I studied at Belvedere School from 1969-1974. It was atop a hill and a stone throw's away from MOE at Kay Siang Road. The school closed down and its site is now part of Crescent Girls' School. What do I remember fondly of my years there? Many of us pupils walked through Crescent Girls' School to get to our school until and I was always curious with what was going on in the classrooms as we passed by during their curriculum hours. This daily routine made me desire to go to CGS after my PSLE but I did not qualify. I regarded all the pupils there as my 'big sisters' even though I only knew one of them. I remember meeting up with her during recess for chats. The school premise was interesting to me as I had to walk up a long slope from Tanglin Road or climb up two long flights of steps if coming up from CGS. A terrace was cut through on the slope and this was where we played games and had our assembly in the morning and after recess. From this terrace we also watched the CGS softball team train and had games. My friends and I heard that CGS was strong in softball and I was in awe to see the girls 'roughing' it out. We had a big field at the foot of the hill for PE and House practices. The field was a nightmare for the next few days after a shower or a downpour. Our shoes would be so dirty from the mud that it would take me a hard time to wash them and have them white-polished to hide the mud stains. The House practices were fun as we got to meet pupils from different classes and we trained as a House. Thus on Sports Day, there was a lot of competition among the Houses to win the challenge trophy. The House system created a sense of belonging. Once for PE lesson, my male teacher got creative by making us race up a slope and down again in a relay. We helped to push or pull each other up. I also remember wearing bloomers for PE. They were comfortable and decent when doing stretches. We also had a basketball court. I always looked forward to having PE on hard and dry surface as compared to the uneven ground of the field. The court was also the focal point for National Day celebrations. Every year we had mass drills and performances there and all classes were lined around the court. I can't remember now whether the mass drills were held during National Day or Children's Day. I remember participating in a mass drill in one year and a dance performance when I was in Primary Three. I remember the latter clearly that the dance teacher was my Primary Two form teacher, Miss Wei, because that was when I learned some ballet movements. Being in these performances taught me the importance of teamwork and practices, and not letting your team down. Recess was something I looked forward to to eat my favourite foods. I was given daily pocket money of only 20 cents but with that I could get a piece of cream cake or a curry puff and a drink. We had a 'kacang putih' man in the canteen too and I would try to save some pocket money to buy nuts on some days, my favourite being the sugar-coated peanuts and fried chick peas. The school was a long block of four floors of classrooms and the canteen attached to it. The office was on the ground floor with the Primary One classes. If your classroom was located at the other end facing the CGS field, you had to take a long walk to the canteen. There are so many fond memories but the last one I would like to share is the flag-raising ceremony I had when I was in Primary Six. Our cohort had the privilege of having it next to the canteen. Our principal, Miss Yeo, a pint-sized feisty lady in cheongsam as her daily attire, addressed us before our PSLE. I remember her mantra: Where there's a will, there's a way. I do not have any photo as nobody had a camera and taking photos was never a culture in my school, whether among the pupils or by the school. I miss my primary school years. Thank you. (Collected from HDB for SG Heart Map, an SG50 signature programme)