st.mary's school, re-visited!

lets see if anyone of you can spot me in these photos from the dark ages, ha ha! man, i don't think any talent scout would have looked twice at me the way i looked then. sheesh. but hey, that's when it all started for moi okay, not long after the photo above was taken. who'd have known eh. so there's hope for anyone, i always said that, as long as you're determined as hell. or as determined as tiara jacquelina lah at least.

i look back on my formative years in secondary school with mostly fond memories of what a crazy time i had every single day of my schooling life. i was always, always, up to something, there was always something to look forward to every day - choreographing the school cheer team, organizing the form 4 variety shows, rehearsing skits for teacher's day, preparing for inter-school debate etc. oh, did i mention i found some time to attend classes in between too now and again, ha ha!

life was GOOOOOD... i have no regrets.




the teacher in charge of organizing the upcoming school musical "Phantom Of The Opera", Mrs Charangeet, wrote to me asking if i could be guest of honour for the event on the 28th June 2008. I said yes, of course, for the alma mater, for God and for School and all that. Its the least i could have done for the institution i spent 12 good years at, that shaped me into the person i've somehow "transformed" into.

i did say that i would be happy to meet the girls just to talk to them and hopefully inspire them in some obscure way or another. i love meeting students, they're the only hope we have of having some kind of a decent future for this country, sigh..

well, firstly, i insisted she put together a group of the students and teachers that wd be putting Phantom together to come watch P.Ramlee whilst it was still running at I.B. something told me from my sms conversations with this kind lady that she had not much of an idea who i was, and had never watched a single film or play i'd ever produced, and only knew me as a malaysian actress that once studied at st. mary's. i don't blame her, teaching is a full-on deal okay. i'm glad they made it, mainly so at least when i finally meet them them they'd at least have some kind of an idea who once tread those boards!

anyway, last wednesday, i forced myself to get out of bed early enough to get to st. mary's just before recess time. thats EARLY by my standards. NO LIKE-UM EARLY MORNINGS, NA-UH! this was post-p.ramlee recovery week for me, as well. but for God and for School(thats part of the school song by the way...), i made it...

walking into the school hall where rehearsals were under way, was like a huge blast from the past. just seeing the eager, confident young faces that morning, i felt proud to have passed through this school once. the girls made me feel so welcome, and had a million questions for me that morning. what was your favorite memory of st. mary's? how did you juggle between studies and extra curricular? which person was your biggest inspiration when you were in school? bless them.

i don't remember everything i told them, but this is one thing i do remember.. i told them about how i took advantage of being in a multi-racial school by mixing with EVERYONE.

well, if anyone wants to join me in supporting young talent, potential stars of tomorrow, i'll be attending St. Mary's (in Selayang) Phantom Of The Opera on 28th June at 8pm, at the school hall.