15th week and a trip down memory lane

Yesterday marks my 15th week and I am already counting the weeks to mid July. Seeing my colleague and pal Afifah looking absolutely glowing at almost 28 weeks makes me feel old (Fifah is 14 years younger) and shriveled. Both inside and outside. And to think that she went for a vacation abroad and said that she felt okay energy wise visiting all the sights that one does when in Egypt. I guess must be the age factor or Abul (her husband) must be giving her the right dosage of energy and massages (heee.....heeee.....)

My morning sickness comes and goes these days. There are days when I feel good and my tastebuds are all right and there are days, like today for instance, when I just feel like curling up and sleep. Work has been hectic, to put it mildly. There are just a lot of things that requires my attention at this time of the year, what with year end performance review and business as usual.

5th February 2009 marks the MRSM Batch 79-83 30th year since our first day in MRSM. This time around I do not really share the enthusiasm of my other college mates in recognizing this 30th year and wishing everyone "happy anniversary". The reason being is I define friendships differently and that there is more to friendships that has evolved over the years than just Facebook comments or Yahoogroup chatter.

5th February 1979 was our registration day at Maktab Rendah Sains MARA, Green Lane, Seremban and we were all given a nombor maktab according to who registers first. Mine was 955/79 with the first being 913/79. That made me the 42nd person to register on this date. I don't really remember much about the preparations prior to that day but I do remember what I wore. A grey satin shirt with a a blue printed flare skirt. Yep, no uniforms, no need to wear tudung and all those rules that kids are subjected to these days. We were assigned rooms and I was placed in room D15 with 9 strangers. Each of us were given a locker for clothes and stuff, and I remember mine to be beside this girl by the name of Rohaya Wahab, whom we now know as Ayu.

Over the five years I was there, I changed rooms every year except for in Form 4 and Form 5. First year D15, then D18, C10, and B27 for the last 2 years except during SPM week where we can choose our room-mates and we were all placed in Hostel C. Form 1 was just a fun year and I don't recall any form of studying whatsoever. All I can remember are the softball games at the nearby valley, mintak kat cikgu keluar cepat for lunch (poor Cikgu Mydin), and nothing else. I was close to Nora, Anawar and Nit (they were my room-mates) and I was that small then I could wear Nora's shorts and Nit's skirts. Now, half of me would not be able to fit into one of Nora's anything. My friend Pyl masa Form One dengan geng2 "you better shape up"nya pandang dari jauh je and macam geng2 taiko gila.

The 2nd year I can't remember how I started getting close to Pyl, Put and Nora, of course from the year before and also still my room-mate. All I remembered that year was bangun makan sahur and letup mercun tarik kejutkan kakak2 Form 5 and lari. Banyaknya energy masa tu kan. Sekarang ni nak berlari pun mengah let alone berlari lepas bangun untuk sahur lah kan.....

It is so difficult to remember year by year. Tulis jelah mana yang ingat :

• Form 2 ke Form 3 kot I remember being very close to Chee Yoke Kim and Azni. Perhaps because we all play the piano and take lessons but we studied together as well.
• My friendship with Pyl blossomed semenjak Form 2 sampaikan masa Form 4 merayu2 mintak Mr Tan satu kelaskan both of us. Dapat jugak satu kelas Form 4C.
• I owe my passing Math to Adi Jalil for allowing me to copy her homework and to Kim for so patiently explaining Add Math to me.
• Cikgu paling geli - Cikgu Raoff
• Cikgu yang suka raba dada sambil tanya "any kosyen (question)" - Cikgu Rashid
• Cikgu yang kalau cakap selalu air liur dia terkumpul kat tepi bibir dia - Cikgu Hassan Commerce
• Cikgu yang selalu tanya "kenapa" - Cikgu Halim Maths
• Cikgu yang selalu marah sebab Chemistry log book aku tak kemas -Puan Murizah (sampai keadaan terdesak menyebabkan aku copy je log book si Linawo)
• Cikgu yang risau tengok markah Physics aku cam suey sampai nak jumpa parents aku - Puan Halimah and my homeroom advisor lagi pulak
• Cikgu yang jerit to me and Pyl sebab pakai Persian slippers kat academic building masa SPM practical (amali) - Miss Seow
• Cikgu yang paling tak sangka kawin - Cikgu Azmi dengan arwah Cikgu Suraya
• Cikgu yang plate nombor kereta dia MR4212 - Cikgu Aziz Dobok
• Cikgu yang sebut "contour" as kontua - Cikgu Mansor
• Cikgu yang aku suspect ada gundek2 - cuba teka siapa
• Cikgu yang tarik telinga aku sebab solve Maths problem tak habis - Cikgu Rosnani
• Cikgu yang ajar Maths dengan macam2 bunyi - Cikgu Noraini
• Segitiga Jawa - Pak Asjhad Zaenie
• Abang Lab handsome yang syok kat Nora - Supardi
• Cikgu PE yang rugged - Cikgu Ross
• Belajar ugama paling best - Ustaz YoYo
• Cikgu India yang paling seronok belajar English - Mahadevan
• Cikgu yang suka tok nek dia je nak cakap apa - Cikgu Juriah
• Class mate yang selalu surrender ayam dia kalau aku merungut dapat ayam kecik (yeah dari zaman2 tu lagi dah buruk perangai) - Farizah Jailani
• Member yang nak pergi jogging pakai baju glamour - Khairul Bariah (Kirby)
• Buku panas kontroversi - Mona G*r**ng
• There was one time pergi prep masa Form 1 my bra putus. Nasib baik zaman tu size you know what nasi lemak ikan bilis tak cukup, sekarang kalau bra putus, selambak you know what macam ada a life of its own
• Gaduh dgn Beatrice Leong (now Faridah) sampai dia gigit tangan (masa prep Form 1 jugak tu, see I told you we were not studying)
• Kena panggil "MinTen" by batch 77-81 especially dengan si Ahmad Zamri Sittune
• Shikin Bookworm masuk concert nyanyi and after concert balik baca buku

Aarrrghh...there is just too many memories. Belum lagi cerita masak maggi tengah malam, air tak ada, mandi air color macam air lumpur, sports days, ponteng kelas Physics (feigning illness laa mana ada MC) spring breaks, concerts, brass band, guitar band, Pak Kassim, Ustazah yang naik Passola macam2 lah yang diharungi bersama....

Those were the days....we were so carefree, dapat Mod Maths 4/100 pun tak risau, happy sentiasa....

Yes guys, from those 5 years where we share a common bond of college life and we have all that to remember. Our lives since then has taken on its own path, each of us went through different life experiences that has shaped us to what we are today. My philosophy towards life in general, be it kids, work, friendships, relationships, education, responding to problems etc. have also evolved over the years and I find that we are more different than we are alike. But we had those 5 years to reminisce and the 5 years have resulted in a lifetime of friendships, love and support that one could never find elsewhere.

So my friends, I am not good with words, but you know who you are, and with the exception of Borgue, Soy, Yan Kassim, Faridah (Beatrice), Salina Idris whom I have known for more than 30 years, thank you for making that part of my life so memorable, thank you for your guidance, wisdom and inspiration, and just thank you, thank you, thank you!!