It’s sometimes difficult to believe, but it’s been 20 years since I took my SPM- the culmination of 5 years of high school education in Victoria Institution; not mentioning the 6 years of primary school (Sekolah Kebangsaan Hishamuddin Alam Shah) education leading to that.

20 years since the joys, ordeals and pranks of being stuck with a whole bunch of other boys- except for the sixth former girls, and a bunch of lady teachers- some more remarkable than others- haha, you all know who I’m talking about, right boys?

I was one of those who was more out of the classroom, especially in Form 5, than in. This was thanks to the VICC Band- but that’s a whole different story. But those were the times that shaped my life and attitude for the times to come. I recall the tom fooleries of setting up time-bombs (mercun attached to mosquito coils), the toils of being in school till very late (as well as Saturdays) for Band parades, the pride of knowing you were part of the best, the hopelessness of Additional Maths, the truancy of the honeymoon year, and definitely the spirit of camaraderie of friends in the same pickle as me.

So you boys of Batch ’89, it’s time for that ‘momentous’ reunion. For all of us to catch up, have fun and realize we’re still the right wankers we were from 20 years ago… haha. To relive some of the glory years; and retell tales of stupid heroics and hilarious antics. A night where we become small boys again… well, at least till 10 pm <wink wink>.

We’re planning the official gathering at the VIOBA lawn on school grounds. A cocktail party of sorts- with good food, 80′s music, lucky draws, awards handout. So brush up on the school song (both BM and English versions) cause we’ll be belting out the evergreen hit this October 24th starting 7pm till 10pm. There’s been talk of pole dancers, but it’s just a rumour going round (or is it?). Guess, we’ll have to be there to truly find out. And if at the end of it, the night is still young for some (those who got their ‘visas’ sorted out), we can always have an after-party to cap the night.

The Organising fellas will come out with more details soon; but there’ll be a ‘donation’ of RM50 required per person to cover the reunion proper costs (after party is additional and optional). If you’re not already there, there’s a Facebook page for VI Class of 89. Anyway, I’ll post updates when I hear about them.

Can’t wait-it’s gonna be smokin’ and not just from the ciggies and the kambing bakar! And you peeps who’re based overseas- there’s plenty of time to book your flights, so no excuses!

Just to update since the last play, I’ve managed to ‘accomplish’ a lot of things in the game: -

1. Become the VP of the Town- now trying for the Presidency.
2. Made an enemy- found out after “enemy” there a “nemesis” stage- wooo
3. Made plenty of woo hoo… oh yeah! You know it baby…
4. Gotten engaged
5. Gotten a bigger house, the widest LCD screen you can buy, lots of new furniture
6. Achieved a “sports fisher” skill level at fishing… hint- easy money
7. Gotten married

What’s next I wonder…. hmmm

Just got the game The Sims 3 recently, and now addicted to it. Somehow being able to play it while not confined to a computer just made it more enjoyable. The downside is that it drains your battery darn fast! For those not familiar with the game, you control a character that you create from scratch- give them certain basic traits and dress them up as you want them to appear. The traits will determine their wants and how they interact with other Sims.

In the few days that I’ve started playing, I’m now the Mayor of the town… haha. I’ve renovated my house once, and now trying to earn enough money, so I can expand the place further before really doing up the insides. yes, money there is as hard to come by as in real life… lol.

There’s many objectives for you to complete, so I think this can take some time to finish. You can create relationships and nurture them from acquaintances to best friends. From friends into romance. From best friends to disliked to enemies. Maybe I’ll try creating an enemy once I’m more secure in the game- just to try it out… haha. It’s quite addictive- I’ve said that already…

You can shop for items for the house. Learn recipes to cook, cook them afterwards, buy or grow ingredients, fix your tv or fridge when they’re on the fritz, dine out, go fishing to cook or sell (and make more money), get jobs at City Hall, or Quick Mart, or the Laboratory, or the Restaurant.

In the meanwhile, the game will throw you small wish list or goals for your Sims to achieve- like growing corn, learning to cook, harvest fruits, to more absurd ones like slapping someone, kicking over trash cans, showering in other peoples bathrooms, watching people sleep, etc… It’s very addictive… wait a minute, I said that before, haven’t I? It also can get a bit repetitive. The good thing is you get to try different things with different Sims, who have different backgrounds and traits- so a thing that works with one, won’t necessarily bowl over another.

I’ve been playing it when I have free time (not at work… OBVIOUSLY!!! Oooh.. rather defensive aren’t we?). It’s very… well… addictive… hahaha.

Yesterday, I got to do something that I haven’t done is quite a long time. Part of the simple pleasures in life from a much simpler time- before being all grown up became the overriding priority in life. I got to take a leisurely walk in the soft drizzling rain, eating an apple; and for a while- without a care in the world. Whatever the day has in store- “bring it on!”, I said.

It made me think of all the other things in life that we’ve taken for granted, or left behind, or thought we’re supposedly gotten over the phase. How life got more complicated the more we push ourselves away from the simple things. As a kid, we didn’t need television, fancy gadgets, or for some folks- real friends, to have good fun. We made do with what we had and didn’t worry about what we didn’t.

When we started work and were getting paid measly salaries, we seemed to have had the time of our lives still. Certainly it was better than during our cash-strapped student days, which if I recall correctly, we still managed to greatly enjoy (the social part more than the studying, at least, for me). So why now, with fatter wages and bigger titles, do we seem to have suddenly carry an invisible burden on our shoulders? That the little things in life don’t smell as sweet as before?

I’d rather think that far from these small wonders becoming less pleasurable, we’ve actually downgraded them in significance and relevance. We’ve convinced ourselves, that perhaps, with our new stature and maturity in life, we need- no, deserve, bigger and better things to sate ourselves. But do we really?

I’ve grown to re-learn, by watching and playing with my kids, the old truth. That we really don’t need that much to get by, or to have fun. Give them pen and paper, and they’ll surprise me with what they can come up with- pictures, stories, abstract art even, if I dare to claim it such And that’s not the end of it- it’ll turn into airplanes, or boats or hats, or cannon balls, or paper mached into something else. How is it that to us adults, most times we see it as just waste paper… garbage?  And that’s just with paper!

Have you ever came by the situation where the box of the gift you bought got as much, or sometimes even more, play time than the toy itself? Perhaps our lack of imagination now that we’ve ‘grown up’ is the reason behind much of the things we see as hurdles or problems in our lives. We’ve failed to exercise the creativity that served us so well when we were younger. To let anything, no matter how big or small, get in the way. There’s always something to make out of it.

Which brings us back to the beginning of the story. Rather than let the complexities and frustrations of office politics get the better of me, the simple walk in the rain freed up my constraints and horizons. “Bring in on!” I said, and I’ll deal with it one way or another, and perhaps have a little glee while I’m at it. Suddenly, the small, simple little things in life, don’t seem as absurd anymore. There’s fun to be had rolling up your sleeves and turning a mess into something else. That day didn’t turn out badly at all; and with some more tinkering, maybe the great play may yet come out of all this madness. Whatever comes my way, I’m fully intending to have fun going about it. Watch out boys and girls, this phoenix is coming back to life…