8 years on....

It has been 8 years since my schoolmates and I were together in the same place and at the same time. 8 years ago, it was during SPM that we were all gathered in one venue. 8 years on and the very same schoolmates gathered at a different location, at a different time. Although not everyone from the batch were there, the crowd that attended the 2009 MGS Gathering was quite good.

The venue was a friend's house in Tanjung Bungah. The time: 6.30pm. The gathering was a sort of potluck, with everyone bringing something to the table. However, being Malaysians, ALL of us were fashionably late!! Even I was late. I arrived at the house at 7.10pm, 40 minutes later than the stipulated time...and believe it or not...I WAS THE EARLIEST!!! The host was still having her bath when I arrived!! 15 minutes later, another three friends arrived. However, the full crowd actually peaked at around 9pm, I think. People came and left at intervals, so much so that it was difficult to keep track of who actually came and didn't!! In fact, I think I missed a few faces, saying only "Hi" to them coz by the next minute, I realised that they've left!!

8 years since high school is indeed a very very long time. Time in which two of my schoolmates have gotten married and are now mothers. Some are attached, while many others are like me, still revelling in singlehood. Faces have changed; hairsyles are different; some have put on weight, some have lost weight. Talk now revolves around work, with business cards passed around. I actually felt old!!

But it was fun meeting up with the gang, although I have to admit that most of us there were never close during high school. Yes, we were classmates/schoolmates, but most of us were never really buddies. Nevertheless, when it comes to meeting up after a long long time, we do find that we still have that 'bond' that kept all of us together all through high school. Of course, we can never really break the "groupings" or "clicks", which of course was evident as the crowd grew. But then, that's life. You tend to stick to the people you're comfortable with, and I did the same.

It was really good catching up with the gals. Listening to their experiences and the different paths that they have taken. It makes me smile when I think of how we have all changed. One example is of a friend, who was rough and tough during high school, played netball with such intensity and now...she's a registered nurse!! I never thought that she's choose such a noble profession. It just doesn't seem like her; but then again, people change.

:-) I enjoyed myself, although it would have been more fun if more people were there. Some were missing, so the "true" feeling of actually 're-uniting' wasn't that great. Nevertheless, it's only Year 8 since we left high school. Maybe in Year 10, the crowd would be bigger!!

The "early" group