Note: I need to explain our high system here in Ontario,
Canada. The system when I was in high school worked liked this.
Normally we need 30 credits to graduate from high school, which
is in grade 12. However, if you want to enter university, you
need to take another year in high school and have 6 OAC credits
(I forget its full name). Since not everyone is entering
university, not everyone is taking their fifth year in high
school. As a result, our prom tradition is that we are having our
prom in grade 12 and not in OAC and this is why I am still
talking about our high school later in this novel after the prom
in this chapter.
By 2002, high schools in Ontario will no
longer have OAC level and students will enter university after
their grade 12 studies.
Also, I mentioned summer school in this chapter. You may take an extra course for credit in July, and combining with night school, you can earn enough credits so that you can enter university one year earlier.
Hey Kenny, are you going to the prom? Howard asked
this sometime in early June.
I'm not very interested in those stuff. Probably not
going.
Come on boy. You can dance to the beat and meet some cute
girls.
What kind of person do you think I am?
Oh well. Sorry for insulting you. But do you think you are
going?
No thanks."
Soon everyone was asking if someone was going to the prom and
I was no exception to this. I was getting very disturbed to those
kind of questions. After about a week I bumped into Howard in the
hallway.
"Hey Kenny, are you sure you are not going to the
prom?"
"Nope."
"You can request song for the prom. I wonder if someone will
request Butterfly." Said Howard.
I knew that he is using DDR to lure me to the prom.
"Oh. I need to hurry to class, see you later." I told
Howard ignoring what he said.
During lunch time I saw Bing in the school library and he
asked me the same question: Are you going to prom? This time, I
was not as sure as I used to be.
"Seemed like everyone is going." I told myself.
After I got home after school, Rage called my home.
"Hey Kenny."
"What?"
"Don't worry. This is not DDR-related. I just want to find
someone to chat."
"I have a question to ask you." I asked. "Should I
go to the prom?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"Someone declared that he is going to request some pop stuff
like Butterfly, Kung Ku Fighting, Have you Never
Been Mellow (They are licensed DDR songs),etc."
"Is that your problem?" said Rage. "Just go to the
dancefloor and dance. However, this time do not use the
DDR-style you have learnt. You may want to pretend you don't know
how to dance and that's fine. The key point is do not use DDR
moves. The audience is not ready for this."
"Thanks for your advice." I said. "So are you
going to your prom?"
"Me? I'm grade 11 and how do I go to the prom?"
"Sorry I forgot."
For some reasons I had managed to purchase the tickets on the
final day of sale for forty dollars. The date of the prom is on
June 28th, which is a Thursday. The exam was over and before
summer school started we had nothing to do. I was sitting at home
a couple of days before the prom when Rage called me.
"Kenny, is the exam over? If so then come out."
"Playdium right?" I said.
"No, to a café and just chat." said Rage. "Emi
and Howard will be coming. We are going to that bubble tea café
in Golden Square and possibly spend some time in Playdium. I want
to try out their new flavor."
"You are so obsessed with Asian culture. Are you an Asian? Gwai
Lo." I said. Rage is a white.
"Gwai Lo." Rage laughed. "There is a DDR team
called Team Gwai Lo based in Ottawa. Visit them at www.teamgwailo.com."
"I will."
When I arrived to the café. Rage and Emi were there.
"Kenny, haven't see you quite a while." Said Emi.
"It is. So what's going on."
"Well. Exam is over." Rage said. "Let's forget
about school until summer school starts. By the way, Kenny, you
told me that you are going back to Hong Kong in August,
right?"
"I am. I wonder what is new in Hong Kong."
"The first one you will see is when you arrive in Hong Kong,
the new Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok). You told
me that you departed from the old airport called Kai Tak in city
center." Emi laughed.
"And I hope you have enough luck to see a DDR 4th Mix.
Hundred plus songs." Rage added.
"Yes. Hope I can see it. And here comes Howard." I
said.
"Hey guys. It's me Howard."
"Have a seat." Said Emi. "What would you
like?"
"Melon bubble tea."
After our drinks had arrived, Rage started. "T heard
Kenny talking about the prom. So, Howard, are you going?"
"Yea, and"
"It is he who drags me to the prom." I interrupted.
"So what? You bought the ticket by yourself." Howard
said.
"It is you, along with peer pressure, who make me bought the
prom tickets."
"You can choose not to buy it."
"Do I have a choice?"
"Whatever the case it is, Bing also bought the ticket."
"Does that matter to me? Bing bought the ticket or what is
not my business!"
"Howard and Kenny, did you hear about the story about a
new DDR in the US?" Rage said, trying to change the subject.
"Never heard of that." I said.
"A sequel to that 1.5 Mix?" Emi said.
"Sort of." Rage said. "But it consists not only
from 2nd Mix but also 3rd Mix, and there is a Playstation
following by."
"So we will see Electronic Boutique selling dance pads
soon." Emi added.
"And we may see everyone talking about DDR." Howard
said.
"One word: unimaginable." I said.
"True. I thought this game would only stayed in Japan when
my sister told me that in late 1998." said Emi.
"But we still only have one place to play in
Mississauga." I said.
The place I was talking was, of course, Playdium. After we
killed some time in the café we decided to go to Playdium for
some exercise, namely DDR games.
"The 1.5Mix has been here for a while." Emi said.
"I doubt Playdium will get an upgrade anytime soon. I know
that Playdium has a habit of not using Japanese
import." I replied.
"What I see is that HipHopMania and DDR has exchanged spots
and there is a new Guitar Freak." Rage said.
"Emi. Give me a shot." Rage said.
Rage and Emi stepped on the stage and started dancing.
"There they go." Howard said, then looked at the Guitar
Freak game.
"I wonder if anyone will play this." I said.
Soon it was my turn. During a song I lost my balance and fell on the stage with my face landing on the screen. Emi, Rage and Howard were all watching he fell over. This was an embarrassing moment for all. At least my friends were not laughing at me and I did not receive any scratch on my forehead. However, I stopped playing DDR for that day.
