A final thank you and goodbye

Time flies. It speeds faster than you can catch up with. Before you realize, the year is almost coming to a draw. And a new year, with fresh hopes and new challenges to conquer, is patiently awaiting us, quietly looming closer and closer to us as the days go by.

I could still remember vividly the start of this year, the start of my sec 2 life. And now it’s rapidly coming to a close. Two more days and it’s officially the end of school term. Time really flies. Twelve months just seem so fast. I could still remember the time at the start of the year when school ended at 5. I could still remember the time when I stayed back until 7 for my intensive BB Adventure Quest training. I could still remember the time this year when I first attended my higher Chinese class after being promoted from normal Chinese to HCL. I could still remember the time when Lum, Kevin, Mu Yao and me went to Popular at Parkway after school to shop for new CDs at CD Rama.

It’s still swirling around in my mind, fresh and clear. I remember, and cherish dearly, those times.

Before I can even reflect on those memories, 2005 is coming to an end.

The closure of the school term brings me mixed feelings. Firstly, there is unwillingness. Then, there is hope. The hope of a new start as I close a chapter in my life and prepare to open another new one. A new and adventurous time of learning is going to start in my educational life.

I will be leaving next year, as all of you already know. Many of you may perceive that I leave VS willingly, happily, with no worries, feeling care-free and fortunate.

But to tell you guys the truth, I DO NOT LEAVE WITH A HAPPY HEART.

That’s absolutely right. I leave with a heavy heart. I leave unwillingly.

The main reason: I miss all my schoolmates. I really do. I can assure you that I really miss every single one of my classmates in 2E, and my BB friends, officers and teachers.

I value friendship. I believe in developing them, for they are life-long things worth investing time in. Friends are to be treasured dearly. Friendships are important, they are crucial and they are necessary to cultivate. Up to a certain extent, I can say that friendship means more than school work, or more specifically, our exam results. Don’t get me wrong. Yes, exam results are important too. School work is something which one must pay attention too. But friendships also deserve equal, if not more, importance in our lives. Exam results are a one-off thing. Think about it, when you are in sec 2, do you still really care about your sec 1 results, or your PSLE results?

No, you don’t. But its friendships that last. It is an everlasting thing that cannot be accomplished overnight. It requires effort, time, understanding and love for it to grow and sprout. We must deliberately make time for it. That is why I try to build friendship instead of hatred. There is no point in sowing discord among people. There is no gain at all. It only leaves one party hurt and lonely.

Friends are a must-have in one's life. Without friends, life is meaningless. Without friends, life is boring. Without friends, we will never experience true fellowship. If you do not have friends, then you definitely have not lived life to its fullest.

For the record, I shall name some people whom I am closer with:

- Mu Yao
- Andrew
- Wei Liang
- Weng Keong
- Jun Jie (Last time, although I earnestly hope that our friendship can once again resume. )
- Han Hao
- Kevin
- Samuel

It may not occur so obviously to the mention names above, but I do take the initiative and effort to build relationships with these people. They may not realize it all these while, but unknowingly, I actually do try to develop my relationships with them.

What I mean by friendship is not the sort of superficial bonding between two people where we just talk to each other everyday, asking about each other, but it is about understanding more about their lives, getting to know them on a deeper level, appreciating their strengths and weaknesses, be a listening ear to their problems and difficulties and build up strong bonds which will stand the test of time.

I do place friendship up high on my priority list because it really is worth all the time and effort. Every single bit pays off. I hope these people above regard me as someone more than a friend, but more of a trustworthy companion who stick through thick and thin.

That’s why it’s only natural that I seriously miss all of my friends badly, very badly. At times when I’m alone and idol, like during my bus journey home, I will inevitably begin to think of all my friends, how fast the year has ended, how much have I did to develop these friendships, and mostly, how much I will miss them when I leave for VJ next year. All these pondering and reflecting brings to me an indescribable feeling of loneliness, and dejectedness, of sadness and I suddenly feel so gloomy and melancholic. It cannot be fully described with words. This intense feeling overwhelmes me. Even as I’m typing this very long post, I do so with a heavy heart, knowing that I’m going to part from my best friends, to leave for a separate, unknown path waiting to be discovered.

Despite all these, I give all my close friends my assurance that although I may have left VS physically, I will nevertheless not forget or forsake all my precious friendships cultivated in this past 2 memorable years. There’s still email, msn, sms, blog, and the phone to communicate with. My heart remains with my friends, forever.

Our lives are just so hectic, busy and packed. We do not have the time to fulfill all our aspirations and dreams. Sometimes, it is important to take a step back out of your rushed lives and stop, ponder, wonder, and reflect on what you have done so far. Yes, stop, and reflect.

Reflect.

What is it that you have done well this year? What are some areas which need improvement? What has life been? Have you reached your goals?

So stop, and think.

This is one aspect of life where most ignorant people miss and do not realize. Yet it is so very very vital to just come to a halt for a while, stop, and think. I can’t stress enough the importance of friendship and reflecting. It is a gauge to enable one to see how far they have walked in their lives.

Just take some time off, close your room door, and quietly, personally, think about what happened this year. Just regurgitate all the past moments and days, regardless if its joyful or not, and just ponder deep into it, think about it, relive it in your minds.

Life is not just all about work and play. One must pay equal attention to his emotional, spiritual, and social needs too.

What better way to do that than to reflect?

I would like to individually thank all my close friends for seeing me through this wonderful year, for caring for me, for helping me, and for sharing my joys and sorrows. Form the bottom of my heart, I sincerely take this opportunity to thank all of you. Thank you for your unending love that you have poured out on me.

Thank you.

So here it goes: Thank you Mu Yao, Andrew, Wei liang, Weng Keong, Jun Jie, Han Hao, Kevin and Samuel for making my stay in VS a pleasurable and meaningful one.

Two years in VS is not a short time, neither is it a long time, but I think it is sufficient for making new friends and for developing my character. BB has played a dominant role in instilling in me a sense of discipline, puntuality, self control, and self sacrifice. I would also want to thank my teachers for their invaluable guidance, support and encouragement.

These two years has been the best years of my life, really. How I wish I could relive these two years again. They are the “golden” period of my teenage years, where I grow the most (not just physically).

Before I leave for VIP, I would like to wish everyone their best in their studies and endeavors. I believe everyone had the potential to do well academically. It’s just up to you to realize your undiscovered potential, to make use of it and to maximize it to its fullest. Everyone is of equal caliber, including me. As long as you pay attention in class, do your assignments diligently, revise constantly, have a positive outlook towards school, you will SURELY succeed someday. You have my guarantee for that. This is the only secret “formula” to doing well. Hard work coupled with diligence. Intelligence only plays a minor part. Intelligence without hard work equates to nothing. In life, there will be ups and downs. When you do not do so well, do not be discouraged, but be more determined to do better the next try, learn from your flaws, improve on them and success will belong to you.

I will never forget you guys. I wish you all the best. Do VS proud. I am privilege to be able to make such good friends, and our friendship will continue to prosper, develop.

I do not return because I have not really left. Once a Victorian, always a Victorian, and I’m proud to be one. I will visit VS if time permits next year, most probably on Teachers' day. But for now, we have to leave to embark on a brand new journey full of excitement and hopes.

I bid a final thank you and goodbye to all my schoolmates. I will miss you people tremendously, terribly.

Nil Sine Labore
Ian