TIS Magazine 2020

We have a guardian angel that the boys don’t! During the deep hours of the night, chatting and gossiping is the zenith of enjoyment for the girls. The only stimulant keeping us awake in a way that our books just can’t. And it is in these moments that our guardian angel, Aunty Gladys, is on the lookout, accompanied by her torchlight and puzzled stare. She’s a figure that truly deserves more recognition. We’ve made many memories together. But a typical meeting with her includes her moderately short advice about sleeping early and its numerous ben- efits. How unlucky the boys must feel to be deprived of such a privilege. When will they also have a guardian angel? Docking chronicles. On the nights after prep, you’d often find the grade 7-9’s trapped in a bubble of bore- dom as their laptops rest in the wooden cabinet we have affectionately nicknamed “The docking station.” Every night at their respective docking times, the juniors unite in the reading room. Anna gives up her bundle of joy and the only bridge between her and her beloved mummy. And the rest do the same. An interesting case of the docking chronicles was when grade 10s - 12s were made to dock for one night. Candidates had their laptops trapped, in the docking station, with their deadlines hanging on the edge of a fish hook. It was as if all hell broke loose- but there was nothing we could do but complain. 7 minutes in Heaven From 8:30pm to 8:37pm we spend seven minutes in heaven. Although the traditional ‘7 minutes in heaven’ game of a guy and a girl in an enclosed space, ours is a bit dif- ferent. It’s the ladies bidding the guys goodnight and rushing to their rooms to chat with their roommates. Or for others, it’s rushing to watch their favorite YouTuber one more time before the docking chronicles begin. Regardless of what they’re rushing to do, they’ve only got seven crucial minutes to do so. These seven minutes are precious times for some of them. Often, people’s athletic abilities are revealed as they sprint back to the hostel before the gate is closed on them. However, on Mondays and Thursdays, they’re given 15 extra minutes. Night Cup gives them some more time to have a little gossip session with the boys after a long period of studying(or not) All in all, playing 7 minutes in Heaven is quite risky because when the gate closes, smiles will turn to frowns and the less fortunate will face the wrath of our female exec- utives. Enjoy your snack during ‘Night Cup’, though! Breakfast or no breakfast, we decide. Yes, in the hostel the girls decide whether the hostel executives get to eat breakfast or not, and they’re very skillful in doing so. Leaving their lights and fans on, forgetting to undock their laptops on time, mistakenly transporting their room keys to the M.P.H. and many more. These are just a few tactics our lovely ladies use to keep us trapped in the hostel while they munch on their sausages and eggs with way too much pine- apple juice. On the bright side, we have also decided to fight back!. We simply call them back to the hostel to take care of their unfinished business. Now, who’s the one missing breakfast, ha! 31 |