After scoring straight As in my public exam at the age of 15, I was forced by my parents to go into the Science stream, although I really wanted to go into the Arts stream. I have nothing but respect for science. But my passion is the Arts, and I would gladly study it at any time. Whereas science to me is more like a hobby, I will read about it when it suits me, but I did not want to be forced to study it. I could not imagine a career of a scientific nature like becoming a doctor or biologist or chemist. My ambitions throughout the years changed from wanting to be Superman, to a pirate, to a jet fighter pilot, to an astronaut, to a policeman, to a fireman, to a soldier, to a teacher and to a lawyer. Nothing to do with science (or so I thought).
But no one was interested in knowing what I was interested in. My parents even asked one of my uncles, a science teacher, to 'advise' me to go into the Science stream. I was very upset about this because this particular uncle cared about no one but himself and his family. So I knew it wasn't good advice, he was just helping my parents out. And besides, he does not even know me well, so what gave him the right to dispense advice to me? I know my parents thought I would probably have a brighter future if I studied science. Well and good. Except. I was, and am not, interested in science as a vocation.
Be that as it may, against my better judgment, I went into the science stream. It was a disaster. I didn't study at all, I became even more engaged in school activities especially in the debating society, I rebelled against all my science teachers, I cut classes whenever I could (I got my driving licence as soon as I turned 17 in February and sometimes there was an extra car for me to drive to school, these were the best times as some of my naughty friends and I would cut classes and hang out by the beach). This is what happens when your heart and soul is not into something.
As you can imagine, the results of my public exams after Form 5 was disastrous. Well actually, in the bigger scheme of things, it really wasn't that bad, but considering that my Lord Brother, and unfortunately me myself and I, had both been straight A students up to this point, the results that I obtained were disastrous. I think I had only 3 As, for English, Malay and Moral, and the rest were all Cs. Even more surprising to me was that I did not fail anything. But of course, my parents saw it differently. This was the first time I saw them really embarrassed about me, and I knew that I had let them down really badly, and suddenly life was not fun and games anymore, but a ton of bricks on my back because I had disappointed my parents when all they wanted was the best for me.
But no one was interested in knowing what I was interested in. My parents even asked one of my uncles, a science teacher, to 'advise' me to go into the Science stream. I was very upset about this because this particular uncle cared about no one but himself and his family. So I knew it wasn't good advice, he was just helping my parents out. And besides, he does not even know me well, so what gave him the right to dispense advice to me? I know my parents thought I would probably have a brighter future if I studied science. Well and good. Except. I was, and am not, interested in science as a vocation.
Be that as it may, against my better judgment, I went into the science stream. It was a disaster. I didn't study at all, I became even more engaged in school activities especially in the debating society, I rebelled against all my science teachers, I cut classes whenever I could (I got my driving licence as soon as I turned 17 in February and sometimes there was an extra car for me to drive to school, these were the best times as some of my naughty friends and I would cut classes and hang out by the beach). This is what happens when your heart and soul is not into something.
As you can imagine, the results of my public exams after Form 5 was disastrous. Well actually, in the bigger scheme of things, it really wasn't that bad, but considering that my Lord Brother, and unfortunately me myself and I, had both been straight A students up to this point, the results that I obtained were disastrous. I think I had only 3 As, for English, Malay and Moral, and the rest were all Cs. Even more surprising to me was that I did not fail anything. But of course, my parents saw it differently. This was the first time I saw them really embarrassed about me, and I knew that I had let them down really badly, and suddenly life was not fun and games anymore, but a ton of bricks on my back because I had disappointed my parents when all they wanted was the best for me.
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