Being a former student of a well respected institution, one would naturally think that it confers certain advantages. Well, it does. Like how during chinese new year kaypoh relatives stay far away because they don't want to embarass their kids asking about your grades.
They are quite bad by the way. Its the other people in the school that do really well. The collective association is always nice though.
I'm currently working in a part time job, in a factory job packing stuff and also doing data entry in the office. It would be boring if not for the juicy gossip and backbiting. But that's another story.
So I was sending out a batch of about 200 emails when a manager came along and asked me which school I was from. Immediately alarm bells rang in my head. I couldn't lie though because it was in my resume. And also because my supervisor loves telling people he has people under him who come from hwa chong junior college. So I told him so.
Immediately it came. The inevitable sharp intake of breath. The raising of the eyebrows. The pulling away of the upper body. And the "pleasantries".
"Wah... so smart. What are you doing here? You're overqualified for the job."
Well yeah thanks. How about your job then? You want to give me your job? You got your job on an A-level certificate? Cockster.
And after that, the next inevitable question. "So you must be furthering your studies then. Which course are you going into?"
Hey! people pay you to work, you eat snake and kah-jiao the temp. Anyway here's the correct answer to his question. Medicine, law, engineering or sciences.
"Mass comm". Wrong answer! Congratulations! He looks at you like you are the guy who just farted in a crowded lift.
"What? You have such good grades and you chose an arts course?"
Yes I chose an arts course. Why do you make it sound like I am asking you to join me on my final journey?
Its weird how Singaporeans expect all good students to be scientists and professionals but not artists and editors. Then who do you think does your newspapers? Don't tell me its a printer ok.
Sometimes I think about telling people that I'm doing engineering so that I can save myself the silly exchange you see above. Unfortunately I'm a bad liar. If I told you that I'm really a skinny shaved orangutan who escaped from the birdpark you'd believe me.
So I was thinking should I defend my choice of course or should I just ignore this guy? But it so happened that I didn't have to do either because another colleague came by and started talking to him about their children's school grades. What a disgusting discussion topic right? Their children become their pawns in their quest for ego domination and superiority in the office.
I was saved any further questions, because like I said above, nobody wants to ask you about your grades.