Crazy Night, Crazy Company

Went for night cycling last night with the same old usual scouts and it was absolutely the best one I ever had. I was kinda pissed at first, for having to wait for the rest of them for almost one hour but as soon as I saw them, the anger faded.

We embarked on our journey at about 10pm, starting from East Coast Park then through the park connector to Marina Bay followed by Clarke Quay and crazy road expeditions to Kallang before heading back to East Coast at about 5.30am. The route was kind of free and easy, unlike the previous I went for. Though the company wasn't as large as the previous one and the route was much simpler and short, to me, this night cycling was way better and way more enjoyable than before.

I was kind of fascinated while cycling because I wasn't expecting much people on a Tuesday night. Despite having to work the next day, there were still many people around Marina Bay and Clarke Quay, chilling after work. For me, I thought 12am would be kind of late for working adults already but they just proved me wrong after witnessing them still having drinks at about 1am. When I reached Kallang, I can't help but to be hit by a wave of nostalgia. Kallang has it's very own special place in my heart out of so many places in Singapore. It is a place where I have so many memories, all of which are held close to my heart. It is the place where I had my 1-star kayaking course which I'm not sure how I got my badge because I didn't complete my course, the place where I attended my first ever concert and the place where I first volunteered for a very meaningful sports event. It's weird to see how quiet Kallang is at night because every time I went there it would be filled with people whom would be busy doing their own activities.

I guess night cycling really does have it's pros and cons. Pros because you really get to experience Singapore in a way you don't experience every day when you go out. In the day, Singapore always seems so busy, everyone is always rushing here and there. At night, Singapore gets really quiet and it suddenly just feels like a very different side of Singapore which we don't get to enjoy it often because of our tiring schedule in the day. Cons... Well, I guess the thought of night cycling just sounds dangerous to me and when actually cycling at night, it feels dangerous too.

Other than having an alternate experience which adds up to why this was the best night cycling, the company was also the best. As mentioned, it wasn't a very big group it consisted of about only eight of us. The company felt cosy, it made me feel safe. With them around, I know that no matter what happens they will be there to hold me and protect me. While we were on our way back from Kallang to East Coast Park, there were very frequent lightning. I was kinda scared cause I really don't want to be struck by lightning but I felt relieved when my friend told me not to be silly cause the fact that we can't hear thunder means like the lightning is quite far away from us and the fact that I'm short is also safer for me because it means that I have a smaller possibility of getting struck by lightning. However the weather just got worse as we reached East Coast Park, the wind got super strong, it just felt like there was a tornado coming. We were all speeding on our bikes because we didn't want to be caught in the rain and everything was just crazy!! The trees were swaying so much, the leaves were busy rustling which sounded like it was raining at the seaside, the wind was like a portable natural air conditioner but was too cold for our comfort. Nevertheless, I guess this was the highlight of our night cycling, the part where I had so many emotions going through me.

We returned our bikes safely and found a shelter to settle down. It started raining and the lightning was crazy, striking every few minutes. It felt like having paparazzi in front of you with so much flashing of lights. I tried to video it down but it wasn't as magnificent as what you see in real life and I actually had one that was pretty cool cause I managed to video it when the lightning struck but it seems dangerous and if my parents ever sees it I'm gonna die. Well, the times spent in the shelter watching the rough waves and psychotic friends standing outside enjoying the overly strong sea breeze and braving the mad storm wasn't that bad after all. I had a great time thinking about life again while watching whatever was going on in front of me. I was reminiscing about school life with them and then it struck me that I will never be taught by the teachers back in ZHSS again.  I will never attend lessons with my friends again. I might not go to the same school as my friends. I will not get to meet them almost everyday anymore. The thought of having to meet new people and getting used to another new environment really scares and bores me.

As much as I don't want to move on from now, I know no matter what I still have to. With this bunch of friends I call my family, no matter how tough things are going to get for me, I know they will always have my back. Because of them, I gain strength to face whatever obstacle is in my way while growing up. Because of them, I truly grow and understand the real meaning of friendship.

"The measure of friendship is not its physicality but its significance."

Jing Yi