Looking Back (1) ....in my life...

So I decided to reproduced what I wrote in my other blog. And to a special friend ---yes , this is only Part 1 of many. Just watch out for it. So here goes....

This posting was actually inspired by my sister’s in her anaksihamid blog. My dear late Abah , though a Malaysian, was a civilian in the British Army but stationed in Singapore. Thus, due to the circumstances, other then my second sister , the other two siblings and I were Singapore born, but all four of us were schooled in Singapore. Being a Malay family in Singapore we did not get nor expected much help in financial aids in pursuing our education.

I’m not ashamed to say that I took my Cambridge ‘O’Level (SPM-equivalent) TWICE because in my first attempt I FAILED in every subject except Art. Reason ? Simply because I did not study AT ALL. Everytime I told my Mak that I was going to the library to study was actually a practice session with my band -members. I was so into music. My head was filled with chords instead of formulae and theorems. Yes , the rock band was far too attractive then. The various talent-times, the various performances at clubs and functions were far too tempting.

Yes I was so into it with all my Chinese friends of Tiong Bahru, Queensway and Queenstown. Amongst us, was a son of a rich contractor to provide us with the instruments and equipment — we were wired for music. Yes—who needs academic achievement?

Of course my late Abah was furious, disappointed and disillusioned with his first son’s results. After all I had a big shoe to fill in with my sisters’ brilliant academic performance then, I took the exam again, passed it and joined the Teachers’ Training College because then (or at least I thought so) I would have more time for my musical escapades. No –I didn’t give up that easily.

Anyway life as a teacher in Singapore back then couldn’t afford you much. But I was so engrossed with work and other little thrills that life can offer to me as a youngster. .

Life back then in Singapore was kind of pretty laid back.. The races mixed freely with one another. In schools, there is no line between the races. As youngsters, we were not conscious of this racial divide.

Such was it that my first girl-friend of close to five years was a Chinese. We were colleagues and although there were eyebrows raised among our colleagues, we were happy. However the older generation was still more difficult to convince and I know of a few other potential mixed marriages that were shot down by the older generations’ views.

However that is fate and destiny and God had something else laid out for me and I thank Him for it.

Career wise, I was a physical education teacher whose classroom duty was to teach English Language but spent a major part of my life in the sports arena. With borderless enthusiasm, I was so involved with the sports field that I didn’t bother much about my prospect in my career.
What with activities of a qualified athletics coach, a gymnastic instructor, and an active player in volley ball, tennis, soccer and a few others—just name it, except for basketball and rugby. I was involved in just about anything.

Then I realized that I never stayed long enough in a school to gain roots. I would always be transferred to another school where I would have to start all over again. I was sent to schools in the extreme rural area, and then transferred again to a school on an island off the coast of Singapore –all within a space of two years. Frustration set in and this was also reflected in my life.

Throughout all this, my second sister, (bless her) saw my problems better than I did. At that time she was teaching in Brunei. One evening, she came back to Singapore just to meet me to discuss a plan. I still remember that evening when we met at a restaurant near the Jurong swimming pool.

Then came the cruncher. She offered to support me to continue my studies in UK as a way to improve myself and thus giving a wider option to my career and life. I could not describe nor hide my feeling then. Of course I accepted the offer. After the discussion, she flew back to Brunei on the earliest flight that same evening without telling our family about our meeting and her lightning visit.

Thus it was that I continued my studies in UK.

Call it bad timing or just rotten luck, the very year that I came to UK, that was the year the British Government decided to increase the fees for overseas students by 4 folds .

I remember clearly the figures. From 600 Sterling Pounds, it went up to about 2500 Sterling. And at that time, the exchange rate was about 7.00 Singapore Dollar to 1 Sterling Pound. And this fee went up by about 500 Sterling Pound every year.

Later in the University, I remember being involved with the local students to protest the fee hike by ‘occupying’ the university administration building for half a day. The other students were all gathered outside the building making all sorts of noise as a protest to the British Government. The doors and window of the building were all barricaded and the police had to send in their horse-back manpower. We got massive media coverage for that. Ohh—those were the days.

Throughout my stay in UK, there were two moments which were engraved in my mind permanently.

First was my first step on British soil which was like a dream come true My childhood days had been filled with nursery rhymes and poems from the British system of education and books by Enid Blyton books on Noddy , Beano and Dandy comics, Eagle magazine for boys, then later, Practical Motorists , Practical Hi-Fi, DIY magazines , and I could go on and on. All my reading material was UK-originated.

Especially the way of life which I read about in books like Famous Five and Secret Sevens, where they mentioned about tea-time and the time of the day, the seasons, the kind of food, the Bobby (policeman), the tube (underground train) , the various towns and names of road and streets.

Everything I read is so England-based!

My head was already filled by all this from my primary school days.Indeed on my first step on the soil, everything that I have read about this island just flashed through my mind. This is for real.

My next moment was the first day of University. After the registration, I was supposed to attend the first session in a small lecture theatre.

I remember coming in early; hesitantly to get to know my class-mates (all English). And before I actually sat down, I told myself that I am going to remember this very moment as it means a lot to me and cost a lot to my sister. The memory of the long bench-seats and the coats hung on its back is still fresh in the mind after all these years. Sentimental fool? Maybe so,,,,,

So that’s my reflection to the point of continuing my studies in UK – with the help of my sister. More to follow to bore you….