UPDATED!! My Tribute: birthday reflections - my secondary school years (Year 13-16)

This is a continuation from last year's birthday reflections. You can read last year's post on the following address:
http://adivinepurpose.blogspot.com/2009/11/my-tribute-birthday-reflections.html

Year 13
PSLE was just over, and i remember insisting on going to an all girls' secondary school nearer my place. I also did not want to take Chinese as first language although my results were good enough for me to go. Secondary school was very different from primary school. I took a whole year to adjust to having to study 9 subjects instead of 4. This was something that i began to note later in life, and asked for help from the Holy Spirit to adapt and adjust more quickly to changes in circumstances and situations. And because of the nature of the questions - structured and essay questions, my strong short term memory and quick recognition and understanding skills were no longer that useful. What was required was longer term memory and application and elaboration skills. I was also struggling at art, which had us sketch the human body, and objects in perspective and lighting. The only way i passed that subject was because the teacher gave us the exam questions and i practised over and over under the patient guidance of my mum some scene at the beach.

I joined the school choir and enjoyed it. I much preferred singing to playing the pianica (it was a small keyboard where you had to blow air into in order to produce organ-like sounds - i don't see it around anymore) in the ensemble i joined in primary school. Singing was to become a preference throughout my life - i enjoyed singing more than playing instruments but of course i was often glad that i could play the piano as it provided the accompaniment as i sang and worshiped.

I also joined the church choir, and enjoyed it even more as we sang songs to God and about God.

I started preparing for my grade 8 practical and theory examinations. The pieces had to be memorised and again this posed much difficulty for me. I got away with as little practice as i could. I became slightly more interested in my examination pieces only when my piano teacher complimented me on having some feeling and expression as i played. Talk about the power of praise and encouragement.

I also joined senior sunday school and became closer to my sunday school girlfriends who have now become lifelong friends. We still meet up at least once a year.

I attended sunday school camp for the first time in my life. We stayed overnight. Because of my sleeping habits, i remember trying to stay up was really tough.

I'm not sure whether this was the first year i went carolling, or was it the following year? I always did enjoy carolling, especially the singing part, and the adrenaline spurts for this special christmas eve certainly kept me awake, unlike other nights.

Year 14
Baby D was born in January 2010. He was brought out five minutes after he was born - bloody and wailing. Flat-faced and huge, his red complexion was what got me worried. When the nurse placed him in my arms, i remembered thinking: "oh no! will he be this red all his life!!??" And when he opened his mouth to cry, there was green and brown stuff inside. Ugh! That was my first introduction to my younger brother. The nurse then brought him away to clean him.

A month after he was born, my parents and two brothers were involved in an accident, but God miraculously protected their lives. Satan's assignment against our family was thwarted, and our family continues to serve the Lord passionately even till today. I love my family very much and am so thankful to God for His protection.

This is recorded in another blog entry: http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2454081468847069015&postID=2617733628467536608

Kong Kong said that baby brother would serve God as he was snatched from the jaws of death at such an early age.
When baby brother turned 22, a woman minister of God marvelled that satan had put such a terrible assignment on him, but a greater Power than his had thwarted that assignment and protected brother's life. She then went on to prophesy that he had a calling to minister to those in society who are different and radical. My parents continue to serve God in their retired or as my dad likes to call it, REFIRED years. They are actively involved in the church choir, prayer ministry and serve as ALPHA facilitators. They also travel to different nations to minister to children. My other brother who is 4 years younger, also serves in the church leadership.

Mum needed help to look after my baby brother as her arm was in a cast. We found a Christian neighbour in the same block (whom we have never met before) who turned out to be an excellent care-giver. I also helped to change and feed him when he came home in the evenings. I learnt that i was not supposed to place my chin on the top of a newborn baby's head no matter how comfortable it is as the skull has not hardened yet. I also dropped him once, but thank God it was not from a high position, and being the tough baby he was, he did not cry for long. There was also once he peed right when i was changing his diapers, aiming directly at my face and neck before i could cover him.

This was an easier year where studies were concerned. I began to understand how to answer questions, and enjoyed my lessons more. Our class took part in the drama competition and went into the finals. I think we came in third with our dramatisation of Jane Eyre being dragged into the dreaded Red Room. I was the cruel aunt! I think it was because of my voice, not so much my looks. haha!

I did okay in my grade 8 exams. And my parents said i could stop piano lessons for the time being. I was elated. I only decided to take it up again in JC1, but because of the demands of the diploma programme in pianoforte as well as JC, i decided to withdraw from having lessons after just two months.

I was the treasurer for the school choir. I enjoyed collecting money. :D

Towards the end of the year, I was also interviewed by the Principal and Prefect Mistress for the position of prefect. I cleared the interview, but only after being told by the Principal to study hard for my final examinations. I did, and fared better than in Secondary One, and went to a good class for Secondary Three.

Year 15
i enjoyed literature even more, and science even less. E Maths was okay, but i was stumped by A Math. I started writing journals, and became more passionate about the things of God. God's Word became alive to me. My Sunday School experience was rich, and it helped that the superintendent was intensely excited about the reality of God's existence and love. It became clear to me that God is interested in our everyday lives.

It also surprised me that my parents, especially my papa, would know when i drifted a little from the Lord, or did not spend time with Him. Papa would tell me 'Focus on God and all other things would fall into place'. His wisdom is with me till today.

I was a prefect as well, and enjoyed my weekly duties, either doing rounds during recess or being in charge of the PA System.

I was also selected to emcee a school event. They liked my pronunciation and enunciation, and tonal quality. haha... i remember being elated at being selected. :D

I also became more aware of what other girls talked about - clothes, music, shoes, bags, magazines, boy bands, and boys from a neighbouring school. I found myself not being able to join in all the time as i was not interested in most of these things, though boys, by far, were the most intriguing. Music which appealed to teens at that time was a whole different world from my own exposure to oldies, musicals and classical music.

There was some misunderstanding in school when some choir members complained about my 'bossiness'. The teacher in charge defended me, but i began to see how my good intentions could be thwarted by my over enthusiastic persuasion and tendency to want people to do things a certain way. I certainly tampered down my passion and persuasive ways as it was more important for me that people thought well of me and i interacted well with them, than it was for things to get done. The part about people thinking well about me changed in later years, when i realised that it was more important that i obeyed God. But at 15 years old, i was still more attuned to other people's opinions than God's.

Year 16
Our class took part in a few inter-class competitions. We all gave these events our very best, knowing that it was our final year in the school. The teachers also gave each Secondary Four class an opportunity to put up an assembly programme. We did a song and a couple of dances. I was involved in one dance - the Charleston. The teachers were surprised at some of us as we were conservative till our dance. That's the only dance i know till today. Er... actually, i don't think i know how to dance it anymore.

By this time, i had gone to the National Day Parade at least twice. We had to go for rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and then the actual day itself where we were at the stadium as early as 2.30pm to rehearse one last time, rain or shine. Compared to how the boys had to do national service, our patriotism to our country was less exacting. I had to go once more in JC, and then as a teacher, brought my choir students for 2 more National Day Parades (as well as the rehearsals in those 2 years). From secondary one till i resigned from teaching in 2002, i have attended at least 5 NDPs (each of which had at least 2 full rehearsals which meant 8 hours at the stadium or padang, which meant i attended 15 NDPs!!). I only watch parts of the NDP on TV now.

My two classmates and i who stayed around sims drive/sims avenue area often took the same bus with this boy from a neighbouring school who looked like Kenny Bee. There was once after we alighted at the same stop, we decided to follow him home. I think it freaked him out because at one block, he suddenly turned around the corner and disappeared. We never did it again, though we continued to 'admire' him from afar.

O levels was quite tough. Later i would find out that A levels was tougher still. I did well enough to go to a JC of my choice. My love for literature had increased but because of poor time management, i did not do too well in it. I remember having only 15 minutes left for the last question which i hurriedly wrote two paragraphs and scribbled the rest of the points within just one page. It was a miracle i still managed a b3. I was to use this painful lesson as a teaching point in my lessons when i became a teacher 8 years later - TIME MANAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT!

I became more involved in the worship ministry in church. I started out as an organist in the evening service at 14 years old, but the newly formed band needed a keyboardist. My training was done by a seasoned guitarist who would sing out the chords so that i could get them right as we practised. He also taught me about rhythm. He never got angry with me, though he sometimes sighed in between songs. Sadly that guitarist died in an accident during his honeymoon in NZ about three years later. I remember him fondly as a kind and patient man who gave his all when he served.