Transcendence, Part 1

From the very start, this was a daunting post to write. How exactly do you sum up four years worth of memories, feelings, hardships, trials, reflections and discoveries? Would it really be possible for me to do justice to this one period of time and this one fascinating - and occassionally rather strange - place that has altered my life so drastically?

Some say that Singapore is one of the most mundane places in the world. And you’ll find that I won’t entirely disagree with that; it’s not exactly a very exciting city most of the time. However, I suppose that makes it even stranger that this supposedly boring country has had such a profound impact on not just my life, but (I believe) also the lives of many others.

I don’t know if this series of articles will do justice to the experiences that I’ve been blessed to have, and the people who have shared or created them with me. But I’m going to give it my very damned best. Transcendence is my attempt to catalogue the most important experiences and lessons of the past four years with a focus on the latter two, since Gliding Over All already covered the first half.

And, as with many good reads, this one starts with a story.

Colours

Words by Emerlyn Ng

All I remember of my encounter with the man at the crowded bus stop was a slight jostle- a quick touching of arms as I tried to shove myself past him and push my way into the bus. The air was hot, humid; I was running late for my dental appointment and the ache in my jaw had not subsided. The clouds were a dreary grey- the skies even more so- then again, when had my world not been painted in scales of black and white? A passing glance at the side mirror of the bus reveal two dark orbs floating in pools of white, high cheek bones accentuated by dark grey and a halo of black draped over my neck and shadowing the sides of my face. My face, glistening as beads of sweat run in rivulets due to the glare of the hot sun; ghostly against the backdrop of the blurring, throbbing crowd of ash.

Here's To Being Alive

What a horrible year.

I suppose it's inevitable that in one of the most crucial years (so we're told) in my life, and (again we're told) probably the most stressful, it would really be hard to ask for a decent year. And to be fair, I had warning signs way back from last year, both from observing my seniors and from the literally countless reminders from practically every tutor in the college. So I was able to mentally prepare, somewhat. All of that did not prepare me for what has been, without a doubt, likely the worst year of my short life thus far.

That being said: 2015 Junior College Year 2 students in Singapore, if you are reading this, congratulations! You've survived Term 3, the most dreaded of the four academic terms for every JC2 batch. It is the term that is almost literally workload after workload, revision after revision, time trial after another fucking time trial, exam after exam. The A-level exercise wheel spins and it spins hard, twenty-four-seven, with nary a break in between. Somehow, like soldiers dragging their bloody bodies across enemy lines, we've made it. Yes, there is the small matter of the A-levels inching ever so much closer, and there'll naturally be more cramming in the weeks ahead. But all that can wait for now.

At this point, I would like to celebrate just being alive.