I had bumped into Tina and Cheong (my nursing classmates) early this year and arranged for a meet-up immediately thereafter. But well things happened and the meet-up never materialized. I was thus assigned the task of arranging a 2nd one.
Then recently out of the blue, I received a call from Cheong telling me to go for a meet-up. He says that if they had to count on me, the wait would be indefinite. (Sadly I do have to agree with him. *sheepish*) Hee.... hee..... I had no idea that time flew by so fast.
The gathering happened last Friday in Mt Faber Safra. A quick count down and we realised that's its been a good 10 years since we last left school and the last since I saw most of them. It wasn't some big scale gathering, just a couple of us that we were close to (or rather that Cheong was close to :p). Everyone still looked pretty much the same and all doing very well in their own fields, be it nursing or sales.
There were a few of them that I don't know very well but seen them in the school compound. Problem is that most don't recognize me despite that I do recognize them. Alright perhaps I should clarify myself here, before you mistake them for snubs. The thing is that I am hardly in school and so it's no wonder I am practically non-existent to most people. The only thing that they remembered was my school attire. I was forever in T-shirt, shorts, sneakers and a small waist pouch holding my neccessities for school, which consists of 3 pieces of rolled-up foolscap papers and a pen. (I believe in travelling light :p) Thank God for Constance, if not I would never have scraped it through Poly - for marking my attendance and handing over her detailed notes. Haha........
Then recently out of the blue, I received a call from Cheong telling me to go for a meet-up. He says that if they had to count on me, the wait would be indefinite. (Sadly I do have to agree with him. *sheepish*) Hee.... hee..... I had no idea that time flew by so fast.
The gathering happened last Friday in Mt Faber Safra. A quick count down and we realised that's its been a good 10 years since we last left school and the last since I saw most of them. It wasn't some big scale gathering, just a couple of us that we were close to (or rather that Cheong was close to :p). Everyone still looked pretty much the same and all doing very well in their own fields, be it nursing or sales.
There were a few of them that I don't know very well but seen them in the school compound. Problem is that most don't recognize me despite that I do recognize them. Alright perhaps I should clarify myself here, before you mistake them for snubs. The thing is that I am hardly in school and so it's no wonder I am practically non-existent to most people. The only thing that they remembered was my school attire. I was forever in T-shirt, shorts, sneakers and a small waist pouch holding my neccessities for school, which consists of 3 pieces of rolled-up foolscap papers and a pen. (I believe in travelling light :p) Thank God for Constance, if not I would never have scraped it through Poly - for marking my attendance and handing over her detailed notes. Haha........
Inevitably with all gatherings, the group will end up gossiping/ updating about the rest from the batch. I would usually give them a blank stare when they talked about so & so and they would try very hard to jolt my memory by descibing to me what that person looks like. So much so that it prompted them to tease me relentlessly about skipping classes so much and asked me if I'm utterly bored at the gathering since I'm clueless about most of whom they spoke about.
And guess being nurses, we could never stray far from medical topics. Some provided updates on the latest medical techniques and trend. I learnt that resuscitation is no longer 15:2 but 30:2 (pumps:breaths). I felt that I was getting so out of touch with nursing.
And of course we would reminisce about our school days. The things that they (noticed I mention they? I was never there to partake in their activities) get up to was hilarious. Not your imagined stereo-typed geeky student nurses. And hearing about Cheong describe his 1st hospital attachment was enough to send us rolling on the floor with laughter. He talked about how he had to clean a patient's ass and how the smell totally floored him. He had never imagined it to be as such and ended up with 3 masks on his face, trying to keep as much smell out as much as possible. It was then he starting thinking whether he made the right career choice. I guess it was pretty much at the same time that sets most of us thinking if we made the right move.
Hearing him, made me think about the first time that I had to clean shit. Definitely not the most pleasant experience that one would have. However I am glad to say like Cheong, I have improved. From 3 masks and 2 gloves, I am now able to do it without mask and sometimes even without gloves. I can see all of you going eeeewwwwww .......... But I am proud to say I cleaned ass for a living.
None of us ever regretted taking up nursing. I know I'm no longer one now but I dare say once a nurse, always a nurse!
Marchze , Cheong, Constance & me.
Tina, Yvonne (Cheong's wife), Constance, Ai Choo (March's wife) and me. I think it's really sweet that the 2 couples got to know each other in school and are actually married with kids now.
After the restaurant closed, we adjourned to the hawker centre across the road to continue our conversation. (Too ulu to go anywhere else.)
My 'benefactor', Constance with March's daughter - time to get your own gal :p
P.S. To Clifford (in case you're reading this) - Where in the world have you gone to??!! I was searching high and low for you. Give me a buzz !
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