My Kiasu Teenage Life in Singapore Read Online Free PDF

the incident and started crying ’coz I was real scared. She told me not to worry, that it wasn’t true and all that; then she played some guitar. After a while, however, I heard the voice calling “ jie ” again! I asked Betty if she heard it but she didn’t. I can’t tell you how afraid I was. Betty explained that if you hear someone calling your name in the middle of the night, don’t answer until the fourth call, ’coz if it’s a spirit, it’ll go away after the third call if unanswered.
    Jen Nee’s now asleep on my bed. I wanted someone to sleep with me ’coz I’m scared. Sometimes we talk bad about Nicole.
    So embarrassing at dinner time! For Signature Hunt, I had to go up to two tables where the guys were sitting and say, “Hello guys, I’m here to entertain you with some singing!” And I had to sing loudly. It was very embarrassing. Then, to get one more signature, I had to go back and say, “Hi, I’m back” and sing a song that went, “Tingeling ke ling-keling … I love you …”
    Jen Nee got sabotaged—they poured water over her head.
    Love, Pei Yi
    Monday 13 January
    Dear Mei Yee
    I feel lonely in class. I’m not close to my classmates. I prefer hostel to school a lot. The CHIJ girls are not disciplined. There’s this girl in my class who’s quite defiant. Our Chem teacher shouted at her for rocking her chair and fined her 20 cents to be given to the class fund. After a while, she started rocking again and was scolded again. I prefer decent, kuai-kuai people to undisciplined, defiant people.
    I wish I wasn’t the only scholar in my class. Sometimes I hate it when some girls treat me like they’re boh kam muan ’coz I’m a scholar. It’s hard to explain. You see, some girls dislike scholars ’coz they think we’re clever. Today, this girl was copying someone’s address from my address-book and there was this number, 4881479 (I’m using any number), and the last digit wasn’t so clear—could be 9 or 4, and I said, “I think it’s a 9 ’coz she writes her 4 this way.” And she said, “Scholars will be scholars. So clever.” Isn’t that insulting? OK, I don’t want to talk ’bout my social problems.
    Glossary
    boh kam muan Hokkien envious, dissatisfied with the way things are
    I received a calculator from my family.
    I slept the whole afternoon and woke up for dinner! During dinner, Sunny and I had to go to every table and announce “Hi! I’m — and —. We’re the prettiest girls on earth. Whoever wants to marry us, please raise your hands!”
    Love Pei Yi
    Wednesday 15 January
    Dear Mei Yee
    It’s now Wednesday and I came back from school not long ago.
    I had choir practice. We auditioned to see whether we’re in Soprano 1 or 2, or Alto 1 or 2. I’m in Soprano 2. The pianist has Grade 8 but her playing is terrible. Probably all she learned were exam pieces to pass the piano exams. She bangs like anything. I’ve watched her play Smash Hits and she can’t even play semi-quarters properly. OK, enough criticizing—I’m not good either.
    I’ve joined the swimming club ’coz I wasn’t accepted into badminton. They take old members only. I pay S$15 for a course. No meetings yet.
    Yesterday, my period came during PE. Thank goodness I’ve put a pad in my bag a few days ago.
    For AEP yesterday, we did something fun. We each copied the sketch we drew last week onto a big piece of cardboard. Then we put starch on the table (the nice part is playing with the starch) and use newspapers to create a two-dimensional effect. For example, my piece looks like this:

    We stick layers of newspapers onto the tree trunks, so that the nearer trunks will have more layers and rise high above the paper. I was all alone during AEP ’coz Alisa, Jen Nee and Nancy are in Mr Huff’s group. The