Basket.

Back to RI again, for the second Chinese New Year in a row. At least it didn't rain this time. However, it was hot as hell. I really detest Singapore weather.

Managed to get back in time to meet quite a number of teachers though, which was a great improvement over last year, when we arrived, soaked, to find that everyone had gone home. Was with practically the same bunch I returned with last year (and return with on practically every festive occasion).

Managed to meet with Mr Allan Soo, my form teacher for the first two years in RI, who had just returned from further studies overseas. He was one of the best teachers I ever had, and though I had not seen him literally in years, still remembered me. Zihao, Yen Yeong and I had a good chat with him, and he even brought out a surprise: a five-year-old snapshot of us as Secondary One students! We could barely believe it, and I had trouble picking even myself out (which may have been due to its somewhat poor quality, but probably also to the fact that is had been fully half-a-decade). A few of my classmates in the photographs are also currently in RJC, and looking at them then and now, the contrast is palpable.

Mr Soo has changed not one bit though. Still lively, warm and helpful as ever. We talked a lot about JC life and subjects and the through train stuff like that, and even ended up taking a photo akin to the one five years ago, at the exact same spot =p

Following all the hearwarming visits to former teachers (who almost never failed to ask about promo results, but were most comforting when told of my disastrous showing), we headed to S-11 for a meal of the unbeatable Qiu Lian Ban Mian. Exactly one lunar year on, I was destined to once more have this meal with virtually the same people as last year, including good old Yen Yeong and Zihao. The only thing that had changed was the weather.

Following that good lunch, our group split as the part of 4A 2002 headed down to Orchard and the four remaining of us went over to another friend's house, where we spent an afternoon playing mahjong, table soccer, table tennis, pool and even darts. The day then came to a crashing climax as I ran like a madman down Bukit Timah Road to catch the notorious bus 154, having, just coming out to the main road, spied it stopping at the last bus stop. Thanks to that insane sprint, I was home by 6.15pm.

Well, then. Great day, it was. Feels strange to be home on New Year's Eve night, because I usually am not.