The hours before and after results were as significant as the 2 hours the class of 2008 spent in the ACS (I) Auditorium one last time.
I am awfully glad that I had people to spend Monday with, because if I had to go through the same anxiety I felt on the bus to school this morning all through the night, I might have collapsed. It was only when I had some time to myself on that short ride on 106 listening to my iPod that I fully appreciated the gravity of the outcome of the IB exams. But I'm jumping ahead of myself.
Early Monday afternoon, I met Cielo at Mong's new apartment at The Beaumont on Devonshire Road, right in the heart of town. I hastily dumped my bag for the night and rushed off to the Botanic Gardens, bumping into Jim who was headed to the apartment as well. There, I found Darius and Jo playing a hand of cards which soon ended as we had to find shelter from the rain. Thankfully, a nearby canopy/gazebo thingum was exactly what we needed to rescue our picnic. Cherry soon arrived, and our 2-odd hours of random photo-whoring, cards, nachos, salsa and an assortment of self-made sandwiches. Darius and I then made our way over to the Heeren, where we met Paul and Sean for an early dinner at Pasta De Waraku, which was unexpectedly tasty. They were then headed to watch the finale of Little Nyonya, while I met my classmates at Fish & Co, The Glass House. At one point, the people present were Agi, Cheryl, Elliot, Chun Wui, Jim, Gerald, Gen Huong, Melodie, Cielo and Mong. Coincidentally, Jake was there with his classmates too. We detoured to Carrefour for some groceries, then it was back to the apartment for a night of distractions which came in the form of cards and movies, namely Death Race and Zack And Miri Make A Porno. I fell asleep around 3 on Gen's airbed with Jim and Elliot whlie Mong, Mel and Cielo were out buying stuff. At 640am, owing to lack of space and periodic blasts of cold air from the frigid air conditioning, I literally rolled off the bed and out of the apartment for a walk down Orchard Road. Town in the early morning is incredibly peaceful, and I had time to gather my thoughts at the prospect of knowing my results in a few hours' time, aided along by a Starbucks fix. Around 9, I headed back to find everyone mostly awake and getting ready for our final sojourn to school. It was on 106 that I finally realized what the next 2 hours meant - the fruits of 2 whole years of labour. I had already steeled myself against disappointment, which would soon come in handy. That being said, the class of 2008 surprised me to no end; there was never really any doubt about the potential we had collectively, and it will be difficult to best what we've done. I found myself happy for us as a whole, though when my name was called up early on in the 43s, I remembered what I had told myself since the exams ended and was content. My heartiest congratulations go out to 4 of my classmates in particular - Ted Kin, because nothing short of that 44 would do justice to the work you've put in; Mai, because a perfect 45 in the Sciences with a foreign language to boot is worth every ounce of admiration; Daryl, because we've worked for it so hard in all our classes and you deserve all of those 45 points; and finally to Justin, because we have proven conclusively that it is scientifically impossible for us to best each other. I think we can be pretty pleased with our 43s. =)
We stopped by the SAC where I bid farewell to the Fruit Juice Aunties one last time by purchasing my regular Apple-Orange Juice, then it was off to town, where Mong, Mel and I left the rest to head back to the apartment where we had left our stuff. Cielo and I had to make a trip back to school because of items in the Lost & Found, and I then cabbed back home. Not wanting to spend the evening of results day at home, I tried my hand at organizing a little class get together at the very last minute, texting about 11 of the regulars who usually show up. In the end, Mong, Mel, Joash, Patrick and I met at Hog's Breath Cafe, Holland Village for dinner and a toast to the IB journey and, especially, it's conclusive end, where Gen found us on the way to another gathering. We couldn't find a suitable place for dessert, and so at the early hour of 10, we shook hands and parted, which gave my day an odd finality, knowing that it will be some time till I see most of them again. It is a harrowing thought, but one which is necessary for forward movement.
I have one more day left before I enter NS on Thursday, in the middle of the intake timings, and already I know how I'm gonna spend it. It has been a brilliant ride through IB, the IB exams, and the weeks that followed. There will be no lack of things for me to look back on smilingly as I begin confinement, along with no lack of things to look forward to, in particular applications. Truth be told, it hasn't been entirely encouraging so far, but I don't regret for a second rushing through my applications early. At least I will soon have some sense of closure to the 2 countries I want to study in, and then I can see what to do from there. Hopefully I get my first choice, but as life often is, I will probably be in for more than a few surprises. And quite frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way.