I got a call


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o.O!!! How old is he? He looks too young to own a phone man!!

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Shit! Even talking on the phone also like big businessman~ =.=



PS: Talking about the 94th Anniversary of Pay Fong High, CONGRATULATION on NicoleKiss for achieving 100 post today!!!! Never knew I could be so long-winded~

Now go buy me a cake

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20 kissed Nicole

  1. Such a huge school, yet creative. My secondary school is damn darn small compare to yours, but i really had my time there. XD


    Oh!! the 100th post!!! How many candles you need?

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  2. you're cooool~

    =D

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  3. Never knew got such thing. I guess our sekolah kebangsaan tak setanding with Pay Fong. Oh, but I do remember the roti canai shop opposite Pay Fong :P

    I certainly like the basketball court though. Went there for competition once. All the gurls were looking! So nice :) Compare to our all boy school -.-"

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  4. How about Secret Recipe?? Thats the only good cake shop i know ;)

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  5. jiejie nic

    I have a mobile phone too even though I am 7 this year .. had the phone since ... last year :)

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  6. wow....pretty creative huh the kids! my sec.skol was pretty happening also back when i was still around...Keat Hwa Sec Skol, Alor Star!! Yea!!!

    Sigh...celebrity bloggers coming over to penang just when i have to go to KL for wedding dinners and company obligations....sigh sigh......

    Nicole, you are blessed with a physique that goes soooo well with dresses, pants, sportswear..etc...

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  7. congrats on your 100th post! I'll get u any cake u want if u drop by S'pore :)

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  8. It's freezing cold here in Perth so I understand why ppl dress in long sleeves, turtleneck - but in that heat in M'sia?....

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  9. Hahhahah the Ribena Mascot damn the face damn evil...must be its the most evil ribena among the others... cute hahaha :D

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  10. I still don't know why chinese school uses numbers to call their students.

    My aunty from England actually asked me if I am in a juvinile center when she came visit last time.

    Oh yeah, my number is 96161...heheh..

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  12. it's mind-blowing to see what the young ppl can do nowadays...
    * * * * *
    * 100 *
    (====) *
    (______) * *
    \______/ *
    /\/\/\/\ * *
    |______|
    ~~~~~~~~~
    i hope it looked like a cake '_'
    that's the best i could make right now...

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  13. You? Shy?

    PPUIII!!!

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  14. happy 100th postings!!!

    keep it up ya!!!

    i only know payfong got those like buyin coupons every year and play tikam tikam... did tat when i was small... but it had been a long time since i last go to tat school...

    cheers!

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  15. kenny: 100 pls!

    patricia: thanks!

    innocent^^guy: yea, tat's the cool thing abt private schools

    the problem kid: what abt secret recipes

    misha: haha... u shud give me a call

    sheon: awe u poor thing... i need to diet~

    jermy76: that's so sweet, i want coffee bean cheesecake

    anonymous: because it was a cold day?

    gothnol: now that you mentioned it, i just realised, it does look fierce

    justin koh: poor us isn't it.. sigh~

    domhon: i want italiannes' strawberry cheesecake :p

    clare: la la la

    michael song: thanks! visiting high school brought back a lot of memories

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  16. very nice work done by the students.

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  17. Malaysian kids so morbid wan ~_~;

    I would mail you my favorite NY Cheese Cake, but I ate it all. :o

    And I must say you look beautiful!

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  18. hey! didnt know u're from mlk too =)
    lookin real sweet in the pics!
    especially the purple grapes one haha..

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  19. OMG...XUE JIE!!!!
    I graduate in 2005...how bout u?

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  20. MaN|acZ: yea they are little geniuses

    Gwendolynne: I want my cheesecake :(

    anna: thanks! :D

    michael: me? I'm from ages ago.. LOL

    grad in year 2001. years gone by...

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