This is a photo of the door of my old flat at Boon Lay, taken recently on my nostalgic trip to Singapore a few months ago.
It was like a club-cum-hideout for my ex- Jurong Secondary School 'urchins'. They looked after the flat and our two cats when I was teaching in Brunei, Akim was studying in London and emak was living part-time with my sister and family at Batu Pahat. Emak loved coming back, it was after all her home. And she enjoyed doting on the kids with her cooking. They were like her own.
Other than the usual nonsense that kept these teenagers together they played out their friendship and camaraderie in gin rummy.
At that time, green was the colour of the door at 15-89.
Lately, while going through my rummage case I discovered this Jotter Book.
The Incriminating Evidence As for the characters in this Annual Gin Rummy Book, do note how they diplomatically changed 'old' to 'longest living' to describe Yours Truly, the 'owner, sponsor, heroine'. Bl...y Hell, I was only 36 then, younger than they are today. Prats!!!
All the other subsidiary characters or "menginding-ers" are still alive and kicking, spread out from London to Oman, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. They are still plagueing my life and I relish watching them growing old - their one main fear then. But they're still my 'rascals' no matter how aged and decrepit they get.
Lely, Ben and Irene
A most recent picture of Yuwrajh with his former JSS schoolmate Rukhsana who made a brave move from being an engineer to one of Singapore's well-known cooks. Look her up in this
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ANNUAL GIN RUMMY BOOK
The battle between Maznoor, Ben and Yuwrajh
The Titans - Ben, Din and YuwrajhTHE END
Thank you kids. You made teaching a most satisfying and happy experience for me. And you have grown and done me proud.
Viva Gin Rummy!!!
I am still adamant that I did not CHEAT !!
ReplyDelete..I can still kick all of your butts.
Oh my...what a sudden rush of memories looking at those photos and my idiotic ramblings..
*covers face in embarrassment*
My dear AsH, i remember those days where the loser had to make coffee and it was during that time you taught us to put condensed milk and milo on white bread, really yummy.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for the weekend tip -1589. If kena i'll belanja roti prata and teh tarik at TTT.
Ben,
ReplyDeleteThe past will always catch up on you. You do cheat at GR - you admit it on the dossier. You embarrassed? But your ramblings are well-said. You should have been a journalist or a writer.
Dear Datin Yoko Ono,
ReplyDeleteYou do have a special gene in you that sees and remembers food all of the time.
I'd forgotten about teaching you lot the joy of condensed milk/milo on white bread. Was it part of the English Composition lesson at JSS? ha ha
Hiya Sis!
ReplyDeleteThe things that you pull out from your memory bag amazes me. Salaam to yourself and the kilted man.
Dear Adik AG,
ReplyDeleteLovely to 'see' you again. I am not known as the 'Wicked Witch from the West' (west as in geographical location, not cultural) for nothing.
You arrived just in the nick of time before I start banging on ZO's blog. I've been sending e-mails to your good wife but they've been returned to sender.
Where art thou?
dear AsH [and her boon-lay gin gang],
ReplyDeletei'm enjoying this entry more than usual because of the fun of trying to "read" more into those jottings.
fancy myself a bit of an amateur hw-reader, you see. took it up as a hobby a couple of decades ago when still in school. it made for a great crowd-magnet at parties. i remember it was also a great help in second-guessing the predispositions of my teachers, an extra learning that was as much fun as it was useful. ;D
Phew! mekyam,
ReplyDeleteAm so glad you were not one of my students. Second-guessing the pre-dispositions of the teachers?
My students always knew when they would have a bad day with me. That is when I wear a particular batik kebaya - they only told me that after they'd left school.
I've discarded that kebaya - that's why I'm such a sweet old lady now!!!
I'm glad you appreciate their jottings - they were a unique bunch of people. When, in my career, I was kicked sideways to teach at the pukka Anglo-Chinese Junior College, I informed the smug and rich middle class twats during the GP (General Paper) class that I had left behind some very imaginative and bright youngsters - even though they were not born with a silver spoon - in what they would regard as a sink school, they did not like it one bit. But it was worth it just to see their sulks.
And you are always full of surprises -an amateur hw-reader!!
:D have enjoyed the post as well as the comments.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jooli. Good to see you again.
ReplyDeleteowh.. by the way.. "tumpang lalu.. hehe"
ReplyDeletewaahhh,... looks like i left behind oredy .. haiz.. goin to cath up all the post till the latest hehe..
ReplyDeletethe 1980's clash.. still not yet born heheh.. Ondaway i think haha
Good to hear from you Helas.
ReplyDeletePeople born after 1980 are just as troublesome.
Ouch.. its hurt heheh.. but no fun if no troublesome =) hehe
ReplyDelete