Prom Queen
The graduating students of Temasek Polytechnic can finally rejoice at the end of their perilous 3 year journey of frequently skipping lectures, 5-hour breaks, schoolboy crushes, first kisses, project bingeings, part time jobs for surplus pocket money, formal class presentations, 3-hour breaks, skipping lectures again and again, then the pinnacle final year project and now, the graduating class of 2002.
To commemorate their final sending off, the relevant school committees has planned a lavish dinner & dance at the grand ballroom befitting all manner of royalty at The Fullerton Hotel. The ballroom was transformed with nitty gritty details to ensure a memorable farewell for these hardworking students.
As I placed the programme guide at the centre of each round table, I smiled to the fact that in addition to a 10 course feast, there will also be the formalities of a photograph taking session, a final farewell speech, and to top it all off - a pageant to crown the school's Prom Queen for 2002.
I would very much love to be a spectator for the night, for I fear the embarrassment I'd have to face when all these gorgeously clad girls giggle past me, a simple waiter, and into the ballroom to their respective seats. I worry at the embarrassment of having to serve these fine looking boys and girls who are unaware that I'm only doing this whilst waiting to serve my mandatory 2 years for the country.
One by one, they start pouring into the ballroom, covered in their most coveted looking gowns and suits. Each of them looked trigged and polished with their best hair and new accessories. It was hard for me to concentrate on my job for I was drowned in a room full of 'Greek' muses. I looked left, then right, then left again as these ladies delivered me one knockout punch after another. But of course, I maintained my cool and did my job as professionally as possible.
The event went well as planned and after the entire 10 course feast had been served, us waiters stepped aside as the pageant began. There was much work needed to be done in the kitchen but I opted to stay on at the rear of the ballroom just in case someone needed another glass of water, or whatever issue that was within the jurisdiction of a ballroom waiter at the Fullerton.
Of course, you and me know, that the truth behind me opting to stay on was that I wanted to witness the pageant. Not only to ogle at the pretty looking things, but also to relive my memorable graduation that still lingered in my head though it has already been 1 whole year.
And so the top 5 beauties elect of TP catwalked their way up onto the stage and strutted their stuff to an overwhelming rapture of claps and whistles. I leaned onto the pillar as I scrutinized these babes one by one and it didn't take long for my heart to swallow whatever contestant number 4 had to offer.
The MC went on to explain that the Prom Queen will be crowned not only on her looks but also based on the manner in which they approach the questions posed to them. Once all 5 are done with the questions, the winner will be picked depending on how popular she is with the crowd at that Fullerton ballroom. To put it simply, the one that gets the loudest cheers wins.
I personally thought it was a rather biased approach to the crowning of the Queen for it somehow balls down to who has the most friends in attendance. But oh well, what could a measly waiter ask for and so I just continued allowing contestant number 4 to awe me into oblivion.
MC : Contestant number 1, could you step forward please...
Contestant 1 catwalked to the front portion of the stage to a thunderous applause before making her way toward the MC.
MC : Contestant number 1, could you tell us your name, faculty you are from and the inspiration behind your outfit?
Contestant #1 : Hi....My name is Shariffah and I'm graduating from the School of Business and my close friends are seated at table no 9!!
Shariffah waves in the direction of table number 9 and the girls at that table went bezerk with their shrieking.
MC : Wow, you got alot of friends over there huh. Okay, so tell us more about your chosen outfit today....
Shariffah : Well, as you can see, this red gown is from Chanel, a gift from my dearest Mum especially for this occassion. My shoes is actually from a boutique in Milan and I begged my darling sister to let me have it for the night. What do you think??
Shariffah went on to lament on her hair and expensive accessories but I chose to ignore her as soon as she started blabbering irritatingly like a spoilt brat. My eyes remained fixated on contestant #4.
MC : Contestant number 2, could you step forward please...
Contestant #2 catwalked to the front portion of the stage to an applause a decible less compared to Shariffah's before making her way toward the MC.
Contestant #2 :Hi everyone...my name is Sylvia from School of Design and the reason I chose this sexy black dress is *blah blah blah blah blahhhhhh.
Again I wasn't interested in lousy peppy answers along the lines of how great and how expensive and how exquisite they each looked in their chosen outfits. So again my eyes just went back to contestant # 4.
You see the reason why I'm very much drawn to the goddess that is contestant number 4 was that she effortlessly sweeps me off my feet with her natural beauty. She hardly had on any cosmetic on her flawless exterior. Yet single handedly she manages to pale out the other contestants who had on their Bobby Browns Estee Lauders.
And her dress, was all of just a simple rag looking brown chiffon garment that is wrapped around her dulcet and delicate body, fastened to her left hip via an unusual, unorthodox knot. There wasn't any diamantes or sequins to complement the general outlook of her dress and transform it into something complete but yet she looked breath taking and riveting in my eyes. Perhaps I'm just a simple man that is contented with the humble minimum that life had to offer.
For shoes, she had on a pair of matching brown high heeled leather sandals with straps that crept up her slender legs to form a perfect knot nestled just below her trembling knees. No diamonds, no elaborate designs, no traces of designer wear on contestant #4!
I completely forgot about what contestant #3 had to say but it was along the lines of the first 2 contestants.
MC : Contestant number 4, could you step forward please...
Contestant #4 coyly took small dainty steps forward as she tried to balance her high heels. In between her careful catwalk, she managed to slot in a meagre smile in between balancing her heels, teetering with a potential fall and striking a pose at the front end of the stage before making her way toward the MC.
Judging from the applause garnered, I could tell that she wasn't a crowd favourite. The only notable cheers that she got was probably from her geeky looking proud and faithful friends sitting at the far end of the ballroom at table number 29. Secretly, I clapped my hands so softly that surely only I could hear my undying attempt at supporting my contestant #4.
Contestant #4 : Hello to all in this ballrooom. My name is Farah and I'm from the School Of Design. About my dress (smiles abruptly while running her velvety palms across her hip area). Well my dress, as you can see may not be as ravishing compared to those sharing this stage with me but oh well....I'll let the 4 of them be the Cinderellas for the night for I'm just glad to be a simple Pocahontas...
Her reply blew me away for she effortlessly brushes aside any politically correct answer expected in a pageant.
As expected, it was never a surprise when the majority of the crowd rooted for Shariffah for she was one of the popular 'plastic' girls in the graduating batch of 2002. Nevertheless, my Pocahontas accepted the loss with grace and poise of a swan as she descended the stage and joined her friends at table 29.
The TP students rocked the dancefloor that night for a good 1 hour before the dinner and dance bowed down its curtains with a Lauryn Hill number titled 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'. I for one could definitely not take my eyes off contestant #4... the deserving Prom Queen for the night.
