Reunion of Long Lost Friends(Updated)

The following is a brief intro of my Pr School: Princess Elizabeth Primary School

Princess E is one of the best schools in the west area. Built in 1952, at Princess Elizabeth Estate(thats where it got its name), the school has mantained a good record of producing high average PSLE results over the years. In 1996(the year I graduate), it was ranked 12th in S'pore and my principal was awarded the 3rd best principal for Primary Schools. Besides good academic performances, the school's ECAs also earned respectable reputations. This is esp. so for the military band, which dominates interschool competitions and were able to performed in places even as far as Japan. So pple, in future if you want to send your children to a good Pr school, do consider Princess E, *_a realm of achievers in a school royal status_*.

***Here's a rough intro of me, Hok Him, Zi Ning and Bi Xian in Princess E to the best of my knowledge. Pls correct me of mistakes and irrelevance in the comments if any.***

Li Ren: 1J 2J 3J 4B 5B 6B
I entered Princess E by luck. Many anxious parents fought over the last 6 vacancies remaining when I was registered. I was given a pirority due to 3 child policy(my mum had my youngest sis in her womb at that time.....he he..... like that also count). Can't even speak proper English at Pr1. Dun even know how to write name & register number till near exam. Really blur in the new environment, so got wacked by teachers a no. of times. Like to compete in stupid stuffs, from results to art works and even weight & height. Anybody remembers Wen Bin, the extremely tall guy? I knew him since Pr 1. I was 133.5cm, he was already 141.5 cm then. Zining was also in my class in Pr1, but we had little contacts then, it was gals 1 group, guys another group when we were very young. Blatantly cheated in Pr 2 exam, it was maths, but was not caught. Loved drawing, esp. on animals, but I had long lost this in born talent. Largely a nerd throughout lower Primary, but strangely never score 100 for math, often did quite bad for English, and nearly flung Pr 4 final year exam. Got to EM1 thru principal appeal. Not good at sports, walked thru 1.6km every year, only knew how to play games like soccer,basketball, hockey by Pr 5, but like to walk form school to Bt Batok bus interchange. Been a cadet scout for 3 yrs, and got the bast scouts award. By some chance, I had lots of connections with Malays and Indians, esp. since the guy/ gal who sat beside me had been non-Chinese most of the time. Through their influence, I finally could speak better English, and one chatterbox actually said I was too sissy, spurring me to be more MAN. Pr5 and 6 were great yrs. The class was happening, everyday something fun will come by. By PSLE, my results rocketed and was ambitious about going to Chinese High, but luckily PSLE result not as good as expected, only 255, so came to RV, which I think is a better school ever since then. Knew many good friends, esp. guys who went thru same class with me as many as 6 yrs, and those staying in the same neighbourhood. For info: Princess E pple in RV:Zeng LiRen, Lo Hok Him, Liu ZiNing, Tan Bi Xian, Zheng WenBin, Teo Kok Hui Andy, Natalia Yip Pei Wen, Wendy Teo JingYi, Esther Liao HuiMin, Weng WanYi, Liang Bowan, Sharen Lim WeiWen, Huang Yong Jun, Chai SiNing & Chong Wing Chee... if you know any of them.

Hok Him: 3A 4D 5B 6B (Pr 1 & 2 in Hong Kong)
Initially stayed in Bt Batok blk 156. Came to Princess E thru intro by a family friend whose wife happened to be our Pr 5 chinese teacher. Later moved to Boon Lay, every day take bus 174/157 to school and home. Liked by teachers for being a very good student all the while. Completes all homework and study for tests. Late for school a number of times and kanna locked outside the school gate for national anthem many times. Joined the military band at one time, played the flute I think. Known to play catching with our class guys. At Pr 5 & 6 was quite keen on basketball. Sometimes play SEGA games at friend's house after school. Once played soccer with 5 other guys at a newly painted area and got chased around by the principal, weilding a cane. Expected to be one of the top in school & class but dunno why flopped a little like me and came to RV.

Zining: 1J 2J 3J 4A 5A 6A
Had been quite quiet in school most of the time. Mixed around with the gals most of the time. Remembered her reading alot and playing 5 stones, zero point... in Pr 1, 2, 3. A very typical gal in our Pr School. Been constantly good in her results since Pr 1, thats why she can get into the top class after Pr 3. PLayed in the band, or some other ECAs, think so. Stayed in a different part of Bt Batok from what we know now. Quite low profile from my pt. of view, or I just forgot most things in lower Pr.

Bi Xian: 1E 2E 3E 4B 5A 6A
As we would expect, she bore similiar characteristics during Pr School. A very Ang Moh style gal, in a school of mainly chinese/dialect educated background. Used to speak up alot like in Sec School, on almost anything. Read english books far beyond the normal standards, stories with phrases and vocab that were too chim for most pple to understand then. Enjoyed a different lifestyle from the majority... looks extremely care free. Seems to be a band member, but I'm not sure.

***All right, thats enough of intro from me. For further details please approach the respective pple and ask for a personal interview. Some of the informations may be wrong. Now lets get to the core of my blog, an entry to remember of a Pr School gathering, after nearly 10 yrs of seperation for some of us, on the evening of 19/03/2005. Only Rv pple are named.***

It all started out with a few e-mails sent thru our e-mail accounts. I think it was Wen Bin who wanted to celebrate his ORD on this day initially. It turned out to be someone's birthday so Esther more or less organised a gathering. I had not been around most days, so I only knew the time and place a day b4, thru a msg from Zining. So did Hok Him.

We met at 7pm at Orchard MRT control station. As usual, some are late. It was rather a 2 class combined gathering, as the group can be distinctly split 1/2 into 6A and 6B pple. Its ok, anyway we were the only 2 EM1 classed back then and most pple knew one another. Some were from RV. It was kinda special for me and Hok Him as that was the 1st ever Pr School outing we've been to. The other guys had kept in constant contacts for around 10 yrs, with the exception of the 2 of us. We were ignorant about what was going on with these pple for years, till we entered JC, when I caught up with a Pr. School pal. One who been thru Pr1 to Pr6 with me but later lost contacts.

The organisation was last minute, and we had no plans. Its Orchard, we were spoilt for choices. Well, to hold 10+ pple, we went Marche. It was more like a catching up session for me, for I had never seen the guys for years. In fact I had never talked with some of them b4. Though ~10 yrs lost touch, there's still some kind of bond which linked us together easily. To my surprise, the atmosphere was very different from what I had expected. I purposely over-dress a bit and ran thru some english language usage in my mind. These guys esp. those not from my class were the "Ang Moh Pai" ones in school, I feared embarassment for I had neglected english for the past 2 yrs. Hok Him & I were rather stunned when we heard pple like Esther speak mandrain for the 1st time. As the conversations progressed, we were so used and involved as it was rather similiar to 4E's gathering. I also noticed a number of my old friends had signed on. One of them was going for pilot.

On the table, there were a few guys whom I dunno, not even seem b4. Thru the nite, past memories had brought us to know more about each other. After Marche, we sat down at a cafe beside HMV. It was a nite full of coincidence, I bummed into an indian friend who often took the same bus home with me and had been in the class next door. More friends joined in. Some guys wanted to go chiong at ZOUK later. I wanted to join in but for $ sack, and to rest my injured shoulder, I think next time would be better. The journey home was an entertaining one, for 90% of us stays in or around Bt Batok. All of us can easily take 174 home. On my way home, I found the whereabouts of someone, someone I've longed to see.

I must say the gathering was quite an enjoyable one. It was a bit of reliving the days when we were young. I was happy for these long lost friends, most of them were doing rather well, some in further studies and a few even in businesses. But as I watched the mature faces, some even with lines of wrinkles, I felt the impact of age and stress acting on us. From young innocent looking boys and gals to full grown young men and women, the transformation has brought us to another stage. Gone were the days we run around play catching, kick tennis ball and get chased by a principal weilding a cane. ^_^