The Star, Northern Metro

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Trip down memory lane

By RASLAN BAHAROM

THERE were plenty of shrieks, hugs and tears of joy when more than 300 former students of Taiping’s Treacher Metho-dist Girls School (TMGS) gathered for dinner at a hotel in Taiping recently to celebrate the school’s 120th anniversary.

Many of them are now in the prime of their lives but memories of their school days, their ‘naughtiness’ and ‘no nonsense’ teachers are still fresh in their minds.

One ex-student Tan Sri Dr Asiah Abu Samah, who remembered praying for rain to skip the afternoon co-curricular activities, said her prayers were usually answered as Taiping is well known for its rainy weather.

Dr Asiah, who was the former Human Rights Commission of Ma-laysia commissioner, was one of the evening’s guest of honour together with Inland Revenue Department director-general Datuk Hasmah Abdullah.

Both of them paid tribute to the teachers during the dinner. They also noted that the 1Malaysia concept had already been practised since those days as they were never conscious of their ethnic or social backgrounds.

Former SM Convent Taiping teacher Muhitah Mohd Rose, who left TMGS in 1959 after completing Form Five, was the luckiest as she won a return AirAsia ticket for two to Guilin, China.

The grandmother of seven, who retired in 1996, said she would probably bring along one of her six children for the trip as her husband. Ahmad Khairuddin, passed away about two years ago.

“I have never been overseas before and I am looking forward to do just that with the free air tickets,” she said.

TMGS Old Girls Association (OGA) chairman Ahsaniah Othman in her speech said this was the biggest gathering ever organised.

While catching up on old times, the former schoolmates were entertained by a dance troupe made up of Kuala Lumpur-based OGA members calling themselves Dancing Queen.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil-fitri

By now, most of our Muslim friends would be home with their families. And probably cooking up a feast for this evening's buka puasa. How many of our TMGS alumnae are back in Taiping to celebrate Raya, I wonder?

Wherever you are, I wish you and family a wonderful festival...salam kasih pada hari yang mulia ini dan maaf zahir batin diucapkan kepada sekalian!

It's making me remember the ketupat, lemang, rendang, serunding, jelly gula and cookies we used to wallop at Raya open houses. Oh, also that sugar-coated siput-shaped cookie/biscuit (hardly see this today). Dressed in our best, we would cycle from one house to another - first to Pokok Assam where Norma, Norliza and Norhayati lived; then, to Assam Kumbang where Azrinah lived; then to Permeen's house in Simpang and once even venturing to Nor Azah's house in Changkat Jering. Raya memang best - with friendship, adventure and food!

Going sentimental and remembering also Yuslipah (who passed away in Form 5), Nor'ashikin (best singer), Noor Hayah (my model for school concert)...all my classmates of 5 Science Red.

Website Out-Of-Service

Our apologies. We overlooked the annual renewal fee for the Cherish TMGS domain. We are sorting out matters and hope to get the website on again soon.

A quick update on the school refurbishment - plans are still in a preliminary stage. The Board of Governors has received the RM560,ooo allocation from the Ministry of Education, but there are some technicalities to be sorted out. Let's hope that this will happen soon because the allocation has to be used by December.


The 120th celebration dinner organized by the TMGS Old Girls Association - on Aug 15; four Saturdays ago - was a hearty gathering of old and young.

We got to see old familiar faces that were missing at the hi tea - Miss Looi, Miss Satwant, Mrs Khir, Mr Mak, Mr Mahendran, Puan Zaitone, Mrs Ng and many more former teachers. I am sorry though that I was spaced out and did not "circulate," but my friends did and were very happy to meet up and chat with former teachers and schoolmates.

The whole affair felt like a family reunion. It struck me that people were saying hellos not only to their former classmates or yearmates, but also to their sisters' classmates and yearmates - many a times going beyond the initial hellos to sitting down for a good yak to catch up. And there were sisters, cousins, aunts and moms in the mix of alumnae, with TMGS at the heart of it all.

To Siew Har (1977, sis of my ex-classmate), thanks for your warm smile, hello and invititation to sit and chat after more than 20 years of no-see...say hello to Siew Ai, please. To Ting Hui, 2001, glad to meet you in person. Here she is, in black-and-white dress, with former classmates and Puan Zaitone.


Bouquets to the OGA for organizing the dinner! Kudos to Mrs Goh as organizing chairperson! Below, OGA prez Puan Ahsaniah delivering her welcoming speech. Grand ole ladies, indeed.


The programme included singing of the school song, raffle for a handphone, lucky draw, singalong and DQs. Nice touches were the cutting of the 120th cake by the oldest alumnae present (see pix below) and inviting a rep from each decade to come onstage to say a few words. The commemorative bag containing a souvenir programme and car sticker was a lovely touch too.


For quite a few of us, the celebration in Taiping was also meaningful because it meant a trip back to a hometown not seen for many, many years. Literally, a trip back in time.

My yearmate, Permeen, came from Singapore. She arrived on Friday evening and spent Saturday morning walking around the town and even took a bus to Simpang to visit familiar homeground. When we arrived near lunchtime, Permeen has a few mini bags of snacks which she had bought to taste for memory's sake. I happily chomped down her coconut candy from a mamak shop. Permeen had not been back for, if I remember correctly, 17 years.

Where her feet could not take her, Seong Chooi's car did. Off to the Lake Gardens, Maxwell Hill, TMGS primary and secondary schools, passing the museum and prison. And cendol at this nook between Station Road and Barrack Road (can never remember the name).

A look at the pictures posted by Datin Rosni and Rohana showed that they too took the trip down memory lane. Rohana made the drive from KL with Hasnita and their stops included the old market in town and the Bismillah shop for cendol (they even took a picture!).


Datin Rosni, 1972 (with black hat in pix below), took her mom, who is also from TMGS, to the school. With them is Siti Maznah, 1977, in white in pix below.


The morning after, this gang went for an early morning walk at the Lake Gardens. Here, Nita, Rohana, Siti Maznah and Ena strike a pose under the iconic raintrees -- while my friends and I were still snuggled up in our beds in Permeen's room!


We did wake up in time for the Meet-Mr-Chuah session at Prima kopitiam along Kota Road. We had heard the night before that seniors from 1974 have arranged for that. Mr Chuah was really there! Greeted him. Of the four of us, he remembered Permeen. Ratio of 1:4; 25% hit rate...trying to be mathemical here in honour of this Add Math teacher of ours. Wish I have the picture of us with him; am sure lots of girls would like to "see" him again,wink-wink. My verdict? Not bad at all.

And so, the curtain has come down too on the 120th dinner. It is already September. We hope what's left of the year will bring good outcomes for refurbishment so that our alma mater may start her 121th year in glorious shape.

God bless TMGS, one and all.

Photo credits - with thanks to Rohana, Datin Rosni and Sharifah Talha.

Dinner Soon!

When the hi tea came, August 15 for the 120th dinner seemed so far away. It no longer is.

With less than three weeks away, almost all the 320 seats have been taken. My guess is many of us are on diet. I am. The pounds have been padding on and it's time they go. Am on a good workout regime too, practising dance steps.

Yes, DQs are going to dance again at the dinner. We'll be back with Abba's Dancing Queen. We are also throwing in an extra as a tribute to MJ. Take a guess. Which hit of his?

We are having a blast, practising THRILLER! All us makcik-makcik and auntie-auntie dancing to MJ's cool beat and moves. My head is twitching...

See you on at Legend Inn!

Remembering Michael, 1958-2009

It'll soon be three weeks to the day. I don't want to put it off any longer.

But, first, I seek your indulgence because I am going to write about something seemingly unrelated to the focus of this blog. Simple reason is that I just feel the need to remember and would like to remember here - at a blog by someone from Taiping, a small town so faraway but impacted nevertheless.

So, please, allow me.

How do I explain this feeling that a part of me has gone missing when I don't even know the person in the first place?

When I expressed this to a friend just yesterday, she said that is exactly how she is feeling too. We are not Quincy Jones who had worked closely with him and yet, like Quincy Jones, we feel a part of us has come away.

Across the globe, the outpouring of grief is unprecedented. The same scenes of spontaneous and heartfelt street vigils and memorials were repeated in the various continents - from south to north, east to west. In the Philippines, hardcore criminals put together a song-and-dance tribute. In Kuala Lumpur, people dropped whatever was on in their lives that one afternoon and came together for a few hours at a shopping mall to honour him. Many also sent loving messages during the special broadcast of his Bucharest concert on ntv7.

On Sunday just past, during a gathering of old school friends, one had brought along a compilation of his greatest hits. We played our favourites. As his voice filled the room, we grew silent. Each with our own thoughts.

So, we mourn. All over the world.

Why did Michael Jackson's death evoke such a groundswell of emotion?

I'll Be There; Black Or White; Ebony and Ivory; They Don't Really Care About Us; Will You Be There; Heal The World; Earth Song; We Are The World; Man In The Mirror; You Are Not Alone.

For me, these are the songs which have helped to define many things about life, about being a person and about being a citizen of our world. Though I thrilled to Beat It and Billie Jean, I have been shaped by these others. What self-empowerment lies within the lyrics of Man In The Mirror!

I've heard Ben and many of his early hits during my childhood, but it was in varsity in the 1980s that I became more aware of him. I remember how his Beat It and Billie Jean videos were the rage and we used to crowd that one common room with a TV in Desa Permai to soak in his genius.

As someone who has definitely been impacted by his music and his life, I would say that he went beyond mere entertainment.

For the past 30 years, in a world growing more and more askew, through his music and dance, his was the voice of our conscience. He touched chords deep in us and uplifted us in thought, action and spirit toward a rising consciousness and humanity. He was part of our soul.

I find it utterly profound that his very self became the embodiment of "it don't matter if you're black or white." From black, he became white. Not because he aspired to be white. But because vitiligo, a skin ailment, had caused deadening of pigment cells in his skin which in turn caused white splotches all over his body, and his dermatologist had embarked on killing off the remaining pigment cells as the treatment path.

So, Michael Jackson did not choose to be white. He became white out of medical necessity. In the end, he lived his very message of common humanity and racial acceptance.

You are not alone
I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart.

Yes, Michael Jackson, you live on in us - we from Taiping, so far flung and unknown to you. And we will continue your legacy to us - for each of us to continue playing our part for a better world.

Thank you.



Author's note: I am fully aware there are those who do not share my view of MJ. I hope you will accept that is my view as I respect yours. The world is big enough. Let's respect each other. This is my tribute to a person I perceive to be a great soul.

To anyone interested, do check out Wikipedia on MJ - very comprehensive and objective.

What A Feeling!

It's been a week after Hi TMGS 2009.

It was, by all accounts, a wonderful afternoon - meeting old friends; seeing again classmates, seniors and juniors who we have not met since leaving school; shrieking, laughing and giggling over the changes (or non-changes) the years had wrought.

"Aiyoo, you are still the same!"

"Hey, you girls don't eat one ah?"

"Wah, mummy already!"

"Wah, your children so big already!"


Glad to meet up - Swee Chin, Anura and Jamaliah

And so it went. From one table to another, the scene repeated itself. Alumnae started streaming in early, even before 11am though the event was set to start at 12pm. And, right through to 1pm, the MCs and even Hi TMGS 2009 chief couldn't hush the gathering.

"Ladies, we are about to start. Please be seated."

Nobody heard that said - many times. All were so intent on catching up with each other. It was a good hour later that another such appeal was finally heard and the 350 alumnae plus former teachers, present students and teachers finally went ... quiet ... enough ... (If you were there, you know what I mean.)

And, the programme could officially start!

First, the doa by Siti Salina, Year '81. Then, the singing of the school song - with an upbeat, marching tempo courtesy of Datuk Ibrahim Bachek, hubby to Datin Rosni, Year '72. Puan Noriza took the stage after that - she spoke of the allocations for refurbishment from the government and congratulated our alumnae spirit. Puan Noriza expressed her wish for TMGS alumnae to continue uniting and reconnecting with the school to help the current generation.


Keep up the spirit, girls!

That set a nice footing for the multi-media show that followed, showing our school's and our passage through the years. Nostalgia abounded when class photos flashed on the screen...those were the days. Many saw the school's present condition for the first time. Christina, Year 1979 and my sister's classmate, came to me and said, "How did the school get to such a condition?"

After the walk down memory lane, guests were finally invited to walk to where the food was! Aha, very orderly, ladylike qeueing and waiting for one's turn - testament to the upbringing at the first English girls' school in the country.


Lady Treacher would have been proud!

Food, music and chatter made merry company, and it was a battle between the music-men and the women - who would be louder?

For me, I heard the women. The music had been carefully thought through to bring back the different eras of our youth but, honestly, I didn't hear anything...just the happy sounds of women being together.


Fenners and friends! Mom (in lavender) and daughters including Zarinah
(seated, middle, mom to the KRU boys), Zaharah (left, back row) and
Sofea (bright blue, who flew in from Melbourne for the hi tea).

Fifteen minutes into the buffet, came the first lucky draw of the afternoon where 65 prizes were given away.

The programme then moved on with the perfect game for an alumnae gathering - school quiz! Alumnae gamely tackled the questions.

At my table, Mee Seong impressed us when she could mouth the school's vision while the rest of us went, "Huh? Now school got vision one ah? Our time got meh?" The question that was particularly challenging was the first principal of the school. Some of my mates piped up, "Miss Satwant!" The more logical among us said, "Can't be la. Miss Satwant's during our time; the school started long before that." We left that space empty. And, came back empty-handed though Norma ran for dear life to be the first to hand in the question paper.

No worries. Here's my gang, '80, at the former teachers table - spot the teachers!



After the excitement of the game, Siti Zaleha, Year '70, helped to calm everyone with a syair she had written. Her thank-you gifts for taking part in this Open Mic were a Cherish TMGS tee, TMGS umbrella and TMGS metal school badge. PRECIOUS!


Voice from '70

Another game followed - blindfold! (That's the picture you saw on the Cherish TMGS website.)

The fashion show came next. Our models were Gaik Hong '83, Azlynn Rose '93, Azlina '93, Kireenjit '96, Nora '97, Mei Yin '93, Zanita '90, Shafinas '95, Subhasini '98 and Nurul Hayani '97. Great spirit, these girls. They were fitted with the clothes on Saturday and came early on Sunday to rehearse the walk.


TMGS boleh!

Another game next. Scavenger Hunt, methinks.

At this time, I was cued to get changed. When I went to the restroom, a sight awaited me. There they were - the gang from 1978. They had happily gone to the Cherish TMGS merchandise table to buy the tees and now they were happily in the ladies' switching their garb.

And, here they are...happily wearing their Cherish TMGS special edition tees. I know these faces; just can't put a name to each....there's Rita on the right, back row, and her twin, Martha, second from left, seated.


WANT THE TEE? Call Chai Lan, 012-3951904.

Out of the restroom and into the "holding room" (the name of this room makes me feel like a kerbau, haha) next to the stage - my team mates were in various stages of readiness. Without a mirror around, we had to be each other's eyes. It was karaoke time and we heard "Dream, Dream, Dream" being sung. Anant, Masitah, Siti Maznah, Fooi Lin, Ena, Ai Loon and I promptly burst into song backstage. Our mood was high and somehow the lyrics came effortlessly while the younger ones - Camy, Kireenjit, Yati, Natasha Reena and Nurul Hayani - looked at us bemusedly. It helped take our minds away from what's coming next.

And, what exactly were we up to?



Yes, THE DQs!!!!

Dancing to Abba's "Dancing Queen."

With multi-hued wigs, sequinned tops and even boots, we were a hoot.


Masitah, in green, leading Ai Loon, Yati and Kireen


Five weekends of sweat culminated here.

The whole room roared its delight upon the first sight of us and then screamed us on, even when the music cd played up. Most were on their feet, dancing in their hearts with us. Then came the calls for an encore, to which we happily obliged.

As Siti Maznah aka Blondie said afterwards, "Wow! We danced not only once, but twice. Worth it!"


Who's that girl?

So much happened that afternoon, and I am only halfway. Just like in real life, some speeding up needed as the organizers crimped the programme to fit in the absolute necessities. It was running close to 4pm and we were supposed to end at 5pm.

Mmm, what came next? Suet Fun, Year '77, for Open Mic 2. Like Siti Zaleha, she read out a poem. Also like Siti Zaleha, Suet Fun received the precious stuff for her sharing.


Suet Fun wearing the Cherish TMGS special edition tee in babe blue.

Then, came the girls' turn.

They had come in a bus. leaving Taiping that morning at 8am. This was their moment - delivering their prize-winning choral speaking performance, "Live Worthily" written by Suet Fun. It was my first time watching choral speaking, and I enjoyed our girls' smooth, coordinated movements.


Wearing Cherish TMGS tees, they spoke and moved as one, under the guidance of Sharon Kanapathy

The girls pulled a surprise next! They had come with bouquets for Suet Fun, Miss Lim (team leader; left in pix below) and Puan Noriza, and had asked for a little bit of time from the organizers to do their thing.


Another sweet moment in an already memory-ful afternoon.

Fast-forward! Karaoke 2 came on. Many had booked their slot, including Bee Ai, Year '71, and Lai Peng, Year '75. They were heartily clapped on by their TMGS sistas.


Bee Ai with her backup; she had brought her guitar along!


Chris Chong Lai Peng singing for her '75 mates

It was past 4pm. Time for the lucky draw finale to find the recipients of the last 15 prizes, after 133 prizes had been given out in two earlier draws. Our Taiping sister alumnae will forever remember this as their draw because they went home with the top two prizes! Mrs Lim Chin Seng of the Old Girls Association received the Sharp microwave oven while Puan Roslena, Year '75 and present teacher at the school, received the 32-inch Philips LCD TV. (How's the family enjoying the TV, Roslena?)


A jubilant Roslena with Datin Rosni

It was getting dangerously close to 5pm but girls must have their fun!

So, next came Poco Poco and Joget Lambak. From about 10 girls, the stage filled up rather fast as the music moved from rock-and-roll to twist to a-go-go to joget and even to a Hindustani number. When the stage couldn't take anymore, others danced wherever they were. My gang danced near our table and had fun twirling around the pillars during the Hindustani number. But, Amitabh Bachan didn't come! Er, he's too old? Shah Rukh Khan better?


Let's do the Twist...

Ah, just when we were all getting warmed up, the music stopped! Now, all of us are wanting to continue the dancing at the 120th dinner in August -- OGA, please take note, MUST HAVE DANCING at the dinner, ok?


1980s doing the a-go-go

For now, the clock has struck 5 and all the cinderallas must be running home.

Hasnita, Year '81, who has led this team of merry alumnae from February in organizing the hi tea, took to the stage for her closing speech. The event raised a whopping RM18,000 toward the Cherish TMGS fund and a mock cheque had been presented to Puan Noriza after the choral team performed.


A marvellous effort from Nita (far right) and her team

Special mention must go to Jarinah @ Ena, Year '81 (awesome Facebook skills and Nita's right-hand woman); Datin Rosni (sweet and inspiring, she's our mama and most responsible for the lucky draw gifts); Rohana, '71 (registration table and production of dvds); Nurul Husna (so young but so resourceful; she's mostly responsible for the goodie bag and was floor manager); Masitah, '74 (MC as well DQ); Bathma,'95 (MC); Ai Loon. '81 (has an absolute cool head for accounts); Fooi Lin, '81 and Muntip, '92 (games); Syarifah Talha, '94 (ticketing); Anant, '74 and Siti Maznah, '77 (dancing and packing queens) and Liena (ushering).

Special mention must also go to Alynn, daughter of Ena, who good-naturedly followed her mom to all meetings and was a real help to all of us, including choreographing our dance with Camy. More daughters got in the act too and we thank you - daughters of Nita (overseeing ticket collection) and daughters of Anant (giving out the lucky draw prizes). And, to all who helped and who came!


(From front) Anant, Masitah, Ai Loon, Datin Rosni, Siti Maznah, Rohana, Ena, Bathma, Fooi Lin, Talha, Liena and Nita.

Thank you! Congrats! Hurrah for the girls!

What an afternoon! Tak cukup la....now, let's all beramai-ramai balik ke Taiping to celebrate our school's 120th anniversary. For details, click here.

SHOPPING ALERT!

• Cherish TMGS special edition tee - made with top quality cotton by a producer who makes tees for top retail brands. Available in black or babe blue. Only RM20.
• Dvd of more than 600 photos of the hi-tea - some of which you see here. Only RM10.
• School badge - no longer in use (a cloth version is used today) and specially reproduced by the hi tea committee. Only RM10. Buy a dvd and a badge, special offer RM15.
  

All nett proceeds to go to the Cherish TMGS fund. For tees, please note this about sizing - if you usually wear M, our S will fit you. If your usual size is L, then our M is for you. If your usual size is XL, then our L will fit you just nice.

Call Chai Lan at 012-3951904 or Ena at 012-6845388. Delivery by mail available at RM5 for postage, which can take two tees, 1 dvd and 1 badge.

The earlier, the better

Thank you to all who have visited the website and this blogspot. Please do keep telling others about the Cherish TMGS fundraising campaign.

The plan is to do remedial, restorative work as funds come in. Top on the list is bolstering the sagging support of the school hall and some preventative work to prevent further deterioration. Next is the roofing of the science lab block.

These repairs are quite urgent. So, girls, it matters that funds come in early! Thank you.

The Girls Give! Cherish TMGS

Our website's launched!

And will be the happening place from now on. It's been fun having this blog. Betcha it'll be even more fun at our new place. See ya at: www.cherishtmgs.com.

Alumnae Spirit at Cyclethon

The alumnae who made it to the cyclethon last Saturday, Jan 17, had a lovely time. Of course, we wished there were more of us. But, those present were totally gung-ho and so we had fun.

Thank you to Jarinah, Hasnita, Radiah, Rohana, Anura, Akmar (who came with her walking stick) and Swee Cheng who responded to my call in this blog and took part. Thank you to alumnae Ting Hui, who couldn't come from Singapore, and Seong Chooi who contributed as a sponsor to my family's cycling team. Thank you too to Dr Teh, Yick Fern and Phooi Ling (who turns out to be sis to my former classmate, Phooi Bee) for being there, representing their group of 21 alumnae of Class of '70 who sponsored the tees for the cyclethon.

Highlights...



Opening speech by Dr Teh Lei Choo, Class of '70. In her speech, Dr Teh celebrated TMGS' contribution to womanhood in this country.

"120 years of history is a very significant milestone for any institution. Over this period, thousands of young women have passed through the portals of this school - women who are now living in various parts of Malaysia or of the world; raising families, making invaluable contributions in their respective fields of work and leading meaningful lives.

"Today, we launch a series of activities to celebrate the 120 years of existence of TMGS. We celebrate the thousands of young women it has educated and nurtured. We celebrate the teachers who have served the school with dedication and commitment. Most of all, we celebrate the school, which has contributed immensely to nation-building. As an old girl of the school, I am honoured and proud to be part of the celebration," she said.

Dr Teh went on to appeal to alumnae to spread the word about the school's need for funds. "I am sure all old girls of TMGS, far and near, will be glad to contribute to their alma mater, in whatever way they can. To all the old girls out there, do contribute generously - for we will not be who we are today without the education and guidance accorded to us here."

Cheques and pledges of help. These came after Dr Teh's opening speech.

From Class of '81, represented by Radiah, Hasnita and Jarinah (left to right below in pix with Puan Noriza on far left), brought along a mock cheque and the real thing for the sum of RM3,500, which was the generous contribution of 17 alumnae, including Lean See, Poh Gaik, Oi Mei, Siti Salina, Ai Loon, Noraini, Poh Cheng, Hanaliza, Aminahtun, Nurshah, Aniza, Phoebe, Phaik See and Suan See.



The group had pooled together their contributions since Sept last year and had waited patiently for the school restoration fund to be set up. Yes, the fund is called CHERISH TMGS -- more details under "How To Help" on the left.

From Anura Hashim (pix below), who did Forms 4 and 5 in 1978 and 1979 in TMGS. Anura pulled a surprise on us when she presented over a RM1000 in cash contributions from herself, fellow alumna Jamaliah Hamdan and friend Prof Madya Dr Maheran Mohd Jaffar, as well as a pledge to sponsor furniture from Puan Maihizan Murad, Group Managing Director of Zone Furniture Sdn Bhd and Tisisit Corp (M) Sdn Bhd. What a delightful surprise!



It was a happy moment for all present - to feel the alumnae support.

Pedal Power! A quiet participant was my cousin, Lim Swee Cheng, Class of '78. She had signed on early and had time to ask around for sponsorship. She cycled with RM2,070 behind the turns of her bicycle's pedals. Thank you to Swee Cheng and her sponsors, including an ex-KE boy who gave RM1,000, her sister Swee Beet from Class of '76 and our Biology teacher, Miss Ho.



And here are the girls who took part under the mini sponsorship programme initiated by Chen Tyng Yee, Class of '96. Tyng Yee, who lives in UK, lobbied among her family members and obtained RM420, which went towards sponsoring Iyvonne Chuah, Ong Si Mei, Puah Hooi San, Nallie Chan, Yew Hooi Kheng and Lim Kah Hui (left to right in the pix below, with Puan Noriza in the middle).



Ring-off! In a lovely twist to the usual affair, Dr Teh was given the old school bell to herald the start of the cyclethon. She rang it gamely ... and the bikers were off!





Off on a very short cycle, due to a change in the route because it was suddenly realized that the trishaws carrying Dr Teh and Encik Anuar b Isa, Deputy President of the Heritage Society of Taiping, would have a tough time going up the hill as originally planned. Hmm, much to the relief of Ong Ah Sun, one of the two "trishawmen"?

So, it was literally no sweat for all cyclists - especially us alumnae who had thought we might not be able to finish the race. Rohana who spoke of her "lutut longgar," Radiah who spoke of finishing on a stretcher, and Anura who had never cycled to school before and has not been on a bike for a looooong time.

We came back to school to the cheers of the school's cheerleading team, decked out in sunny yellow outfits and colourful poms-poms.

Refreshments! We didn't expect this delightful affair. We were served at the mini banquet hall by the Catering students (one of the subjects under vocational skills). Rather special, methinks. There we were, at cosy tables set out for four, with white tablecloth and pale green table runners. TMGS ada class!

Here's the VIP table with Dr Teh, Encik Adnan bin Abdul Rahman, PIBG President, and Encik Azrai bin Hj Ismail, Deputy District Education Officer (in batik).



Here, Swee Cheng with Phooi Ling (in red) and Yick Fern of Class of '70.



After refreshments, Radiah, Nita, Ena and family (hubby and five kids came along - keep up the spirit), Swee Cheng and Rohana were game for more of the school. So, Puan Noriza took them on a walkabout which was punctuated with lots of oohs and aahs...and shrieks of happy recollections. "This is my classroom," Jarinah pointed out to her daughter. "This is where we learned folk dancing." "Who was the teacher?" "Miss Looi!" At this point, we were at the old music room (now the staffroom). My cousin and Ena did some folk dance steps there and then.



Final verdict? Well worth the drive. We are glad we came.

As Rohana Puteh put it when giving me a farewell hug, "I've no regrets" She had decided to come along at the very last minute, at the cajoling of Jarinah and Hasnita. Alumae spirit is now fiery in Rohana, who left TMGS in 1971 after Form 3 - she emailed me this afternoon that she wants to get her gang together to do something for the school. Here she is, third from the left, with Radiah, Nita and Ena. Good sports!



To Puan Noriza, Mrs Ng, Puan Sharifah, Lay Hoon and all at the school who took part in organizing the cyclethon, congrats on the excellent job done and the hospitality extended to us!

To end this narration, I'd like to introduce Esther, who is in Form 4 and helped us alumnae loads in registering and getting there. She was shy but Lay Hoon coaxed her into this pix. Hey, Esther, thanks for your patience in dealing with us dawdling old girls who could have confirmed things earlier but chose to be late. Promise we'd do better the next time!

Welcome, 2009!

What a fantastic last day of 2008 it was.

Miss Lim called me about 3pm to say that she and Mrs Ng were at the bank to open the dedicated account for the school-alumni fundraising effort. YAY!

If you have been following the progress, this means that we have obtained the fundraising permit from the Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri. Yay again.

On Dec 10 last year, the school met with the Board of Governors to propose the setting up of the school-alumni committee for the restoration of TMGS under the BOG's auspices. This was approved easily. Mrs Polly Tan, the President, also offered to sit in the committee as a Vice-President and serve as a cheque signatory. Yay yet again.

Following this, the school was then able to submit the application to the JPN for the fundraising permit. So, here we are, on the very first day of 2009, the year our dear old school turns 120, with the way opened.

I later received news that the bank account has to wait till tomorrow at least. In their excitement, Mrs Ng and Miss Lim overlooked the need for the official rubber stamp and signatories' specimen signatures. :-) All in good time.

Suet Fun, Chai Lan, Li Yin and I are meeting afterwards (for a homecooked nasi lemak lunch) to finalize the dedicated website. So, watch this space!