The Harbours from Before: Undergraduate Days Part III

Almost immediately upon my return, I was put up at Shangri-La for a few days as a participant of the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition in which my team emerged first runner-up. The morning after we checked out, I met Ansari at Bishan Junction 8. I did not communicate much with him the year I was in Philly. And so that morning, I found out that the group had stopped playing squash. He was not keen to coach anymore as well.

That was extremely unexpected. It was not according to what I had planned.

I did not have to (or want to) think about “what’s next?” as I finally got hit by jetlag. Thereafter, I kept myself busy with the shift back to hall, the business case, catching up with friends, settling back into school, starting on my final year project etc. I was, for once, a full-time student and it was darn boring.

As IHG approached, I finally picked up my racket and played a couple of times a week. I broached the topic with Ansari on a few occasions, and yah, I put my foot down and said I wanted to give it another go. We would build it up slowly again.

An environment once lost was arduous to recreate. A routine once broken was difficult to get back into. Like a car that has not raced for a long period of time. Ignite the engine, it runs for a while before spluttering and conking out … Crank it up again, it clanks noisily, chokes and then goes flat.

The impetus was really great. It was much more comfortable to snooze in bed for 10 minutes more each morning. Hanging out and lazing around with friends was an easier going. And why not just study more that I really have to for that security of getting good grades.

Well … but I had made that choice. I stuck to it. I would get off track but I would get back again … and again … and again …

Things could only smoothen out.

Lightning McQueen: Okay. Here we go. Focus. Speed. I am speed. One winner. 42 losers. I eat losers for breakfast. Breakfast? Maybe I should have had breakfast? Brekkie could be good for me. No no no. Focus. Speed. Faster than fast, quicker than quick. I am Lightning.