The severity of the floods in the east coast led to a
one-week delay in the reopening of schools across the nation in the beginning
of the year. I remember feeling groggy having just woken up when I found out
about this on the news. I appeared as cool as a cucumber on the outside when
all I could think of in my head was, “Hooray! One more week with my cucumber!”.
It was symbolic to how things started off in 2015 for me.
I had a lover and I was happy. I knew my final year in Sixth Form would be
tough but I felt motivated to do better than I did in my previous semester last
year. Things were pleasant…pleasantly great.
Then it started dawning on me that cucumber would be off
to university and we would be parting ways after what had been an enchanting
December. Before I knew it, February came. And cucumber left. And it was
unbearable. It felt weird adjusting to the fact that your text messages would
no longer be reaching your loved one.
But I did anyway. And I kept myself busy. I promised
myself I would place emphasis on my studies this year, but as always, loads of
other things kept piling up anyway. (Believe me, I had no idea how it happened
either.) I don’t consider this a bad thing, though. It can be overwhelming at
times, but at the end of the day, it does feel nice to know that you’re able to
utilize your abilities and take on challenges other people normally wouldn’t. I
like the challenge.
The downs this year were more frequent and severe than I’d
like for them to be. Turns out, my cucumber wasn’t the only one I had to say
goodbye to. Some close relatives left us as well. And our classmate was taken
away from us waaaayyy too soon. I’ve never experienced something quite as awful
like this. To know that someone who was always a constant presence and an arm’s
length away from you in class would be gone just like *that*…it affected us for
quite a while. But there was definitely a lesson to be learnt from these
goodbyes that I had to endure: that time waits for no man, and we should all
make it a point to show the people we love how much we appreciate their
unconditional support.
I couldn’t release a studio album about my life as a
19-year-old like Adele did but that doesn’t make it any less monumental and
important. I had great success with my team towards the end of 2014 in an entrepreneurship
convention, so I’m grateful that I was able to continue using my voice for
certain causes this year. I got back into MUN after a hiatus and had the honour
of partaking in this year’s PenangMUN. I hosted several major events in school,
including a concert and the opening ceremony of our international students’
camp. But perhaps the most memorable affair for me, was when I decided to take
a chance and talked about gay rights in a public speaking competition. I knew
it was a risk, and I knew it would be polarizing, but I knew that was a
splendid opportunity for me to speak out on something I was passionate about. I
didn’t end up winning, but the opportunity on its own (and me grabbing it)
tasted just as sweet as victory.
(Fun fact: A friend of mine who was present that day was
assigned to submit a report on his thoughts on the competition. He wrote a
paragraph about what I presented, which literally brought me on the verge of
tears. It’s something that I’ll always hold on to and remember when I want to
speak up on something I’m passionate about, regardless of what others may
think. So Edreal, if you’re reading this, thank you so much, buddy! ;) )
Publishing a yearbook is tough. Being editor-in-chief is
even tougher. Just the amount of responsibility that entails can be
frightening. The amount of activities that our school committed to this year
didn’t help our case either. We were a little late in finishing up the yearbook,
but I’m just relieved that everything worked out in the end.
Arguably the sweetest bit of them all, was being able to
witness the results of your unconditional nurturing. I’ve always taken my duty
as coach of my poetry recital team very seriously, and being able to be a part
of their journey to nationals was immensely gratifying. This family has brought
me so much memories, not just this past year, but every year since I’ve been
involved in poetry recital. I realize moving on at some point is inevitable,
but till then, I will dedicate my entire heart and soul into nurturing more
talents and passionate juniors to the best of my abilities. I know how
enchanting this experience has been for me. I hope I can pave a journey hopefully
as enchanting for them too.
Then came hell month in the form of November.
Examinations were stressful, and a breakup added to the burden of it all. And I’m
sure by the end of it, all of us Sixth Formers were beyond glad that we had
survived arguably the toughest phase of Sixth Form.
I celebrated graduation this time around with slightly
more activities than a couple of years ago. Prom was great. Getting to dress up
was great. And I went hiking…a lot…which I enjoyed and appreciated a lot! I am
by zero means athletic or sporty, so it was nice to know that I was actually
capable of attempting something so physically demanding…and succeeding.
......
......
So I guess what I’m trying to say is that, 2015 has been
a year full of ups and downs, triumphant moments and heart-wrenching ones. The sad bits stood out a little more than the happy ones, if I'm being honest. But I won't discount the moments where I truly felt grateful and blessed to just be able to live and do the things I love.
SO. MUCH. TO. WORRY. ABOUT.
But I guess I’ll be fine. I’ve made it through every year
thus far all right. I’ll manage.
Here’s to health, happiness, and many more opportunities
for me to pursue my passion and interests in the new year.
Goodbye, 2015. And hello, 2016.
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| The Rubens' Tube! |
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| NOT my girlfriend. I promise. |
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| 1 of 8 Band 6 scorers in the July session of MUET in the entire country...not bad I guess. |
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| Happy New Year everyone! <3 |
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