Okay, I know most people would be thinking ‘adventure’ as…
this,
this,
or probably this,
Well, the thing about living in Singapore is… Your term of ‘adventure’ hardly ever has much natural resources involved.
The only source of adventure could probably found after you boat down to Pulau Ubin or climb up Bukit Timah Hill; which one of my uncles keeps on asking me to go to. I see no family resemblance there.
The adventurous day started out today after one of my exam papers. Which I literally feel like killing myself for…
While doing the paper, I was already thinking, “Hmm… Wonder when the supp paper is….”
That was how confident I was of the paper, okay!!
Anyhow, I was really disappointed in myself and the boyfriend wasn’t free to cajole me today… So I decided to spend some more time with my really annoyingly close friend, Wai Soe!
She had to bring her laptop to the service centre, which seemed like a very innocent task to me.
HA! Obvious that this was where I was wrong, isn’t it?
Let me tell you slowly exactly what happened….
1. She didn’t know where the service centre was.
“I know what bus to take, but I don’t know where it is,” she had the audacity to so cheerily say!
All I could do was thank God for student concessions for public transport. I was getting myself mentally prepped for a journey to dunno-where.
2. When we arrived, we realised that we had to walk around a few other buildings to get to the main entrance.
Good news? There was a shortcut path.
Bad news? The shortcut path is really rocky and at approximately a 60 degree gradient.
I swear I almost strangled her when she forced me to climb it!!
Honestly?! Who makes her good friend sweat, when I volunteered (like such an angel, really!) to accompany her to this ulu part of the island!
3. Walking down the shortcut, she saw a dead bird!!
The good thing was, I didn’t see it. I was really too focused on trying to not step on any rocks.
Though my darling friend didn’t hesitate sharing the joy, “I SPOTTED A DEAD BIRD!!!”
Without looking back & walking even faster (till I almost sprained my ankle again), “GOOD FOR YOU!! I DIDN’T SEE IT!!! AND I AM NOT GOING TO SEE IT!!”
Something about dead things just irk me.
That’s why when nanny told me to be a doctor, I laughed.
While treating a patient, I’d probably hyperventilate or faint… And I’ll be another patient. So, for the better of society – I shall steer clear from that industry.
4. The service centre was on the 2nd floor, but we couldn’t find the lift.
Like, dear God! The weather was merciless!! And the stairway was extremely stuffy! Even though it was only one level 2, it felt like the stairway to Heaven.
And literally, once we opened the doors of level 2… It actually felt like Heaven with the air-con!
…to be fair, we did find the lift. Only when we were exiting the place.
I think it is a conspiracy, okay! They put it in one side, so you won’t see it, then you cannot use it. Thus they save on electricity expenses!! Tsk!
5. When we exited, I insisted that we walked down the opposite direction.
Really, I wanted to avoid the bird. And not to mention, walking up a 60 degree slope is not too bad. Walking down is an issue!
So we walked…. And walked… And walked…
And walked….
Walked….
Wai Soe: Eh, idiot. This road doesn’t lead to the exit lah!
Me: Oh my gosh… You’re right. It just goes deeper into this industrial park…
One of the countless moments I almost wish my boyfriend would come in his car and whisk me away!
6. Wai Soe spotted (yet another) shortcut out!
I think Wai Soe and shortcuts just don’t mix!! Next time if she tells me she has a shortcut, I think I’d just call for a taxi or something.
She literally forced me (again!) down this shortcut. Which was this grassy area next to a big drainage canal! And it was full of fallen brunches, broken twigs… Some insects…
Wai Soe was walking so happily ahead of me, while I was really slow behind.
And instead of being a good friend and going, “I’m sorry to have to put you through this….”
She went, “See lah! Who ask you to go the other way?! Stupid girl! And walk so slow some more!!”
In my defense, I was on platform shoes, okay!!
Roar.
7. When we finally got out of disastrous-shortcut-#2, we realised the path ahead is a dead end.
And when you look in front, you’re actually at a highway.
Cars were zooming past and unless one is keen to meet the Maker, I do not suggest crossing on a normal basis.
So I looked down and saw the grass passage down and further down was the bus stop. * civilization! Hallelujah!*
Then I was all gung-ho!
“C’mon!! Let’s just walk down this other grass passage!! A bit more and we’ll be at the bus stop!!”
And I breathed in hard & took confident few steps down!!
Then…
Wai Soe: My dear Geraldine, before you continue any further… Please look at the tree nearest to you, and tell me what you see.
Me: Huh?
I looked at the tree….
“AHHH!!!! A CHAMELEON!!!!!! AHHH!!!” And I ran back to hug Wai Soe with my dear life, while she just laughed nonstop at me. 😦
She was obviously clear of my fear of reptiles.
I officially think I’m useless.
8. We walked down this slim pavement in the middle of the highway, till we reached directly opposite the bus stop.
Trust me, it was no joke. Cars were speeding across and I guess most of them had problems seeing people walking in the middle of the highway, we were honked at several times.
Then when we stood there and waited for a window of opportunity to dart across the road… We ran like there was no tomorrow.
If only we could be so motivated during our 2.4KM run…
Looking at myself now, I’ll never know how I managed to get Gold or Silver during my CHIJ days. -.-
And like a nice girlfriend, I SMS-ed my boyfriend to tell him that I almost died.
I even typed out what happened. It was so long, I had to send two SMSes!
And y’know what I got back??
A phone call.
AND HE LAUGHED!!!!! “My honey is sooooo cute!!!”
Gee, thanks.
My closest friend wasn’t even grateful when I accompanied her and stuck through that torturous journey with her; she even scolded me for choosing the wrong route!!
And my boyfriend didn’t console or cajole me, he just laughed! Blatantly, laughed!!!
And my mom called…
Me: Mommy!! I had such a terrible day!!
Mommy: How was your paper?
Me: It wasn’t very good. I’m losing my A for this one, for sure….but…
Mommy: Okay. I’m in a seminar now.
Me: Bye….
Sob!! 😦
At least I have this uber adorable pooch at home waiting for me!
Though he did kind of ignore me when I came home, because I happened to step in while he was munching on his food. So he actually looked at me, sniffed me… And walked back to his dish.
Nobody loves me.
Okay, need to go now! I got another paper coming up on Monday – Law, to be exact. God, help me.
Amen.
Gera Shen 