Tribute to Catholic High School.
now that the Os are well and truly over, and ive had a couple of days to settle down from its immediate aftereffects, i think i should give credit where its due, and write a piece giving thanks to the school for the last 4years.
4 years may not seem like a long time, but in truth, these last 4 ive spent in CHS has been like an eternity for me. truth be told, this is my third draft attempting to type this post out. the previous times ive tried to do it, ive either felt that i didnt do the last 4years of my life credit by writing too brief a post, or id written so long and repetitive a post that id be boring everybody to death. so i guess im just gonna try my and hope for the best this time.
secondary one was a year to remember, new school, new teachers, new schoolmates, new everything. its funny how i can still remember walking into the school early on the first day and realising that i had no idea where i was headed, and that i was totally lost, the sudden change in environment really had me at a loss. to make things worse, much of the school was still under renovation and all boarded up. anyway, the main thing about this year was BURST:
secondary two. another memorable year. i know people look back and blame the introduction of the tablet pc for our failures and problems. but i'll try to see beyond that and bring back the better memories. sec2 adventure camp at jalan bathera , it was alright, really widened my horizons regarding the activities that are available. sparked my liking for kayaking. besides, who can forget the nick.kang incident during the campfire. to my knowledge, its still being talked about today. on another note, there was always that hellish OAL training camp at the end of the year.
after being at the bottom, isnt it always the greatest feeling when you rise up and take control? well, thats what secondary three was all about, assuming responsibility.
hahaha. i guess so. anyway, its a nice feeling, feels good to have be on top instead of continuously being at th receiving end. then again, if you really take a look at it, its just like going from a teeny tiny fish in a small pond, to being a medium sized fish in the ocean, cos now as a leader, you deal with the teachers. well, its all about perception. fun though.
secondary four. if the first three years felt like an eternity,i guess i would describe this last year as a wicked whirlwind. look at it this way, at the beginning of the year, you start the countdown to stepping down from your cca and other responsibilities. whoosh, suddenly thats over and done with. next, you start the frantic studying for prelims, then omg, you wonder: 'when the hell did all three prelims pass?' AND all the the while, you're keeping one eye on the calender as the major countdown ensues, and the Os come closer day by day. then, you end up like me, sitting here typing stuff and wondering how it all went past so quickly. well, thats secondary 4 life for you.
Outdoor Adventure Leaders (OAL)
well, perhaps the best thing that ever happened to me in my 4years in Catholic High School (apart from ncc of course). lets see, try to wrap this around your head for a moment, take the most zany characters from the five uniformed groups, throw in a couple of equally crazy IT guys from imedia, there you have it, a bonafide volatile mix, all combustible and ready to explode.
Scouts: high energy, high work-ethic, SUPER high fun levels,
just take a look at the gayness of toonee, the 'ahem'ness of hanxun, and charisma of joshua aka kun.
NCC (Land): gabriel the garang muscle man, jacky the breakdancer/portable jukebox/beatbox, derek the 'lets sit up the whole night staring at the stars at changi' guy. haha. yeah.
NCC (Air): aric chia the little mischief master. weilang our personal horse.
NPCC: darius the ..? kumweng the ...? troy the soccer guy? haha. okay
last but not least,
SJAB: zhian the poor medic. haha. MEDIC!!!
alright, as you might have seen, i ran out of descriptions, and those are but a few of the interesting people in OALs.
i dont know about the others, but the days spent training at bathera changed me in a way i cant describe. by far the most painful camp, and the most annoying, seeing that millions of mozzies come out at night for feasting. and thats not mentioning the 8-9? hour kayaking without sunblock (our fault) and the subsequent sunburns. lets just say, practicing belaying in long pants after getting badly sunburned is not something i look forward to doing again anytime soon.
im gonna conclude here. catholic high has been a home to me these past 4 years. calling it a second home just wouldnt feel right cos i sometimes feel more at home there then at home. its more than done its job as a school. schools providing education is one thing, providing purpose and a sense of belonging is another. its moulded and crafted me into what, and who, i am today, and for that i will always be thankful.
heres to cathigh.
******pictures provided by mam chow.
now that the Os are well and truly over, and ive had a couple of days to settle down from its immediate aftereffects, i think i should give credit where its due, and write a piece giving thanks to the school for the last 4years.
4 years may not seem like a long time, but in truth, these last 4 ive spent in CHS has been like an eternity for me. truth be told, this is my third draft attempting to type this post out. the previous times ive tried to do it, ive either felt that i didnt do the last 4years of my life credit by writing too brief a post, or id written so long and repetitive a post that id be boring everybody to death. so i guess im just gonna try my and hope for the best this time.
secondary one was a year to remember, new school, new teachers, new schoolmates, new everything. its funny how i can still remember walking into the school early on the first day and realising that i had no idea where i was headed, and that i was totally lost, the sudden change in environment really had me at a loss. to make things worse, much of the school was still under renovation and all boarded up. anyway, the main thing about this year was BURST:
- BURST (Basic Uniform-group Robust School-based Training) programme, which introduces team building, basic campcraft, first aid and foot drill for all Sec. 1's.
secondary two. another memorable year. i know people look back and blame the introduction of the tablet pc for our failures and problems. but i'll try to see beyond that and bring back the better memories. sec2 adventure camp at jalan bathera , it was alright, really widened my horizons regarding the activities that are available. sparked my liking for kayaking. besides, who can forget the nick.kang incident during the campfire. to my knowledge, its still being talked about today. on another note, there was always that hellish OAL training camp at the end of the year.
after being at the bottom, isnt it always the greatest feeling when you rise up and take control? well, thats what secondary three was all about, assuming responsibility.
'with great power comes great responsibility'
hahaha. i guess so. anyway, its a nice feeling, feels good to have be on top instead of continuously being at th receiving end. then again, if you really take a look at it, its just like going from a teeny tiny fish in a small pond, to being a medium sized fish in the ocean, cos now as a leader, you deal with the teachers. well, its all about perception. fun though.
secondary four. if the first three years felt like an eternity,i guess i would describe this last year as a wicked whirlwind. look at it this way, at the beginning of the year, you start the countdown to stepping down from your cca and other responsibilities. whoosh, suddenly thats over and done with. next, you start the frantic studying for prelims, then omg, you wonder: 'when the hell did all three prelims pass?' AND all the the while, you're keeping one eye on the calender as the major countdown ensues, and the Os come closer day by day. then, you end up like me, sitting here typing stuff and wondering how it all went past so quickly. well, thats secondary 4 life for you.
Outdoor Adventure Leaders (OAL)
well, perhaps the best thing that ever happened to me in my 4years in Catholic High School (apart from ncc of course). lets see, try to wrap this around your head for a moment, take the most zany characters from the five uniformed groups, throw in a couple of equally crazy IT guys from imedia, there you have it, a bonafide volatile mix, all combustible and ready to explode.
Scouts: high energy, high work-ethic, SUPER high fun levels,
just take a look at the gayness of toonee, the 'ahem'ness of hanxun, and charisma of joshua aka kun.
NCC (Land): gabriel the garang muscle man, jacky the breakdancer/portable jukebox/beatbox, derek the 'lets sit up the whole night staring at the stars at changi' guy. haha. yeah.
NCC (Air): aric chia the little mischief master. weilang our personal horse.
NPCC: darius the ..? kumweng the ...? troy the soccer guy? haha. okay
last but not least,
SJAB: zhian the poor medic. haha. MEDIC!!!
alright, as you might have seen, i ran out of descriptions, and those are but a few of the interesting people in OALs.
i dont know about the others, but the days spent training at bathera changed me in a way i cant describe. by far the most painful camp, and the most annoying, seeing that millions of mozzies come out at night for feasting. and thats not mentioning the 8-9? hour kayaking without sunblock (our fault) and the subsequent sunburns. lets just say, practicing belaying in long pants after getting badly sunburned is not something i look forward to doing again anytime soon.
im gonna conclude here. catholic high has been a home to me these past 4 years. calling it a second home just wouldnt feel right cos i sometimes feel more at home there then at home. its more than done its job as a school. schools providing education is one thing, providing purpose and a sense of belonging is another. its moulded and crafted me into what, and who, i am today, and for that i will always be thankful.
heres to cathigh.
******pictures provided by mam chow.
posted by hilaryTEO at
18:29
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