My Kiasu Teenage Life in Singapore by Ee Lin See Page B

God, it’s 3 am now! Must sleep.
    Love, Pei Yi
    Sunday 5 July
    Dear Mei Yee
    Today was a very fun day! In the morning we did deco. We’ve finished the painting. It was fun doing it. Eric is very knowledgeable about art. He’s the RI Networking Club president and he looks like Alvin the Chipmunk—so cute. I talked more to him, and I’m glad about it.
    There are so many places to visit in Singapore, like the zoo, the libraries, the ice-skating ring, Orchard Road. The libraries are full of people reading, they’re not empty like the ones in Malaysia.
    The Teenage Centrefold Girl (July issue) is such a spoilt loh heng brat. She goes shopping twice a week, spending more than S$200 each time! She is doted on by her father and relatives and she’s extremely brand-conscious. If her friends have any branded goods, she’ll make sure that she gets the same or better straightaway. This seems to be a common Singaporean trait. She wants to be a model, that loh heng-faced girl!
    Glossary
    loh heng Hokkien hateful appearance, a person who inspires hate
    I think Eric’s a very nice guy. He has a cute grin and he blinks his eyes like when you don’t believe what you see and he wears specs. He was Alisa’s classmate in Malaysia. We were surprised to hear he’s president of Networking Club ’coz he looks quite quiet and innocent from the outside. Although he seems so proper (he even says “Good morning” and “Good night”), I think he’s fun. I wish he’d like me. Ya, it sounds silly but I do. OK, to make Eric like me, I must talk more to him. I must appear cheerful and interesting.
    Gaik Teong likes Nancy, we think. He said he’s not going to the Farewell but when Jen Nee said, “Nancy is going,” he replied, “Then I’m going.” He might not be serious, being the crazy person that he is, but he once said Nancy is beautiful.
    I bet people like Eric never worry about shallow stuff like popularity. Why do I? I think Jen Nee’s very sociable. People often tease her a lot—a sign that she’s liked. I must know more ’bout everything ’coz every time people talk ’bout songs, actors and movies, I don’t know anything.
    Love, Pei Yi
    Dear Mei Yee
    My Maths teacher, Mrs Simons, has left for her course. She’ll only be back in April next year! Mr Koh, the substitute teacher, is so boring.
    My horoscope this week is so correct! It says that I’ll have frustrations in the middle of the week (true!) but I’ll have fun and enjoyment at the end of the week (at the Farewell, I hope). The frustrations were: Sunny is so unreasonable. She got angry with Jen Nee and me ’coz she said we’re irresponsible and left the deco lettering to her. But it was she who said she wants to do everything. She went to tell Alisa about it! I was so angry with her. Jen Nee and I went to have a “talk” with Sunny but nothing really turned out right. Aargh, everything’s so upsetting. I wonder if Sunny will now go talk bad about Jen Nee and I behind our backs. Since she used to talk bad about others to us, she might talk bad about us now that she is angry with us.
    Bye
    love, Pei Yi
    Thursday 9 July
    Dear Mei Yee
    Pau Leen and Alisa really overdid it pestering us! Yesterday and today they kept pestering, as if they have absolutely no faith in our capability. I was so mad at them. And quite cross with Eric ’coz he never gets the pestering. All the responsibilities are dumped on me and Jen Nee while Eric enjoys himself. After Toa Payoh Central, we came back to the hostel and paged for Eric to force him to carry the Styrofoam with us. Jen Nee said, “We must make you suffer,” and I said, “We always do the work,” and we told him about Pau Leen and Alisa’s pestering. Eric said he understands what it’s like to be pestered by Alisa.
    Earlier, Alisa had asked me how we’re going to put the