Life of a Teenager in Singapore

It has been a hectic week. I woke up this morning with great reluctance, dragging my drained body and mind off the bed, consoled by the knowledge that tomorrow is a weekend – the only day where I can rest. I looked outside. It was raining heavily. Like Heaven’s way wiping away the many beads of perspiration and heave a sigh of relief.

It was not long before I found myself, on my way to school. Traffic slowed down, stopping short of a massive jam. The bus crept along slowly, reaching school after more than half an hour.

Walking pass the school gates, you will get a feeling that is similar to what you will feel when you walk into a prison compound, wondering whether you will survive and see the light of the day again.

Assembly was over in the blink of an eye. Lessons started as teachers got down into the drudgery of teaching, droning on, monotonously about a particular topic.

The recess bell soon rang. It could not have come at a better time. It was the only time of the school day when we can refresh ourselves as well as feed our hungry stomachs. It was also a time to engage in a conversion with my friends. Conversations never failed to revolve around television shows or movies. One thing for certain, its never about homework. However, all good things must come to an end. The recess bell rang again for the second time, ending the recess break.

No! Tests, tests and more tests! Do we really need that much tests? Do teachers know that more tests mean more stress? Then again, it is our only form of practice.

The last lesson of the day arrived. The class was “half-dead”, or to some, the class was “half-alive”. The silence was deafening, especially for a usually hyperactive class like ours. Some did not even make the effort to listen, surrendering to the heavy eyelids of theirs, only to be jerked awake by the teacher. Others were making a tremendous effort to stay attentive although many were failing miserably.

The bell rang again, this time signaling the end of school. Students were rushing out of the class and to “freedom” like a herd of raging bulls. Not to lose out, I joined them. Leaving a few stragglers behind, eating our dust.