Maddy Tan

PICTORIAL ENTRY

I was quite a sentimental person, even as a child. Whilst I was doing some spring-cleaning back in Penang in order to accost the CNY, I came across some old photos taken when I was really young. (note: I am hardly sentimental now.) Thesedays, I live by "Out with the old, in with the new". For clarification purposes, this is in relation to stuff and junk and not men k!

The photo featured above was taken in one of the school premises (think it was a dilapidated tennis court) back in Nov 1995. I remembered it very clearly because it was the very last day of our SPM exams and we were all so happy! NO MORE STUDYING! We were walking out of our school, heading towards the main gate to get our lunch and head into town. Oh man, at that time, it was such a liberating feeling. All four of us have been studying our asses off and since we didn't have to do that anymore, we were estatic! Not to mentioned relieved too.

These were my main friends during high school days. From left to right, Maureen, me, Sharifah & Florence. Actually Maureen wasn't really close to us, she comes and go in this tiny group. They used to call us the 'Muhibah' because we each represent the main race in M'sia.

Amongst all, Florence & I are closest for we have known each other since primary school at 12 years old. That's a good 20 years. We were classmates and she used to live just about a 5 mins walk from my house. We decided to enter the same secondary school and we did everything together. Going to school, breakfast, recess, lunch ... shopping .. etc. Sharifah became close to us when she was 13, at Form 1. She wasn't a typical malay gal and she was fun. Best of all, she speaks good English. So all hell broke lose when the three of us got into the same class for the last 2 years of our secondary school, i.e. Form 4 & 5. Florence or Flo (we used to call her then) were the matured one amongst us. Sharifah or Shark (we used to call her then) were my partner in crime and Flo would run the strip of morales with us .... but after a few attemps in making us good, which she failed, she joined us in our mischievous prank too! Wahahahha. And we used to sit side by side to one another in class. Very convenient.

As I know, Florence got married in 2004 and she had a baby in 2006. I didn't attend her wedding as I was in the UK but I think my parents attended it on my behalf. Sharifah was working in KL but moved back to Penang in 2006, the year I moved to KL. She got married in 2008. I got a call from her when I was in Hong Kong, just one day before her wedding and of cos, to inform me that she was getting married. One day before. Hmmm ... and I met Maureen in Penang, during one of my night out in 2005. Think it was SS. She was working at the door. If I remembered correctly, she was in events.

I haven't seen any of them for a long time. Florence was the last person I saw, back in 2005 when I just got back from the UK. We were all so close once. Funny how things change.