Boy Meets Girl

I actually spent a couple of hours at the Tampines public pool just now. Not in the water (though I was sorely tempted to jump in), rather at the sides making sure my nephew didn't do anything silly. And so Arman bumped into a girl schoolmate of his. They saw each other at the ‘medium’ pool or whatever it's called and basically hung out. I sat there looking at them, amused seeing their antics.

It was like watching sociology in action; the interaction of pre-teen male and female. She was looking at him from the corner of her eyes, smiling away and he was just being him, all goofy and splashing around in the pool. The girl is quite pretty and it was so cute the way they were talking and showing off tricks they could do. I had a crazy hunch that she probably liked him. My nephew and his 'tembamness' and wit apparently is quite popular with the girls. (Privileged information from his form teacher)

Then memories of my childhood suddenly came back to me; of my own encounters with the opposite sex when I was his age. Specifically of this field trip I went on when I was in P6 after PSLE. We still had to go to school so they filled up our remaining school days with a frenzy of activities.

My class went one day on a trip to Sentosa. I looked forward to it because I got to spend time with my close friends before we went our separate ways to different secondary schools. I remember playing around in the lagoon with Mabel, Hafiz, Ashik and Ameen. I couldn't swim so I was just wading in the water. Ashik and Mabel had mini-swimming challenges, racing each other along a stretch. At one point, Mabel came screaming to me and attempted to hide behind me. Ameen was humming the silly 'Jaws' theme and chasing after her chanting "I'm going to hug you! I'm going to hug you!"

Yes, the silliness of boys.

So I stood my ground, Mabel safely behind me and said,"Don't worry Mabel. He won't dare hug me." Of course my smugness went crashing to the depths of the lagoon couple of seconds after my snooty proclamation. With a cheeky grin on his face, Ameen went round to my side (of course Mabel scooted off) and put his arm around my shoulders. I stood there frozen. After what seemed like eternity (which was probably 5 seconds) he let me go, smiled and said, “Next time, don't be so confident.” I must have turned beet red. Mabel came laughing to me. The thing is, I had a huge crush on that idiotic boy throughout P4 and P5. I remember feeling grossly embarrassed but exhilarated at the same time. On the way back on the bus, both Ashik and Ameen kept trying to take our photos with their camera. It was hugely irritating but fun in that 'discovering the opposite sex' way.

It is kind of strange because this pattern of interaction, the teasing and taunting carries on into adulthood into subtle and witty flirtations. As we grow up, our natural devices, the eyes, the voice, the mind, the way we speak, the way we laugh all come into play.

It's a wonderful feeling when we're discovering a boy or a man. It's not necessarily about falling in love, just the unique nature of male-female interaction. And while it lasts, it feels gloriously divine.

“It's only the thrill
Of boy meeting girl
Opposites attract
It's physical
Only logical”

What's Love Got To Do With It (Tina Turner)

Wuthering Heights

Couple of months back, I was browsing as usual at the Video Ezy at Siglap. I chanced upon a 1992 movie adaptation of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte starring the incomparable Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. I knew he would not disappoint me. I was rather apprehensive about Juliette being the capricious Cathy. I have seen quite a number of her films; The English Patient, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Chocolat and liked her performances there but she gave quite a good performance as well as the lead female and then later as her daughter.

I've watched a black and white movie version moons ago but I always have this feeling that older films lacked realism especially when it came to emotional expression; when kisses went splat (much like Japanese and Korean dramas to my great dissatisfaction!!) and tears and rage seem somewhat fake and the words somehow are too well enunciated. Don't get me wrong, I love old movies. But the 'realism' of today's films get to me more.

And many moons ago also, I came upon this song by Kate Bush on the radio, on what is now Gold FM. (Can't remember for the life of me what it was called in the late 80s. Radio 1 was it?) I had goosebumps and it sent a shiver down my spine. The shrillness of her trills evoked the madness and the darkness of the story. I fell in love with it. Take a look and listen. It may take some getting used to but enjoy anyway.