You know on my msn messenger, the name I had for now (not really one but it can be something that stands out) - Come Monday...Happy Birthday to me. Yeah. I got that inspiration from the front cover of The Straits Times's Life!'s National Day issue. Where the cover story for that is Singaporeans who are also turning 40 (and a few who also born on the exact day Singapore became independent), just like the country itself and it says - Happy birthday to me. Something like that.
I just cannot believe that it will be my birthday soon on Monday. Turning 18 by then. After today's Chinese Orchestra, I walked as fast as I can to Junction 8's KFC because of Mother's handphone calls to me telling me to head there. After having my burgers, mashed potatoes and Coke, it's off to get my birthday presents. Mother had told Alvin and Felicia (who were there too) to get their money to buy presents for me. And asked what I want. Oh my. That question again. I'm okay with anything they buy. Though my secret wish is to get a credit card because you know, that seemed to be the tradition for someone turning 18 or maybe 21. Ha, tough luck.
Mother wanted to buy a CD for me and I told her that I will rather go for something else instead. I want to get either Carrie's or Clay's CD, whoever's comes out first because of three-CD rule Mother gave (bought Breakaway and Blue Skies earlier this year). So I got my answer when we entered Popular. Because Alvin and Felicia wanted to get a pen for me. I say before, I was fine. I headed to the fiction section of the bookstore and initally I had this idea of buying those Harry Potter books that I missed out beforehand but I never found those (it's only after we were about to leave the place then I saw those books!) and so I saw Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul II. Ah, the book I so wanted to read. All about stories of issues and stuff that teenagers facing. I know, being 18 by Monday then! Something inspirational to read. Though I'm only on Chapter 6 of Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince. I know.
Speaking of reading, I came across today's edition of The Straits Times article about the UK making reading cool again for kids. I smiled to myself. So this is not a problem Singapore is facing only. Aha! It was stated that not many kids who read the sixth instalment of the Harry Potter series made it after reading the first page of the book. Horrors. And this came from a country where it has a history of famous children literature. With me so liking the British literature classics I read like Jane Eyre as well! I talked about it with Dad and I purposely said it louder because Alvin was nearby in our parents' room. He is one example who hates reading to the core and only does that for the sake of lessons and nothing else. Like Dad in his Victoria School days taking Literature as one of the O-Level subjects. I shook my head. Again. Alvin purposely emphasised that even the top schools in the country dropped Literature (hey, I hear CHIJ St. Nicholas's Girls has that). I felt like whacking him. Like what Dad said yesterday to me as we were watching Singapore's Brainest Kid that the country is of a right-brain type. Singapore being emphaising Mathematics and Science. And I say, being in the education system myself, it's unfair to those who just can't seemed to even pass either/both subjects! I am the best living example (my Maths, you know). I'm a little more the left-brain. More on the arts and literature. Humanities-relating things. So, how can you force those people like me? And we so proudly the ones telling ourseleves that we scored at international Mathematics competitions (it's a fact) where for people like me, I just can't seemed to get the idea till a very long time later! Struggling in silence, in short.
No wonder when it comes to the arts here, Dad said it again yesterday night, it's something that you cannot earn much money from. Shessh. Practical Singaporeans. All working for the sake of money and keeping the food on the table at the end of the day. I know, but there are people who love what they do and don't care of the money that comes with it at all, no matter how big or small the amount is. This is passion. Dad just so belongs to the society. Of a right-brain type. And it had me complaining to myself time and again. Oh well, this is how practical we are. I say, it's way overdue to the arts scene being given recongnition (and I mean it) because it was only a few years back or what, more recongition in that area with building The Esplanade as one of the examples.
Sometimes it's just kind of difficult to achieve both the right and the left-brain kind of thing together.
Call me silly or what, but I had been listening to the National Day songs again. It's still August and National Day week too. I was watching 40 on 4o (a show about Singapore's 40 years of nation-building since independence and the things that come along with it) on Channel 5 yesterday night and yes, I love to admit (I'm not ashamed) that I love the National Day songs that I knew since primary school days.
I felt so busted as I was in the class after break yesterday. It began to rain heavily. And I said as I was in the Self-Access Room earlier that it was hot and might rain soon because of the weather forecast. It was so true after all. Unpredictable weathers, huh!
I was thinking of late...I don't know, that crush I had four years ago had almost gone dead in me recently. I know. I don't want to admit but it is the case.
School holidays coming...the week after my birthday week. A week only though but hey, better than nothing.
