RANDOM PHOTO ALBUM - PART #5

Here's a couple more amateur shots of Kuching that I have left over from previous trips. I'm running out of good pictures, so welcome any contributions from all you photographers out there. Just mail them to jslyong@hotmail.com and I'll put them up for all to enjoy. I will, of course, fully acknowledge all contributors.

Pic #1: Serene view of Sarawak River. Shot taken from Hilton Kuching

Pic #2: Not a good picture from a professional photographer's perspective - bad composition & over-exposed. But then again I never claimed to be a professional photographer. Anyway how could I pass up a chance to show this little retail outlet on India Street which had such an impact of my highly-advanced literary education (ie. my source of Marvel comics lah!)? I know at least a few other people had the same experiences.

Pic #3: This was (and I believe still is) a popular seafood place at Buntal. I remember the steamed fish, fried oysters and belacan midin ... slurp!

Well, that's it for today. As I said before, do share your Kuching photo memories. Ah yes, I also must mention - I'd like to set up another series of posts called "RANDOM VIDEO ALBUM" for all the videoclips you'd like to share too. Getting advanced, aren't we? ;-)

Through the Looking Glass (continued)

Someone in the post on "Through the Looking Glass" mentioned the Julio Iglesias song "To All the Girls I've Loved Before".

So I'm trying to embed a videoclip in this post. Never done it before, so hope it works.

Vietnam Connection: Nicholas Lau & James Yong meet up

Hot off the press ... Nicholas Lau, General Director of a subsidiary of Sime Darby, based in Hanoi met up for drinks with James Yong when the latter was in Vietnam on a business trip. Another reunion 33 years in the making.

Hmmm, a bit dark - let's see if the next picture is better ...

Ah yes, definitely much better ...

Nick has been in Vietnam for a few years, and his family - wife & daughter - are also with him there. He looks very fit, keeping trim at the gym and playing golf among other sports.

The pair reminisced about old times, old friends and lifetime adventures.

Kuching A to Z (Part 2)

Based on all the comments we've had so far, I think we have enough for a pretty nice post on the "B"s and "C"s of Kuching. Let me know if you have any further items to add.

Here goes ...

B

Belacan Bee Hoon - especially highlighted was the one on Jalan Lumba Kuda (near old Jubilee Grounds). Just imagine the cuttle fish, bee hoon, sauce, tou geh, belacan - mmmm, simply divine.

Bak Kut Teh - our culinary experts report that the best BKT in Kuching can be enjoyed at either Pending or 3rd Mile.

Buntal - little village on the way to Damai Beach. Well known for seafood and other local delicacies. I like the oh luak (oysters) and belacan midin.

Bak Pao (Tua Liap) - many places in Kuching serve paos (and sio bee), but everyone seems to remember Fook Hai (aka Hock Hai) coffeeshop, now located at Padungan, roughly opposite Sky Bookstore. Yes, I agree the Tua Liap (big) paos are quite unique.

Babu - I'm not very familiar with this name, but apparently back in the 70s he was a well-known singer at a Palm Road cafe, near to St Joe Primary School.


C

Cat, as in Kuching the Catcity. In several places of Kuching, large cat statues adorn the street scene, as the city has adopted this feline mascot. Historically however, there is some disagreement as to where Kuching got its name. Many believe it was not from the Malay word "cat", since the local Malay word for cat was "pusa", not "kuching" which was a word used more by the West Malaysians.

Carpenter Street - well known for its eating spots (still) and apparently sports bike shops (back then). Kuching Factoid: Do you realise that India Street and Carpenter Street are perfectly aligned in a straight line? I am told that they used to be joined up as one long road, before the old court houses were built which then seperated the two streets.

Chicken Rice is a popular dish, sold at various places in town. Someone claimed that the best chicken rice was once found next the old Capitol cinema. But I guess these days, lots of delicious Chicken Rice can be found all over Kuching.

Char Kueh Teow is also popular, and if my memory serves me, there used to be a very popular push-stall selling this which usually operated in the evenings on Green Road.

You can now go ahead and start suggesting "D" and "E" items for Part 3

Through the Looking Glass (or at least Across the Bridge)

In response to occasional questions like "do you know what happpened to that pretty lass named ........ ?" and suggestions that this website may be missing the other half of the Form 5 (1976) story, I've created this post precisely to extend our conversation in this direction.

Feel free to ask your questions and share your knowledge. Perhaps through your comments here, we could find out more about some of our fair "sisters" from St Teresa's (or St Bernadette's or St Mary's or other girl schools further afield ....) . Only rule boys - please keep it gentlemanly :-)

Maybe someone could even pass the word to some of our lady friends from the 70's about the existence of this website, and some might drop us a line :-)


--- JY
Website Jaga

p/s: Trust some of you still remember the origin of that reference to "The Looking Glass".

Kuching A to Z (Part 1)

I'm starting this post which I think could be quite interesting and fun too. It's meant to be an interactive exercise, and I hope many of you will give suggestions to guide what the final A-Z product looks like.

The rules are really simple. For each letter of the alphabet (A, B, C ... until Z), we will try to suggest 5 or 6 places or people or events or things that we tend to associate with our hometown Kuching. It's easy for those of you lucky enough to live there now, but for others overseas, think back to what you remember of Kuching town.

For example, for the letter "A", we might have the Astana across the river, Ann Lee Restaurant on Carpenter Street which used to be a favourite for some, but is no more running (at least not under that name), Kuching International Airport and Ang Mo Liu Lian (or Soursop) a favourite of our old pal Philip Chin, who suggested this one) ...

Soooooo ..... based on your inputs, I will then populate the blog entry with appropriate pictures and associated write-up (if necessary). This is obviously going to be a multi-post subject, running into as many entries as required.

Game to give it a try? I've already started "A" for you (but you can add more). Now how about suggestions for "B" ?

Life Lessons Learnt

I thought I'd start a more reflective post today. As we all hit 50 this year*, it can be considered a "half-way" mark in our life journey. It's probably a good to time to pause, stand back and review our life so far. I would guess that your life, as with most everyone else's, would be like the road shown above - with its bright and dark spots, its smooth and rough patches, its ups and downs, its main route and side paths .... But all throughout the journey, we live and learn.

What are some of the memorable life lessons that you have learnt in our life, that you might want to share with other form mates and friends? Another way of putting it is: what do you know now that you wish you knew 30 years ago when you were just starting out? Yet another way to put it: what would you want your child or grandchild to know so that he/she doesn't have to learn it the hard way that you did? Or perhaps you might have formed some views on life that you just want to check with the others to see if anybody else sees it the same way?

These reflections can be in any sphere of life ... work, career, business, professional, family, social, personal etc etc. No boundaries at all. It's totally up to you.

Go on. Share freely your pearls of wisdom.

.

* For other honorary members of this group not from the Form5 (1976) classes, who haven't quite hit the Big 5 yet (and you know who you are & 50 is probably akan datang pretty soon anyway), please feel free to also share your lessons learnt.

Jimmy Kho & James Yong catch-up in Singapore

Former Form 5 Sc (1976) classmates Jimmy Kho Khoon Haw and James Yong met up for lunch in Singapore today. This was their first meeting after about 33 years, and miraculously could still recognise each other. Both were a little more mature, a little more experienced but obviously a little of their boyish good looks still remain :-)

Jimmy Kho was passing through Singapore on his way back to Shanghai where he is currently based. He has had a successful career in the food & beverage industry and has been based in China, Cambodia, Vietnam and other locations in Asia for the past decade.

(Left to right) Jimmy Kho Khoon Haw & James Yong

Both friends had a nice long lunch and a good chat about family, friends, career, travel and adventures in various Asian countries.

Anyone interested in getting in touch with either of them should check out their emails in the "Who were in Form 5 Science?" post.

Update from Website Jaga

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to thank all of you for checking out our Form 5 website. Someone asked me yesterday what kind of activity level there was on the site. So I want to give you some quick updates on how it has progressed.

Since its creation in early January, I've observed an average of about 10 unique visitors each day. Over this same period, there were 10 days with more than 20 unique visitors, with 3rd Feb seeing the peak of 56 unique visitors (no clue why it spiked on that day :-). In short, we have a pretty healthy flow of visitors. (note: in webspeak, a "unique visitor" is simply someone who has not accessed in the past 3 hours. So it's possible for the same person who accesses multiple times a day, as long as with more than 3 hours intervals, to be considered as different unique visitors.)

Who are the visitors? I would assume most of them are our former formmates, with some other Josephians who weren't in Form 5 in exactly 1976 (but around that year anyhow, so we warmly welcome them as they shared similar experiences as us in those heady mid 70s years), and a handful of total strangers who have been visiting the site regularly.

Where did the visitors access from? Although the majority of visitors access from Malaysia (mainly Sarawak and KL), there have been quite a few from other parts of Asia - Singapore, Cambodia (I think we all know who this is :-), China, and the Philippines (I know who this is too!). A few others were in the UK, Australia and at least one from the USA. Then there are unexpected visitors (no idea who) from west and south Africa, and a few from different countries in Europe. So one could say we have quite a global visitor base.

More comments, contributions, feedback wanted. We have a handful of frequent contributors and commenters, but I hope the others who have been "lurking" (i.e. accessing but keeping quiet) will "say something", as we all want to hear from you. No need to be shy lah! You're among old, old friends. So please do share your stories, ask your questions, give your views ... Of course, I hope more will send in photographs and short writeups and even links of interests. Just send them to me at jslyong@hotmail.com and I'll get them on the website as soon as I can (usually within 24 hours). And also feel free to advertise your company, professional or personal websites. Don't worry, all F.O.C. !

So once again, thanks for your participation & do visit frequently.

Cheers
--- JY
Website Jaga

How Fights Always Start ...

Thanks to our old form mate George Lo for this contribution on the lighter side of inter-spousal conflict ...

**********

My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping channels.
She asked, 'What's on TV?'
I said, 'Dust.'

And then the fight started...

**********

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary.
She said, 'I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds.'
I bought her a scale.

And then the fight started...

**********

When I got home last night,
my wife demanded that I take her someplace expensive...
so, I took her to a gas station.

And then the fight started...

**********

After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for Social Security.
The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's license to verify my age.
I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home.
I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come back later.
The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'.
So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair.
She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she processed my Social Security application.
When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office.
She said, 'You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten disability, too.'

And then the fight started...

**********

My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion,
and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.
My wife asked, 'Do you know her?'
'Yes,' I sighed, 'She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since.'
'My God!' says my wife, 'who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?'

And then the fight started...

**********

I took my wife to a restaurant.
The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.
"I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please."
He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"
" Nah, she can order for herself."

And then the fight started...

**********

A woman is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.
She is not happy with what she sees
and says to her husband, 'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.'
The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's damn near perfect.'

And then the fight started.....

**********

I tried to talk my wife into buying a case of Miller Light for $14.95.
Instead, she bought a jar of cold cream for $7.95.
I told her the beer would make her look better at night than the cold cream.

And then the fight started....

**********

My wife asked me if a certain dress made her butt look big.
I told her not as much as the dress she wore yesterday

and then the fight started.....

**********

I asked my wife, "Where do you want to go for our anniversary? "
It warmed my heart to see her face melt in sweet appreciation.
"Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said.
So I suggested, "How about the kitchen?"

And that's when the fight started....

**********

One for the road:

A man came home and found and found his wife standing at the door in the buff.

Man: What are you doing?
Wife: I am waiting for you in my love dress.
Man: Your love dress needs some ironing.

Then the fight starts…


Thanks George. Hopefully these are not from experience :-)

Hobbies, Sports & Interesting Pasttimes

How do you guys spend your spare time? I hope you do have a bit more spare time these days, after about 3 decades of slogging away. Any interesting hobbies or interests outside of your profession or business? Maybe sports or games to keep fit?

I've taken a keen interest in geneology these days. Tracing one's family history can be a fascinating exercise. As someone once said "You need to know where you came from, in order to better understand where you're going". Through speaking to various people in the family (or others who knew past family members) and researching public records, I've built up quite a database of information (these days, PC software help a lot in tracking all the various branches of the family tree) about great grand parents as well as cousins many times removed. Linking some family history to Sarawak historical events is also quite exciting. Now tracing some links back to China.

Anyway, do share what has been keeping you busy these days ...

More Movie Memorabilia : Old Cinemas

I found these really old photos which may bring back pleasant memories of movie haunts for some of us in the 1970s ...

Fig 1: Capitol in the 70s

I remember the days when the same film was screened at both Capitol and Lido (both part of the Shaw Brothers organisation) at roughly the same time, and because the cinema operator only had one copy of the film on (usually) two reels, they would stagger the timing such that one cinema would start showing the film first, while the other started with lots of commercials and trailers.

When the first reel ended in cinema #1, someone (usually on a motorbike so as to avoid traffic jams) would transport the reel to cinema #2. Once the courier was delayed, and we sat in one cinema in mid-film (reel one had just finished but reel two hadn't yet arrived), in pitch darkness, wondering what was happening. Invariably there would be lots of whistles, cat calls, and those with girlfriends would probably have a fumbling, fun time in the dark.

Fig 2: Cathay in the 70s

Regarding Cathay, actually what I remember more is the nearby ice cream shop, just beside the main entrance of the cinema - which sold great durian and sweet corn flavoured ice cream. (it's truly remarkable how one remembers foods tasted decades ago, and yet often forget what one had for lunch the previous day). Anyway, that ice cream shop was originally run by a certain Mr Lo Foot Kee, before he went into politics and even became an assistant Minister for Local Government, Sarawak.

Sadly both cinema establishments are no more. The Capitol building is long gone, with the Tun Jugah shopping mall in its place. I believe the Cathay building is still around, but no more functioning as a cinema.

Happy reminiscing ...

Storytime: What Matters in Life

Our friend Philip Chin shared this lovely little story which serves as such a nice reminder ...


A vacationing American businessman was standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in southern Mexico when a small boat with just one young fisherman pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna.

The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

"How long did it take you to catch them?" the American casually asked.

"Oh, a few hours," the Mexican replied.

"Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" the American businessman then asked.

The Mexican warmly replied, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

The businessman then became serious, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

Responding with a smile, the Mexican fisherman answered, "I sleep late, play with my children, watch ballgames, and take siesta with my wife. Sometimes in the evenings I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, sing a few songs..."

The American businessman impatiently interrupted:"Look, I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you to be more profitable. You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch.

With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, you can then buy a second boat, a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats.

Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman you'll be able to sell your fish directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution.

You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even LA or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise."

Having never thought of such things, the Mexican fisherman asked, "But how long will all this take?"

After a rapid mental calculation, the businessman pronounced, "Probably about 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard."

"And then what, senor?" asked the fisherman.

"Why, that's the best part!" answered the businessman with a laugh. "When the time is right, you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."

"Millions? Really? What could I do with it all?" asked the young fisherman in disbelief.

The businessman boasted, "Then you could happily retire with all the money you've made. You could move to a quaint coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, watch ballgames, take siesta with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want."

The moral of the story is: Know what really matters in life, and you may find that it is already much closer than you think.

-AUTHOR UNKNOWN-

RANDOM PHOTO ALBUM #4

A couple more shots of familiar Kuching sites ...

Fig 1: Self-explanatory
(Whoever chose the colour of the wall paint ought to be shot!)

Fig 2 : Round Building near old Court Houses

(Now used as some Cultural centre)

Fig 3: Old Fire Lookout Tower at Open Air Market

(Bet you didn't know that there was a Fire Station at this location a long time ago)

Fig 4: Tua Pek Kong Temple (on a hazy day?)

Enjoy ...

Wives, Girlfriends, Childhood Sweethearts & the Ones Who Got Away

With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought this might be a timely post.

I'm not going to dictate what gets shared here. I think the title is kinda self-explanatory. Suffice it to say, this post is about matters of the heart. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

Over to you boys .... :-)

Message from Website Jaga

Hi fellow Fifth Formers,

Just to highlight to you that a "Subscribe To" feature has been added to this blog, which you can use if you want to be automatically notified whenever there is a new posting or comment. It might save you from having to hunt for any updates. (look on the right side of the page for the feature)

Of course, we hope you will still log-on regularly and post your comments and share what's been happening in your lives. This is YOUR website so it's up to you to keep it alive. I'm just the friendly, neighbourhood Jaga (as in Night Watchman).

Cheers
--- JY

Other Memorable Movies of 1975 or 1976

For many of us, movies were a significant part of our lives back then. English movies, Chinese movies, even some Indian movies (and this was before the era of Bollywood!).

Many of us snuck off to Miramar or Cathay or Swee Hua or Capitol cinema for movie shows when we were supposed to be spending time at the library. Some may have had their first dates at the cinema.

What were some of the movies you associate with your Form 4 or Form 5 years? Share your top choices and any other movie-related experiences.