Author: lioneltan

In Primary School, I was called on to stand on the stage quite a few times. It was not because of any particular talent in the performing arts, but for my standout talent in being a nuisance in school (to the prefects and teachers)

Me and my classmates liked to play on the bleachers near the school compound, and we often had a game of football using one of those miniature foam soccer balls. In our fits of enthusiasm, we would often kick the ball hard and it would end up stuck on a slope. I would climb up the slope to retrieve the ball (since it was mine), and I would always promptly get caught by any prefects passing by as I was considered to be performing a dangerous act (by climbing a small slope???)

So once I got hauled up, I would be put up on stage as an exhibit to the other students. I thought it was an honour to be recognised to have the balls to retrieve my ball.

In the past, there was this cheap electronics shop called “Cost Plus” that sold all manners of gadgets at cheap prices. There was a branch at Holland Village, but a “mega-shop” located at Scotts Shopping Centre. When I was in Primary School, I loved to read their ads in the papers and occassionally I would spend my hard-earned money on some gadgets (walkie-talkies, key-chain with whistle-activated alarm, etc.)

One fine day, I decided to venture to the Scotts Shopping Centre branch in the morning (I was in the afternoon session) without informing anyone. I took the bus 200 down to Scotts and had a heavenly morning in Scotts surrounded by gadgets.

Satisfied, I took 200 back home, but as it went back by a different route, I panicked and alighted at the Redhill MRT station bus-stop, thinking I was lost and in deep trouble. Thankfully, on the next 200 that arrived, the bus driver was nice enough to tell me that the bus will eventually wind its way to my home’s bus stop. Whew!