an odyssey

Haven’t been blogging for some time, I mean I kinda paused at my first one. Well, my exams are finally over, and I’m free for the next two months (yeay!). But. Who knew sitting at home and doing almost nothing everyday makes you want to go do something? Well, I haven’t been exactly 100% free, I had my University selection exams to sit for, and that was 3 days ago. I had to prepare for that as well. So it’s actually only 3 days into ultimate freedom but I feel like a zombie already.

                Anyway. These few months seemed to flash by me, and it’s now that i realize I’m out of college; I’m heading to a university soon. Wow. And all my friends from college, I might not see them again. Even if I do, it sure won’t be the same. We’ll be having different problems to deal with, varied levels of stress, semester breaks that clashes with another’s exam week, these things are common.

                Friendship. Priceless, acquired only by trust and originality. When I first entered college, KDU, I was a stranger to everyone, and everyone to me. I didn’t get the chance of taking part in the orientation, too late for that. My hometown is a 1.5 hour drive from KDU; I had to live with my aunt during my study period in college. So, it is understandable that I don’t meet or bump into anyone I know, or even barely know in KDU. It was tough, I felt out of place most of the time. In my first few classes, I managed to mentally point out the smart-asses of the class. There was a dude in black-rimmed glasses, another one with spiked hair, a broad-shouldered, small-eyed guy and a lanky, bespectacled guy with flat hair. I knew it was wrong and inappropriate to judge people by their looks and speech, and that only after 3-4 days. I silently dreaded having to compete with them in the class. I felt small. I felt I wasn’t good enough.

                In A-Levels, we get to choose a minimum of 3 subjects. Most of my classmates took 4. Another reason to feel inferior. I attended physics class for 3 days and decided against taking it. It was too boring (in my opinion) and besides, I don’t have any interest in it. God knows how I got my A for the SPM examination. It was then I met a few classmates who didn’t like the subject and dropped it as well. June, she was the first friend I made who stuck with me till the end. She seemed a little strict, with her glasses and stern looks, eventually I found out that she is a really nice person to hang around with. She’s friendly to everyone, and gives a wide smile, all teeth showing when I say ‘hi!’.

               Chemistry classes were terrifying initially. The lecturer, Mr. George, a very strict and scary-looking one, has the power to make us all feel inferior. His chemistry lessons were always thorough and easy to understand and most of really like him, despite all. He was easily the best Chemistry sir anyone can ever get for A-Level, and we were lucky. During classes, I chose to sit at the first lab table, right in front of the lecturer’s desk, my eyesight wasn’t that good. It was at the first table I met Wesley, a very polite and helpful guy. He loves to give positive remarks whenever and wherever he could. His hometown is in the East Malaysia, so we were on the same wavelength kinda thing. He often felt out of place and kept a lot to himself. But, as we moved on, I found that he can be really funny and supportive as well. June and Wesley hit off pretty well too, and my little circle of friends were growing. :D

                For Biology lab sessions, we(non-physics students) had to join another group of students, from the same intake. That was when I found out that we had 2 groups for the A-Level Science intake. Here was where I met another girl, Alex. She’s very friendly, smiles all the time, and is always there to hear you out. She encouraged me to do things I’d never have done alone, and thanks to her, they all proved worthwhile. She’s an inspiration, in many ways more than one.

                As time passed by, I met friends of friends and discovered that the ‘smart-asses’ in my class aren’t stuck-up at all. The black-rimmed glasses guy is Marc, spiky hair boy is Henry, small-eyed dude is Ginsky and the last one is Joel. They were the life and soul of the class. Literally. Henry and Marc come up with all kind of dirty jokes, and they’re so funny that no one was offended in any way. Ginsky and Joel were high school mates and they specialized in spreading ‘smelly jokes’. Jokes that don’t make sense but makes you laugh at the sheer stupidity of it. Read this:

Q: What’s the biggest fish in the sea?

A: (expected): The shark.

Q: What’s bigger than a shark?

A: …. (no answer)

Q: It’s a shark tempura! Due to the outer crust, it makes the fish bigger =.=

And, they also discovered the ‘smelly-no-meter’, a ‘device’ which measures the smelliness of your joke, on a scale of 1-10. Oh and they were really good at it. Ginsky was ultimately crowned ‘The Smelly King’ and Joel, his sidekick. June somehow got 'infected' by all these smelliness and the dirty jokes, she became 'one of them'. Oh, and it wasn't surprising that she and Ginsky started dating (:

                Things like these, and many more. So, we were all sad when they had to leave KDU so soon, because they received scholarship from the government (brainiacs) to pursue their desired course. We had a farewell for them, and it was a teary one. Only 5 months into knowing each other, and we were so attached, like a family. It was after this separation that the two A-level groups started to converge, and we made more friends. Arshwin, the only other Indian apart from me in the course, happened to be the one who teases everyone, and gets away with it. His favorite phrase, ‘You suck,’ is hurled at anyone who isn’t ‘good enough’. For example, if you don’t watch Harry Potter, or LOTR, brace yourself for The Phrase. I know, he may sound like a douchebag, but he really is a good friend. He motivates (in a way) us to keep studying and don’t give up, especially when exams were nearing, and June and I would be like, ‘Screw this shit!’. He’d be the ‘Guru’ for us. LOL.

                Edmund, a guy whom I knew existed (but never spoken to) since the first month of college, became a close friend only after a series of weird conversations regarding his recent break-up. (I’m sorry if you’re reading this Ed.) He seldom hung out in the class, he usually spent time with his girlfriend (at that time). He only became visible and approachable after the break-up, which I’m not sorry about. He seemed to ‘resurface’ as a friendlier person. HAHA, sorry dude. Ed is a very hardworking guy. I’d say he’s the next smartest to Alex. Alex is a girl who excels quietly. Whereas Ed is always seen completing homework, staying back for group study, answering questions being thrown at the class and helping almost all the other classmates. he's like the 'shield' for those of us who didn't pay attention. He’s also extremely funny; he has the most EPIC facial expressions, ever. And he loves to come up with racist jokes, all of to which Arshwin will respond ‘you suck,’ and me doubling in laughter. We say things we don’t mean, and it’s a whole new level of saying-things-you-don’t-mean when it comes to the bunch of us. Strangers might think we are rude, or discriminative, that’s why we don’t really publicize our conversations.

                So, we used to hang out a lot, me, June, Wesley, Alex, Arshwin and Edmund. Eventually the circle got bigger and we became close to almost half the bunch of people in A-Level Science. It was very comforting; I felt like I belonged, I felt happy, I felt like I was back in high school with my old friends. We spent a lot of time together, and it’s really sad, to think that we have to separate now. KDU was a home and we were a family. Most of us will be heading in different directions, some even to the UK. I’m heading off to Indonesia myself. I hope that whatever happens, wherever life takes us, we’ll never forget the times we shared in KDU, and hopefully, we’ll be able to meet up somewhere in the future and laugh at our old times. I love you guys. All the best.