You Know, I’m Not Good

I was never a teacher’s pet. Nor was I a prefect either at primary or boarding school. Oh, I was ‘class councillor’ (that’s our boarding school lingo for class monitor) a few times but that was more to ensure class cleanliness than discipline (and by the way, our class did win the cleanest class once or twice).

I guess I always have a mischievous streak in me. I can’t actually carry out a prank because my expression will give me away. And yet I’d played a few pranks... OK here goes.

When I was in Form 5, I forged Mummy’s signature a few times to escape the penitentiary and Isabella, the ghost/prowler harassing us (why we called it/her that I can no longer remember). The potential trouble I may have created or the risk of being caught should I be involved in an accident or something never crossed my mind but now that I think of it, yes, I ran the risk of being found out. Was I a Bad Girl? No, I don’t think so. Irresponsible and reckless, maybe.

When I was in Form 5 too, I joined my other delinquent classmates and skipped Physical Education classes. I think this is akin to skipping lectures at universities (and this I never did). I also stayed up way after lights off and studied with the help of the corridor light (and risked being caught by prefects).

When I was doing A-Level, we went for a class trip to Shah Alam (again, I can’t remember why) but I do remember going to a museum. There was a huge bell in there and when I passed it with my mates - I didn’t know what possessed me then - I rang it. And stood frozen in growing horror and dread as the sound reverberated throughout the building (or so it seemed, it was deafening alright) until a security guard came and asked us if we’d done it. I lied of course as thoughts of me being thrown into a prison cell, appearing in court in prisoner garb and ruining my future crossed my mind. Yea, I know. Should have thought about it before and not after but heck sometimes I think ‘To hell with the consequences!’

When I was an undergrad, it snowed unexpectedly one fine winter day (it rarely ever snowed as our city was quite near the sea) and so we all ran out and played in the snow. I took a bowl of snow back to my room and kept it in the freezer. My mate came shortly after playing in the snow, we chatted for a while and then he left. And as he was walking along the corridor to the flat door, I remembered the bowl of snow, took it out of the freezer, took an aim and flung it at him with all my might. Bull’s eye! I quickly locked myself in the room – lest he had his revenge – and laughed and laughed as he knocked on the door.

My friend who works for the national petco once smuggled me one Friday lunchtime first into the then tallest building in the world and then onto the skyway – this was way before it was opened to the public. And when we were there, we found that there was a guard at the other side of the skyway... No, I didn’t get caught. But I tell ya, the thrill was worth being caught.

I shall leave you with the following lines amended from the song ‘You Know I’m No Good’ by Amy Winehouse:

I’d cheat the system if I knew I could
I told ya I was troubled, you know that I’m not good
I’d cheat the system if I knew I could
I told ya I was troubled, yeah ya know that I’m not good

So now you know, I’m not that angelic. I’m not that prude and I’m not that goody-goody two shoes. I’d bend the law (not break them, there’s a difference!) if I can and if there’s a shortcut, I will take it. And if I drive, I will not necessarily park my car right in the middle of the parking spot with the wheels aligned like Aunty does.

Because being mischievous once in a while is much more fun than being serious all the time. And at least I can say that I’d done something outrageous in my life.

Like the Bulgarian proverb and an old GUESS? advertisement put it: If you can’t be good, be careful.

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Euro2008 has ended and I’m glad to report that I’m getting good sleep - unlike the World Cup 2006 where I had problems sleeping for weeks after it ended. Thank God for that!

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