Here I am... I had been thinking lately that I'm going to be 20 soon... I was like..."wow" 20 years old...I never even realised that the earth is spinning so fast...

The question about age was a surprise. I was once asked by my cousin what's my age and instinctively I told them that I was 19. I was not wrong because I'm not 20 yet till my birthday next month....(*hint*). I do reminisce the school days when I was in kindergarten to primary school to secondary school. All the 14 years education plus the fun years in kindergarten had so many effects on my life.

When I went for my haircut, I suddenly remembered the place where I grow up. The same four-storey flat where I used to live. The same road where I spent with my late-grand uncle watching cars went by. The very same route I took to go for my first lesson. The same shop where I stole a candy. Lastly, the same barber where I had my first haircut.

So many things I want to cherish and so many things I want it back. But life has to go on. Oh, I also used to live at 421 at Tampines. I had my first ever birthday party. It was mine. I think that was the first and the last time I had a party like that with so many people came with huge presents and toys. The big 'N' cake and I still remember I wore that white-checkered shirt with blue lines around the boxes. Everyone was there. Everyone. I played and played until it was late night when I slept on my presents. After that, there was no party, no people, no presents...

Then dark clouds hover above me, I was having my English or Maths lesson when I saw my uncle at the door. I saw a visitor pass on his left pocket. My uncle quickly ushered me out of the school. I didn't know what he was saying to my form teacher and off I went on his motorbike. Upon reaching the place, I was clueless because there was lots of people hanging outside the flat. I saw my mum, crying. When I look at the dead body in front of me, I could not even speak. There were lots of people sobbing silently. I just cried on my mother's for the loss that I could not accept. My late grand-uncle who has been taken care of me had passed away. I was only 7 then. Then I began to understand things a little bit better. Luckily I got over it quickly. The first phrase I understood was "Time to move on. Let the past be the past."

Things began to change quickly, as I moved with the fast paced education system. I enjoyed scoring well and felt satisfied that I had done my job well. Until I sat for my O levels in 2002, I was still having the determination to do well. For what I believe, the future is the effect of the present. So, if I can do better in the present, I could safely predict that my future shall be more or less smooth. Let's pray for that.