Home Away From Home

Various countries, various places,
Many different looks, many different faces,
Coming together as one big family,
Living joyously and happily,
This is the place where we all roam,
A tale of a home away from home.

A piece of wood here, a pile of bricks there,
Certainly a sight you all will stare,
Slowly, bit by bit,
Bricks laid, walls built,
Taking shape of our boarding,
Where we are all staying.

All alone, when I first came,
New to all, nobody knows my name,
Then I met the boarding staff,
They wiped my tears, made me laugh,
Adjusted in is what I did,
All my doubts and fears I got rid.

Early in the morning, my alarm rings,
Wake up, wash up, those sort of things,
Then we have a morning roll call,
Just before we go to the dining hall,
Then we can have our breakfast,
Delicious food prepared for us,
And soon it is time to go to school,
‘Coz in life, learning is the key tool.

Various schools we all go to,
Anderson, Cat High, and Raffles too,
But after school is the time we like best,
Coz it’s the time we can have a rest,
If we need anything, any supplies,
There is J8 and NTUC Fair Price,
Maybe after that, games we can play,
To relax and loosen up till the end of the day,
Dinner is soon served, with mouth watering dishes,
From chicken to beef, ducks to fishes,
Eating with friends is also great,
But after your fill, remember to clear your plate!

Everyday at seven o’clock,
For all in each own block,
Roll call is taken, just to track,
To check whether you’re safely back,
Announcements are made then,
Share your experiences, too, you can,
And straight after that,
We all have prep,
Homework to be done,
No sleeping, nor having fun,
Or the library we can go,
Preparing for school tomorrow.

After prep is a time to relax,
Stop that studying, loads off our backs,
Time to eat our supper, enjoy the drink,
But there is more than you think,
Interact with fellow boarders, or with boarding staff,
Dancing here and there, to play and laugh,
But remember tomorrow we have school,
Get ready your uniforms, don’t be a fool,
Collect your clothes from the laundry yard,
Your laundry too, has arrived, ironed out hard.

Special times are to cherish,
The special cake and a birthday wish,
Presents to give, thanks to be made,
All those memories can never fade,
A farewell party, for all the boarders,
Before the year ends, saying goodbye to us,
Singing songs, both happy and sad,
But try not to feel that bad,
There is always the coming year,
Keep in touch, we’ll be always here.

“We all have our own special talents to use,
We all have our own destinations to choose,
We all have our own ambitions to achieve,
We all have our own separate pathways to take,
We all have our own contributions to make,
We all have our own kinds of life to pursue,
BUT we have only one boarding
To live in
To work together
&
To make our wishes come true” – Fendi Nursalim