Final Familiarity.

This is way too familiar. The smell, the sight, the people and the school building. The fresh memory made it feel like it was only a couple of days before that I left this entire place behind and now, I'm back, picking up all the pieces. Picking up from where I left off. Everything I left behind is still fresh in my mind. It felt weird to be back again. Especially when everything was just the way I left it. Dilapidated classrooms, sickening classmates, unruly teachers with unmanageable manes and a ridiculous school system. Even the sight of parents of the 1st Formers, nervously checking on their child with hands cupped together and of schoolmates showing off their long fingernails and dyed hair was too familiar for me to bother. But technically speaking, I shouldn't be feeling what I'm feeling. I mean, it's only been a month (or so) since the holidays began and everyone knows, holidays are the only time for students to get rid their mind of any unnecessary studies worries. I guess, my memory isn't as bad as I've always thought it was.

You know, this is my 5th year (and hopefully the final year) in middle school where we're all expected to sit through our final governmental examinations, SPM, and frankly, I don't feel like I'm a 5th Former at all, given that I was still on pins and needles the night before the first day of school, rummaging around my room frantically searching for my school stuff. I was trying to roll myself off bed into sleep when I pondered back to my first year when I felt timid and afraid of setting foot into a school where all the big boys rule. Honestly, it didn't feel that long ago. And now, we're the big boys. Literally. Seeing the new 1st Formers scurrying their way diffidently along the school halls and walkways and judging by that, I can't say their any taller past my waist. They do appear a little shorter than the ones from last year. Heck, even they get shorter by the year. Not that I'm drawing any conclusions but I heard a distant someone said, "These children are getting smarter by the year because they have their books over their head all the time, making them shorter by the year!" Now, isn't that quite a theory? Children these days, blinded by the drive to achieve academic excellence...

It's a Sunday night and it's been 3 days since the new semester started. School is pretty much the same since last year. It's only the first few days of school and there's not much work yet. I'm surprised we even have work already, though. I've met with most of the teachers for this year, most of which are from last year. Only met a couple of new teachers so far. I'll touch on that soon enough. The daily assemblies, carried out to monitor and upkeep the the level of discipline have also resumed, much to our despair. Well, the past couple of days have been nothing but gloomy and I must say that's almost as if God was on our side, sparing us the free tan from having to stand in the field, straining our ears to listen to daily school announcements and especially the Head of Student Affairs (HOSA) repeating the school rules for countless of times. The assembly will be running for two weeks, given that no one creates any trouble and disrupts the whole clean record of the school and cause another wave of anger to the Board of Discipline (B.O.D).

It's only the beginning of a whole new year and I'm still not in the study mood yet. It usually comes after the Chinese New Year celebration (probably around February this year). It's unnatural but I'm caught up with Nip/Tuck currently. Since Edward took the liberty to burn the entire season 2 of it into DVD and passed it to me. I've been trying to finish the entire season quick (on Episode 9 now) but I've been feeling kind of guilty, knowing that I should be starting my studies by now. Partly because of that, I'm hurrying the show to the end. After all, it kills my time having to sit in front of the computer and wait for a page to load with the recent crawl of internet connection. A huge turn-off. Though, I have to say, watching the messed up lives of plastic surgeons revolving around acts of infidelity and promiscuity can get boring at times. Still, the surgeries - cutting open a man's chest and inserting silicon or replacing a piece of vaginal tissue in the lip or even doing a facelift - can be quite interesting to watch. Especially when I'm one of those who've been considering liposuction and abs transplant by the time I reach 30. Really makes me think twice. Even above the anesthesia.

I've just packed my bag for tomorrow's lesson. Double periods of Science, English, Economics, and Accountancy. I have English for 4 times out of 5 days of school. Pretty neat, huh? The things that drives me to school everyday are still the same, Edward, English and the pure fact that I can still live through each day at school. School started a little too early this year for all of us to fathom (3rd of January!). I still felt like greeting the teachers a cheerful 'Happy New Year' on the first day of school and most of us are still recovering from post-Christmas and New Year trauma parties. There's still a lot that lies ahead of me. I'll take each day as it comes which excludes from me complaining about preposterous school events (school proms, graduation parties, valentine bonfires and pep rallies are still a far cry from here) and absurd amount of homeworks and assignments. It's my 5th year, shouldn't I be planning a biggest prank of all times? To be thinking, I'm going to be 17 this year and I don't even have my my biker's license yet. Pathetic. I'm still having mom driving me to school.

Well, the school term has started. Say hello to dark eye-bags (no more late night movies and sleeping till 12p.m.), spine-bending school bags, horrifying datelines, procrastinated homework and assignments, and never-ending complaints of the most hated school life. Let's see if there's anything positive to talk about in school it'll be any different this year.