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!

A haunting Song

There're times when out of the blue a song with a catchy tune or back-up keeps ringing in our ears. We just can't get it out of our head and we keep humming or singing it at times without thinking!

Well, here's one song that somehow makes me stay wide awake in bed when it is played on my radio...Right now my favorite radio station is a Tauranga one-not just because of its horoscope or historical reviews-as it plays many memorables hits that warms the cockles of my heart....touches my soul...

Here's my latest fave, lyrics from Leona Lewis' Better in Time:

Its been the longest winter without you
I didnt know where to turn to
See somehow I cant forget you
After all that we've been through
Go in, come in
Thought I heard a knock
Who's there?
No one
Thinking that I deserved it
Now I realize that I really didnt know
You didnt notice,
You mean everything
Quickly I'm learning, to love again
All i know is, Imma be ok
Thought I couldnt live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too
It'll all get better in time
Eventhough I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause
I deserve to
It'll all get better in time
how could I turn on the tv
Without something there to remind me
Was it all that easy
to just put aside your feelings
if I'm dreaming
Don't wanna let, hurt my feelings
But that's the path, I believe in
and I know that,
time will heal it
You didn't notice, you mean everything quickly im learning,
to love again
All I know is, Imma be ok
thought I couldnt live without you
it's gonna hurt when it heals to
It'll all get better in time
Eventhough I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to
It'll all get better in time
Since there's no more you and me
It's time I let you go so I can be free and live my life how it should be
No matter how hard it is I'll be fine without you, yes I will
Thought I couldnt live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too
It'll all get better in time
Eventhough I really love you
uim gonna smile cause I deserve to
It'll all get better in time
(chorus till fade)

The Best Bigot Awards

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I was just preparing The Best Bigot Awards for the two Members of Parliament Syed Hood Syed Edros, M.P. for Parit Sulong (left) and Mohammad Aziz, M.P. for Sri Gading (right)who raised the sensitive religious issue in parliament recently of the placement of crucifixes in mission schools and the influence of the Church. However, it seems that sometimes the evil that men do will have a positive outcome.

The defacto law minister Nazri has denounced the matter of touching the issue following, justifiably, the public outcry over the cheap remarks by the two ignorant parliamentarians.

This brings up the question as to who is responsible for what is happening in the mission schools these days.

It has now come to Malaysians' attention that there are some fishy things going on quietly in the mission schools in West Malaysia such as the enforced decision to get them to remove these symbols.

Interestingly, there is a growing placement of Malay students in mission schools, even in East Malaysia. Many other non-Malays attempt to unsuccessfully enroll to study in these schools as well. Yet, despite this complimentary-perhaps- fact, Malaysian mission schools with the grace of Christ still produce outstanding results, despite the attractions or as some see it, enticements to other special institutions of some of the brightest students by the government...

So after years of Merdeka (Independence) and tolerance of many people and many things... today, the world will see that there are bigots in Malaysian society who are increasingly stripping the values of the Rukun Negara (Constitutional Beliefs) away.

If the Ministry of Education is implicated it must explain itself. If the Minister himself is implicated, as a gentleman, do something truly honorable for once. Maybe he ought to apologise or even resign.

If the ministry doesn't explain itself satisfactorily, it will prove to many that there is a sinister conspiratorial clandestine motive in whatever the government is doing these days in advancing an Islamic agenda in Malaysian society. It will only be seen as undermining the peaceful religions of others.

In fact, it can be so obviously blatantly seen and heard over the airwaves with breaking round the clock religious messages to everyone, particularly youngsters who listen to the radio for modern music and news . It has never been like this in the past since Independence, and yet slowly but surely, there are attempts to brainwash other Malaysians by questionable subtle means.

It is therefore possible that a positive outcome will be the result of the opening of the mini Malaysian Pandora's box by some UMNO bigots.

I hopefully pray so.

Come to think of it, I won't award them the awards of bigotry because they have galvanised Malaysians to speak out. Indeed, it has gotten many Malaysians to speak out, more than some of the elected representatives who lack guts. Just read the comments in the hugely popular Zorro Unmasked blog. It's increasingly more of a reason for me to cast my vote for the Opposition in the coming election.

His name is Patrick Teoh. Known also as The Voice (He claimed he was crowned this title following an incident whereby he said something out of the blue and those present called him The Voice ever since) for his deep Pavarotti voice and natural English enunciation, he had a huge following in Malaysia. Some would hate this controversial radio deejay; others would love him when he hosted some of the morning shows on Radio 4 before Traks FM appeared.

Need I say that long before he became a long term fixture on the Rhythm of the Nation show, he was already a rising star of the Cool and Swinging Show...and The True and Amazing Facts Show (I heard about the latter and frankly, I haven't listened to it before).

Why was he so controversial?

He was outspoken, opinionated (too highly opinionated to some!), brash and blunt at times. Some said he was rude and obnoxious which would be debatable.

I liked him the way he was and saw him in the former description as outspoken, opinionated, brash and blunt. It's honesty at its extreme. Nevertheless, it was therapeutic for many, I believe.

Consider the sort of listeners he had in a time when Big Brother ruled with a big stick: Boring shows were the norm of the day. Interaction with the Malaysian public was a new phenomenon and this was skilfully molded by him into absolutely highly rated entertainment for everybody.

Folks from all walks of life and I include a certain buddy of mine who was a top sales rep in Miri loved to phone up and talk whatever topics Pat had in his Rhythm of the Nation shows. Alas! My buddy actually hit the bottle after his show went off the air following Pat's suspension for a hilarious prank, famously called the Duck Test Joke on April Fool's Day.

I heard my buddy calling twice over the radio. He was heaping praises on him for providing so many interesting shows! This sales guy was also agreeing with every word that his radio idol was complaining about such as annoying callers with their irritating radios switched on while on the phone line chatting with him. Sometime later I was quite shocked that this fan of his was angry that the show was no longer on and he really had to drown his sorrows by drinking heavily. This was a surprising revelation, considering he was not supposed to drink on strictly religious grounds!

These are just a few thoughts about Patrick Teoh. I'm keeping my promise to him to talk about him and the Pat fan who went nuts .... It's done, man!

By the way, as an afterthought, I don't think fans of his like us have a name...How about maybe we call ourselves patties after his name, Patrick or perhaps, duckies after his most controversial prank that likely got him off the air...