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Was hilarious to run through the files I have. I've managed, over the years, to junk quite a bit of stuff. But I keep certain files for memory's sake - like a binder full of Chinese proverbs exercises, half of which I can't read anymore (I can't even fully read my own Chinese essays anymore!). Or like the residence meal plan brochure from my time on student exchange at UBC. And my first stack of Econs notes from JC. I especially treasure the file full of projectile notes and tutorials - I remember that although I detested my F Math classes for the most part, I was very happy during projectile classes. I loved drawing the diagrams, vectors and calculating the answers. If there was anything that might have drawn me to engineering in Uni, it would have been projectile classes.
As things turned out, a short stint back in my JC teaching Physics was enough to convince me that I probably wasn't going to be much good in either Physics or Engineering. I remember spending quite a bit of time in Physics lab talking about Econs with my students! We were always careful to erase the demand & supply graphs from the lab blackboards so that no one would know that we'd gone offtrack.
The prized portions in the whole collection of assignments and notes were the 1-sheet formulas that all of us were permitted to bring into the NUS math and statistics exams. I kept every single one of those 1-sheets that I painstakingly wrote out in font size 6, 0.5 line spacing, printed on both sides. Karate Kid & I marvelled at the sickeningly straight and cramped writing on the filmsy sheets of paper (protected with plastic, of course). How perverse, when I look and think back on it now. What a terribly stressful system we fought and survived! I'd never be able to do any of that now - too much willpower required. Here's a sample of the inhumanity:
... There were nicer things too. Like this small collection of ballet story books. I remember being fascinated by the thrills and spills of Drina Adams' life as a dancer. Even though she wasn't real and I knew nuts about dance, I would feel like I was in Paris when she went on tour there, or breathing fresh air in Switzerland when her travels led her there. There were 1-2 occasions where I might have taken dance classes as a child, but it's just as well that I didn't get to - I might have broken my toes trying to support my own weight! Hmm, but if I did, I'd have chosen Chinese ribbon dance...
Sometimes the most obvious things get overlooked. We had to pack up the TV and get it over to the new place, and Karate Kid did a great job of sealing things up. Alas, after doing such a fine job, we discovered that we'd left out the remote control :-p
Day -3 tomorrow. Guess I won't be off to an early start :-(
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