Shed a Tear

Here's one of my old favorites that never ceases to make me think back in time and recall wonderful moments and people ...


... Memorable occasions with our many past highly respected and dedicated competent Christian principals(Some of them were Reverend Father Brian Taylor of Oxford, London whom my immediate family members would never forget for many reasons, Mr. Nigel Heyward of Tasmania, Australia whom many Columbans loved and Miss Leonie Kathreen Armour of Melbourne, Australia who was my principal for six years and was much loved as well). Our assemblies in our Mission school, Saint Columba's School --one of the top schools in academic (Senior Cambridge School Exams) and extra-curricular activities!) always began with the respectful rendition of the national anthem, 'Negara Ku", followed by the lusty singing of our school song-Between the hillside and the sea/We work and play here in harmony/May steadfast service and loyalty/Bring wider vision of unity ...

Throughout the years in our assemblies, we had announcements and Christian sermons, ending with the unforgettable "Lord Dismiss Us". The first two stanzas were sung when school reopened and the last two stanzas were solemnly sung by us before we went back to our classrooms. Here is the song. Yes, I can shed a tear listening to the meaningful hymn ... and remembering many old Columban classmates and buddies I have lost along the way ...

Jamail Ali, Musa Talip, Lai Hii Man, Lai Teck Soon, Liew Joon Chiang, Austin Lim, Anne Yapp, Nancy Yapp, Jackson Brooke, Pui Chin Chiat, Jamilah Piee, Zaiton Davidson, Stanley Liew, Charles Fam, Alan Ku, Albert Yapp, Chong Yuk Min and others including a warm Malay girl whose name I can't recall right now-will add in later ... (Update: Hasnah Hisham) ... I know all of you are up there smiling down on us ...

My Dream Job

I have often wondered what would have happened if I had fulfilled my desire to be a radio deejay, way back in the 80s when I arrived in Camrose to do my college studies. I recall on the first day of orientation I submitted a request to join the campus station, much to the increduility of the volunteer failitator! It wasn't her fault that she had this stereotypical view that a Chinese needed English lessons and not be speaking English so much, moreover, publicly!

Months passed by and I kept making inquiries about radio work but was told there were no available spots at that time. It was disappointment after disappointment and there I was, with my many music casettes (In those days, who had heard of cds?)! These casettes omprised of English hits albeit mostly oldies with some commtemporarily hits. It was a dream to share songs and tell the significance of each of them in a bygone early post-British colonial era ... somewhat a nostalgia trip down memory lane. It would have been marvelous fun using a wide range of my vocal capabilities, trained in years of school, church carolling and choir practices, from being a tenor to a bass vocalist, and yes, I would love to ape the speaking style of my "mentor", the one and only controversial Malaysian radio dj, Patrick Teoh (Have a look in Youtube). Yeah, done probably in a little more courteous and less obnoxious way, of course! Besides, a year in demanding talented Professor Robert Moore's nerve-wrecking Drama 260 with the best of the best of Albertan dramatists broadened my thinking and improved my speaking skills, from enounciation to pronounciation!

Well, it didn't happen. I never sat in the coveted deejay seat and go live on air ... but I did sit in the chair on the first day of orientation! I did get a near shot at the dream job once--on a really cold freezing winter 11 pm night ... when I got a call from one of the station fellas, asking, "Hey, we have a spot for you tonight--the deejay can't make it--wanna come and join us?" "No,Thank you," I quickly politely replied. I was warmly tucked in bed and hell, it was somewhat minus 40 degrees with that dreaded wind blowing strongly outside. "No way, that station is out there, about three soccer fields away!" I reasoned. Not long after this, I was gone from this college and at university many kilometers away in the capital city, Edmonton.

Oh well, perhaps someday, Malayia will be more liberal and permit private radio stations to open and operate freely... then our talents will be recognised!

Bloody Tale of a Canadian Bust

Out in Edmonton, Alberta is a statue of a naked female torso ...
It belongs to me ...
and I would love to have it back ...
Where it is & who has it
I know not now ...
I recall leaving it in the basement of a wooden house ....
But here's the bloody tale related to it...


It was a bitterly cold snowy day
and there was this often said words
"The wind chill factor ..." made it like hell was on ice
but coming from a hot tropical climate it was close to heaven!

There was this middle age Canuck
a mommy who tried hard to finish a sculpture
so that she would get her grade in Art & Design ...
It was not an easy task
as the wood sawing machine was old & its blade was blunt .,.

So I had carpentry experience before in school
doing well in the subject ...
and I helped her to carve the tiny piece she wanted ...

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain & soon realised that my near-severed fourth finger ...
was dangling from my hand ...
There was no medical aid noticeable at the U of A woodwork place
& the instructor wasn't around after preparing the sawing machine for us ...
so in mad pain I held onto my finger & dashed out to the nearest medical clinic on campus
just 50 yards away ...
without proper winter attire out in the cold
I could feel my body freezing as the Chinook wind blew hard ...
I stumbled, slipped and fell twice on the slippery icy walkway as I ran with my blood flowing freely,
dripping, dripping everywhere from my hand ...

Soon I was given several stitches & had the day off to rest in bed at home!
In gratitude, the lady presented me with the bust of herself when we parted at the end of our Art & Design class ...
& the instructor made my time (& pain) worthwhile by giving me a 'B" for excellence in Art & Design work after purchasing my wooden sculpture with a fee months later ...

Coming up ... pic of the charming lady sculpturing herself ...