Good Ol’ Remnants

Published by eGal | Filed under Life, Reminisce

It was about 6 years or so ago when I 1st came across the word, REMNANTS, while I was working at Laura Ashley - cloth remnants, it was in that context that I knew of this very “nice-to-pronounce” word. Yesterday, I saw a packet of assorted bread remnants, selling at $1. Lately, I am in mood of reminiscing…about what? About remanants, of course…

According to dictionary.com, Remnants =

1. Something left over; a remainder.
2. A piece of fabric remaining after the rest has been used or sold.
3. A surviving trace or vestige: a remnant of his past glory.
4. A small surviving group of people. Often used in the plural.

I guess in one’s life, there’s always remnants…that little bit of left over from the past, or a surviving trace of that memory bit. While randomly going through the remnants of my past, what seems like almost forgotten memories and traces began to form its full picture when I start to piece the remnants together.

There is a window period of 3 years, 1998 - 2001, in my life that seems almost non-existence to me. So much has happened in these 3 years - good and bad. I had also had friends that I have totally lost touch with. Friends from Yishun Junior College and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. I remember the remnants….

At Yishun Junior College

• I played truant for the 1st time in my life and many times thereafter.
• I faked MCs, my best record - from 1 day to 14 days by adding 3 strokes.
• I go to class occassionally.
• I even participated in the band.
• I sucked at C Maths and I remembered clearly there were always kind friends who are there to help.
• I loathe PE lessons and I remembered clearly there was always someone jogging with me.
• I only remembered 2 names, of classmates who were not from the same Secondary School - Sarah, Ryan…which I have tried searching for on Friendster but to no avail.
• I quit after 6 months.
• I even sat for my mid term paper before quitting. I do not know what’s my results but I am sure I flunked my C Maths.

At Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

• I was exhilarated after finally starting school at NAFA after a year of $ saving.
• I loved all the basic foundation classes, never skip school, at least for the 1st term.
• I worked night shift at Seagate after the 1st term, I started to skip some classes.
• I was great with colour studies, marker colouring, visual studies and art history.
• I was really bad at sculpture, still life drawing and airbrush.
• I remembered some very helpful friends - Kevin, Sam, Simon, Rachel, Elaine, Renee, Remy, Claire, Zoelyn, Nur, especially Kevin who always stay behind to help me with my sculpturing work.
• My clothes were always splattered with either clay or colours at the end of the day.
• It was the 1st time I spent 3 days 3 nights trying to finish a colour piece for my 1st year project. Zoelyn and I were at Sam’s place in Hougang. Stoned.
• I learnt pool from Rachel, a very funky gal who could clear the table with 1 shot and Elaine as well.
• We hanged out together most of the time and get free booze at the then Samsara where Rachel worked.
• It was then that I tried drinking a lot and hardly get drunk.
• I also get to hang out with a group of bisexuals and lesbians. They are great fun to be with.
• I stayed over at friends’ places very often and for some long time at Zoelyn’s at Serangoon and Claire’s place at Bedok.
• Remy, the class monitoress, helped me a great deal.
• On the day of the 1st year project presentation, I almost could not participate due to late school fee payment. I had to run down to the school’s admin office and was lucky they gave me grace.
• I passed my 1st year and got my place in Diploma in Interior Design for my 2nd year.
• I quit after the 1st year due to $ issue.
• I got back in touch with Elaine recently through Friendster and am still searching for whoever I can remember….

Remnants,
A part of life that is always encrusted somewhere.
An important aspect of memory,
The surviving bits of your past,
The mystery to solving a jigsaw.