Good old days

Recently, I had a school suggestion programme where we were to suggest on how to make the school better. And then, all the memories of what the school used to be came flooding back.

Students used to have 2 recesses, or rather 1 lunch break and 1 recess. I still vividly remember the times where I could grab a big steaming bowl of noodles filled to the brim, full with succulent chewy fish balls and crunchy fresh vegetables with savoury soup at an affordable price of just $1.50 without even having to foot and extra bill if I added noodles. I could even get a side dish of a sunny side up with a golden, half liquid yolk with a generous dash of soil sauce dressing just by adding 20 cents more. 

Good were those days where we indulged ourselves in the world of Reader's Digest. How Bethany Hamilton overcame the obstacles of losing an arm in a shark attack and being unfazed by difficulties, she picked herself up and became a surfing sensation. How funny it was for a kid's dad to be dressed as Ariel the Little Mermaid and see him off to school every single day. We would rejoice each month when we hold the newest issue of the Digest in our hands. I still recall the euphoria on each and everyone of my classmates faces and the ambiance of joy in the whole class. It was like the god of joy came to visit us and oopsy daisy, he missed his flight back so he gotta stay longer. xD Similarly, we received copies of National Geographic magazine. We were so engrossed in the articles that every month when the issues came, our teacher had to give up the period for reading, discussion and analysis. My best mate Ashley and I loved those articles so much we read throughout recess, read on the bus, and even in the bathroom. I had missed the last bus home whilst being captivated by the beauty of the formation of identical twins that was reported in Nat Geo one issue. 

Now, I sit in the canteen. In front of me is a bowl of noodles that can barely fill up the base of the bowl with a watery-yellow solid yolk. The fishballs looked like deflated balloons and the vegetables were limp, rubbery and soggy. There goes my daily allowance. I picked up my SoWhat?! magazine and sift through. It's still the same old matters that they discuss. Every issue is about the same and both the entertainment the beneficiary level is markedly reduced. Ashley and I rarely read SoWhat?!. I don't know about her, however, when I read the other magazine that the school has ordered for us ---Asian Geographic, a much better magazine than SoWhat?!, my heart still yearns for an issue of National Geographic. I sigh as I put down the books. Poor juniors, they'll never get to experience the joy of reading and that rush of excitement when a new issue of a long-awaited favourite book comes and the content and pride you have when you are the holder of the newest issue of the book. Gone are the good old golden days, and they shall never return.