On CO Camp
If there's one day that I really looked forward to this holidays, it's the thursday two days ago when I helped out at CO camp concert with Junhua, Jaime and Ting Wei. (Although there were other days of <3 like going to Mengy house for masochistic continuous mugging - with the interlude of spamming lists of SMRTs and sMUGs - and going to Zilu's house one night for World Cup matches, they're not really want I wanna talk about today so...)
When I arrived at SCH to watch their full dress rehearsal, one thing that constantly sprang up in my mind was "was it like that last year". Not that it's particularly important to compare the two years camps and reach conclusions like "my year's camp was better" such that I would feel better, it's just the sense of recognition that I felt when I saw them going through the songs - most of which weren't entirely ready, which was understandable coz no one at our amateur level could be ready for a concert with just 4 days of practise - for the much anticipated yet dreaded concert. Anticipation because it's the presentation of what everyone had been slaving for together for 4 days, and because it's the first time one ever gets to perform with so many people from other schools who he/she would never have the chance of knowing if not for the camp. Dread because it's simultaneously the last time, and it's unlikely one would continue being in touch with everyone anymore.
So while I was watching the juniors (HA I feel old) playing on stage, I seemed to be able to see everything from their point of view too. Same time last year, and the year before, I was sitting up there cracking jokes with my new found friends in dizi section, looking around the co for faces to remember, lifting up my dizi when guo lao said start but halting before I could blow anything because guo lao continued talking as if he hadn't said it, worrying for my solos, wishing that time could just stop itself right there and the moment of pure delight would last forever... Memories of CO camp 2004 and 2005 are no longer in continuous episodes but small little fragments - not of milestones like the the first time dizi section sightread something together ( I can't even remember the first song we went through), but of little things like how dizi people used lunch time to talk crap/blow funny things like looney tunes theme song on dizi/fool around the expresso machine.
I'm grateful for the friends CO camp has given me the opportunity to know - those who're still in contact with me. For a short period of time during the two camps I attended, the other CO camp participants filled up my life, but when that transcient period was over only few stayed on with me while others exit my life completely. It's these people who stayed on who made huge differences. Sometimes I would just start reminscing about CO camp, out of random impulse, and these people would come into my mind and be there while I relive those happy moments.
For how long more they'd stay I don't know... It's scary how my father told me adults don't really have friends - just colleagues, not friends. For whatever reason, inevitable or not, I don't wish to see that happening for me. (For numerous times I've shown clear signs of Peter Pan Syndrome, which I am trying hard to shake off now.) While time and separation may dilute all bonds and ties, if there's something that's worth us holding on to, I hope we'd never completely let go of it.
When I arrived at SCH to watch their full dress rehearsal, one thing that constantly sprang up in my mind was "was it like that last year". Not that it's particularly important to compare the two years camps and reach conclusions like "my year's camp was better" such that I would feel better, it's just the sense of recognition that I felt when I saw them going through the songs - most of which weren't entirely ready, which was understandable coz no one at our amateur level could be ready for a concert with just 4 days of practise - for the much anticipated yet dreaded concert. Anticipation because it's the presentation of what everyone had been slaving for together for 4 days, and because it's the first time one ever gets to perform with so many people from other schools who he/she would never have the chance of knowing if not for the camp. Dread because it's simultaneously the last time, and it's unlikely one would continue being in touch with everyone anymore.
So while I was watching the juniors (HA I feel old) playing on stage, I seemed to be able to see everything from their point of view too. Same time last year, and the year before, I was sitting up there cracking jokes with my new found friends in dizi section, looking around the co for faces to remember, lifting up my dizi when guo lao said start but halting before I could blow anything because guo lao continued talking as if he hadn't said it, worrying for my solos, wishing that time could just stop itself right there and the moment of pure delight would last forever... Memories of CO camp 2004 and 2005 are no longer in continuous episodes but small little fragments - not of milestones like the the first time dizi section sightread something together ( I can't even remember the first song we went through), but of little things like how dizi people used lunch time to talk crap/blow funny things like looney tunes theme song on dizi/fool around the expresso machine.
I'm grateful for the friends CO camp has given me the opportunity to know - those who're still in contact with me. For a short period of time during the two camps I attended, the other CO camp participants filled up my life, but when that transcient period was over only few stayed on with me while others exit my life completely. It's these people who stayed on who made huge differences. Sometimes I would just start reminscing about CO camp, out of random impulse, and these people would come into my mind and be there while I relive those happy moments.
For how long more they'd stay I don't know... It's scary how my father told me adults don't really have friends - just colleagues, not friends. For whatever reason, inevitable or not, I don't wish to see that happening for me. (For numerous times I've shown clear signs of Peter Pan Syndrome, which I am trying hard to shake off now.) While time and separation may dilute all bonds and ties, if there's something that's worth us holding on to, I hope we'd never completely let go of it.