A Friendship That Never Ends

A story of a Builder & a Teacher, they met after a while.

We have grown over the years and changed our forms but we remain the same person.

We were together in the same primary school Sekolah Tunku Abdul Malik in Kulim. Then another 5 years in Sultan Badlishah School.

Hamzah, our Chairman of a society in Sekolah Sultan Badlishah.

In 1997 we met for the first time since we left school at a gathering during the Kongsi Raya celebration (a joint celebration of Hari Raya Adilfitri عيد الفطر and Chinese New year) on 11 February 1997 at Kulim Rest House.

Of late some of us are having fun communicating via Facebook and the circle is getting bigger. We have friends commenting from Canada, Bangkok, Frankfurt, Singapore, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang and not forgetting Kulim. There are friends in other corners of this globe quietly observing us and have yet to voice out.

We enjoyed our school days......

I hope we will continue to see each other more often.

Good Bye Francois Gaille. May You Rest in Peace

What a sad day for me. I received a sms message this morning telling me that a friend of ours has left us forever.

We are going to miss you Francois Gaille.

We last met at a dinner here.

Let us pray that he will be in a better place now and may his soul rest in peace.

Au Revoir my friend.

My Secondary School - Pictures That Bring Me Memories

I always have an urge to enter the school whenever I pass by but never had the opportunity to do it. This urge has been there for 35 years ever since I left this school in 1975. That is a long long time.

I have befriended a Badlishian and a senior by the name of Mohd Faizul Abdullah formerly known as Puspa Kumar. He was a good athlete & was also the Deputy Head Prefect of the School in 1971.
In 2009 he visited the school and took some pictures of the school. He was kind enough to share his photographs for this posting. Thanks again to Puspa for his kind contribution.

The entrance of the school is too elaborate a simple entrance just like the old days would be nice and majestic by itself. It did not have to add all these gantries etc etc….. it looks bulky.

The rear of the school hall “Dewan Samsuddin” is where we would assemble and take group picture of the class.
The next picture is the science laboratory where we would carry out science experiments. We will always remember Mr. P.S. Rou in this part of the school it was like home for him. The tennis court next to the lab make it even more home for him. Unfortunately the court is no more there.

This is the inside of the hall where we sat for our examinations such as L.C.E and M.C.E. We watch the live telecast of the world heavyweight champion between Muhammad Ali and Joe Bugner in black & white. The date was 30 June 1975.

Outside the hall where we would practice our Tae Kwan Do during raining day. It was a good shelter, a good corridor and a memorable one.

Some of our teachers stayed at this quarter, my English Teacher Mr Victor Thambiah is one of them. I remember his Mini Cooper something like the yellow car (Kelisa) in the picture. The other teacher was the late Encik Ghafur whom like to wear a thick smell of perfume.

This is the spot we spent most of the last 2 years in this school. On the right was the Form 4’s row and left is the Form 5’s row. The court yard is another place we would practice our Tae Kwon Do.

This 6 steps stair was a stair which I was quite reluctant to use it because it leads you to a dentist. Now there is no dental care and the place has become a part of a canteen.

Next to the Teachers’ Room there is this AVA room which is still in existence.

Sekolah Menengah Sultan Badlishah

Jalan Lunas

Kelang Lama

Kulim, Kedah

GPS : 5.395,100.561835

Kentucky Fried Chicken for Lunch @ Setiawangsa, K.L.

My wife & these 2 boys had decided last night what to eat for Sunday afternoon. I have no voting right at all and was vetoed. Therefore, I had no choice but to follow them to KFC.

The mother was at the counter and the 2 greedy boys waiting patiently for their food.

Cheezy Wedges not for me.

Fun Fries – to fun out the lunch….

This is the meal the 3 of them have been talking about it last night. It is Colonel’s latest - Toasted Pocketful.

This pocket with interesting ingredients such as the Zinger Fillet, lettuce, corn kernels, crispy chicken strip, corn chips and cheese sauce wrapped in a tortilla (something like chapatti). The 3 of them enjoyed the food. I stole a bite and it was awesome.

As for me I prefer the ever original finger licking good Snack Plate with original Kentucky Fried Chicken a bit of coleslaw & mash potato. That will be fine.

Welcome Back Again Lum Fook Leong

We were classmates reading Diploma in Building Technology at Tunku Abdul Rahman College and graduated in 1981. Besides meeting annually for a reunion dinner, we occasionally meet up for drinks & makan. Today is specially for Lum Fook Leong.

It is unbelievable that Fook Leong has suffered a stroke 3 years ago and has been recuperating in Kuching all this while. Last night we had a chance to meet up with him again at Oversea Restaurant (PJ), Asia Jaya. The last time we met was at King Crab on 14 September 2007. See here.

I am amazed with Fook Leong’s strong determination and courage despite being handicapped with this fate. I wish him all the best and continue to brave on this difficult time so that he can get better soon. And I believe he can.

We talked a lot that night, we enjoyed the food & ironically we still drink maybe it is okay on a moderation scale.

We have to be careful with our life style especially at our age. The trouble with us we constantly procrastinate the change.

Lost & Found After 35 Years - Another Reunion

My mission of locating old friends is becoming fruitful recently. I have reconnected several Malay friends from my secondary school which I never thought of rekindling this friendship. I am glad we did and I believe more would surface.

I have failed to meet up with him during last Chinese New Year gathering in Kulim but yesterday I was able to meet him at Restoran Haslam for a lunch. He is none other than Mr. Ronald Koh (seated on the left). I also managed to meet another Badlishian by the name of Tony Decosta (standing on the left). He is from the same year from Sultan Badlishah School too but I have no recollection of this man for this moment of time. Brian Koh brought him along to surprise Ronald. Though we had a short lunch but it was a good reunion of its kind in KL. Ronald has to rush to catch a plane back to Penang. We shall meet again.

Glugor English School, Penang - My First School

I have never attended any preschool before. I was put straight into a primary school in Penang in 1965. The name of this school was formerly known as “Glugor English School” and now it has renamed it as SK Bukit Gelugor.
I was 7 year old then going for my first year of education. The school is about 3 miles from my house in Green Lane. I spent 3 years in this school then I moved over to Kelang Lama, Kulim to continue at Sekolah Rendah Tunku Abdul Malik.

My recollection of this school is poor or near negligible. I could only remember going to school using a box bag made of card board and has to eat a red coloured egg on the first day to school. I used to travel in a big vintage car (instead of Bas Sekolah) with big rear seat where a wooden bench “bangku” served as additional row of seat. It must have ferried quite a number of small pupils to school in that vintage car.

There were photographs taken during my years in Gelugor but unfortunately I do not have any. I just wish I could view them again. If there is anyone reading this and possesses such class photos during 1965 – 1967 please share with me.

SK Bukit Gelugor

Jalan Yeap Chor Ee

11900 GelugorPulau Pinang

Tel: 04-658 3823

Fax: 04-658 3823

E-mail : admin@skbukitgelugor.com
GPS : 5.376085,100.302549