~JcZw

Sorry, couldn't write more last night, but I was really tired..... I fell asleep a lot today, including at the fencing school, when I should be observing opponents by right...

A tribute to NC2 2005, as well as the rest of the AERIEANS

Sunday was N-comp, Hai Sing Catholic. Why Zone 10 was on their home ground I don't know. Like, so unfair lar.. haha.... well, seeing the pink and green colour scheme of AHS would probably be quite repelling. Plus the construction of the school on a hill!! Well, AHS people should be quite fit, or rather, the DOUBLE SCIENCERS are, cos we had to climb 5 STOREYS to get to our classes!

I couldn't attend N-comp cos of the Foil Tourney, and for that I seriously regret, cos I wasn't at my energy peak on sunday after getting bashed about in epee, hence a poor showing. Can't help thinking that it could be more worth it to go back for the N-comp instead. But I'd already paid 10 dollars, as well as I thought I had a chance. Read the bottom post to find out how this confidence was misplaced...

I was feeling rather miserable at a sudden and crushing elimination from the competition. Ate my lunch and went to meet Daniel and Maurice at the Sports Hall. Then I picked my phone out of my bag where I'd left it. Obviously, I couldn't carry my phone in my pants during the bout.

"1 Message Received"

"Wei Quan"

"... NC got 2nd... AC got 1st!! AA got 2nd.... NA got3rd"

My goodness. I got a tremendous adrenalin rush at those words. I was like bouncing around the hall... wahaha.... NC got 2nd!!! Oh my!! All the trainings paid off finally!! I'd never had this feeling before, cos I'd never known what it was like to command a team that did well. But I was so so happy!! I wanted to rush off right away, but I had to stay and see the tournament out to the end, esp since Daniel was getting a prize. Sadness combined with exhiliration really is a weird feeling...

After the competition I hurried to the train at clementi, and chiong-ed to tampines, to sunplaza park, reaching only at 9.15. Maurice kindly helped me take my stuff home. By the time I reached there, I was so tired n aching all over (and regretting not having my foil with me, knowing what SJers do to birthday guys). Ran into soo yee and wei lun who were escorting two sec. 1s out. Heh I didn't even recognize them until I heard one whisper to the other "was that our sir?" ArgH! I must! get to know the sec. 1s better. Only can recognize jun cheng, angela, keith, wan ling and wan ying by sight. Bad bad. Slowly slowly....

I reached n ate some bee hoon or something.... Seeing all the happy faces..... It was such a blur.. the first people I saw were my own team, Joyce and Pinru, coming from the playground. There were so many of them, laughing, shouting, adrenalin-ing.... I can't remember, but the faces that stood out..... the AC team.... Crystal.... James, my own number 1... Wang Miao.... W. Li Ting... Shiya... Angela.... So many times I'd seen them scared, demoralized, depressed, sad. Now I saw raw happiness, and it brought a rush of emotions back to me. It made me so happy too =)

I walked down the path with them, then into the open space where all the seniors were. Wei Quan leapt up to greet me. Joy shook my hand vigorously and we congratulated each other a lot! Evelyn, Jia Yan,. Laytheng and Vanessa all were there.

And the National Competition trophies stood proudly at the side of the open area, gleaming dully in the light of the lamps and the tea light candles. A testimony that if effort was put in, we could achieve anything. A confirmation in everything we believed in ourselves.

I talked to Jasmin, congratulated her on this terrific way to end her term. I talked to Angela, about the example for her squad set out that day. And the best was yet to come.

My friends were all around trying to tell me different things at once. "NC first aid " "97 out of 100" "97!" "Best Leader" "Joyce!" And from this I knew that NC had fufilled everything I had wanted them to. They'd given their best, their everything, they had not held back. That they had won, that was great! But the main thing is, they did their best. Its BECAUSE they did their best that they won!

So at about 9.25 on the 10th of July 2005, NC, Joyce, Joycelyn, Hoyan, Pinru and Shiya, gave me one of my most memorable birthday presents, and made me the proudest instructor that night.

Well done NC! Well done everyone! I'm so happy to be an Aeriean!