If people say every year is different, I say 2005 is the year where a lot of major changes took place in my life. There was lots of fun, excitement, new experience, and disappointment.
It's the year that I entered university, a completely different learning environment from what I was used to. No more classrooms, no more teachers chasing after tutorials and making a big fuss for not attending or sleeping in classes. I still remember my first lecture which I happily entered empty handed, expecting the lecturer to pass us the lecture notes, only to realise we had to print our own.
Staying in hall was another new experience. Although it was just an hour's journey back home, I could nevertheless feel the freedom I never had before. Although I wouldn't say my hall is the most happening hall, living with friends did provide much more fun factor than living with parents. I think the best part of hall is that I don't have to account for all my late returns
2005 was also the year I experienced a working life, the trouble of looking for a job which I like and offers good pay. The initial thrill of earning my own money and doing something to occupy myself that gradually grew into boredom of a repetitive routine and now the preference of staying at home and resting or going out and spending money instead of earning. Ask me which is better, working or studying, I say I want a bit of both.
Did quite a lot of travelling in 2005 too. Had a splendid trip to Western Australia with family in January. It felt great to take a break from the city life and immerse ourselves in the tranquility of nature, catching crabs from the river beside where we stayed, and visiting the farms, getting in touch with those cute little animals and not forgetting the mouth-watering grapes, peaches and melons. They were so good that we imported almost 20kg worth of fruits back to Singapore. Then there was China trip in May with mom and sis. Vast difference in scenery, environment and surrounding. But with the prices of goods, I shall take back those complaints. Got to visit my future school and it was nowhere in comparison with SBS in NTU. I think I will either starve to death due to the lack of fish and seafood there or stuff myself real fat with the fattening road-side food. Take the soup noodles for example, instead of droplets of oil you find droplets of soup amongst the thick layer of oil. But the food there is great, if you dare to eat that is.
Of course there is the experience of failure. The rejection of scholarships, overseas universities and from medicine. Well, I guess that's all part and parcel of life, I won't deny the fact that I was disappointed, but they eased my decision of where to go and what to do. In fact, I am very satisfied with my current situation. Although Bio is not my forte, I think things will not be better if I was in medicine. Nevertheless, I enjoyed myself during the scholarship activities, mixing around the the future leaders and scientists and a crash course in presentation and interview skills when they gave you a topic like "how would chairs look like if our legs bend forward instead of backwards" on the spot and ask you to crap for 1 minute. or having 15 minutes to prepare a GP-like question and giving a 5 minute presentation. Ask me to do it now, i'll tell you it's next to impossibility.
Then there was the usual last minute studying, which didn't turn out to be exactly very effective. Imagine studying everything in about 1 or 2 weeks. Everything meaning a crash course for A level Biology. I was almost pulling my hair out every night and cursing and swearing at all the scientists and professors. In fact, I have never gone into the examination hall so unprepared before, but I guess there's always a first time for everything, and I'm definitely not hoping for anymore.
And of course, you drew the perfect conclusion to the year 2005. Love the times we spent together and the crazy things we did. I guess we both have our busy schedules and I'm so guilty of that, but that will only make me treasure the times we can have together.