Games Carnival, day four, 2009, was a start of a new tradition. Now, every morning before the wonderful battle of the houses began, all houses must unite at Cempaka Avenue for none other than the daily assembly. Attendance was taken, announcements made with everyone excited and pumped up for the day ahead, impatient to be released onto the field (or to the hall for some).

Enough about assembly and on to the core of the whole event – the games. It was the day for football 9-a-side, 5-a-side, netball and girls badminton. I was playing netball so I spent a good while at the other end of the field where the netball games were going on. The grass was wet as expected and the sun was at its height. Ironically no matter how hot it got the grass remained wet as if rain poured down every five minutes just to make sure our socks remained soaked. The games were pretty friendly; I would say a notch down from last year’s drama. Of course there were some tempers and disappointments but for most it was good fun.

In terms of support though, I would say football dominated. Not only did the huge 9-a-side football field made the netball court look pathetic, but the spacious sidelines seemed to be an attraction for the fan clubs. Some would take football as the highlight of the day while others thought it’s overrated but during the games, everyone was on board with cheering and chanting in support. Whether the players could hear us or not was a different matter but I suppose it’s nice to think we made a difference.

I missed 5-a-side football and girls badminton because I can only be in so many places at one time but I’m sure everyone was at the top of their game. Helang managed to win the last deciding badminton match against Beruang which made them recurring champions of girls badminton. After all the games were over the rain took its cue. Everybody was covered in a mix of sweat, dirt and mud, gathered in groups by the poolside, just settling down and regaining their will to move. The atmosphere made a switch from a bright sunny day with lots of noise and movement to a gloomy afternoon with half drained people all taking shelter from the rain.

Looking back, everyday of Games Carnival was different and yet, the same. Day four was just like any other games carnival day but still different, comprising of its own series of events and emotions. Definitely one of the good ones and a day to remember.