Groan.
After the exploits of yesterday night at which I slept at 0500hrs, I realized I had a dental appointment on Monday, but my appointment card is in camp! So I had to catch the 0830hrs ferry to Tekong and come out again. Unfortunately, I couldn't wake up in time, so I had to die2 make it for the 1200hrs ferry in order to catch the last ferry back to Singapore back at 1230hrs, which I did. Gah.
Got a call from El Capitan Yusry asking if I was interested to join in a kickabout with the Old Victorians' Association (OVA), the alumni body of my alma mater. Of course I was, I hadn't kicked a ball for weeks and I was honoured to be able to link up with my fellow Victorians and OVA.
I'd been looking forward to tonight's Search concert for 2 months, but out of respect at my dad's request that I not go so that I can observe malam Isra' and Mi'raj, I forgo-ed my plans. My dad actually compensated my $100 burnt. That's nice of him.
I was nervous about meeting up with the past batches of fellow Victorians. Who were they? How old are they? Will I see any familiar faces? Fortunately I did. Besides Yusry, I also saw Faizal Mamak and Hazwan on the pitch. An absolutely fabulous, multi-grained flat AstroTurf pitch that wasn't present during my time there. It had been 5 years since I left VS, and I hadn't returned since. I was surprised to see together with the youngsters and 20-somethings, many middle-aged men and uncles playing. I was humbled to learn that these were all former Victorians, ranging from as old as 60 to 40 us youngsters, coming from the 3 different Victoria School eras; from the time VS was located at Tyrwhitt Road at Jalan Besar, to the 3 Geylang Baru Lane generation at Kallang which was where I came from, to the present-day location at Marine Parade, where I was priviledged to spend 6 months, due to my repeating one more year of Sec 3.
We shared stories, introduced ourselves, and that mysterious entity known as the Victorian Spirit immediately created chemistry between us, and in no time at all I felt an affinity for them as if they were all my long-lost friends. Most of us remembered the old man, Mr Ho Kiat Chong, now in his 70s and retired, yet still running cross-country, who was my PE teacher in Sec 1... he had taught all these old-timers too, just as he taught me, back when I was a scampering young rascal.
I was inspired by the fitness and vitality of these uncles, and while us youngsters played with youthful naivety, them senior ones took the initiative of correcting us where we made mistakes and improved our game. The community spirit certainly showed there, and the informal banter and cross cultural talking such as Albert, who spoke in fluent Malay, certainly contributed to the familial atmosphere. My lethargy at not having enough sleep last night plus my lack of football in months meant that I found it hard to even keep up with these spritely sages, and I had to endure the full body aches.
I met and made new friends: Roshaizan, 46... Gobind, 46... Khalid, 18... Salik, 29... Thomas, 20. Of course, there was Yusry, 25 and me, 22-teen.
The age of some of these members meant that their perception of the space and time continuum might also have been skewed a little. One of the seniors when talking about how us youngsters can still do it while them old-timers might have lost their touch a little, actually asked me this:
"You're still young, just look at you, how old are you, 30? 25?"
"I'm 22"
"Ah see! Young man like you, can still make it!"
Wow. That's the first time anyone actually guessed above my age and not 5 years younger, much less the big 3-0. Haha.
Roshaizan asked me if I was interested in playing for OVA and that meant making a jersey, so I agreed without hesitation and SMS-ed him my details. This is an excellent opportunity to remind me of all the reasons why I was a Victorian in the first place, and all of it was brought possible through football. V,Viva, Viva Victoria!
After the exploits of yesterday night at which I slept at 0500hrs, I realized I had a dental appointment on Monday, but my appointment card is in camp! So I had to catch the 0830hrs ferry to Tekong and come out again. Unfortunately, I couldn't wake up in time, so I had to die2 make it for the 1200hrs ferry in order to catch the last ferry back to Singapore back at 1230hrs, which I did. Gah.
Got a call from El Capitan Yusry asking if I was interested to join in a kickabout with the Old Victorians' Association (OVA), the alumni body of my alma mater. Of course I was, I hadn't kicked a ball for weeks and I was honoured to be able to link up with my fellow Victorians and OVA.
I'd been looking forward to tonight's Search concert for 2 months, but out of respect at my dad's request that I not go so that I can observe malam Isra' and Mi'raj, I forgo-ed my plans. My dad actually compensated my $100 burnt. That's nice of him.
I was nervous about meeting up with the past batches of fellow Victorians. Who were they? How old are they? Will I see any familiar faces? Fortunately I did. Besides Yusry, I also saw Faizal Mamak and Hazwan on the pitch. An absolutely fabulous, multi-grained flat AstroTurf pitch that wasn't present during my time there. It had been 5 years since I left VS, and I hadn't returned since. I was surprised to see together with the youngsters and 20-somethings, many middle-aged men and uncles playing. I was humbled to learn that these were all former Victorians, ranging from as old as 60 to 40 us youngsters, coming from the 3 different Victoria School eras; from the time VS was located at Tyrwhitt Road at Jalan Besar, to the 3 Geylang Baru Lane generation at Kallang which was where I came from, to the present-day location at Marine Parade, where I was priviledged to spend 6 months, due to my repeating one more year of Sec 3.
We shared stories, introduced ourselves, and that mysterious entity known as the Victorian Spirit immediately created chemistry between us, and in no time at all I felt an affinity for them as if they were all my long-lost friends. Most of us remembered the old man, Mr Ho Kiat Chong, now in his 70s and retired, yet still running cross-country, who was my PE teacher in Sec 1... he had taught all these old-timers too, just as he taught me, back when I was a scampering young rascal.
I was inspired by the fitness and vitality of these uncles, and while us youngsters played with youthful naivety, them senior ones took the initiative of correcting us where we made mistakes and improved our game. The community spirit certainly showed there, and the informal banter and cross cultural talking such as Albert, who spoke in fluent Malay, certainly contributed to the familial atmosphere. My lethargy at not having enough sleep last night plus my lack of football in months meant that I found it hard to even keep up with these spritely sages, and I had to endure the full body aches.
I met and made new friends: Roshaizan, 46... Gobind, 46... Khalid, 18... Salik, 29... Thomas, 20. Of course, there was Yusry, 25 and me, 22-teen.
The age of some of these members meant that their perception of the space and time continuum might also have been skewed a little. One of the seniors when talking about how us youngsters can still do it while them old-timers might have lost their touch a little, actually asked me this:
"You're still young, just look at you, how old are you, 30? 25?"
"I'm 22"
"Ah see! Young man like you, can still make it!"
Wow. That's the first time anyone actually guessed above my age and not 5 years younger, much less the big 3-0. Haha.
Roshaizan asked me if I was interested in playing for OVA and that meant making a jersey, so I agreed without hesitation and SMS-ed him my details. This is an excellent opportunity to remind me of all the reasons why I was a Victorian in the first place, and all of it was brought possible through football. V,Viva, Viva Victoria!
~NIL SINE LABORE~
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