Long Time Coming

I just came back from a night out with Aaron, Ravin, Alvin, Hershel and Raymond.

This week is study week, I know, while next week is my final exams. But I can't help it that my high school friends are all back in town! Being the close friends we are, I know that I simply MUST make time to meet up with them! Certainly, it isn't everyday that I will get to see them. Most of us are studying in different places and it is rare opportunity that all of us are in town at the same time...

Coincidentally, it was St Thomas' very own drama production just now. Sam told me about it on Monday, and on Tuesday, Ravin asked us all if we want to go watch the performance. The ticket was priced at RM20, cheapest. It was a fundraising kinda thing. Despite the expensive ticketing, we all forked out the last crimson rags from our wallets to watch St Thomas' very own drama.


For those who has no idea, drama has a special place in my heart. You see, back in 2004, I was in St Thomas' Drama Team. That year, we swept past the competitions and were champions for the Kuching Division, Sarawak State and the Sabah-Sarawak-Labuan Zone level competitions. We went on to the nationals and won the consolation prize. More on that some other time.

St Thomas Drama Team 2004

I reached school early. As the others have not arrived yet, I went for a stroll around the school grounds. It felt good to be back after such a long time.

My school!

Not much has changed in the time I have not set foot in St Thomas. The award-winning gardens were still there, the field was as green as ever, and the popular Pondok Ilmu was still the hottest after-school hang out area.

We were famous for the 'jungle' look

The only visible new addition was the 'Takut Dibuli?' signs mushrooming around the whole area. Oh and there is a new aquarium which was placed under a staircase. Why under a staircase? Don't ask me!


After a while, the others arrived, and we went for dinner at Green Hill Corner. I remember, back in my upper secondary years, this place was where I had most of my after-school lunches. There would be extra classes in the afternoon, so we would have our lunch at this kopitiam. After school ends at 12.50, we would take a 5-minutes walk to this cafe and gulp down a 15-minutes lunch before rushing back to school, just in time for the 1.30 class. Lunch is usually the RM3 Wantan Mee. Rumors has it that the price has risen since then.

Nostalgia.

After dinner, we went back to the school hall for the drama. It was around 7pm plus, and the whole school was packed with people. Prefects were going around their duties, teachers were being ushers for the night, while others are customers getting to their seats. Our short walk to our seats was filled with encounters with many familliar faces in the teachers and students. It certainly felt good to be back.

Our RM20 tickets earned us seats in the fourth row! Counting from behind, that is. -_-"

Check out the great view I had from where I was sitting.


Despite that, the drama itself was great! The story concerns Janang, a Dayak, and the life in his longhouse. At the beginning of the drama (which was based on Cecillia Ong's Death of a Longhouse), Janang announces his plans to further his studies in Australia. Having finished his secondary studies in the rural school nearby, he plans to take up an engineering course which will take him to Australia for three years. However, six years would pass by before his return. Upon his return, he finds that all the other families of the longhouse has left for the big city, with the exception of his father and his aunt. As there was nothing left for them all at the longhouse, he finally convinces his stubborn father to also migrate to the big city, where there is hope for a brighter future there.


The writing really manages to bring to light the drama's message of the changing times. As for the acting, the cast manages to really bring to life the characters they portray. My only complaint is that there are times when the dialogue is a bit too soft. Hahaha... However, major brownie points goes to the props and stage set-up! The stage was set up into a really believable longhouse scene! Sorry no decent shots here. Ravin told me that prior to the performance, the school renovated the whole stage just for this night. Kudos to that.


After the performance, we had the chance to meet up with our old teachers and had long chats with each of them! A surprise encounter was with Mr. Peter Foo, who was the principal when I was studying in St. Thomas. I guess one can say that he was the man who single-handedly made St. Thomas the famous school it is today.

Then, we all went to Coffee Bean for a long chat with each other. We talked of old times, of the stupid things we did in class, of our silly escapades, of our teachers, of the good and bad times, of drama and of all the things we did together. It felt good to be back together again!

Pic: Ravin. Obviously, someone's excited about something.

Before we knew it, it was past midnight. A glance at the clock told me that it was already 12.15am! So we left and went back home.

Goldilocks Aaron and Papa Bear Alvin

Our class deejays, R & H (Ray and Hershel)

Aah~ I have no idea when we will be able to meet up like this again. But one thing was for sure, coffee was extra tasty when enjoyed over conversations with old buddies.


Cheers~

Side Order: The other day, Anthony came to Kuching for a visit. I had the chance to meet him the night before last. We went for a drink at The Living Room (near Bla Bla Bla Restaurant) and had a long long conversation. Back in school, he was like an older brother to me. I haven't seen him since after he left for his hometown Lawas after SPM. That was more than a year ago. He went back to Lawas the morning after.