I was chatting with a friend last night and was glad to hear that her son is presently very self motivated to study hard and doing well in school. The reason? The boy wants to transfer to ACS Independent next year.It warms my heart to hear of children being self motivated to excel. Be it studies or sports or anything that would make a parent proud.
Then for some unknown reason, I said the following:
"I hope he wants to be an ACS Boy for the right reason."
I don't know what came over me when I said that but there has always been a public misconception that the ACS Boy (or students from any of the more well known schools like RI, RGS, etc) are a head above the rest.
Well, this is simply not true. We are the same as everybody else. We are not any more special then the person next to us.
The only difference is that we have a culture of very strong school spirit, a very long history (we are 121 this year!), a very fierce loyalty to our alma mata, a bladdy expensive school badge,
Last March was my cohort's 20th anniversary, it was to be an event I was eagerly looking forward to. Alas due to my work, I had to miss it as I was stuck in Spitland. Yes, even after 20 years, the strength of the fraternity has not diminished.
I am grateful for what the school has given me. The cliché of "I won't be who I am, had it not been the school whom has given me so much" is shamelessly repeated here.
Granted if you compare the number of A1s that we score or even the number of students with 9A1s or even 10A1s, we are nowhere near the academic powerhouses but to me, grades are not the be all and end of all of what a good school entails. ACS to me, is an institution of a complete wholesome education.
This is what ACS means to all of us:- A for Academic Excellence - After all, it is a place of learning. No?
- C for our Christian faith - but it doesn't mean that we love our brothers who are Hindu, Muslim as well as other religion, any less.
- S for Sporting Excellence - The best complement to a healthy mind is a healthy body.
- Ang moh buay pai.
- Ch1nese buay sai.
- Sian char bor sibeh li hai!
Frankly, there isn't much bragging rights to begin with. So help me God that I will slap his head solid solid one time, if I ever catch him doing it.
...but that is assuming he gets in.
Image Credit: http://www.blueskiescom.com
- Voxeros
1. Chocolate ah gal left...
Thursday, 10 May 2007 10:53 am
If he want to go in just so easier to sian char bor outside... good reason or not?? Heeehee.. kidding lah..
2. JayWalk left...
Thursday, 10 May 2007 11:42 am ::
Chocolate Ah Gal: *cough* Good. *cough cough*
3. Chocolate ah gal left...
Thursday, 10 May 2007 11:06 pm
Don't tell me that was your reason... dotz.. haha
4. OLLie left...
Friday, 11 May 2007 10:24 am :: http://ooohlah.lah.cc
quick. must go check out he's cute or not. acsi guys are oh so cute. erm, author of this blog is an *coughs* exception *coughs* though. hahahaha..
5. JayWalk left...
OLLie: Yah. Exceptionally *cough* cute *cough cough*
Friday, 11 May 2007 12:01 pm ::
Chocolate Ah Gal: No. Not in my case. I was one of the few that came equipped already. *Buay Paiseh* OLLie: Yah. Exceptionally *cough* cute *cough cough*
6. ihawk98 left...
Friday, 11 May 2007 6:02 pm
don't forget all that brasso we had to smell just to keep the badge shiny....i think we kena brain damaged already...
7. JayWalk left...
Eh, were you in UYO? Usually, those not in UYO dun bother to do that one.
Saturday, 12 May 2007 5:24 am ::
ihawk98: Yah man... Brass, where we polish out badge until the top coat to reveal the silver nickel behind and the further polish it until we wear out that layer to, to finally have the gleaming golden brass behind. We do things got Pride one hor? Eh, were you in UYO? Usually, those not in UYO dun bother to do that one.
8. okiedokie left...
Monday, 14 May 2007 12:05 pm
Wow..still need to polish the badge... no wonder u said its expensive... what if it's not shiny enough? get punishment?
9. JayWalk left...
That's us.
Monday, 14 May 2007 5:52 pm ::
okiedokie: During my time, our badge is imported from England and cost $3.50 a piece. A princely sum of money relative to our weekly allowance. There is no punishment for a tarnished badge. But come to think of it, there has never been a badge ever tarnished. Call it school pride if you like. That's us.
10. aloe left...
Tuesday, 15 May 2007 9:06 am
in the first place, need to polish one meh? I never polish mine leh and it looks good all thru-out my 4 years.. LOL!
11. JayWalk left...
Tuesday, 15 May 2007 9:35 am ::
aloe: Ahh... this is where we differ. Looking good is simply not enough. We won't settle anything less than immaculate. *sibeh hao lian*
12. sunflower left...
your chinese sibeh a sai!!!!
Thursday, 17 May 2007 11:41 am
jay... the C dont apply to you.... your chinese sibeh a sai!!!!
13. crazyhamster left...
Thursday, 17 May 2007 8:08 pm :: http://crazyhamster.blogspot.com
Oh my gosh! I love your unofficial acronym, but I am sure proud to see such a strong AC boy. Changed my perspecive totally. ROCK ON DUDE
14. Mr Moron left...
Anyway, i think the Tomorrow editors didn't see your 'tomorrow not free lah tag' =X
Thursday, 17 May 2007 10:40 pm :: http://bearswithlaserspewpew.blogspot.co
I actually think ACS is a much better school than people give it credit for. Good article anyway! I always wondered if they allowed Malay boys into the school since its a Christian school after all (guess that's a yes from your post)Anyway, i think the Tomorrow editors didn't see your 'tomorrow not free lah tag' =X
15. Ruok left...
Friday, 18 May 2007 8:00 pm
I kinda dig girls from ACJC though ...
16. Kelvin Tan left...
Saturday, 19 May 2007 10:01 am :: http://kelvintan73.livejournal.com
Well, ACS guys usually have something that makes them stand out from other premier sch kids. The buaya aspect is certainly one of them hehe.
17. Mo left...
Sunday, 20 May 2007 11:48 am
yeah, acs forever more. haha.
18. JayWalk left...
CrazyHamster: Welcome to the blog! Thanks for the compliments. There are aspects of the school that I am proud of but it certainly doesn't make the guy next door any lesser of a person.
Mr Moron: Welcome to the blog too. It is just a little tradition of mine to say a personal welcome to each new visitor. We do have Malay students. As part of our school anthem goes: "...Our students hail From China's plains, And the land of rising sun. We have many sons from India's strand, And the islands of the Main..." comes to show that we accept all students of all race and religion.
In fact my class of '87 is a class of half Malay and half Singaporean Ch1nese with 1 Filipino, 2 Indonesians, 1 Swedish Eurasian and 1 Sikh thrown into the melting pot.
RUOK: You ah.... any girl in skirt, you dig lah! Oh man... that sound sooo wrong!!
Kelvin Tan: Looks like I am getting a bumper crop of new visitors. Welcome to you too! Acherly, if you think about it, the buaya aspect is just us carrying ourselves with confidence and a smile.
Mo: Assuming you are not HiaoAuntie with the same namesake. Welcome to the blog!
Monday, 21 May 2007 1:11 am ::
Sunflower: Well, I am kinda of a misnomer given that I have Taiwanese roots and that I have been in Spitland for 6 years already. CrazyHamster: Welcome to the blog! Thanks for the compliments. There are aspects of the school that I am proud of but it certainly doesn't make the guy next door any lesser of a person.
Mr Moron: Welcome to the blog too. It is just a little tradition of mine to say a personal welcome to each new visitor. We do have Malay students. As part of our school anthem goes: "...Our students hail From China's plains, And the land of rising sun. We have many sons from India's strand, And the islands of the Main..." comes to show that we accept all students of all race and religion.
In fact my class of '87 is a class of half Malay and half Singaporean Ch1nese with 1 Filipino, 2 Indonesians, 1 Swedish Eurasian and 1 Sikh thrown into the melting pot.
RUOK: You ah.... any girl in skirt, you dig lah! Oh man... that sound sooo wrong!!
Kelvin Tan: Looks like I am getting a bumper crop of new visitors. Welcome to you too! Acherly, if you think about it, the buaya aspect is just us carrying ourselves with confidence and a smile.
Mo: Assuming you are not HiaoAuntie with the same namesake. Welcome to the blog!
19. JayWalk left...
Monday, 21 May 2007 1:34 am ::
Mr Moron: On another note. If you look at the comments at tomorrow.sg w.r.t. this blog entry and you will understand why I put up the "Tomorrow, I Not Free Lah!" sign.
20. weipeng left...
Peng Class of 1998
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 8:14 pm
The Best is Yet to Be! I love this entry! I am very very proud to be an AC boy too and so do many of my peers. In fact we are still in close contact as expected. Peng Class of 1998
21. JayWalk left...
Ah Beng Class of 1987.
Thursday, 24 May 2007 10:07 am ::
WeiPeng: Welcome to the blog! Somehow, Secondary School and JC days are my most treasured memories. I have no contact with my NS mates nor my Uni mates, despite them being more recent. Ah Beng Class of 1987.
22. merryfeet left...
-acjc class of 2006
Friday, 25 May 2007 11:18 pm :: http://merryfeet.blogspot.com
haha, hi mo. and hi senior! -acjc class of 2006
23. JayWalk left...
SA1 nerd class of 1989.
Saturday, 26 May 2007 11:57 am ::
Merryfeet: Ahh.... Nanyang girl.... welcome to the blog and welcome to the AC family! SA1 nerd class of 1989.
24. PrAna left...
Prana ACS Class of 1993
Sunday, 15 July 2007 12:36 pm
I went through the whole 12 year AC-pilgrimage and have enjoyed my best schooling years in ACS! THE BEST IS YET TO BE! Prana ACS Class of 1993
Monday, 16 July 2007 8:43 pm ::
PrAna: Welcome aboard? Hope to see your comments in subsequent posts. Don't be a stranger. ACSS Class of 87 ACJC Class of 89
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