One day in 1990...

1990. As the wind was blowing, the grey afternoon sky was getting darker. It wasn't the type of weather we would usually expect there. I remember standing on the road, many students were walking on the same towards their own houses. After lunch and a short rest, we would normally had our prep between 2 and 4; we had this from Sunday to Thursday. It must have been after the afternoon tea in the dining hall when I met her. The meeting was very brief, I remember we were standing all the time right in the middle of the road. It wasn't a busy road as it is one of those located in the residential area. I don't remember seeing cars plying that road throughout my one-year stay there except for the occasional few that were owned by parents who came to visit their children.

Students were housed in single storey terrace houses rented by the school. It was a boarding school like no other! I enjoyed it very much though. The classrooms, the library, the dining hall and the assembly hall were all terrace shoplots. They didn't have the conventional doors...there were those metal sheet that goes up and down which covers the entire width of the classroom. There was no playing field except for the one (with overgrown grass!) facing the row of houses where students lived. This must have been provided by the property developer for the residents.

It was a very small school by any standard, there were less than 140 students in 1990 all of whom were of the same age. Despite the lack of proper facilities, the environment was very good . The principal was a very nice lady, a motherly figure for every students. There were around 20 teachers and they were all very likable; in fact many were popular with students. There were no major rival groups probably because there's no seniors or juniors - everyone was very much on the same level. There were small factions here and there but in general they didn't cause much troubles. The food was excellent too, a drastic departure from what I was used to 2 years earlier. Despite its humble beginning and the fact that it was relatively unknown in the national education scene, it was not a big surprise that the school successfully produce many straight As students that year, the highest in the country*.

During the meeting I don't remember each of us talking very much. She seems to be in a rush. I don't quite remember how she got there, and how was she going to get home. I thought she said she was coming from somewhere with some friends, was it a school-organised trip? Before leaving, she gave me a fountain pen. And off she went. It was a very brief meeting. I then walked to my room. It didn't rain the way the colour of the sky would have suggested although there was probably some drizzle. I must have then taken the pleasure to examine the pen in the room which was located at the farthest end of the house, next to the kitchen which was never used. It was a gift, one of which I probably didn't full understand the intent and purposes then, but it certainly is one of those treasures that inspired me...one that I will always remember. By then, it was quite clear that she would be leaving, for a better future.

* In 1990, the school produced 14 straight As students in the national exams known as "SRP" for the 15-year olds. Typically students take 8 subjects for the exams. 1990 was the last year SRP was offered before it was replaced by PMR in 1991 which was based on a new curriculum. Recently there has been suggestion to eliminate PMR altogether.