Write about some events you have attended. Why do you remember these events?

Written by: Chan Soon Keong (4C 2023)

Someone wise once shared this with me, “We do not remember days; we remember events.” This resonates with me because there are certain events, I have attended that I will never forget. Allow me to share why these events are so memorable to me.

The first event I would like to share is the Inter-Class Games that was held last year. My class participated in a game called Handball and we competed against other Secondary Three classes. This particular event is so memorable to me because our class clinched first place and we emerged as champions at the end of the games. I remember telling my classmates that we will not get first place but to our surprise, we managed to win the games and emerge victorious. The whole class had trained for a few months and being first place means that our efforts were not wasted. All of us were on cloud nine after receiving our trophy and medals. We even took a group photo with the trophy! Therefore, I will always remember this event as our class demonstrated our united spirit and played as one. Needless to say, everyone was delighted and we ended that day with huge smiles on our faces.

The second event I remember attending is a funeral reception. What makes this funeral reception so special and memorable is that the deceased is Master Tan Lian Hup, Founder of Lian Hai Lion Dance Training Centre. Master Tan was a well-respected senior in the lion dance scene in Singapore as he had spent his entire life spreading the traditional art of lion dance. I will always remember this event as the funeral set-up was extremely grand. More than 86 organisations or associations in Singapore sent out their funeral banners to pay homage to the deceased. On the last day of the wake, approximately 100 people came down to pay their final respect to this master who had contributed his entire life in preserving and spreading the traditional art of lion dance. I also went down to the wake with my troupe members and it was so emotional and heart-warming to see so many people, regardless of their different backgrounds, coming together to pay their respects to the late master. This was truly the embodiment of the indomitable human spirit.

 The last event that I will always remember is the day I collected my Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) results. This event is forever etched in my mind. I remember having zero confidence in being able to promote to a secondary school. I was convinced that my results would not be enough, but to my surprise, I was able to move on to a secondary school. In fact, my Mother Tongue results allowed me to take up Express Chinese! I still remember the scenes of my teachers congratulating me, and me thanking them one by one. This event will always be in my memory because sometimes in life, reality often surpass your expectations and prove that anything is possible.

 In conclusion, these are the events in my life that I will never forget due to their significance. I will definitely remember them even after many years as they are too memorable.