For Your Eyes Only

This is a very 'no link' post.

Tuesday, took some time to walk down a personal memory lane. Initially it started out as a trip to Jurong East to repair my sound card. Coincidentally, I used to study there for a year before my college moved to Yew Tee. The toughest times does leave the fondest memories. From the moment I alight the train, the view overlooking the field, I remember how I would just stare out into the night from the train platform, after a long day in school, finding peace in the colors of the night. Everything hasn’t changed a bit, Jurong is still filled with weird people. Was dining at LJS when a guy, probably around my age, dressed shabbily, a white top, pale khakis, oxford shoes, waist pouch at the front, talking on the phone, minding his own business when his free hand reached for his crotch, and started scratching his balls. Scratch and scratch, fondled with his marbles and only cared to stop when he finally realized that I was staring at him right in the face. No, he didn’t show the slightest embarrassment. And neither do I think he’s wearing anything inside.

After going to TP, only went to Jurong a couple of times, and my old campus has always been there, though I remembered that it was going to be demolished. Anyways, I guess Informatics bought it over recently and made it their new campus. A new paint job was given, and I had an urge to take a walk inside, but being me, waste time ah..

Soon after I’m done at Creative, wanted to head back home since it was already around 6. Just when I stepped into the station, I was compelled to take a detour to Sembawang first. Sembawang formed a coherent part to my JC life. Specifically, I spent half a year canoeing there. I’d look forward to water training, apart from the love of the sport, but also the subtle magical attractiveness of the place. Calm, tranquil, the seclusion and the things living there that made it such a great place. Terrifying at times, we were always among fishes, jellyfishes, and some of us even saw a pair of horseshoe crab mating! Also as memorable, is the time spent with my canoe mates, from being pure noobs, trained together, capsized in dirty water (and me in swamp mud), the miles that we ran on the beach, made us what we were…then. Though I hadn’t went down even once after I left school, the memories the place left for me was steadfast. It meant so much to me that it was often romantic just thinking about it.

If my memories serves me well, we had to move away from Sembawang to Pasir Ris due to the monsoon weather, so it should be around September till December. Also, the club was being issued some kind of warrant and it was being forced to close down (I hope I got the facts right though). And there it ended for me, my mates, and the wake boarding dudes at Sembawang Sea Sports Club, and even until now, that place is by far the best for water sports. Gosh their toilets were huge.

At the point when I was leaving Jurong, something just told me that I shouldn’t be that predictable at all. I mean, I haven’t gone back to Sembawang for years and there might still be a chance that things will still be there (wrote a bit about the trip when I was there on Frienster’s bulletin though, don’t wanna bore you guys with repetitions.).

So there I was, embarking on a trip that was well rewarded and one that I know that I’ll not regret even I didn’t find what I was looking for. Even taking bus 167 to Sembawang Park made me excited, as I did saw many familiar views along the way. The coffee shop that we had breakfast with coach and fel (forgot who was there as well…haha! Fel! I missed you!) after spending a night at the club. The big sign that pointed to Sembawang wharves, the dense forested areas and the bungalow houses indicated that I’m near to my stop. I alighted from the bus and walked down Andrews Ave. The excitement intensified and I suddenly hate the world for not giving me a digicam. But at least, my presence are more important than anything else! As I briskly walked along the winding forested roads, my footsteps on the tarmac echoed off only to be consumed by the strange crying of birds and hungry blindfolded monkeys trying to hit the piñata with a stick.

So as I mentioned in the bulletin, I eventually reached the club to find it intact and the only difference is that now it is a Chinese restaurant. Extra blessing cause if it wasn’t being used for something else, I wouldn’t be able to get in. The best part about the whole trip has to be the moment I jumped over the fence and landed on the sand. Nostalgia baby… Only pity is that like I’ve mentioned, I have no one to share it with at that time. But, I know that the chance will come. When I kissed everything goodbye, I was rather glad than sad, knowing that everything is still safely in place, giving the people that the place once affected, at least some chance to reminisce before something drastic happens.

Well, it was definitely a day well spent and I learnt a lot from this trip. Memories are simple things that can make us pleasant humans, if we were to reflect upon the simple pleasures of childhood and life. Snobbish people out there! Listen up! IF YOU NAUGHTY, ARM-PUH-NEH-NEH COME AND CATCH YOU AH!

For pot, peace and love

posted by white_castle @ 10/14/2005 01:34:00 AM