Monday Blues

Why can't you see that the person who cares the most is standing right in front of you? Why can't you see? It hurts me badly.


Have you ever heard of people describing the proudest moment in their lives? The day a student gets his scholarship, the day parents see their child take his first steps? Well, I've just experienced mine.

Attending the 80th birthday of former Catholic High principal Mr Zhang Ser Dian, we had to - at the beginning of the celebration - to all stand up and sing the school song. A flash of dread sparked through me. What if I forgot the words? I could never forgive myself. However, the moment the familiar opening tune reached my ears, I knew I could never forget. Standing there, at attention, the words flowed naturally from my mouth. 10 years spent singing the song, the words had never actually left me. A wave of pride billowed from the inner depths, and for the first time in my school life, I felt deep pride singing the words of my former school song. It was this sense of belonging: belonging to a family that held camaraderie in such high regard, and a institution that had richer a heritage than any other school. I felt unfathomable pride, yet at the same time, humbled. These men standing before me had come so far, and I was but one of the few who would carry the torch of Catholic High on. It was indeed, a very proud moment for me.

The dinner was average fare, but then, we weren't there for the dinner. Although I was easily among the youngest there, I felt no distance between me and the other guy from the '67 batch. We were all in it together. And it felt good. Performances by a Chinese lady and some young girls from some Chinese dance troupe livened up the evening, which was aptly rounded off by solo performances by the very talented Mr Zhang on his new violin, which was presented as a gift to him. No doubt that even at 80, he hadn't lost his voice to time, which was as clear as crystal, singing the popular Italian opera tune 'Ave Maria'. His voice was pitch-perfect as though it was coming from a man of 40, not an octogenarian.

Catholic High: The Spirit Lives On.