the pain of being the second best

The school choir had been training themselves hoarse in preparation for the state level competition. Since last week they had been skipping classes after recess to practise till 4.30 every evening except on Friday. Some seniors who have left school returned to help in the training and to give support.

They were in school as early as 5am to get ready for the competition today. The commitment amongst the members is fantastic. Two Mondays ago, I had to run errands and dropped by the school at 4.10pm to pick up Lyn. She refused to leave as it wasn't 4.30 yet.

The excitement and expectation that they carry is contagious. Lyn was all dressed and having breakfast when I came down at 4.50 this morning. You could sense the excitement in the air. She was totally indepandent and all ready to face the day with great expectations.

Of course when she smsed me later in the afternoon that Chan Wa won the first place, I knew the whole jing gang would be crying. I wasn't wrong. That is Puteri girls. The expectation is so overpowering and when they don't make it to the top; it is like pricking a balloon filled with water.

I must say the Puteri Choir is excellent. They train themselves without much help from teachers. I don't think any of the choir teachers are musically inclined. They go the extra mile training on their own when others think that they have done enough. When there is no one to cheer them on; they cheer themselves. So, dear girls, don't be so disappointed. You have done your best without special aids which Chan Wa has. Coming up second with the minimum aid that you have is excellent!

I only remember one instance when the choir made it to the nationals. That was when Eunice was the conductor. Quite a number of the choir girls were in my 5Sigma. The school sent a busload of supporters to PD to support the choir. On their way back, the bus met with an accident. The bus was burnt, the driver of the car that went under the bus died. Many of the supporters were from 5Sigma. Quite a few of them lost their History text in the fire.

The disappointment will linger for a while. Next year, I believe the team will continue to train themselves with the same vigor if not more.