World Trade Centre

By De Ming

I've tried many ways to tell this story. But in the end I decided to tell it the way it is. I reached Summit at one o'clock, saw Xiau Fong, Su Zanne, Kelly, Jin Onn and Wei Herng. I was then 'instructed' to run to Ee Suen where she was booking the tickets. Okay, maybe I should start from the beginning.

It was still exams then, I was chatting with Kam Wei. Xia Shuen came to me asking me like some excited kid. "Want to watch movie?" I did not sound any more mature. "YES!! When? Where? What show? Who's coming?" That's how we decided to watch World Trade Centre, WTC.

After finding Ee Suen, we went down to eat. I was sitting there staring blankly and this Xiau Fong kept asking me to talk. But when I tried to talk, they did not seem too interested. So i shut. We went to the arcade. I don't like arcades. So boring. Now it was Ee Suen's turn to ask me to talk. Seems like they work in shifts. Okay, fast forward. So we went to the place where Xiau Fong was singing 'dang ni gu dan ni hui xiang qi shui?' AND I really understood the true meaning of karaoke. It means a few people crammed in a room singing pitchily and out of tune together. I'm so proud. I'm learning.

We went to look for Kelly and Su Zanne. That's when I started to consider not marrying when I'm older. I told them that I needed to get a present for my Mom. Then, they started to form a circle and started discussing intently. It went something like this, "Eh, we should get for her a 'lian'. Yea, 'lian' is nice. Su Zanne where did you get that? So nice! Eh must show me lea! I wan buy!"

We went to at least 5 shops and 1 of them sold products with picture of bones all over. Those 3 were actually considering on getting something there for my Mom?! It's real funny. Everytime we go in a shop they would go like 'eh this thing nice lea! Yer, that one cheap de. You see also you know very fast finish and on... and on...' They touched everything in the shop and in the end they walked out and said this shop got nothing one. Finally, we came to a shop where they sell bracelets those kind of things. And let me tell you. This is real funny. We went in and they started to show me bracelets and asked me if my Mom would like this or that or this and that. Then they started to ask me whether my Mom wears fake earring or big, dangling earrings. I just said I not sure she does. They came to conclusion real fast. My Mom was sensitive to fake earrings. Huh? Then they asked me how big was my Mom's wrist. They said it should be as big as mine and they grabbed my hand. Then the questioning began. I just answered all of them with one word. Dunno. All I know was that my Mom was really practical. Here's the funniest part. Everytime they see something nice they would start to ask each other whether it goes well on her. Everytime that happened someone would shout, "We are here to help De Ming!" And then they would stop. For a while, that is. But then the person who shouted saw something nice and the process starts again and again with different people shouting. FINALLY, finally! We got something for my Mom. Yay! I was paying and just then Shing Queen, Xia Shuen and Ee Suen walks in.

The first thing that Shing Queen and Xia Shuen said was, "You guys brought De Ming here to buy things with you guys?!" haha... Xiau Fong, Su Zanne and Kelly. Thanks for helping. But you guys are really special. No one like you 3.

Then I started to relate the story to Xia Shuen. She seemed real interested. We went back to that bone shop. I saw Yi Jun. He looked as ever before. The first thing he said was, "Wah! So tall!" Then his Mom started going on about how much I slimmed down. haha. Time for movie. Shared popcorn with Xia Shuen. We ended up sitting together by the side with her seniors behind of her. Crap!! We so innocent! Hope they don't think so far. Then the lights when went. This advertisement started, something about this girl who was invisible. After 15 minutes I realised that this ad was way too long. How much was it paying GSC?

I glanced at everyone else. They were watching so intently. Then I remembered that movies were suppose to start when the lights went. Crap!! This was not the advertisement. This was the movie!! What happened to World Trade Centre? I felt stupid. So I watched. Then don't know why, suddenly I started shivering. Scary. Tried to enjoy the movie. I felt real cold. Really uncomfortable. No idea why. Not till I went home. I realised I tend to hide myself in a shell when I feel lonely and I'll be real silent. Not only that, I will be real tense. So tense if you attacked me, I could easily counter. Anyways, human body can't be so tense for 4 hours. Its like carrying a bag of rice for 4 hours. When I went home, my back ached like crazy. It takes me 15 minutes to stand from sitting. Haiz... Why am I like this? Anyways... thanks you guys for trying to talk to me and all. Even though it did not work, but you guys tried and I appreciated it. Thanks. In the end, the movie was wasted. But the thing that made this thing meaningful to me was just the small things like chatting with Xia Shuen. Somehow she can make me come out of my shell. There is one thing I will never forget though, those three girls scolding each other to concentrate on helping me. Haha!! Those experiences were precious. I learned something else too, next time it's best to buy the tickets youself, or else you'll end up like me. "Why this ad so long one?!"

To Dream

By De Ming

It was like the wind decided to stir in all ways. It was like the dust on the floor being blown and is not still. It was like when birds perched on the trees and watched as a dark cloud appears. Waiting. For what, I do not know. Yet I know this, my world will never be the same again. There will be change. The storm is coming.

Maple was undergoing maintenance and I was unable to sign in. I sat there bored. Tried to go in Friendster. But it was under maintenance too. Coincidence. Just then Xia Shuen signed in. I told her about the maintenance thing and she said she would play o2jam. But she didn't

Suddenly she asked me, "Do you know why I don't join any clubs or society? In secondary. When I'm the vice in primary?" "Cause we are lame?" I didn't know. Then I do not know why, but she decided to tell me about how 6A in Lick Hung were such united, such supportive people. She told me how she felt towards our class and I could not deny the truth in her words, though I never thought of this in my life.

I wondered how it would be like to have the whole class united. To come in class with a smile. To be able to talk to all people instead of being confined to just one gang. Talking about the same thing day by day. To go for a competition and to know many supported you. To laugh and shout not because of the joke. But the company.

I realised that others did not respect some. That it’s hard to imagine a certain person grasping hands as a sign of encouragement to another person. Yet Xia Shuen still wanted her wish to breathe. Nothing was impossible. God was the limit.

We decided to share this thought to Shing Queen and Xiau Fong. Shing Queen was skeptical. She said that Xia Shuen should not linger on the past and that this is different. She has a point, though I don't much like it. Maybe she thought like that because she belongs in a gang and is content. Where else Xia Shuen and I are the odd one out. Lone wolf.

Nothing was impossible. I went to Xiau Fong. She told me she likes that idea, but people might get left out and might get hurt. Unlike Xia Shuen, she said it shouldn't be a gang or a society, but just the class working together and helping each other. It’s not just us Chinese, but also the Malays. So none gets left out. I agree with her. She's not weird. She makes sense.

Yet the question still lies on how are we going to do it? How are we going to get all to respect one another? To open their minds and share each other’s feeling and thoughts. To accept them as a family and to be united. It does not matter though. God is the limit.

I realised that each and every one of us has their own opinions and thoughts. Their own ideas and ways to thinking. No one is weird, it’s just different. We were made unique, we were made different. Yet we should try to listen and understand each other. Each person's opinion is very valuable. But most importantly, I learned that the first step of something was not to do. But to have the courage and be willing to dream.