4GY-arr -- WE RISE!

Wednesday, November 29, 2006
2:59 PM

I was watching Channel Newsasia while waiting for the Doha Asian Games Opening Ceremony to begin when I learned more about Typhoon Durian that struck the Philippines and killed more than 480 people. Suddenly natural disasters were not so much theoretical case studies to be mugged up and regurgitated during Geography exams, but very real events that cause tangible suffering. There's a whole world that's lost and looking for love, and I, in all my insignificance, finally understood what it meant to 'xin huai zu guo, fang yan tian xia'.

My parents knew me better than I did myself when they said I was too immature to handle financial pressures. All my life I've believed Singapore to be my world, current affairs and external events that took place outside our country boundaries were just issues printed on paper to be discussed. But really, why set your sights so low? We have with us wells of ingenuity, of rationality and compassion. Ours is the future, and everything we look in the mirror, we see high-impacting low-maintaining citizens of the world.

Because like Nezzy, I don't want to disgrace SCGS, or live a life of wasted years. Touching heaven, changing earth.
--Sarah

I learn sth today.
It was juz an ordinary day at first...

I didn't even suspect anything when we were asked to go to the school audi after recess though we didn't have any assembly today. Apparently, the principal of SCGS for 38 years, Ms. Rosalind Heng told her officially that she would retire by the end of this year. I'd heard about that rumour, so it didn't really shocked me.

The things that she shared afterwards were the ones that truly touched me...

I was always wondering why SCGS isn't so sophisticated. It juz looks big (well, actually it's quite big), but there aren't really many facilities available. It's very contrast to the image of "rich girls' school" that SCGS has been well known for.

Sometimes I do complain, grumbling about how the school should be, since from what people say, SCGS is an upper-class school. I also admit that I'd never really loved or appreciated the school. I didn't even possess a sense of belonging. Going to SCGS was just like a perfunctory for me...until today.

Today, I learn something...

Ms. Heng told us that it was a tough challenge to build the SCGS building at Duneran Rd. The Amrosse Hill building was just too small, then they had to build a new one if they didn't want to close down. Then MoE wanted SCGS to be independent, together with MGS, ACS, and SJI.

They were the first four schools to go independent, the schools that were acknowledged as capable and reputated enough to go independent. Then the school had to raise S$8 million, which was a large amount of money,

especially because
SCGS didn't have any money at that time.

Ms. Heng didn't know what to do.
She just prayed.

Btw, she used to be a teacher in SCGS. She had never intended to be a teacher, but she just felt so emotionally tied to the girls that she couldn't leave though she kept on trying from year to year. Somehow, God always answered her prayer.

One thing that impressed me, SCGS always does sth to raise fund. We don't juz ask witaut doing anything. We hv Family Night, Open House, etc.

We DO SOMETHING. We WORK FOR IT. Then they had the money, but another thing happened. There was a scarcity of cement. The contracter had to bid n auction in order to get the cement, but where would the money come from? Shuld the building process came into a halt bcoz of such lousy cause?

Thank God it didn't.

A friend of her, a father of 2 SCGS alumnus offered her the cement. He kept them as stock n he sold it to them at cost price while he could sell it w/fantastic price to others. There were many obstacles, the school was really built with prayer, love, perseverance, and dedication.

Ms. Heng has never been a favourable person to me. I respect her, but I avoid her as far as possible. Yet, now I feel sad for her leaving. I've experienced so many loss of wonderful ppl since I came to SCGS. A lot of teachers have left and now even the principal is going to leave.

N until now, I've never asked her why she chose me to be one of the first batch of SCGS shool-based scholars from medan..I dun tink I was in my best conduct during the interview. I didn't tie my hair up. When she asked me, I gave her a lousy n cheeky answer, "Bcoz most of us rebond our hair, if we tie it, then it will leave trace."

Yet, she gave me the chance to even come here, to even meet so many wonderful ppl and learn invaluable things and values in life. I know God chose me through her, but..now I think I'll really miss her.

N i'll start to really love SCGS as well.

Now everytime I look at the school building, stepping on the tiles, I know that I'm in a wonderful school. A school that is not merely a building. A school that has been loved so much (she's now a 61-year-old spinster anyway..so commited to SCGS, 38 years..).

A school that has been blessed tremendously.
I want to preserve the good name of SCGS.

N evrytaim I feel desperate and exhausted of all the pressures around, I know that I can find encouragement even from the shool building. Coz each n every part of it emanates all the love it has received.

I learn something today..

What's matter is not what u've got,
but the values of them.
U never know how blessed u r
until u lose one of ur blessings.

Dedicated to Ms. Heng, all the best...
wuld like to make u proud.. <3s...

Nezzy Chai (Medan, Indonesia)
--complete and unabridged
ripped off her friendster blog--

Bid me crew avast! Keep yer banner high
Classed, forever a class :)
Class of our own
Wind be at yer backs, sails never slackin'