i used to hate choices. because they always confuse me. but now i wish i could have a choice. a say. anything. one word. a sentence. just a chance for me to even raise my hand to object. or agree. but it's beyond me. this time round, there isn't any room for me to back away. this time round, im faced with the dead truth.

- Y staring out into the night

WE DID IT! TJCO GOT GOLD WITH HONOURS!

it seems just yesterday where kah chin asked me to start counting down the days to syf on the board. it seems just yesterday where seniors came down and said "i think your standards are not there yet. you all can hardly get a bronze. i don't know what you all want to do, but you all still have around 2 months left. it's up to you whether or not to work hard." it seems just yesterday when cheeyao and weisheng came down and told me that my timpani techniques are not quite correct. it seems just yesterday where i felt depressed about percussion because i couldn't seem to teach them all that i wanted. it seems just yesterday when all the crazy hours of practicing started. it seems just yesterday when syf isn't over.

we reached SCH yesterday at 8.25am, nervous and sleepy. before i knew it, we were on stage. i met with my first obstacle. the pedal of the vibraphone they provided was faulty. i did my best to play, hoping that nothing else will go wrong. the first song ended and the second commenced. all went well till bar 370. the hard timpani stick which i was supposed to use for the ending segment of the song dropped off the stand. i was left with the softer stick. i played with all my might, but i knew deep down that it's different from the effect which could be produced if the pair of hard stick did not drop.

we got off stage and waited for the lorry to come. i asked around, wondering what were their comments of our playing. they all said it was quite good, but i thought it could be better. went back into the hall. was shocked by ny, vj, hci and dunman. fear rose up me. why are their percussionists so strong? how on earth can they manage to play so well? all of a sudden i felt that all hope is lost.

finally, 5pm came. it was time to face the music, no matter the outcome. we were squeezing each other's hands, waiting with bated breath. "编号三， 淡马锡初级学院， Temasek Junior College, 荣誉金, Gold with honours!" everyone in tjco jumped and screamed for joy, unable to contain the excitement. WE DID IT! WE ALL DID IT! ALL THE LATE NIGHTS AND HARD WORK PAID OFF!

outside, everyone continued cheering. grace called to congratulate. somehow or another, i cried after thanking seniors and percussionists for their hard work. i could contain the tears no longer. i never expected myself to cry, never. such a thing just didn't seem me, but i guess emotions got the better hold at that moment.


THANK YOU TJCO FOR PUTTING IN 101% OF YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO PRACTICES.

THANK YOU SENIORS FOR CONSTANTLY HELPING US AND CHEERING US ON, NO MATTER HOW BLEAK THINGS LOOKED.

THANK YOU PERCUSSIONISTS, FOR BEING THE BEST SECTION MATES YOU CAN EVER BE, FOR COOPERATING, FOR YOUR HARD WORK, FOR YOUR EFFORTS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR JUST BEING THERE.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THANK YOU HUANG SHENG. WE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO REACH GOLD WITH HONOURS ONCE AGAIN WITHOUT YOUR ENDLESS EFFORTS TOWARDS TJCO.

THANK YOU EVERYONE.

编号三， 淡马锡初级学院， Temasek Junior College, 荣誉金, Gold with honours!

- Y staring out into the night