Standard 4 is when the real action unfolded

Now in Standard 4, wow what a year! I remember my teacher being a real gem of a lady and it was a time when classmates had got to know each other so much better. That we were now in Upper Primary school, brought on such a feeling of seniority, my confidence received a great boost.

Like I said, we had a great teacher (I'm not mentioning any names to avoid identity issues) and I did better that year in school than I ever had. I was in the top 10 in class and earned my efforts a pair of roller-skates from dad. Having learnt how to roller-skate that year from a second pair my brother brought home from somewhere. I learnt to skate much quicker than him because I was 10 and he was 19. I learnt from the Beijing Olympics 2008 that motor-coordination skills change drastically after the age of 16, bringing truth to this childhood memory.

Anyway, as that great year in school drew to a close, a funny friend in class had come across a children's story called "The Unsmiling Princess". The tale was about a really morose princess who never smiled no matter how funny the situation presented. So her father the King invited subjects from all over the land to try to make his Princess smile. I don't recall if her hand was offered in marriage if anyone succeeded or if heads would roll if not.

So my funny friend was appointed Princess, and me and another girl as her hand-maids. Hand-maid's main duty was to powder Princess' face. I remember my mother making the blue dress I wore as hand-maid. I wore my hair long then, rolled up in curled locks.

It was a great little sketch, and I was beginning to get more comfortable on stage, and stage front too, at that.