it was awkward, really awkward... my very first time being in a dinner with somebody that important, and sitting that near to the main table... it was hell... i'm talking about today evening's Marine Parade National Day Dinner...

when we went there, the first thing that greeted us was a freaking bomb disposal squad... their famous van, parked right at the entrance of the restaurant... and so, seeing police everywhere came as much less of a shock... and well, metallic scanners, and a hell lot of policemen at the entrance of the restaurant was not much of a surprise too... but i do believe it was really overboard having the bomb disposal squad there...

then my parents and i went to our table... just two tables away from the main table, and just beside the stage... and soon, we found out that i was the only guy receiving the Book Prize Award, and along with me, 7 other girls (one of them was absent)... and as we chatted, i found out that i was the dumbest there too... one of them, Nicole, has straight As, and is flying over to London next month doing Economics at some state university there... and is on overseas scholarships... and the rest? they got straight As, and has been doing great all along... two of them actually met 2 years ago for the award for the O Levels category...

and it really doesn't help that the cameras were placed right behind us... they record the ppl on my table eating, talking, and basically our every actions when PM Goh gave his speech... and as my friends know, i'm extremely camera/video shy because i know i'll never look good in them... and yet, i'm forced to be on it... and whoila, there's a mediacorp printed on it... and yes, there was a reporter carrying a CNA/Ch5 mic introducing the NDP dinner... and it happened right beside us... what the heck...

it was really great stress... but well, an eye opener and an extremely rare "opportunity"... and for the $300 bucks presented, it came with a price... i had to submit an article to the town council to be published in some magazine somewhere with each one of our photos on it... and well, it simply doesn't work for benjamin... i'll be glad to be sitting at one corner during a dinner, and be glad that nobody notices me...

and all these screwups aside, it was really great joy to actually step up and walk over to SM Goh and receive the prize from him... although i have to say that it's really weird then cos he's super duper tall and i'm super duper short... but it just feels great and i really thank God for it... and as i compare with the rest, i'd probably get the best improvement award too because they have been doing well all along... but for me, i was doing rather badly then and it's only during A levels that such a miracle happened... So well, it just proves that there's a chance for everything... God will make a way...