Today, all the Secondary Threes had our 'annual' NAPFA test. It's actually a really stupid, and somewhat senseless tests, as each and every one are put through various test stations, such as standing broad jump, where you basically judge how far you can jump just be swinging your body forward, sit-ups, shuttle run, whereby you run back and fro, picking up blocks as well and in the fastest time possible. These are just three of the stations. I am of course, too lazy to name them all.

So being in 3E4, my class was scheduled the later timing to take the test, which commenced at 4pm. It sucked. Classes release us at 1.45pm, and what are we actually supposed to do for that two hours in between? It baffled me initially, but apparently I brought some books, papers, pencils, erasers for me to draw, read, recite and whatever that I revel in carrying out. Amidst those 2 hours, there were lots of screaming, shouting, screeching of chairs, water pouring, random games, random comments, and of course, me being silent as I watch on, observing each and every of my classmates/friends' weaknesses and fortes, as a human being, of course.

Sometimes I think I should not really be that quiet and keep observing so much, because undoubtedly, while I try not to think too much of my friends' tainted points, I tend to keep them on heart as sometimes what they have committed are far a little too outrageous for me to accept with a big, loving heart. I am not trying to be picky- I'm not the best friend you would find around either. I'm cold, heartless, and not as sincere at times. I am someone who often prioritizes my welfare over others, of course, not in dire situations where a life is concerned or something vital of course, something as simple as 'not waiting for my friend because I am tired and need to get home immediately'. True friends would wait, won't they?

Also, it's hard to really start a conversation with me, and prolong it for long. It is because, my modus operanti of late, has been involving profound calculations of what others want me to hear and then saying it, and also trying to steer clear of trouble. That's why a lot of times, I try my best to be as actively participating in the conversation as much as possible, but most of the times, I fail terribly. It's all your personality, isn't it. Hard to find a good response. Hard to think on your feet and quickly alter the mood. I don't know. Something like that.

When 4 struck, me and some of my friends headed off to the hall at once. Well, it was getting boring after those 2 dreary hours passed by. We went to the hall, settled down, and our first station was inclined pull-ups. Basically, pull-ups, just not the tough-guy type where you pull yourself upwards while suspended mid-air on some tall, giant bar- it's something simpler for the girls, you sprawl onto the ground, legs in front of you, knees not bent, grab onto the bar that's just a little higher than ground level, and you pull yourselves up as much as possible.

However, the only big, major problem was THERE WAS NO LEG SUPPORT. All right, so when it was my turn; I was the last girl to attempt, to be exact, thanks to my adorable name with initials consisting of alphabets that are arranged to the end of the series; and I tried to hold myself up. But I couldn't. It sucked. And I struggled. My feet slipped to the front. And I held on hard to the bar, not knowing what to do other than pull a meek face, really wanting to give up, because it was so hard to hold yourself up. I succeeded last year, but I failed to relive that feat this year. I tried and tried, slipping and slipping, until out of nowhere, I found my balance and began to do a few, of course, getting penalized by Mr. Lim for having knees bent while trying to do one of them, and eventually I was left with the score of 10 pull-ups. Honestly, I would have done more, if not for SOMETHING that curbed me from achieving the best. Without leg support basically killed me.

We went back to the hall and prepared to head off for the next station. Right then, it began to rain. Cats and dogs. And the pull-ups was immediately shifted to the hall, indoors, to be attempted. I pitied the other classes- doing in the hall, with a floor even more slippery than that of the fitness corner, how on earth are they supposed to accomplish that? I didn't know. But I didn't have time to care as we were shoved to the next station- sit and reach. Basically, it is a station whereby we sit down, pull our shoulders back a little, hand outstretched in front of you, your knees strapped to the floor, and you bend forward, pushing this metal piece as far as you can down the line, and once you have reached your limit, they would see the distance you have pushed and record it. For me, I achieved a stunning performance of 46cm. I am not sure whether it is a record that has deteriorated since last year, but who cares? It is a really good result, for me, that is.

And yes, my nightmare of the day, or so I thought, sit-ups. Basically, I was ranting to everyone how I would not pass it because of my weird condition and lack of training (because I simply could not bother to). Josephine went first, hitting it at 23 sit-ups, a pass, and while I did, wow, I must have been the joke of the day. I struggled to sit up. My hands were not cupped behind my ears almost all the time. And I was penalized. They were not counted. I tried and tried and tried. My hands would not keep in position at my ears. You could say I was borrowing the strength of my arms to push me upwards. Was there really a fault with this? I was mainly using the strength of my belly too. It's actually something really stupid, crass, inlogical and whatever I can actually find to snide and begin my mockery at, but anyway, it is something set by people who find it unacceptable and you are forced to swallow it down- whether you like it or not. If you don't like it, who are you to blame? The teachers? The government? You are to blame yourselves! If others can do it, why can't you?

The teachers kept spurring me on. You can do it! You can do it! And I was like, ah, just shut up! You know I can't do it! xD When I got up, I was laughing. Well, as expected, I was always so awesome. There was no other word to describe. All the girls reported the number of sit-ups they did to the person-in-charge, and when it was my turn (the last) I pointed the number of sit-ups I did with two hands. Fantastic. IT CAN BE COUNTED WITH FINGERS.

They were staring at me with bulged eyes. I almost laughed. "8...? You only did 8...?" Especially the guy attendee. He was almost going to mock, but I turned a deaf ear and just walked away, ignoring their words. What they say don't matter. I don't give a damn about this fitness test. Yes, health is important, but like all schools know, your employees aren't going to fit through your NAPFA records and marvel at your past-year achievements for the test. What they want to see is your education level. How many As you have. Do you have a diploma? How efficient are you? Who gives a damn about this fitness test? I'm not saying don't have it- I'm just telling people who are too 'perfectionist' to relax. Failing this test does not literally mean 'end of the world'. If you contacted terminal cancer, then yes, sorry- THAT'S END OF THE WORLD.

And oh, standing broad jump next. How marvellous it is, too? Jumping a distance of 148 cm every year. Ah, my beautiful life. I have been getting this result for years. No improvements, no deterioration. Always 148 cm. Oh, the irony.

Lastly, the shuttle run. When it was my time, I was fired up for it, but apparently the person who clicked the timestopper said Go! too softly and it took me about a few milliseconds to even reach to her command before I started to run. It wasted precious time. Then as I ran, I realized I didn't practice enough and could not make the turn as beautifully as last year. I was moaning to myself. But I still managed a time of 11.8 seconds. Wasn't too bad, but not my best. My best, is SERIOUSLY, SERIOUSLY, 10.8 seconds. Imagine it. WOW. I must have been sprinting like some kind of maniac. Or maybe the teacher clicked the wrong time. Or something.

After everything ended at approximately 5pm, we all proceeded to head home. I went and looked for Jiamin, to ask if her class was finishing soon, but to my disenchantment, she was not. And had one more station to go. I could not possibly wait and simply left, well, I was stopped as I made a considerable distance away, as she asked if I failed anything.

"I failed sit-ups! I only did 8 times, oh man, I'm so fantastic."

"I passed! I passed!" (I think that's what she said) And she told me she clocked a time of 11.3 seconds for her shuttle run. I wasn't too happy when I heard that. I was supposed to do as well as her. But I really, really couldn't. I felt a little disappointed, but oh well, on the bright side, my results are good enough.

So I went home, under my umbrella, sweating quite a bit when I reached the train station. I boarded a rather jam-packed train carriage and off I went, to be precise I commuted one station before I reached my destination and I alighted. People of all walks of life started bursting around the platform, and some kept crashing into my rather impressive (in size) bag, as they tried to navigate their way around, left to right, left to right, in a fluster. City life indeed.

I went down the escalator and then I looked out of the entrance. And I froze for a moment, before I almost feling like flailing my arms.

As I tapped my card and exited, I ran up to guy, and he walked up to me. I looked at my watch.

"What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you?" he replied.

"What? What? Why are you waiting for me? Is there something wrong?"

"No, I just got released, and you told me you'd be done with your NAPFA at around 5 plus. So I decided to wait a bit and hit my luck. I am lucky. You don't change the way you go home."

"There's no point in changing the route taken, right? After all, you ARE just going to go home." I kind of narrowed my eyes as I spoke matter-of-factly.

"You know it adds colors to your life." he argued. Ah, yes, he always loves to be the correct one. Fine. I didn't start an altercation with him. We started walking away.

"So, how was NAPFA test?"

"Huh? Erm... Pretty bad. As compared to last year, maybe. I haven't been practicing, haven't been running, haven't been doing plenty of stuffs. But it's not I really care... So yeah. I didn't do that good. But I didn't fail any of the stations. Except for sit-ups, that is. I only did 8..."

"Sit-ups? You actually failed sit-ups?" There he goes again. Typical Yuxuan. (Yes, his name is Yuxuan. I have lots to say about Yuxuan, more of complaining and ranting of this seriously evil person, but I'd do that another time.)

"Is there anything seriously wrong with that?"

"8 sit-ups... Pfft..." He started to laugh. Right in front of me. Deep inside I was cursing him.

"What? I just could not keep my hands cupped to my ears! It's just... something I can't do! Stop laughing..."

"Pfft.... Hahahaha! Seriously... 8 sit-ups. Oh my god it is too funny."

"No, it's not..."

And along the way I was further criticized by him for my apparent 'dead sports cells' residing within my body, as quoted from him and after a while we were talking about other stuffs. Because it was raining and apparently he had no umbrella, I had to LEND him mine right after I walk home. It sucks- because you have no idea when he intends on returning to you. But I know he would, soon enough. I see him every week, so he's not going to escape from my clutches.

And FYI, here's what Shinn, told me after I related the incident to him, notice the big difference in response:

"Well, it's better than nothing... I mean, sometimes you just need to think about it from another angle and realize that you are full of flaws. And this is what makes life interesting. By having failed those sit-ups, you have something to blog about. Something to laugh about. Something to joke about. Something to think about. But if you have simply did everything so well, there's actually nothing much to it, more than the hunger for better results. So, in a sense, having failed, isn't it better?"

Gentleman from upstairs VERSUS Devilman from downstairs.

Huh.

It had been interesting, for sure.

Thanks, guys!

(Not you, Yuxuan. You ruined my day. Yes, you did.)

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Okay. You know I was joking about that. 'Ruined'. I am not exactly that sensitive. But your words are always harsh. Not that I never mentioned it to you before in your life.

Signing off,

D3stinyx