She Says:

        Is it a slow transitional process, or is there one defining moment? Most importantly, have we even lost it?

        Unlike the guys, we don't have an enriching (or harrowing) NS (National Service) experience for us to point our dainty fingers to, so it makes the chances of living through that once-in-a-lifetime braving rain and storm in a pitch black jungle, as a specific turning point in life, even lower.

        Instead, what we have is a somewhat smooth journey as compared to the boys - filling our pre-university days with internships, part time jobs, and traveling the world before school actually starts.

        Even when that begins, the world of lectures, running to print notes, rushing our tutorial readings on the bus - they all seem to flow rather neatly right into the crevices of our lives without any traumatic hiccup.

        If losing 'youth' is losing that age of innocence, gaining that burden of adulthood that comes hand in hand with financial responsibility and generally, growing aware of the sordid world outside ourselves, then I would say that we lose our youth in bits and pieces, as we give it away slowly, and perhaps unknowingly.

        One of those pieces could have been that OCIP (Overseas Community Involvement Programme) trip where a newfound responsibility to help the less fortunate blossomed; another could have been that 6-month internship before university, where disillusionment with the world of office politics settled in; or it could simply have been those nights at the end of clubbing, where the thought of another Friday night at Zouk draws out a less than enthusiastic response and mellow chill out bars become the new hangout instead. The contexts, which could induce females to feel as if their youth is slipping away, are endless.

        It is these seemingly small experiences that culminate, slowly chipping away the idealism and fervor that are associated with our youth. However, is it necessarily a bad thing, and is there a cure?

        Sure, all these new stages of awareness might be daunting and depressing at first - I mean, who really wants to grow conscious of the fact that in a mere few years' time, most of us will be holding a stable job, paying house bills, and perhaps even having a responsibility for children somewhere in the blurry future?

        Just the thought of these responsibilities seems to be able to suck all the fun out of our present lives, yet I believe that the most definitive part about 'Youth' - the wonderment of life - does not have to be lost in that process.

        Being able to stop and appreciate the little things in everyday life: looking up at the cloud-streaked sky on a bleary Monday morning to find yourself brightening up instantaneously; finding joy in discovering the best bak chor mee in town; discovering that perfect song to suit your mood; laughing uninhibitedly with a group of friends; and even skipping out of school (or workplace) on a Friday evening, the sense of joy and wonder one gets whilst doing all these, whether conscious or not, is a part of our youth that cannot be lost so easily.