Was having dinner with some friends last night and talked a bit about my schooling days in Australia.  Mainly on the culture shock I went through at the age of 15.   That brought some nostalgic memories about my alma mater that I decided to look it up in the net.  As expected, the school now have a website.  I saw that some of my teachers are still there... and I found something unexpected as well.

 

The first day I went to my school Applecross Senior High, I was made to wait in the front counter and there I saw a plate on the wall with a list of names displayed in chronologically for Head boy and Head girl.  I didn't know what Head boy/girl meant, but there was a slight urge in my heart to be in the list... totaly oblivious of what was to ensue.  Yes! I was kiasu.  Later that day,  I found myself totally lost in a system foreign to me in a strange land with unfamiliar languge all on my own.  I remember crying myself to bed everynight.... i found myself in a blackhole, overwhelmed and consumed by all the unknowns.

 

Most of my migrant friends took the transition much better than I did... but I think I was too enthrenched with the past.  It wasn't until a year later that I came to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Three years later, when I left the place, I also left my name up there... but not under the title head girl but something else. 

then, I assumed that the title meant top achiever in academic performance.  I couldn't have gotten the honour for any other areas.  But today I found on wikipedia

It sounds more like a title to honour those with leadership quality (which incidently head boy/girl was for) and I certainly don't think I demonstrated any of that during my years there.  Whatever it is... I am appreciative of the honour till today... almost 20 years passed.