Monday, October 22, 2012

Answer Me 1997

Contrary to popular expectation, I actually hated school.

At least while I was in it. Not the model student everyone thinks I was. Certainly a near Herculean task for my poor mother to drag me growling, groaning and griping out of my den at some ungodly hour of the morning to head to school. Even worse to have me frowning at the breakfast table mumbling heathenish curses in a dozen unrecognizable languages over the endlessly trivial piles of homework dumped on the pitiable students. Repeated mutters about blood sacrifice must have worried her a little.

By then she must have guessed at the hours I spent staring at the languidly ticking clock waiting for the interminable hours trapped in the gaol called school to be over. The brief freedom of recess was the only respite I had in those days, that and the fleeting seconds in between classroom periods. Or when the regular teacher was otherwise unavailable for the duration due to training courses, seasonal illnesses or ... unforeseen calamities induced by the rare blood sacrifice *cough* hit by a runaway bus.

Yes, I wasn't all that big a fan of school. So it must be creeping senility that has me looking back reminiscing and actually finding those horrible years of schooling almost ...dare I say it... pleasant.

High school antics before the days of facebook, cellphones and broadband

Or it could be my recent viewings of Answer Me 1997 that has me smiling at high school memories.

My ISO : You always get maudlin close to your birthday.
Paul : Yeah yeah old age creeping up.
My ISO : So any ideas on what to get you?
Paul : You know I like surprises.
My ISO : Liar.
Paul : Good surprises I mean.
My ISO : Hmm.
Paul : Maybe you could watch Answer Me 1997 with me.
My ISO : A Korean drama? That's torture.
Paul : And the perfect gift.
My ISO : Revenge, I knew it.
Paul : At least there's no blood sacrifice involved.
My ISO : That I know of!

Ah high school.

Answer Me 1997 is basically a refreshing drama series about friends in their thirties reminiscing about their schooldays during their high school reunion. The good old days when everything seemed so crazy godawful important despite how insignificant it may seem now, so much so I can barely recall half the things I used to get so wildly passionate about. From local pop stars to the school dreamboat. From Dance Dance Revolution to the Tamagotchi.

In retrospect, almost everything gains that nostalgic sepia tone of halcyon days, even the once dreaded classroom bully. Hell, even the loathsome bouncing buzz of the dial-up internet sounds almost soothing with the passing of age.

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