To Horlland at NUS: Part I

One fine day, Teck Beng, as usual, was clicking on his flyff hero, wandering around the virtual town when there was a call from the real world. "Eh, want to follow me to NUS or not", a gruff voice was heard. Without hesitation, Teck Beng replied with a meek "yes," as he had expected that the voice won't be please with a no for no reason.

"Ok, meet you in 2hours time. Help me find out the route to NUS." Being the diligent army boy, Teck Beng meticulously planned a route to sector D, otherwise known as NUS. "Hmm, let's see ah, this should be the best possible route. Ginway will be SO PLEASED," as Teck Beng thought to himself, with a smug grin. He had even meticulously wrote that every single checkpoint he would encouter along his perfect route. Of course, Murphy had a strange way of playing with fate.

At 1530hr, Teck Beng was unusually punctual. He leaned against the lamppost, expecting a car to come by and pick him up. Ten minutes later, he recognised a familiar face slowing down. Though the face is familiar, the hair is not.

As TB sat comfortably in the driver commander's seat, Gin Way commanded him not to sit down and lobo, but instead, being a signal vocation that TB was, to help him recce the way. "Wah, your street directory so outdated ah!? I use mine better!" as TB dug out the contents of his bag, which included an umbrella, a water bottle, a street directory and a map that any Geog teacher would be proud of.

"How my hair? Cool or not? (to TB, it appeared more like an ! instead). Do I look like a Japanese rocker? (!) " "Eh yeah" as TB glanced at his hair for a moment, then hurriedly studied the coordinates in fake concentration. (Although it kinda looked unkempt as TB's little voice thought inside).

"You not going by this way ah?" TB suddenly realised that Ginway was going by another way. "Yah, that way also can, go by Jln Eunos" Gulp. Teck Beng tried his utmost best to plan where was the vehicle going. After a short while, he steadied himself, trusting 100% in Ginway's driving skills while attempting to come up with another route.

Along the expressway, Teck Beng pondered to himself, not realising his surroundings too carefully. "Hmm, ok, you should go by Exit 15A through CTE" "Need to keep left or not?" "What?" "Need to keep left or not" "Eh...ya" To TB's horror, by the time he said yah, the sign Exit 15A was just to his left. "Eh, I think you miss the exit liao" "@#$@%", plus a few other forgettable words Ginway exclaimed.

"Ok never mind" TB said, trying to calm himself and Ginway. "We can always go by AYE" TB stared intently on the outstretched map in front of his lap. All seemed fine until the vehicle arrived near Margeret Road. "Eh, hurry up leh, tell me whether to keep left or centre" For a moment, TB's mind went blank and he softly said "Eh I dunno hold on.." "@#$@#$@$#@#$@#$!" Ginway immediately went to the nearby carpark and stopped his car for the moment. He grabbed the street directory and stared at it with him. "We are at this part now," TB pointed to the primary school next to him and on the map. "Eh zhun bo?" "Yeah" "So i go by this way lah" Ginway pointed to the road on the map. "Yeah"

Thus, the duo resumed their course, until TB realised that the place that they are going to involves a flyover to AYE that says "U/C". (@#$#@#$, TB thought to himself) Praying against all hope that it is constructed, TB closed his eyes and crossed his fingers for a moment. "Ah see, got to AYE sign..good" Ginway exclaimed, while TB heaved a silent sigh of relief. "Any more screwups and I will be outta the car" TB thought to himself.

Feeling slightly confident again, TB looked at the map again. This time he said, "Ok when you reach South Buona Vista Road, turn left and then turn right. Should be able to enter NUS liao" "Ok" Finally, TB can sit back and relax. "Turn left ah?" "Yah"

Both entered into a small narrow road. The moment TB said yah, he had a little sense of premonition that grew in intensity. He looked at the map and looked at his surroundings again. Weird. Why are there plants all over? The road had appeared seemingly correct, which was straight ahead.

"Turn left or stay ahead?" "Stay ahead". Later, he asked again, "Left or right?" "Right" They drove along until...they hit a dead end. Literally a dead end. They had followed a truck all the way to a dead end, where the lorry is busy unloading stuffs. "@#$@#$" GW exclaimed. Only much later did TB found out that the place he had just visited was the IMCB complex. To make things worse, Ginway had to reverse his car on a downslope with drains along the side. If he was careless, the both of them could spent the whole night training the muscles lifting the car (outta the drain, 500 kg each for a one tonne car)

Thankfully, heaven decided to be a little kinder. Shaken by his screwup, TB kept quiet as Ginway made his way back. "Should be the other path" tb said in a low voice. Ginway followed him...and ended up on some residential hall's carpark. "@#$@#$@$" was the response, "THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT I REVERSE TODAY !@#!@#!" as Ginway drove his car upslope and away from the hostel.

"Eh, you better be correct this time ah" "...yeah.." The only logical option left was an upslope road before they even came at the fork, at least, that was what TB had thought.....and both of them ended up at a carpark. By now, the reader would have known the response...

"Knn, I drive myself lah" Very soon, both ended up on the correct way as they sped past NUH. "Eh where are we now? Got see any big green field or not" Ginway asked his companion after some time. To his horror, TB realised that they went past the mark! To get past the field means that they had skipped a couple of Science Drives already! "Reverse!" Fortunately, this time, TB was correct. "Ok, after you see Medical Drive that road then turn right, then should be able to reach..."

"What talking you?"as Ginway looked to the right as TB was talking halfway. "Isn't that the Co-op bookshop?" The big words highlighting its presence was unmistakable. "Oh ya hor " "Wah lau, follow you ah, confirm horland again !!!" as Ginway went to the nearby carpark and stopped his car....

To be continued...