FROM THE DESK OF THE OMNISCIENT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

May was a month of prostration. I was singled out by a persistent viral nastiness and down I was for weeks and weeks, with nothing but feverish episodes and fogginess to look forward to each day. But now I am almost completely restored to my former self. I have managed to get myself back in the gym, eat the food I want to eat, and best of all, sleep the sleep a tired body needs at the end of a long day. When illness comes knocking, you do the inevitable: you become introspective and all philosophical and start pondering on the meaning of life. The meaning of life can be boiled down to one thing: health. If you don't have this one indispensible asset, you can forget about pretty much everything else. That's why this month's discussion topic is GOOD LIVING. For my part, I am well aware of how crucial it is to have a healthy body and mind in order to savour all the sweetness that this life has to offer. It is every man's sacred responsibility to look after his physique and stave off all the bacteria/viruses that are forever on the lookout for his vulnerabilities. It is a hostile universe, and we, men and women, must do everything in our power to shout down this hostility. Here's to good health and a fulfilling existence!

The IB exams are over and done with, and it is time to paaaaarty!!! How many farewell parties and dinners will there be for IB5 in the course of the next few weeks? I do intend to go to every one of them, and if I am not invited, I will simply bribe someone or gatecrash!
Another event worth celebrating is of course the conclusion of the juniors' first IB year. It has been a stressful and draining year for them, but they have emerged from it all stronger and wiser. There have been failed tests, mismanaged projects, smashed dreams, prolonged illnesses, but none of these adversities have put a stop to their pursuit of the rainbow-coloured dream. All I can say to them is: Bravo! We can only hope that the new intake will possess the same kind of mental strength.

On April 30, the juniors, with the guidance of Ms Geraldine Phillips and Ms Ellie Chuah, put up the fantastic charity event 'That 70's Dinner' that drew a total of RM 17 thousand. That is a number I cannot wrap my mind around. The preparations for the show went mostly unnoticed by those who attended, but I can assure you that it was no picnic for the juniors and their supervisors, who slaved away day and night for weeks prior to the happening. So it is to them that I give thanks. The night turned out to be a rocking success, largely due to the volcanic enthusiasm of secondary-school munchkins and certain IB teachers (pictures are included in this issue to prove that Ms Harjit, among others, really let it loose!). Though the DJs playing that night had not a clue about 70's music (Cyndi Lauper? Starship?), they more than made up for it by springing Gaga's Bad Romance on us, which got the entire hall to chant “I want your loving, all your lover's revenge, you and me could have a bad romance!” Mindblowing stuff. Though seeing Mr Masukor attempt the breakdance kind of had the same effect on me...

Which reminds me to remind you that premature ageing is a crime against nature.
When I am seventy (if I get to live to be that old), I hope to (1) have written volumes of books; (2) speak fluent Japanese; (3) own a humble abode by the sea where I can hear the waves at night; (4) have a romping sex life a twenty-year-old would be envious of; (5) be surrounded by true friends; (6) have a nimble body and sound mind; (7) be loved by the only one who matters.

Before I bid you pleasant reading, I must hurl a big thank-you in the direction of our cherished associate editor Chin Keat Meng, who, from a distance, has succeeded in remodelling the magazine and giving it a fresh, professional look. My team and I are indebted to him.


Edward Ong
Editor-in-Chief