DREAM

It's already year 2006. It's been 5 years I stay in this school, SMK Taman Tun Aminah. Initially, I was hoping to leave this school, but after 5 years, it seems like the school and I have "created a bond." There are lots of fond memories about this school life. Here’s one.

Year 2002:

I was still young, 13 years old to be exact. Studying in a new environment was not an easy feat. Sitting amidst lots of strangers made me feel uncomfortable. Fortunately for me, there's Peir Gen and Jia Wei, who are from the same primary school as me. We made a lot of friends, some bad, some good. (Majority is good, 'coz I was in the 1st class). We met Calvin, who later become my "bestest" friend, Kevin, later nicknamed A Gua (meaning sissy), and other funny friends

Year 2003:

This is the year I officially joined a football team. Some football freaks from SJK(C) Kuo Kuang asked me to join their football team. I was fat back then, but thanks to them, I managed to slim down. At first, the co-captain, Sze Soong, placed me as a substitute. I was like, "it's okay, since you always despise me." I only joined them during their routine football training. We still didn't know each other well. But after a few months, because of "God-only-knew-why" reason, I became their team's solid defender. Yep, you heard right. “God-only-knew-why”. Now, I was officially part of the DREAM football team lineup. Initially, our training ground was a sandlot, with wooden goal posts behind Boon Sin’s house. Later, we changed to the Bukit Indah Garden, a big circular garden. There is an odd-shaped field, not rectangular, not oval, not oblong. I don’t even know what shape it is. All I know is this field is not supposed to play football. Yong Keat, self-acclaimed as Thierry Henry, called this training ground “Highbury”. Jeez, there’s a BIG different between these 2 training grounds.

Year 2004:

This is the year when our school held the inaugural School Cup, where 9 people form a football team. 11 of us, from the first class and second class, form a team called "DREAM". We fought our way to the semifinals, where we could only draw the opponent. 1-1, I think. It was Lady Luck smiling on us as we won the penalty shootout tiebreaker. I still remember when we score the last penalty shoot that made us get the 3^rd place, I almost cried. The joy of victorious was the joy I never had before. I still have the trophy sitting comfortably on a shelf.

Year 2005:

As usual, our school held the School Cup again this year, but, with it was a different kind of football. Futsal, as they are affectionately called. We never played this Futsal before, because what we have been playing is regular football: boots with studs, field, bigger football, etc. But Futsal? Man, it’s all about skills and speed, smaller field and ball, even on a concrete floor. This year marked the year DREAM split into two teams, the first class as DREAM, and the second class as X-Laws. DREAM lost in the beginning of the tournament, whereas X-Laws struggled and managed to win a few matches. Sheez, it’s tough to play Futsal!

Year 2006:

The year 2006 is our final year in this school. 3 things as usual: 1. School held the School Cup again 2. Futsal again 3. DREAM split into 2 teams again, only now it’s DREAM 1(second class) and DREAM 2(first class).

Only this year, we had the biggest surprise in our entire football career. My team, DREAM 2, lost in the first match, to a team which later would get the 2^nd place. The other team, DREAM 1, lost in the first match also, but to a team which later would get the 1^st place. Was it because our luck was fading away? Was it our destiny that we can’t get the 1^st or 2^nd place? Or was it because our skills and teamwork just weren’t good enough? These questions may be mysteries for all of us in DREAM as we are about to leave this school, going in separate ways, never to be together again.

December 6^th at Port Dickson will be our last match as DREAM. These fond memories will always be in my mind.

2. Chin Siang 4. Sze Soong 5. Zhi Xiong 7. Kaa Hoe 8. Kean Yong 10. Chong Seng 11. Boon Sin 14. Yong Keat 15. Si Feng 16. Chuan Neng 17. Lik Kong

and me, 6. Chye Keat

I will always remember you all. DREAM!