Final days

Okay, so, for Steph Wang, I'll write about my trip to PLC yesterday. ^^ Kyaa~

As usual, we had singing for the last twenty minutes of period 5. However, due to the veritable horde of people who recieved prizes (kudos to Steve, Kevin...and none of the other prize winners go onto this, so let's end it there.) we didn't actually get let out till about 1:40 or something. And singing went overtime too, but I don't mind that, since the songs this year are actually pretty awesome. I'll list the songs here:
Kasey Chambers - The Rain
Boom Crash Opera - Dancing in the storm
Toto - Africa
Ennio Morricone - Vita Nostra
Les Miserables song (I don't know, I don't care, but it's about class struggle which makes it SWEET.)
Music staff really did do a great job this year with song choice. And that human percussion bit...well, let's just hope that the whole school manages to pull it off!

Anyway, so, back to the PLC visit. So I was running mega-late already (was hoping to arrive at 2:22 at PLC the night before when I was organising), but I didn't give up hope!
Got to Richmond Station, and it was like an 8 minute wait for a Lilydale train, but like a 3 minute trip to Hawthorn Station. Managed to get lost at Hawthorn and couldn't quite get off the platform for a second, and then walked the wrong (and longer) way to the tram stop. Tram journey took literally ages, and nothing interesting to do except look at scenery, which would have been nice if I actually had a window seat. So instead I played imaginary Battlefield 2142 in my head, which is, by the by, a really good futuristic first-person shooter that, quite simply, works. Oh, except that you can camp the Titan corridors way too easily if you have the right squad (two recon with Lambert carbines, two assault with underslung rockets, two support with sentry turrets and a machineguns), making it near impossible for an assault force to get in there (especially on the longer corridors in 1 and 2). Not that any of that will mean much to...anyone, except maybe Hungy and Long. So yes.

And then when I finally got off the tram at stop 61: Presbytarian Ladies' College, it was like, massive. Seriously, huge. Fully-owned indoor heated pool, extensive gardens that get watered and look lusciously green despite the water restrictions, and giant modern buildings. The entire place just screamed rich. I felt really out of place, with my (dirty) public school blazer, scruffy shoes, white socks and pants with a hole in the right knee. And, while I've vowed to not put anything political on here, I will say this: Why can't MHS have resources that PLC evidently has? Are we any less deserving?

So, yes, Vi gave me the grand tour and...I was impressed. If I were a girl rolling in cash (which I'm not), I'd pick PLC as my institution of choice for secondary schooling. Actually, if I were a guy, I'd probably pick PLC too. Yay girls! ^^

Yesterday was the final day of classes...didn't really feel special, I guess. More just a sense of apprehension regarding exams in *gulp* one week as of today. And I did detect just a slight hint of relief in the air, as the class of 2009 gathered up their books from their final classes, and headed home for one of the final times.

Water fight on Tuesday was seriously epic, but kind of confusing and just a little disappointing. While the SRC promised a line of cones down the middle of the oval, with half the year level on either side, with a massive all-out fight, they arrived late and by then the fight had already spontaneously erupted as several small skirmishes. And not only was there barely enough time to prepare properly, but the limited amount of waterbombs that were supplied or prepared was seriously inadequate for the twenty-five minute melee. And, to Kevin, DAMN YOU for getting me. And David, WHAT THE FUCK AS IF GET ME WHILE I WAS DOWN. And Henry, HOW DID YOU MISS LONG FROM THAT CLOSE?!

Wednesday was milk run. Something about 18 year old half-dressed males drinking milk and lemon juice, then running laps, seems to stir a primal interest in the student body, because there was a massive crowd gathered to watch. That is, until the end, when milk was liberally thrown around. Oh, and watching people dance on regurgitated milk is quite sickening.

Today. The last day. Didn't actually see many of things that were done, except Hoy's office moved to the foyer and covered in post-it notes (Seriously awesome job, to whoever did that). Heard about a lot of other things, and managed to see the Vladimutch poster hanging in the stairwell near the Library as I ran up to print my resume.
Final Assembly went for three full periods plus ten minutes of recess, and despite it's undoubted entertainingness, I freely admit that I was disappointed; our planned events that would have happened during periods 2-3 did not occur as a result, and after that we were "encouraged" to leave the school with due haste. Not that we did; stood around at the front gate posturing with Long and David for a while, before Nam gave me a sip of bourbon, and I went and found the rest of the guys hanging around at lockers. Oh, and whoever stacked the tables and chairs in T30 did a great job :D
Went to Box Hill for lunch, dropping off my resume at EB (here's hoping that I get the job!). Awesome noodle place; must go there more often. Owe Hungy $5, if I ever get moneys.

Updates: Just $10 short of CoD6 now!
Mass-mailed MHS contacts regarding Team MHS online gaming clan, got a couple of new signups. Hoping for more after exams.
PLC and Macrob had their Valedictory dinners last night; hope everyone enjoyed their evenings!

A couple of "end" quotes:
"Si finis bonus est, totum bonum erit" (If the end be well, all will be well) - Gestoe Romanorum (tale LXVII)
"Whatsoever thou takest in hand, remember the end, and thou shalt never do amiss" - Ecclesiasticus (ch. VII, v. 36)
"In my end is my beginning." - Jean de la Fontaine
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." - Winston Churchill
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr
"I existed from all eternity and, behold, I am here; and I shall exist till the end of time, for my being has no end." Kahil Gibran