Musings
Everybody (well, most) think that RI guys have it good. Independent school, makes its own decisions, throws out off-days and half-days which other schools can only dream about, has no O levels, doesn't spam tests at the pupils in preparation for the end of the year, has great facilities, has great teachers, and the list goes on and on. And I am sure, that for the average RI guy, who just wants to get through his 4 years in RI and 2 years in RJ, it's perfectly fine and good. But for me, I have come to realize that being in RI has many, many things that screw me up.

Perhaps this happens in every school. But in a school where every grade, every point matters to further improve your resume of achievements and bring you closer to a higher grade point, there is alot of backstabbing, sucking-up, and taking advantage of certain skills. And this is in no way helped along by teachers who so gullibly give in to these actions. It really irks me to see that just by spending some extra time, inserting that flowery phrase or two, taking off the extra moment to cosy up to a teacher, really can bring you a really long way. My class should know who I'm talking about. If you are reading this, you know who you are. I'm not naming names or anything, but this person is possibly the most sucking-up, grade-grubbing person I have ever and will ever see, but yet, to keep up appearances, he pathetically pretends to have a semblance of a life. Trying to make jokes and ending up icy-cold, repeating old stuff that when out of his mouth, become not funny anymore, desperately holding on to people who appear nice to him, and trying to latch them on as his 'friends'. I am sorry to say, it is hard to make friends with you if one can see through you so easily. Well if you are reading this you might get pissed off with me and start showing animosity towards me in school. To this, I say, screw off. I don't really care if you are against me. (On a side-note, this is not anyone I am closely related with. I have never done a project with him, oh wait I have, one. Will never do another one with him, rarely talk to him, and tolerate him. So everyone else, I still love you. Oh, and 4A people will know who he is. But please don't say his name on my tagboard. Thanksies. ^_^ )

RI also doesn't really give you a taste of the real life out there. You might say you go through hardships during cca training and all the other rubbish, but real life is different from cca training. Sure there are similar aspects. Hard work. Suffering. Perseverance. Loyalty. Determination. But it doesn't prepare you for real life. And although there are RI guys who aren't that well-off, a vast majority of them are TOO well-off. Just look at the amount of guys being ferried here and there. (to my friends whose parents ferry you, no offense. I know it's just a routine and you are used to taking public transport. I am not talking about you.) So alot of guys are over-pampered, only getting the best from their 'concerned' parents who want to 'take care of their precious RI gem'. If their son were, say, in Kranji Sec. Sch (no offense to Kranjians), the parents wouldn't give a damn. And so that's the way it is.

Hmm. Maybe the rest of the RI community doesn't feel at all the same way. Maybe they are really that happy living this life. But I am not. Could be because RI puts shackles of restraint on you. It's really hard to get close to people on the outside who you want to, but as you are freakin' confined in freakin' RI, you can't do nuts about it. It's not like other people have alot of free time. Like you can just make appointments with them after your school. Which of course already takes up a major part of the day.

But hey, whatever makes you happy, I guess. The richest person in the world is not Bill Gates, oh no. The richest person in the world is not Steve Jobs, oh no. The richest person is the person who wears a smile on his face and a smile on his heart, has a spring in his step and holds a heart full of hope, joy and love. You can put on a facade on the outside but on the outside be cold and grey. True wealth is not the measure of the material possessions that you own. True success is not measured by the grades that you get (er-hmm). True wealth is an unending fountain of happiness. Sadly to say, I don't possess true wealth.

Peace.