Jaz Me

I am Mohamad Hijazi.Affectionately known to many as Jaz.For the uninitiated,Jaz can be pronounced as “Just” as in “Just Do It”.It’s been years and yes,people still cannot pronounce my name on their first try.

I am a Pisces man of utmost sensitivity and tender loving warmth.At least that’s what women thought of me initially.Born into a fun loving family on a Monday morning of March the 9th 1981,under the hospitality of Toa Payoh Hospital at 0017 hours.

I’ve been living up North for almost a large portion of my life.Started in Toa Payoh…shifted to Ang Mo Kio…Yishun…Yishun again and finally to Woodlands.Got a feeling I will be shifting soon enough again to a new home of my own.I got my guerrilla education in a school called Kebun Baru Primary for my first 3 tender years,by which I was class monitor,choir member,assistant head librarian and an integral member of my class for three years.I was the smartest Malay boy walking around the hallowed halls of the school,and was known throughout as the “Walking Dictionary”.No kidding.My vocabulary bank was that of those in Primary Six then.I represented the school in numerous poetry and essay recitations competitions.I shifted school to Jiemin primary after I moved to Yishun.Spent the first six months in and out of school,faking illnesses to absent myself.I only got acclimatised after my mid year exams.I formed an all boys clique for my Primary 4 level maned the Red Spiders and we always fought against the girls of the Black Widows,during recess.I was the leader and strategist by virtue of my craftiness and wit.In Primary 5,I was elected to be a prefect and class monitor.I was an active member of my Malay Language society,picking up on where I left off in my previous school.It was also during that year,I got myself married in a mock ceremony,for the school concert,to a girl that admired me so much.

Anyway,that was pretty much the gist of my primary school years.I turned out a 242 aggregate score for my PSLE that had me set my feet ashore Ang Mo Kio Secondary School where everything that was about to change,did so.In chronological order of big events:-

1994 -

• Met Kai,Azmi and the late Zahid on my first day
• Enrolled for Malay Language Society
• Got into soccer
• Formed my own soccer class team with me as Captain

1995 -

• Played a more active role in Malay Language Society
• Still enjoying soccer

1996 -

• Had my first relationship that lasted three weeks
• Began to fail Mathematics
• Still enjoying soccer
• Beginning to admire more girls
• Attended the camp that will eventually led me to my wife

1997 -

• Utter chaos
• Lost count of the number of relationships
• Lost interests in studies
• Then girlfriend,who is now my wife,left me 2 months before the O levels
• Did my O levels haphazardly
• Don’t know what to do with Life
• Went for mini pilgrimage

Things became a bit stabilized after 1998.After not being admitted to become a paramedic,after seeking a vocation,I applied for a technical education in ITE Dover.Studied Mechatronics.Life was blissful.Got myself a relationship that lasted,amidst turbulence,7 years,gained a sense of image and confidence…

to be continued