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In anticipation of the upcoming Harry Potter movie, Goblet Of Fire, I watched The Sorcerer’s Stone last night. I tickles me a little to see the young Radcliff with his squeaky little voice. And now he’s all grown up in the GOF trailer. How we grow.

Seeing young Potter’s reactions on his first school days, looking amazed and puzzled at everything, kinda reminds me of my own first few days in primary and secondary school. Though not at all magical, they were somewhat strange, scary and amusing.

I was seven on my primary school registration days. Boys wore white shirts and navy blue shorts. Girls wore white blouse under navy blue overalls. Parents busy running around getting forms signed and paying fees. Kids looking around, screening for prospect friends. I spent one year in kindergarten and though the number of new kids was not unusual, I was delighted to see so many new faces. At the same time I worried how I was going to get by, all alone. Some kids obviously knew each other and some even wasted no time chasing one another playing ‘police and thieves’ or ‘tag-you’re it’. I, on the other hand, had to start from scratch. *Sigh*

Most of the teachers looked friendly but some seemed transparently not amused. I soon learned that they were not to be messed with. I also learned that some kids were thick enough to give this fact a frightful demonstration. I was the mild mannered kid, naïve and fearful.

Senior students would walk by and take an examining look.
“Lets see who’s the lucky punk this year…”

Some of us caught a glimpse of their piercing stare and quickly looked at other random directions.

“All right now. In pairs, make two lines. We’re going to tour the school” a teacher said and we all gleefully lined up.

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Do you still remember your first school days?