PRIORITIES FOR THE NEW YEAR
(a New Year Devotion Study)
Today is the first day of the New Year in the Western Calendar. Yet this day is celebrated almost all over the world although in some other countries they have their own New Year day. The Western Calendar is widely accepted as it is the most accurate calendar, following the sun and the seasons throughout the year.
The Western Calendar is based on the Roman calendar, standardised by Julius Cesar. The Julian calendar consisted of 12 months. The months from January to June were named after Roman gods, while the months September to December were named after the Latin numbers seven (sept) to ten (dis). This anomaly was due to the addition of July and August, named after the two emperors Julius and Augustus Cesar. This calendar worked well but after 1500 years, the calendar was 10 days out from the seasons. In 1582 AD, Pope Gregory deducted 10 days and added an extra day for every four years.
The Church dated the Calendar from the year of the birth of Jesus Christ. Thus 1 AD (Anno Domini) means in the first year of our Lord. The years before Christ were dated as BC. Thus the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ stands in the middle of recorded history. However, the church liturgical calendar does not start with 1st of January, which does not have any religious importance. Instead the church begins the year with the first Sunday of the Advent, which is 4 weeks before Christmas.
Some countries follow the lunar calendars which correspond well with the phases of the moon. Most religious festivals still follow the phases of the moon. However they would be out of phase with the seasons. The Islamic calendar still follows the lunar system while the Jewish and the Chinese have luni-solar calendars by adding an extra month every 3 years.
Devotion Passage:
Ephesians 5:15-17 - “Be careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
The scripture tells us that we should live wisely. Our life on earth is limited. Psalm 90:10 “The length of our days is seventy years, or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” A life span of 70 years totals 25,567 days. If you are 40 years old, you have about 11,000 days left and if you are 60 years old, you only have 3652 days left! When you are young, life seems to last forever but now that I am 68, I can begin the countdown on the number of days left!
Our days on earth are influenced by the evil one. There are so many “thieves of time” which would rob us of our time to do well. There are so many distractions and temptations, taking us away from God. If has been calculated that even if we attend church every Sunday, we would only spend a total of 5 months out of 75 years of our life. While we can spend 12 years watching TV and movies! What about the hours we waste on other frivolous and sometimes even sinful activities!
We are often being stressed in fulfilling many of our commitments in studies and work, especially if we are over ambitious and pursue a lifestyle of materialistic luxury. There is often the distraction of spending hours on our career, at the cost of spending time with God and our family. As a wise man said, “If you are depressed, you lived in the yesterday; if you are anxious, you live for the tomorrow; but if you are at peace, you are living for today. Even if you are living for today, make it EVERYDAY!
Even living a life of usefulness requires time. It takes time to study hard, to perform efficiently in your work and to serve the unfortunate in the community. It takes time to be close to God, to study His Word and to fellowship with His family.
Another year has passed. A new year begins. May the next 365 days (and many that follow) bring a special perspective in our lives. May we know our priorities among the many activities that demand our time. May we find the first priority to be close to God and discover His purpose for us. May we remember to connect with our family members, whether near or far away. May we relate to our friends, new and old (I mean long time). May we show compassion to those who are less fortunate in our society.
As in Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord declares “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
2014 New Year Letter
2014 NEW YEAR LETTER
The past year 2013 had been a traumatic year for me and my family. Yet somehow, I thank God for the medical condition which came at the right timing. By the end of 2012, I have decided to slow down my medical practice by not conducting deliveries. Our clinic had also decided to bring in a new partner. Not long after that, I was diagnosed to have lymphoma ulcer in my stomach.
It certainly gave me a jolt! We realise that we cannot live forever. My 67 years of health have almost given me a sense of complacency and immortality! However, I have seen younger friends with serious medical conditions, which would have been disruptive to their jobs and family life. Financially, we are stable and our children are well settled in their careers. Simon (Choon Sin) and Natasha with two-year Myra are now in KL, he with the Citibank and she with Roche Diagnostics. Daren (Choon Yu) and Christina have been in the government hospital in Kota Kinabalu since the last 5 years and he had recently started his part-time private Oncological practice. Juni has been back to HSBC HQ from Kuching.
I thank God that my condition was detected early. Surgery, which could be mutilating, was not necessary. Of all the malignancies, lymphomas have been known to respond to standard chemotherapy drugs for over 30 years. The drugs have been well tested and proven least debilitating. There are newer drugs eg Rituximab which acts specifically against the lymphoma cells, new injections to stimulate white blood cells and better drugs against vomiting.
Being in a partnership, I was able to take off five months completely from work in the hospital. I had never taken such a long period of leave before. The time was certainly fruitful. I had time to recollect and review my life. I managed to write down my memories, from the early childhood, to school days, university in Bombay, medical career and also my service in the church. They had been compiled and photocopied into 5 separate booklets. However, I had my first book, “Young Emotion” published. So far I have distributed 500 copies and collected about RM3000 in donations which would be sent to the PFS Students Fund.
During the year before, I was able to link up with more than a hundred of my Penang Free School mates and 70 of the Malaysian University of Bombay Alumni. Many of them have not seen nor heard from one another, some for as many as 40 years! I organised separate reunions for the Old Frees and Bombaywallas in Ipoh, refreshing old memories and re-establishing new ties among old friends. Many of them were very concerned and supportive when they knew about my health condition. The time was also spiritually meaningful as I had more time to read the scriptures, pray and worship our Almighty God. I am seeking his direction for the years ahead, if in His mercy, he will grant me many more healthy years to enjoy on this earth.
I must first thank GOD Almighty for his boundless mercies in healing me and reassuring me throughout last four months; my wife for her loving care and devotion, including gently “nagging” me on my diet and rest; and my children and in-laws for their support and love; bishops , pastors and members of St Peter’s Church and other churches for their prayers and concern; doctors and staff of Sime Darby Medical Centre and Ipoh Specialist Hospital for their expert treatment and care; my partners for allowing me to take four months from the clinic and their advice; many relatives and friends who had sent emails, Face book comments, messages and telephone calls with their encouragement, support and prayers.
Blessed Christmas and a Joyous New Year!
The past year 2013 had been a traumatic year for me and my family. Yet somehow, I thank God for the medical condition which came at the right timing. By the end of 2012, I have decided to slow down my medical practice by not conducting deliveries. Our clinic had also decided to bring in a new partner. Not long after that, I was diagnosed to have lymphoma ulcer in my stomach.
It certainly gave me a jolt! We realise that we cannot live forever. My 67 years of health have almost given me a sense of complacency and immortality! However, I have seen younger friends with serious medical conditions, which would have been disruptive to their jobs and family life. Financially, we are stable and our children are well settled in their careers. Simon (Choon Sin) and Natasha with two-year Myra are now in KL, he with the Citibank and she with Roche Diagnostics. Daren (Choon Yu) and Christina have been in the government hospital in Kota Kinabalu since the last 5 years and he had recently started his part-time private Oncological practice. Juni has been back to HSBC HQ from Kuching.
I thank God that my condition was detected early. Surgery, which could be mutilating, was not necessary. Of all the malignancies, lymphomas have been known to respond to standard chemotherapy drugs for over 30 years. The drugs have been well tested and proven least debilitating. There are newer drugs eg Rituximab which acts specifically against the lymphoma cells, new injections to stimulate white blood cells and better drugs against vomiting.
Being in a partnership, I was able to take off five months completely from work in the hospital. I had never taken such a long period of leave before. The time was certainly fruitful. I had time to recollect and review my life. I managed to write down my memories, from the early childhood, to school days, university in Bombay, medical career and also my service in the church. They had been compiled and photocopied into 5 separate booklets. However, I had my first book, “Young Emotion” published. So far I have distributed 500 copies and collected about RM3000 in donations which would be sent to the PFS Students Fund.
During the year before, I was able to link up with more than a hundred of my Penang Free School mates and 70 of the Malaysian University of Bombay Alumni. Many of them have not seen nor heard from one another, some for as many as 40 years! I organised separate reunions for the Old Frees and Bombaywallas in Ipoh, refreshing old memories and re-establishing new ties among old friends. Many of them were very concerned and supportive when they knew about my health condition. The time was also spiritually meaningful as I had more time to read the scriptures, pray and worship our Almighty God. I am seeking his direction for the years ahead, if in His mercy, he will grant me many more healthy years to enjoy on this earth.
I must first thank GOD Almighty for his boundless mercies in healing me and reassuring me throughout last four months; my wife for her loving care and devotion, including gently “nagging” me on my diet and rest; and my children and in-laws for their support and love; bishops , pastors and members of St Peter’s Church and other churches for their prayers and concern; doctors and staff of Sime Darby Medical Centre and Ipoh Specialist Hospital for their expert treatment and care; my partners for allowing me to take four months from the clinic and their advice; many relatives and friends who had sent emails, Face book comments, messages and telephone calls with their encouragement, support and prayers.
Blessed Christmas and a Joyous New Year!
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
CHRISTMAS: Fables, Facts and Faith
CHRISTMAS:
FABLES, FACTS AND FAITH
Christmas is probably the most popular festival in the world, celebrated all over the world, even in Communist and most Islamic countries. Yet many of the customs celebrated are part of the fables passed down as traditions.
A) FABLES of CHRISTMAS
Fables by themselves are not entirely wrong. They are not fairy tales. Most of the Christmas fables are based on some customs and traditions which are not directly opposed to Christian beliefs. However, the over-emphasis on such fables would replace the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas was not celebrated till the early 4th century. In the olden days, most people did not celebrate birthdays. The date itself, 25th December, originated from the widespread Roman festival to welcome the sun at the end of the cold winter. Since nobody knew the exact date of Jesus birth (not likely to be in winter, as the shepherds were out with the sheep), the early church decided to adopt the Roman holiday as the Christian holy day to celebrate the coming of the SON. The icon of popular Christmas is often the merry Santa Claus, in his red suit riding on the horse or sleigh. Santa Claus was based on the historical person of St Nicholas, who as a bishop was generous to the poor. From St Nicholas, he was called Sinter Klaus in Holland. Much later, he was made famous in America as Santa Claus, with the dress and mitre of the bishop modified in the familiar red costume. The Christmas tree was introduced by Martin Luther himself who was struck by the beauty of the fir trees glistening in the moonlight during the cold dark winter. Later Prince Albert, the German husband of Queen Victoria brought indoor the fir tree lighted with candles. The holly and mistletoe were used as decorations as they were among the few plants which survived the cold winter. Even some of the stories associated with Christmas are not found in the Bible. The donkey is not mentioned, neither is the inn keeper with his saying “there is no room in the inn”. It is not even mentioned that Jesus was born in the stable. Baby Jesus was placed in the manger, a feeding trough for animals. Eating of turkey and pudding, singing of carols and sending of greeting cards were introduced much later in the celebration of Christmas.
B) FACTS of CHRISTMAS
i) Facts of History (Luke 2:1-3)
Luke in his gospel mentioned several historical figures and events such as Caesar Augustus and Quirinus. Other figures mentioned were Pontius Pilate (mentioned in both Apostles and Nicene Creeds) and King Herod. Historically, there was a census taken around that time. The birth of Christ marks the centre of world history and the present calendar dates from that day.
ii) Facts of Prophecy (Luke 2:4-7)
Jesus was born in God’s timing (kairos) Galatians 4:4-5. His birth was in the middle of recorded history, in the time of Pax Romana. There was widespread peace, good roads and a universal language of Greek, which were all favourable for the spread of the gospel after the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus was from the line of David, as prophesised by Isaiah (9:6-7). The parents had to travel to Bethlehem, to fulfil the prophecy in Micah 5:2. His mother, Mary fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, “the virgin with child.”
iii) Facts of Facts of Science
The virgin birth was actually virgin conception. Mary conceived her pregnancy without any human contact but by the power of the Holy Spirit. The pregnancy and delivery would be normal, like any other mother would have gone through. Before in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) was known, God had introduced the miracle of incarnation. This would be the only way that the divine could manifest as human and yet remained sinless. The divine became as a human embryo that developed into a normal human baby during the nine months in the womb of Mary. She was called Theotokos, carrier of God. There is debate whether Jesus inherited Mary’s genes (thus the Roman Catholics had to make Mary sinless in the doctrine of Immaculate Conception). It would be more logical that Jesus is entirely free from the fallen human genes of his parents but has sinless genes incarnated by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Star of Bethlehem which drew the wise men from the East was probably the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, two of the brightest planets and which moved (unlike stars) across the sky.
C) FAITH of CHRISTMAS
The birth of Jesus Christ led to different responses of faith. In Luke 2:14, angels praised with proclamation “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom he favours.” Then the shepherds believed and began to evangelise, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what has been told them about the child.” (Luke 2:17). The wise men (nowhere in the Bible was mentioned the actual number) came to worship and bring their offering. “..and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts.” (Luke 2:11) Let us continue to enjoy celebrating Christmas with all its fables adding to the merriment. Let us remember the facts of history, prophecy and science supporting this miraculous event. Jesus Christ has humbled himself from the glory of heaven to be born on earth, so that He can provide us peace and eternal life. Let our faith be enhanced by believing and praising, worshiping and offering. This Christmas, let us begin to share the GOOD NEWS to all.
Christmas is probably the most popular festival in the world, celebrated all over the world, even in Communist and most Islamic countries. Yet many of the customs celebrated are part of the fables passed down as traditions.
A) FABLES of CHRISTMAS
Fables by themselves are not entirely wrong. They are not fairy tales. Most of the Christmas fables are based on some customs and traditions which are not directly opposed to Christian beliefs. However, the over-emphasis on such fables would replace the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas was not celebrated till the early 4th century. In the olden days, most people did not celebrate birthdays. The date itself, 25th December, originated from the widespread Roman festival to welcome the sun at the end of the cold winter. Since nobody knew the exact date of Jesus birth (not likely to be in winter, as the shepherds were out with the sheep), the early church decided to adopt the Roman holiday as the Christian holy day to celebrate the coming of the SON. The icon of popular Christmas is often the merry Santa Claus, in his red suit riding on the horse or sleigh. Santa Claus was based on the historical person of St Nicholas, who as a bishop was generous to the poor. From St Nicholas, he was called Sinter Klaus in Holland. Much later, he was made famous in America as Santa Claus, with the dress and mitre of the bishop modified in the familiar red costume. The Christmas tree was introduced by Martin Luther himself who was struck by the beauty of the fir trees glistening in the moonlight during the cold dark winter. Later Prince Albert, the German husband of Queen Victoria brought indoor the fir tree lighted with candles. The holly and mistletoe were used as decorations as they were among the few plants which survived the cold winter. Even some of the stories associated with Christmas are not found in the Bible. The donkey is not mentioned, neither is the inn keeper with his saying “there is no room in the inn”. It is not even mentioned that Jesus was born in the stable. Baby Jesus was placed in the manger, a feeding trough for animals. Eating of turkey and pudding, singing of carols and sending of greeting cards were introduced much later in the celebration of Christmas.
B) FACTS of CHRISTMAS
i) Facts of History (Luke 2:1-3)
Luke in his gospel mentioned several historical figures and events such as Caesar Augustus and Quirinus. Other figures mentioned were Pontius Pilate (mentioned in both Apostles and Nicene Creeds) and King Herod. Historically, there was a census taken around that time. The birth of Christ marks the centre of world history and the present calendar dates from that day.
ii) Facts of Prophecy (Luke 2:4-7)
Jesus was born in God’s timing (kairos) Galatians 4:4-5. His birth was in the middle of recorded history, in the time of Pax Romana. There was widespread peace, good roads and a universal language of Greek, which were all favourable for the spread of the gospel after the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus was from the line of David, as prophesised by Isaiah (9:6-7). The parents had to travel to Bethlehem, to fulfil the prophecy in Micah 5:2. His mother, Mary fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, “the virgin with child.”
iii) Facts of Facts of Science
The virgin birth was actually virgin conception. Mary conceived her pregnancy without any human contact but by the power of the Holy Spirit. The pregnancy and delivery would be normal, like any other mother would have gone through. Before in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) was known, God had introduced the miracle of incarnation. This would be the only way that the divine could manifest as human and yet remained sinless. The divine became as a human embryo that developed into a normal human baby during the nine months in the womb of Mary. She was called Theotokos, carrier of God. There is debate whether Jesus inherited Mary’s genes (thus the Roman Catholics had to make Mary sinless in the doctrine of Immaculate Conception). It would be more logical that Jesus is entirely free from the fallen human genes of his parents but has sinless genes incarnated by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Star of Bethlehem which drew the wise men from the East was probably the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, two of the brightest planets and which moved (unlike stars) across the sky.
C) FAITH of CHRISTMAS
The birth of Jesus Christ led to different responses of faith. In Luke 2:14, angels praised with proclamation “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom he favours.” Then the shepherds believed and began to evangelise, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what has been told them about the child.” (Luke 2:17). The wise men (nowhere in the Bible was mentioned the actual number) came to worship and bring their offering. “..and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts.” (Luke 2:11) Let us continue to enjoy celebrating Christmas with all its fables adding to the merriment. Let us remember the facts of history, prophecy and science supporting this miraculous event. Jesus Christ has humbled himself from the glory of heaven to be born on earth, so that He can provide us peace and eternal life. Let our faith be enhanced by believing and praising, worshiping and offering. This Christmas, let us begin to share the GOOD NEWS to all.
Monday, 2 December 2013
Names of Clinics & Specialities
NAMES OF CLINICS AND SPECIALTIES
Doctors like to name their clinics after their own names. Sometimes it is not very appropriate. Would patients like to see a Dr Quek? On the other hand, I had former class mate called “Mohsin” who later became a psychiatrist. In Hokkien (and he was from Penang), the word means “crazy”! Or a Singh should not call his clinic “Awtar Clinic” in Penang, as the word sounds like bluffing. There may be a Catholic Hospital or an Islamic Hospital but will there be a Sikh Hospital?
Some of the clinic names, we would like to see:
Dr See Eye Clinic
Dr Chew Oral Clinic
Dr Gigi Dental Clinic (Gigi is a lady’s name)
Dr Harry Skin Clinic
Dr Kok STD Clinic
Dr Mahalingam Klinik for Men
Dr Ma Maternity Clinic
Dr Saw Bone Clinic
Dr Sit Piles Clinic
Dr Ow Pain Clinic
Ah Choo Allergy Clinic
Polyclinic Wang, Dollah & Manikam
Moo, Kow & Ngeow Veterinary Clinic
Longest Name
The longest name of a medical speciality is probably Otonasolaryngology, a term not often used by the doctors themselves. They are often called Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists for short. However, some of them have extended their fields to head and neck. So their signboards have gone longer: Klinik Ear, Nose, Throat, Head and Neck! If other specialities called themselves by the organs they treat, gastroenterologists would be called specialists in oesophagus, stomach, intestines and rectum! Gynecologists would have more embarrassing terms to use!
Unusual specialities
A foreigner remarked that he was surprised that in Malaysia, he has seen medical clinics treating chin and lip conditions, probably mistaken for Clinic Dr Chin and Dr Lip. On the other hand, Chest physicians are reluctant to call themselves Pulmonologists while the corresponding surgeons are called Thoracic surgeons.
O & G
The old word “midwifery” has long been discarded for the medical doctors. It is still used for nurses. The term comes from an old English word meaning “with wife”. The name of our speciality is rather long and cumbersome. Suggestion to shorten it to Gynecology alone, which is adequate, have not been generally accepted, though the term “Gyne” seems to be popular. Often the name is shortened to O&G, or OBGYN. In Bahasa, it used to be called Sakitpuan & Perbidanan, which was rather crude but suitable for rural areas. In Chinese, it is simple and direct, Fu Chang Ker.
Physicians and Surgeons
As a rule, specialties ending in –ology are physician-related as surgeons would add the suffix “surgery”. Cardiology and Neurology are medical and Cardiacsurgery and Neurosurgery are surgical. Specialities dealing with a specific area of the body such as the eye (Opthalmology) and even women’s reproductive organs are both physicians and surgeons, limited to their field. The only exception is Urology which is actually surgical while the medical equivalent is Nephrology. Nowadays with minimal surgery and endoscopy, some of the procedures have overlapped. Both gastrologists and gastrosurgeons perform similar endoscopic procedures. Even radiologists have entered into interventional radiological surgeries.
Dr or Mr
Surgeons from UK prefer to call address themselves as “Mr” rather as “Dr”. Historically, the surgeons were barbers, not doctors. Yet the term “Mr” is retained as it seems to be higher in rank than the ordinary doctors in the medical profession. After struggling for years to be professionally qualified, they prefer to drop the title of Dr and return to Mr. In Malaysia, the title is even more inappropriate as it is confusing to the public. After all, do they want to be called “Encik” or “Sin Sung” in the local languages?
Car Plates
In the seventies, the car plates in Penang had two letters. The gynecologists were booking their cars with PV, the urologists would choose PU and the rectal surgeons PR. Then in Kelantan, doctors were waiting for the DR.
Sub-specialities
With the preponderance of sub-specialities, patients are finding it difficult and expensive to seek treatment. Instead of seeing the general practitioner who is competent to treat uncomplicated medical conditions or even see the general physician who should be able to treat most complicated conditions. Now, they have to see the cardiologist for the heart, the endocrinologist for their diabetes, the neurologist for the nerve condition, the rheumatologist for the body ache, the nephrologist for urine infection and even the chest physician if they complain of cough!
Doctors like to name their clinics after their own names. Sometimes it is not very appropriate. Would patients like to see a Dr Quek? On the other hand, I had former class mate called “Mohsin” who later became a psychiatrist. In Hokkien (and he was from Penang), the word means “crazy”! Or a Singh should not call his clinic “Awtar Clinic” in Penang, as the word sounds like bluffing. There may be a Catholic Hospital or an Islamic Hospital but will there be a Sikh Hospital?
Some of the clinic names, we would like to see:
Dr See Eye Clinic
Dr Chew Oral Clinic
Dr Gigi Dental Clinic (Gigi is a lady’s name)
Dr Harry Skin Clinic
Dr Kok STD Clinic
Dr Mahalingam Klinik for Men
Dr Ma Maternity Clinic
Dr Saw Bone Clinic
Dr Sit Piles Clinic
Dr Ow Pain Clinic
Ah Choo Allergy Clinic
Polyclinic Wang, Dollah & Manikam
Moo, Kow & Ngeow Veterinary Clinic
Longest Name
The longest name of a medical speciality is probably Otonasolaryngology, a term not often used by the doctors themselves. They are often called Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists for short. However, some of them have extended their fields to head and neck. So their signboards have gone longer: Klinik Ear, Nose, Throat, Head and Neck! If other specialities called themselves by the organs they treat, gastroenterologists would be called specialists in oesophagus, stomach, intestines and rectum! Gynecologists would have more embarrassing terms to use!
Unusual specialities
A foreigner remarked that he was surprised that in Malaysia, he has seen medical clinics treating chin and lip conditions, probably mistaken for Clinic Dr Chin and Dr Lip. On the other hand, Chest physicians are reluctant to call themselves Pulmonologists while the corresponding surgeons are called Thoracic surgeons.
O & G
The old word “midwifery” has long been discarded for the medical doctors. It is still used for nurses. The term comes from an old English word meaning “with wife”. The name of our speciality is rather long and cumbersome. Suggestion to shorten it to Gynecology alone, which is adequate, have not been generally accepted, though the term “Gyne” seems to be popular. Often the name is shortened to O&G, or OBGYN. In Bahasa, it used to be called Sakitpuan & Perbidanan, which was rather crude but suitable for rural areas. In Chinese, it is simple and direct, Fu Chang Ker.
Physicians and Surgeons
As a rule, specialties ending in –ology are physician-related as surgeons would add the suffix “surgery”. Cardiology and Neurology are medical and Cardiacsurgery and Neurosurgery are surgical. Specialities dealing with a specific area of the body such as the eye (Opthalmology) and even women’s reproductive organs are both physicians and surgeons, limited to their field. The only exception is Urology which is actually surgical while the medical equivalent is Nephrology. Nowadays with minimal surgery and endoscopy, some of the procedures have overlapped. Both gastrologists and gastrosurgeons perform similar endoscopic procedures. Even radiologists have entered into interventional radiological surgeries.
Dr or Mr
Surgeons from UK prefer to call address themselves as “Mr” rather as “Dr”. Historically, the surgeons were barbers, not doctors. Yet the term “Mr” is retained as it seems to be higher in rank than the ordinary doctors in the medical profession. After struggling for years to be professionally qualified, they prefer to drop the title of Dr and return to Mr. In Malaysia, the title is even more inappropriate as it is confusing to the public. After all, do they want to be called “Encik” or “Sin Sung” in the local languages?
Car Plates
In the seventies, the car plates in Penang had two letters. The gynecologists were booking their cars with PV, the urologists would choose PU and the rectal surgeons PR. Then in Kelantan, doctors were waiting for the DR.
Sub-specialities
With the preponderance of sub-specialities, patients are finding it difficult and expensive to seek treatment. Instead of seeing the general practitioner who is competent to treat uncomplicated medical conditions or even see the general physician who should be able to treat most complicated conditions. Now, they have to see the cardiologist for the heart, the endocrinologist for their diabetes, the neurologist for the nerve condition, the rheumatologist for the body ache, the nephrologist for urine infection and even the chest physician if they complain of cough!
Friday, 1 November 2013
LIGHTER SIDE OF A & E
THE LIGHTER SIDE OF A & E
The A & E is supposed to treat emergency cases and accidents. It is however common knowledge that many patients with "cold" conditions prefer to come to the A & E because it is more convenient. My impression is that at least one third of patients who sought treatment in the late hours of the night are not in need of urgent medical attention. The common underlying etiology in these patients seems to be the inability to sleep, whatever the cause!
A teenage girl came to the A & E at 1 a.m. complaining of giddiness whenever she went to bed every night (but not during the day) since the past one week. A healthy young man came because he could not "breathe" through his blocked nose which he had for the past FIVE days. One rather "well-educated" man saw me at 3 a.m. with a complaint of left earache. Clinical examination did not reveal anything abnormal. He said he had to come as "early" as possible as he was scared of it developing into some "neurological" condition. On further questioning he admitted that he could not sleep. One patient who happened to be a nurse, coughed the whole night till 5 a.m., when she decided to come to the A & E for treatment. The most ludicrous patient I met in the middle of the night was a man who brought his child at 2 a.m. with history of fever. Then very politely, he requested for a routine checkup for himself as well, since he had come all the way to the hospital! Yet another patient came past 12 midnight with a history of sustaining an electric shock earlier in the evening. He came only much later as he did not want to miss the late night movie on television!
Sex and Rape
Sex had its share of humour too, when it presents at the A & E. Working in the Accident and Emergency (A & E) department has always been considered a drag. Most of the medical officers in the University Hospital who, at some time during their four years' training in their respective specialties, have to serve six months in the A & E, regard the period there as a burden to bear with reluctance. However if one maintains his wits with him, even in the most trying situation, there are lighter moments to remember. One night at about 1 a.m., a frantic voice rang me up. He was rather frightened. While he was having intimate relations with his girl, she seemed to be panting and having difficulty in breathing! Another patient, who was on her honeymoon, had a sudden onset of bleeding down below. She immediately went to see a general practitioner who referred her to the A & E past midnight (what other time can one expect?). She was found to have a tear in the perineum. One rather anxious young man in his early twenties came at 2 a.m. after spending an hour earlier with a woman of pleasure. Unfortunately at the most critical moment she threw an epileptic fit. He was more worried that he might catch some infection from her, but then refused his blood to be taken for V.D.R.L. Raped victims often arrived at the A & E during the early hours of the morning, even though the event may have occurred some hours before. One young married woman was brought by a policewoman at about 3 a.m. after being raped by a neighbour. There was no physical injury seen. However the woman explained that the neighbour was a bomoh, who had mesmerised her into submission, after he had treated her for abdominal pain. He certainly had an unusual way of giving injections!
Needles and Poisons
Certain aspects of human behaviour manifest at the A & E, even from patients who are otherwise normal. A well-dressed man came and insisted to the reception clerk that his degree B.A. be written after his name in the registration form. A sophisticated-looking lady brought her sick mother and demanded to see the BEST doctor in the hospital. She felt annoyed when she was told by the nurse that all the doctors here were the best. One college student was very fearful of getting leprosy when he came with complaints of itchy rash at the groin. Since he read an article on the disease in a popular magazine, he had the feeling that his hair and nails were shrinking, and requested for an X-ray to find out whether he had leprosy. When one sees needles in the abdomen on plain X-rays, one would think that the patient must be mentally abnormal. However I saw one Form Six schoolboy who came one night after supper with a history of swallowing two needles. Apparently, he accepted a bet that he could swallow an entire bun in one mouthful. Only after he had succeeded was he told that one of his friends (or enemies?) had inserted two needles inside the bun. What a way to win a bet!
One evening, a tourist who had just arrived from India was brought to the A & E with multiple superficial cuts on his body. He had accidentally walked through one of the large glass panes at the airport. He explained that the glass panes were so clean, that he thought there was nothing in front of him. Poisoning cases, though usually tragic in circumstances, could sometimes be light-hearted. One adolescent girl was brought on a trolley to the resuscitation room after swallowing some poison. She was fully conscious and to my question, she replied that she swallowed a mosquito coil. She remarked that she had a feeling of mosquitoes in her stomach and she wanted to kill them! One patient, who wanted to commit suicide, swallowed liniment methyl salicylate because he saw that the bottle was labeled "poison". Another took ten tablets of paracetamol with intention of suicide.
Wounds and Nail Pricks
Nail-pricks are commonly seen and many patients are very conscious of the danger of "lockjaw" (tetanus). One patient was sure that his child had lockjaw on the same evening that he had sustained a nail-prick. The child complained of sore throat and could not swallow well. He was found to have tonsillitis. A journalist insisted on two injections of the tetanus toxoid, one in each arm, as he wanted double protection. My immediate reflex when I see a patient who had come with a history of nail-prick is to look down at his feet. In one patient I was surprised when I did not see any wound on his feet. I was about to call him bluff, when he pointed to his head. How on earth (forgive the pun) did he get a nail-prick on the head? It seemed that he walked under a wooden post with a nail jutting out!
The variety of substances that patients apply on wounds and burns seems to be unlimited. I have seen coffee powder, tobacco, toothpaste, prawn paste and to top it all, one patient applied petrol on his skin burn! Patients who have been bitten by different animals have been seen in the A & E, the most common of which are bites from dogs and rats. On one particular day, I saw three patients with very unusual bites. One was bitten by his pet chimpanzee; the next was bitten by a crab and the third by a centipede. The following day, the list was completed by a patient who sustained a human bite!
Foreign bodies in the ENT orifices are also of bewildering varieties: rubber erasers, groundnuts, seeds, marbles and plastic pieces from children's assembly sets. A rather worried mother brought her ten-year old daughter with a complaint that her daughter did not seem to hear very well. I found that both the external auditory canals were filled with thick hard wax. After removal of the wax, the girl smiled, for it was the first time that she could hear a watch tick when I placed it near her. On further questioning, she said that she had never liked any music. No wonder!
The A & E is supposed to treat emergency cases and accidents. It is however common knowledge that many patients with "cold" conditions prefer to come to the A & E because it is more convenient. My impression is that at least one third of patients who sought treatment in the late hours of the night are not in need of urgent medical attention. The common underlying etiology in these patients seems to be the inability to sleep, whatever the cause!
A teenage girl came to the A & E at 1 a.m. complaining of giddiness whenever she went to bed every night (but not during the day) since the past one week. A healthy young man came because he could not "breathe" through his blocked nose which he had for the past FIVE days. One rather "well-educated" man saw me at 3 a.m. with a complaint of left earache. Clinical examination did not reveal anything abnormal. He said he had to come as "early" as possible as he was scared of it developing into some "neurological" condition. On further questioning he admitted that he could not sleep. One patient who happened to be a nurse, coughed the whole night till 5 a.m., when she decided to come to the A & E for treatment. The most ludicrous patient I met in the middle of the night was a man who brought his child at 2 a.m. with history of fever. Then very politely, he requested for a routine checkup for himself as well, since he had come all the way to the hospital! Yet another patient came past 12 midnight with a history of sustaining an electric shock earlier in the evening. He came only much later as he did not want to miss the late night movie on television!
Sex and Rape
Sex had its share of humour too, when it presents at the A & E. Working in the Accident and Emergency (A & E) department has always been considered a drag. Most of the medical officers in the University Hospital who, at some time during their four years' training in their respective specialties, have to serve six months in the A & E, regard the period there as a burden to bear with reluctance. However if one maintains his wits with him, even in the most trying situation, there are lighter moments to remember. One night at about 1 a.m., a frantic voice rang me up. He was rather frightened. While he was having intimate relations with his girl, she seemed to be panting and having difficulty in breathing! Another patient, who was on her honeymoon, had a sudden onset of bleeding down below. She immediately went to see a general practitioner who referred her to the A & E past midnight (what other time can one expect?). She was found to have a tear in the perineum. One rather anxious young man in his early twenties came at 2 a.m. after spending an hour earlier with a woman of pleasure. Unfortunately at the most critical moment she threw an epileptic fit. He was more worried that he might catch some infection from her, but then refused his blood to be taken for V.D.R.L. Raped victims often arrived at the A & E during the early hours of the morning, even though the event may have occurred some hours before. One young married woman was brought by a policewoman at about 3 a.m. after being raped by a neighbour. There was no physical injury seen. However the woman explained that the neighbour was a bomoh, who had mesmerised her into submission, after he had treated her for abdominal pain. He certainly had an unusual way of giving injections!
Needles and Poisons
Certain aspects of human behaviour manifest at the A & E, even from patients who are otherwise normal. A well-dressed man came and insisted to the reception clerk that his degree B.A. be written after his name in the registration form. A sophisticated-looking lady brought her sick mother and demanded to see the BEST doctor in the hospital. She felt annoyed when she was told by the nurse that all the doctors here were the best. One college student was very fearful of getting leprosy when he came with complaints of itchy rash at the groin. Since he read an article on the disease in a popular magazine, he had the feeling that his hair and nails were shrinking, and requested for an X-ray to find out whether he had leprosy. When one sees needles in the abdomen on plain X-rays, one would think that the patient must be mentally abnormal. However I saw one Form Six schoolboy who came one night after supper with a history of swallowing two needles. Apparently, he accepted a bet that he could swallow an entire bun in one mouthful. Only after he had succeeded was he told that one of his friends (or enemies?) had inserted two needles inside the bun. What a way to win a bet!
One evening, a tourist who had just arrived from India was brought to the A & E with multiple superficial cuts on his body. He had accidentally walked through one of the large glass panes at the airport. He explained that the glass panes were so clean, that he thought there was nothing in front of him. Poisoning cases, though usually tragic in circumstances, could sometimes be light-hearted. One adolescent girl was brought on a trolley to the resuscitation room after swallowing some poison. She was fully conscious and to my question, she replied that she swallowed a mosquito coil. She remarked that she had a feeling of mosquitoes in her stomach and she wanted to kill them! One patient, who wanted to commit suicide, swallowed liniment methyl salicylate because he saw that the bottle was labeled "poison". Another took ten tablets of paracetamol with intention of suicide.
Wounds and Nail Pricks
Nail-pricks are commonly seen and many patients are very conscious of the danger of "lockjaw" (tetanus). One patient was sure that his child had lockjaw on the same evening that he had sustained a nail-prick. The child complained of sore throat and could not swallow well. He was found to have tonsillitis. A journalist insisted on two injections of the tetanus toxoid, one in each arm, as he wanted double protection. My immediate reflex when I see a patient who had come with a history of nail-prick is to look down at his feet. In one patient I was surprised when I did not see any wound on his feet. I was about to call him bluff, when he pointed to his head. How on earth (forgive the pun) did he get a nail-prick on the head? It seemed that he walked under a wooden post with a nail jutting out!
The variety of substances that patients apply on wounds and burns seems to be unlimited. I have seen coffee powder, tobacco, toothpaste, prawn paste and to top it all, one patient applied petrol on his skin burn! Patients who have been bitten by different animals have been seen in the A & E, the most common of which are bites from dogs and rats. On one particular day, I saw three patients with very unusual bites. One was bitten by his pet chimpanzee; the next was bitten by a crab and the third by a centipede. The following day, the list was completed by a patient who sustained a human bite!
Foreign bodies in the ENT orifices are also of bewildering varieties: rubber erasers, groundnuts, seeds, marbles and plastic pieces from children's assembly sets. A rather worried mother brought her ten-year old daughter with a complaint that her daughter did not seem to hear very well. I found that both the external auditory canals were filled with thick hard wax. After removal of the wax, the girl smiled, for it was the first time that she could hear a watch tick when I placed it near her. On further questioning, she said that she had never liked any music. No wonder!
Thursday, 31 October 2013
Doctor At Your Cervix! (Lighter Side of O&G)
DOCTOR AT YOUR CERVIX
(THE LIGHTER SIDE OF O & G)
After nearly 40 years working in the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, I had my fair share of interesting moments with women and their bodies. Not the close encounters of the sexual kind!
Workplace, not playground
A gynaecologist has to learn how to switch off his sex centre in the brain when in the clinic. After all, the most potent organ in the male body is the BRAIN, a mere thought can raise an erect organ! Many lay people would regard gynecologists as very privileged to be able to handle the female sexual organs, even to point of envy. We are the only profession to have the pleasure to receive smiles from beautiful women when we meet them on the street. The retort however is “your profession or hers!” However, please remember that other men’s playgrounds are our workplaces. The initial gynecological examinations of women in India, where I did my medical studies, and in the rural areas were not very pleasant. The standard of perineal hygiene was deplorable. After all, the reproductive canal is between the sewage and the waterworks!
Umbilicus & Wind
In private practice, the situation is much more pleasant. Many women would sprinkle talcum powder and even some perfume! There is one part of the body where some women have neglected to clean, that is the umbilicus. A young woman may be so well-dressed and clean, yet there is a one centimetre of solidified dirt in the umbilicus. It was never cleaned for fear of wind entering the abdomen! I reassured them, if that was so, they better not go swimming! Fortunately, most of them did not protest when I helped to clean their umbilicus, at no extra charge!
At Your Cervix
The most appropriate greeting made by the gynecologist to his patient would be “I am at your cervix”, to which the patient would reply “I am dilated to meet you”. There is a story of a Singapore professor who would just look from below the drapes and greet their patients by their names, without looking at their faces!
Foreign Bodies
On a few occasions, I had to remove foreign objects from the vagina, including remains of broken condom, sex aids like ring of hair, small toys and marbles. On one occasion I had to gently remove the top broken off a glass bottle! She was not one of the Thai performers who could perform vaginal gymnastics with balloons, blowing trumpets, or even keeping a gold fish alive for three minutes.
Menses & Sex
Can a woman have sex during her menses? Besides the fear of infection and injury, there is a fear of the husband getting “poison” from the menstrual blood. It is thought that during the male orgasm, the menstrual blood would be sucked into the male organ! I would ask them to experiment by masturbating in a glass of water to see whether the water would be aspirated!
Virgin Birth
Very often, there is denial of sexual activity. One day, a mother brought her daughter to the A & E with severe abdominal pain. She was on the verge of delivering a baby. Yet the mother was not aware that her daughter was even pregnant, and still insisted that her daughter had no boyfriend. I just told her that the only time a virgin gave birth was on Christmas Day 2000 years ago! The best method of avoiding pregnancy is to put the pill, between the thighs!
Where do babies come from?
These days, people are no longer ignorant of where babies come from. Even children can be told that babies are not brought in by the stork or picked from shopping in the hospital. In an episode of “The Cosby Show”, a little girl was smart enough to ask how the stork knew which baby to drop on which basket in the hospital! There is still hesitation to talk to children how babies are born. There is even belief that babies are born very small and expand on exposing to the air. On the other hand there is little logic to deliver babies in the water tub. After all women deliver human babies not baby dolphins!
Pain Dear?
However, when your wife is groaning in pain, do not ask “dear, is it painful ah?” One woman screamed at the husband, “You had your minutes of fun, now I have to go through hours of pain!” By the way, noises made by the woman in labour are not much different from the sounds she may make at the height of sexual orgasm! Women make similar sounds in pain and in ecstasy! Mothers’ day was celebrated long before Fathers’ Day. After all, to be a father is just 9 minutes of work. To be a mother is 9 months of heavy- laden pregnancy, 9 hours of labour pain, 9 months of breastfeeding and 9 years of nurturing the child.
Sex after Delivery
Many patients do not ask their doctors when then could resume sex after delivery. Malays wait for 6 weeks while Chinese are suppose to abstain for 100 days! I would tell them that their husbands are not “woh seong” (monks)! There was a joke by a sex medicine specialist at a seminar that the husband, if he is a gentleman, should wait until the placenta is delivered! Medically speaking, three to four weeks is sufficient for abstinence.
After nearly 40 years working in the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, I had my fair share of interesting moments with women and their bodies. Not the close encounters of the sexual kind!
Workplace, not playground
A gynaecologist has to learn how to switch off his sex centre in the brain when in the clinic. After all, the most potent organ in the male body is the BRAIN, a mere thought can raise an erect organ! Many lay people would regard gynecologists as very privileged to be able to handle the female sexual organs, even to point of envy. We are the only profession to have the pleasure to receive smiles from beautiful women when we meet them on the street. The retort however is “your profession or hers!” However, please remember that other men’s playgrounds are our workplaces. The initial gynecological examinations of women in India, where I did my medical studies, and in the rural areas were not very pleasant. The standard of perineal hygiene was deplorable. After all, the reproductive canal is between the sewage and the waterworks!
Umbilicus & Wind
In private practice, the situation is much more pleasant. Many women would sprinkle talcum powder and even some perfume! There is one part of the body where some women have neglected to clean, that is the umbilicus. A young woman may be so well-dressed and clean, yet there is a one centimetre of solidified dirt in the umbilicus. It was never cleaned for fear of wind entering the abdomen! I reassured them, if that was so, they better not go swimming! Fortunately, most of them did not protest when I helped to clean their umbilicus, at no extra charge!
At Your Cervix
The most appropriate greeting made by the gynecologist to his patient would be “I am at your cervix”, to which the patient would reply “I am dilated to meet you”. There is a story of a Singapore professor who would just look from below the drapes and greet their patients by their names, without looking at their faces!
Foreign Bodies
On a few occasions, I had to remove foreign objects from the vagina, including remains of broken condom, sex aids like ring of hair, small toys and marbles. On one occasion I had to gently remove the top broken off a glass bottle! She was not one of the Thai performers who could perform vaginal gymnastics with balloons, blowing trumpets, or even keeping a gold fish alive for three minutes.
Menses & Sex
Can a woman have sex during her menses? Besides the fear of infection and injury, there is a fear of the husband getting “poison” from the menstrual blood. It is thought that during the male orgasm, the menstrual blood would be sucked into the male organ! I would ask them to experiment by masturbating in a glass of water to see whether the water would be aspirated!
Virgin Birth
Very often, there is denial of sexual activity. One day, a mother brought her daughter to the A & E with severe abdominal pain. She was on the verge of delivering a baby. Yet the mother was not aware that her daughter was even pregnant, and still insisted that her daughter had no boyfriend. I just told her that the only time a virgin gave birth was on Christmas Day 2000 years ago! The best method of avoiding pregnancy is to put the pill, between the thighs!
Where do babies come from?
These days, people are no longer ignorant of where babies come from. Even children can be told that babies are not brought in by the stork or picked from shopping in the hospital. In an episode of “The Cosby Show”, a little girl was smart enough to ask how the stork knew which baby to drop on which basket in the hospital! There is still hesitation to talk to children how babies are born. There is even belief that babies are born very small and expand on exposing to the air. On the other hand there is little logic to deliver babies in the water tub. After all women deliver human babies not baby dolphins!
Pain Dear?
However, when your wife is groaning in pain, do not ask “dear, is it painful ah?” One woman screamed at the husband, “You had your minutes of fun, now I have to go through hours of pain!” By the way, noises made by the woman in labour are not much different from the sounds she may make at the height of sexual orgasm! Women make similar sounds in pain and in ecstasy! Mothers’ day was celebrated long before Fathers’ Day. After all, to be a father is just 9 minutes of work. To be a mother is 9 months of heavy- laden pregnancy, 9 hours of labour pain, 9 months of breastfeeding and 9 years of nurturing the child.
Sex after Delivery
Many patients do not ask their doctors when then could resume sex after delivery. Malays wait for 6 weeks while Chinese are suppose to abstain for 100 days! I would tell them that their husbands are not “woh seong” (monks)! There was a joke by a sex medicine specialist at a seminar that the husband, if he is a gentleman, should wait until the placenta is delivered! Medically speaking, three to four weeks is sufficient for abstinence.
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Young Emotion
The title of my book comes from this love poem, which reflects the various aspects of "Romantic Love" experienced by a typical teenager, throughout the ages.
YOUNG EMOTION
“IN love?
Did you say you're in love?
I cannot believe it. No, not again.
What you'd said, is a hackneyed refrain."
“But 'tis different; this time it's for real.
Oh I know it from the bubbling zest I feel.
No more need I keep searching or in quest, seeking or in pursuit,
For I have found her."
“SO sweet
The daintiest one can ever meet.
Her lips so warm, so full, so rubious;
Her eyes enrapture, they're so lustrous.
As fine as cobweb, her soft silky hair,
Her face halos with radiance, smooth and fair.
A beauty exquisite, most elegant, unmatchable and supreme,
The Pride of my Heart."
“BUT wait,
What became of majestic Margaret?
It was but a month last you were with her,
Oblivious to all when you're together
In the Gardens, theatre or the Drive.
Did you mention she'd be your wife?
Those ecstatic moments spent in cuddling, petting, embracing, caressing.
Then why the Discord.
“AND then
You cannot forget heavenly Helen.
It was during last term I noted
A popular remark so oft quoted,
'Where she is, you will always be
Either in class, field or in the library.'
She set your heart stirring and whirling, pounding and twirling.
Till He intervened."
"TELL me,
Can you gather a girl called winsome Winnie?
Your first and last love that was your proud claim.
Puzzled? Cannot recollect the name?
Possible, for she stole both your mind and heart.
At least that was not a poor start
In spite of the split and cleaving, breach and parting.
Farewell to First Love."
“STOP it
No more must you list. I prohibit.
Don't you see that they belong in history now?
One must advance and forget them somehow.
We must gaze ahead, never to the past.
Why bother about the affairs that didn't last.
Our moods keep on modifying and changing, developing and differing.
So Adapt to them."
“Romance
Can it be so encountered by chance?
Is it so fleeting, has it no will?
No inherent force that it can instill?
Can it just come, then obliterates
Until with another, it resuscitates?
Infatuation perhaps, or obsession or passion or craze.
Certainly not Love"
"Enough
Impermanence is not love.
Its flame of devotion does not flicker and dim,
It is more sentimental, demure and prim,
Pure, rich, virtuous and rewarding.
The heart's feeling but the mind's ruling.
It must go on sprouting and fostering, persisting and enduring
And on Forever."
SILENCE.
Doubts replaced his smile of innocence.
"Am I not in love," He snapped the pause,
"Then why this feeling, this glow. What's the cause?
"You are, but only with love itself.
Girls of beauty, your weakness.
Dreams you delve.
Of love, she is a myth or a vision, an image or a figment.
Dissolve and forget."
"CANNOT,"
He was determined to the dot.
“Nothing you say can alter my mind
She is my own, my very kind.
Soon we'll come to understand each other
To vow to cherish our love forever.
We'll never be skeptical or suspecting, doubtful or questioning.
We shall prove you wrong."
"P'RHAPS so
It might bear fruits, who'll know.
Time is the only factor that can decide
Under it, the love you have, must abide.
Last three months or so, you'll be half-won
If a year, I'll be the stupid one."
The son in teens saluted and disappeared
While his father chuckled and stroked his beard.
YOUNG EMOTION
“IN love?
Did you say you're in love?
I cannot believe it. No, not again.
What you'd said, is a hackneyed refrain."
“But 'tis different; this time it's for real.
Oh I know it from the bubbling zest I feel.
No more need I keep searching or in quest, seeking or in pursuit,
For I have found her."
“SO sweet
The daintiest one can ever meet.
Her lips so warm, so full, so rubious;
Her eyes enrapture, they're so lustrous.
As fine as cobweb, her soft silky hair,
Her face halos with radiance, smooth and fair.
A beauty exquisite, most elegant, unmatchable and supreme,
The Pride of my Heart."
“BUT wait,
What became of majestic Margaret?
It was but a month last you were with her,
Oblivious to all when you're together
In the Gardens, theatre or the Drive.
Did you mention she'd be your wife?
Those ecstatic moments spent in cuddling, petting, embracing, caressing.
Then why the Discord.
“AND then
You cannot forget heavenly Helen.
It was during last term I noted
A popular remark so oft quoted,
'Where she is, you will always be
Either in class, field or in the library.'
She set your heart stirring and whirling, pounding and twirling.
Till He intervened."
"TELL me,
Can you gather a girl called winsome Winnie?
Your first and last love that was your proud claim.
Puzzled? Cannot recollect the name?
Possible, for she stole both your mind and heart.
At least that was not a poor start
In spite of the split and cleaving, breach and parting.
Farewell to First Love."
“STOP it
No more must you list. I prohibit.
Don't you see that they belong in history now?
One must advance and forget them somehow.
We must gaze ahead, never to the past.
Why bother about the affairs that didn't last.
Our moods keep on modifying and changing, developing and differing.
So Adapt to them."
“Romance
Can it be so encountered by chance?
Is it so fleeting, has it no will?
No inherent force that it can instill?
Can it just come, then obliterates
Until with another, it resuscitates?
Infatuation perhaps, or obsession or passion or craze.
Certainly not Love"
"Enough
Impermanence is not love.
Its flame of devotion does not flicker and dim,
It is more sentimental, demure and prim,
Pure, rich, virtuous and rewarding.
The heart's feeling but the mind's ruling.
It must go on sprouting and fostering, persisting and enduring
And on Forever."
SILENCE.
Doubts replaced his smile of innocence.
"Am I not in love," He snapped the pause,
"Then why this feeling, this glow. What's the cause?
"You are, but only with love itself.
Girls of beauty, your weakness.
Dreams you delve.
Of love, she is a myth or a vision, an image or a figment.
Dissolve and forget."
"CANNOT,"
He was determined to the dot.
“Nothing you say can alter my mind
She is my own, my very kind.
Soon we'll come to understand each other
To vow to cherish our love forever.
We'll never be skeptical or suspecting, doubtful or questioning.
We shall prove you wrong."
"P'RHAPS so
It might bear fruits, who'll know.
Time is the only factor that can decide
Under it, the love you have, must abide.
Last three months or so, you'll be half-won
If a year, I'll be the stupid one."
The son in teens saluted and disappeared
While his father chuckled and stroked his beard.
Saturday, 12 October 2013
(Cancer is just a) WORD
I wrote this poem " Cancer is just a Word", from a Christian point of view.
WORD
A Word
Have you not heard?
Cancer is just a word,
Not a death sentence.
There is no pretense,
No reason to fear.
God’s WORD has it clear,
Gives us Faith and Hope,
Enables us to cope.
Through Christ who died on the tree
We are now set free,
From suffering and pain,
From death to live again
To eternal life
Through the Living WORD
WORD
A Word
Have you not heard?
Cancer is just a word,
Not a death sentence.
There is no pretense,
No reason to fear.
God’s WORD has it clear,
Gives us Faith and Hope,
Enables us to cope.
Through Christ who died on the tree
We are now set free,
From suffering and pain,
From death to live again
To eternal life
Through the Living WORD
Monday, 7 October 2013
LIFE BEFORE TVs,COMPUTERS & IPHONES
Life before TVs, Computers and Iphones
(From my book YOUNG EMOTION)
Many young people nowadays, may be wondering how their parents survived in the sixties, without many of the modern gadgets that they take for granted. Most of us did not have tuition. So we had more free time during our school days. There were many free extracurricular activities in school to keep us occupied. On the other hand, many of us had to help in the home and in the family business. I myself had to learn how to make coffee from the “sock-like” sieves. Yet, we still have fond memories of those wonderful years of simple unspoiled living.
Marbles and Fighting Fish
During our primary school days, there were many games to play. Spinning tops, flying kites, shooting catapults, kicking feather cocks and throwing marbles were among the popular games for the boys. Girls would prefer hop scotch, seven stones, skipping rope and hula hoop. Most of the “toys” would be homemade. Tops were carved from blocks of wood, catapults were shaped from forked branches of the jambu (guava) tree, and feather cocks were assembled by fixing duck feathers onto a base made from coin-sized rubber tires. We used to “gamble” with marbles laid in a row, and then we tried to hit them from a distance. Similar bets were also played with rubber bands (which were valuable then) and picture cards. Kite flying was seasonal during the windy days. Although we could buy the kites from the shops, most enthusiasts would pride themselves in making the kites themselves. They pasted coloured rice paper onto light bamboo strip frames, which were tied to a long string smeared with boiled animal resins mixed with grounded glass fragments. The aim was to fly the kite in the air, to try and cut the strings of other flying kites. When one of the kites was cut loose, the children would run to catch the falling kite, often crossing streets recklessly, amidst shouts of joy. Rearing Siamese fighting fish and catching small spiders (there was a recent Singapore TV series called Spider Boys) from garden hedges, and challenging one another were fun, especially with occasional bets.
Comics and Pen Pals
Most of us would have hobbies, a word that is seldom heard nowadays. A hobby is an activity to enjoy and indulge in our spare time. We collected many items, such as stamps, coins, cigarette packs, picture cards, or matchboxes. Stamps were most popular. We would join stamp clubs, and received stamps from England, which we would buy and then mail back postal orders as payment. Some collected stamps according to themes such as flowers, ships, animals or famous people. We eagerly looked for letters (a dying practice) from overseas, with foreign stamps on the envelopes. We learned about names of exotic places like Sierra Leone, Seychelles, and San Marino! Other hobbies would include photography (where we had to learn about aperture, exposure, and depth of field), indoor games (without using batteries) like chess cards and caroms, painting (with real paper and paints) and writing (and rewriting several times without a word processor). During the pre-television days, we spent a lot of time reading. Our favourite books were reading stories from the “Famous Five” and “Secret Seven”, written by Enid Blyton and classic novels by Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, which had been adapted into simpler English. The girls would read the romantic stories from Mills and Bloom. We read many comics magazines, such as Beano and Dandy with characters such as Desperate Dan, Jonah and Korky the Cat. The popular drink Kickapoo was made famous by the comic strip Alley Oop. Comics characters like Superman, Batman, Zorro, The Lone Ranger, and Spiderman were our heroes then and apparently now, after being resuscitated on the big screen. We did not know what porn was. The nearest we read were the steamy classics such as “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” and “The World of Susie Wong”. Before the era of Facebook and emails, many of us had pen pals from near and far. There were pen pal columns in newspapers and magazines, with names of those who were keen on “friendly correspondence”. We selected the persons, according to the age, gender and country and then wrote letters to them. We had to wait for five days for the replies from local pen pals or as long as 2 weeks from pen pals overseas. We exchanged personal information, interests and news from our countries. We learned to take time to put our thoughts on paper in proper English sentences, instead of the garbled words nowadays.
Back Lane Badminton
There were many opportunities to take part in sports and games. Every student learned how to play football, cricket, hockey, badminton and rugby in school. Malaysia was world champion in badminton then, with our heroes like Wong Peng Soon, Eddy Choong and Teh Kew San. Thus everyone played badminton. Any house with a garden would make a badminton court on grass, sand or cement. We also played on any empty ground, from gardens with frequent damage to plants, in the middle of the small roads (not too many cars then) and in back lanes, often picking up wet shuttles from the longkangs (drains). I remember playing in Gim Hye’s house in Aboo Sittee Lane and enjoyed the jambu ayer as well.
Cycling – Sweat and Rain
Except for the few wealthy families, most of us walked or cycled to school. School buses were rare then. During the early morning and mid-afternoon hours, the streets would be flooded with bicycles. Schools used to build long sheds for the parking of bicycles. School journeys could be as far as five miles (we had not heard of kilometers then). The mornings were pleasantly cool (the days before the earth-warming), but returning home in the afternoons could be hot and sweaty. Sometimes we had to cycle back for sports later, leading to sore bottoms and sweaty clothes and underwear! When it rained, we had to wear raincoats. It was against the law to carry umbrellas while cycling. In any case, we could be blown upwards by the wind! We were proud of our trusty “steed”, often with famous brands like Raleigh or Humber. China-made bicycles came later. During our cycling journeys, we looked forward to see school girls cycling in the opposite direction, hoping to receive some reciprocated smiles! Children in those days did not have to go to the gyms. All the walking and cycling provided the necessary exercise. It was only in the mid-sixties that a few students managed to ride the popular 50cc Honda Cub. It would cost around $600 (dollars, ringgit was not introduced yet). Most of the cars in the sixties were European cars such as Morris, Austin, Ford, Fiat, and Renault. When the first Japanese Toyota came out, it was widely ridiculed; the thin car body was allegedly made from Milo tins. There was no air –conditioning in the cars then. At the most, there was a small fan, which blew hot air in the afternoon!
Beaches and Hills
During the weekends and holidays, when exams were not too near, we would go on picnics and hikes. Most of us did not swim in pools, even if we could afford to join the swimming clubs. There were many clean beaches, some with fancy names like Moonlight Bay and Miami Beach. There were no big hotels or condominiums then. We had the whole beach to ourselves. One of our friends had a small sampan, which we could row out to catch fresh fish for the barbecue on the beach. Sometimes, we would pitch tents and spent the night on the beach, playing cards, drinking beer and telling ghost stories. We might trek up the hill or cycle to villages or jog across rambutan orchards (especially when they were red and ripe). Hiking up the Penang Hill from the Moon-gate, near the Botanical gardens, would take about 2-3 hours. Some of us had walked round the island, taking three days with sleeping stops in the local school hall or Scouts campsites. Cycling round the 46 mile road round the island would take about 6 hours, especially struggling across the hills near Balik Pulau. We were consoled by the aroma of the durians! In 1964, Yew Oo, Hon Tat and I cycled all the way to Kuala Kedah (about 60 miles) to catch the boat to Langkawi. Iyer (now Sulaiman) took the bus with four girls. We started before 6am and should arrive at K.Kedah at 2 pm. We were delayed as Hon Tat had leg cramps, and we had to detour to Alor Star for him to take the taxi. Yew Oo and I continued cycling strenuously to Kuala Kedah, hoping to catch the ferry. Fortunately, they managed to ask the boat to wait half an hour for us. We took the bicycles as there was no public transport in Langkawi then. Fortunately Yew Oo had a friend who took around in his timber lorry. Langkawi was really unspoilt then with pristine beaches and clear waters. That was the forerunner to “Tour de Langkawi”! Sometimes we would rent the seaside or hill bungalows for a few nights and share the costs. Oon Siew was generous enough to invite us to his family’s holiday bungalows on Penang Hill and along Tg Bungah Beach. One of the bungalow, called Adorable, was known to be haunted! We would eat canned sardines, baked beans and egg sandwiches. We would play games, cards or even mahjong and held campfires and barbecues. Girls would be invited, but there was no hanky-panky. In those days, we were too naïve and innocent or perhaps there were no TV or internet to corrupt us.
Kachang and Ice-balls
Of course we spent a lot of time eating, usually at the food stalls of course. They were not called food courts then. The favourite haunts were Dato Keramat padang, Penang Road, Gurney Drive, Pulau Tikus and New World Park. Food was cheap. We could buy a packet of kachang puteh (old spelling) for five cents, thus the popular saying “cheap as kachang puteh”! Sweets were two for five cents. Noodles were around 20-30 cents a bowl. Drinks were 5-20 cents. My father ran a coffee-shop, and he used to remind me of the number of cups of kopi-oh at 10 cents a cup he had to sell, to pay for my fees. In those days we had to pay monthly fees of $2.50 in primary and $5 in secondary schools. None of our classmates went to pubs. We would spend time in the old style kopitiam with round marble-top tables and the classic wooden chairs with specially shaped seats. Ice kacang was 20 cents a bowl, ten cents more with ice cream or with banana slices. Ice-balls made from shaved ice, with red beans or sweet corn inside the centre, and flavoured with rose or sarsi syrup, could be enjoyed for just 5 to 10 cents. Another popular drink was the coconut water sold in a glass filled with strips of grated coconut flesh. There was an Indian man selling curry puffs. He would go round with his basket, singing from the song Clementine, “Oh my darling, oh my darling, karipap karipap!”
Cartoons and Stars
Movies were a popular form of entertainment. The famous Cathay, Lido, Rex and Odeon cinemas were like our second homes. Tickets were sold at different prices, $1.20 for the first class seat at the back of the theatre, then 80 cents for the second class seat in the middle, and 40 cents for the seat in the front rows. Some cinemas had balcony seats, meant for the richer patrons, with seats at $2.00. We would wait for the popular shows to come the second round, perhaps three months later, for prices that were 40% less. Older shows would be shown on weekend mornings, called the matinees, with ticket prices at $1 for balcony and 50 cent for the stalls. Of course, those cinemas were before the Cineplex sound systems and cushioned seats! The only problem was the frequent bites from bed bugs. There were no hand phones to disturb us, instead there were crackling sounds from those eating kwa-chi (melon seeds) or groundnuts. The feature movies were often preceded by the Pathe newsreel (no CNN then), and then cartoons (Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny and Pop-Eye) or the Three Stooges. We already had coloured movies in the sixties but wide cinemascope screens came only in 1958. The first such movie was the musical “The King and I.” I stayed next to the New World Amusement Park which was like an old version of a theme park, with merry-go-round and dodgem cars, food stalls and gaming machines. There was a small cinema (called Globe) inside, which only had netting side-walls, and we could watch old movies for free. There was a theatre, with just five feet high sidewalls, which often showed Chinese wayang operas. Occasionally, Rose Chan would perform in that theatre and I had the opportunity to watch her for free (by standing on a stool!) Unfortunately, I was only ten years old and did not “enjoy” that experience. We had our share of hero-worship of film stars. Popular screen stars were Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas, and Charlton Heston. The last mentioned acted in biblical epics, such as the “Ten Commandments”. The movie was so long (about 3 hours), that there was an interval in the middle of the show for us to come out and buy drinks. Our school would arrange for special screening for school children at student prices.
Radio & Redifusion
Television came to Malaysia only in 1964. Even then a small black and white TV set would cost about $500 (a car would cost about $7000). Colour TVs came only in the 1970s. So we listened to the radio with only one RTM station with four mono AM channels, to cater to the different races. We could tune in to shortwave (with a lot of crackling noises) to the BBC and Voice of America. At that time, the Radio RAAF, broadcasted from their airbase in Butterworth, was very popular, characterized by the Australian accent of their DJs. Sometimes there were live broadcasts of events such as the Thomas Cup badminton or the Malaya cup football. With just the voice commentary, we had to use our imagination, when we tried to follow the game with its smashes and drop-shots or the goals. Even more ubiquitous was the Redifusion, which was a two-channel radio that was transmitted through telephone wires. With a monthly subscription of $6 a month, we could listen to pop songs or Cantonese stories which came in series over several months. We were able to request our favourite songs and dedicate them on air to our friends. A popular programme was the Top of the Week, where we would guess the following week’s most requested songs by sending Hacks sweet wrappers. If our lists were correct, we would get a cash prize of about $30. If nobody got all the top 8 songs in the correct order, the cash prize snow-balled till as high as $500, which was a fortune then. I entered one quiz show and won a dozen bottles of Brand’s Essence of chicken. Gramophone vinyl records were the only medium of recorded music. Later, recordable tapes in the form of reels came in. Cassettes were introduced only in the late sixties. However the record and tape players were not affordable for many us. Our favourite singers were Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Cliff Richard, Doris Day and Connie Francis till the arrival of the Beatles and Rolling Stones in the mid sixties. Those songs had melodies and words we could understand.
Girls and Dancing
We seemed to have matured during Form 4 and 5, when we were 16 and 17 years old. We began to show interest in girls. We had a nickname for the girls, Alley-oops! I attended my first party in Form 4 and learned how to wear a tie. I tasted my first beer but never enjoyed it. I even tried my first puff of the cigarette but was so nauseated with it, that I became an anti-smoking advocate in later years. By Form 4, we began to mix with girls from Methodist Girls School and St George’s School and the occasional Convent School girl. There were picnics, barbecues and dance parties. We tried dancing (not “lam sing”) the Foxtrot, Waltz and Cha Cha Cha, though not many of us were good. Our generation saw the introduction of the Twist by Chubby Checker, followed by some crazy dances called the Shake, the Hustle and the Jerk! There was usually no liquor, except perhaps the occasional punch and beer. Boy-girl relationships were by and large innocent. There were a few couples who paired up, but we never heard of any scandal happening.
Blind and Orphans
While waiting for our university admissions after Form Six, the former classmates of Form 5 science got together informally as “The Club”. In addition to regular gatherings in the homes and picnics, we would volunteer to help the blind in St Nicholas Home by reading to them. We tried learning Braille so as to help transcribe reading materials, but it was not that easy. Once a week, we would accompany the blind children to Chinese Swimming Club, to help them enjoy the water. Some of us also volunteered with the Ramakrishna Orphanage, by playing with the children, helping their studies and even painting the walls. In one election year, I was selected to be one of the helpers in the counting of the votes. The counting went on till 1 am, and we were provided snacks and an allowance of ten dollars.
Fun and Friends
Without TV, we actually played sports and not just watched the televised games. Without computers, we read and wrote proper sentences (with occasional reference to dictionaries and encyclopedias). Without mobile phones and Facebook, we went out and met our friends more often. Of course the modern gadgets have made our lives more convenient, but they are no replacement for the fun we had enjoyed, the friends we had made, and the fulfilling experience which had enriched our teenage years.
(From my book YOUNG EMOTION)
Many young people nowadays, may be wondering how their parents survived in the sixties, without many of the modern gadgets that they take for granted. Most of us did not have tuition. So we had more free time during our school days. There were many free extracurricular activities in school to keep us occupied. On the other hand, many of us had to help in the home and in the family business. I myself had to learn how to make coffee from the “sock-like” sieves. Yet, we still have fond memories of those wonderful years of simple unspoiled living.
Marbles and Fighting Fish
During our primary school days, there were many games to play. Spinning tops, flying kites, shooting catapults, kicking feather cocks and throwing marbles were among the popular games for the boys. Girls would prefer hop scotch, seven stones, skipping rope and hula hoop. Most of the “toys” would be homemade. Tops were carved from blocks of wood, catapults were shaped from forked branches of the jambu (guava) tree, and feather cocks were assembled by fixing duck feathers onto a base made from coin-sized rubber tires. We used to “gamble” with marbles laid in a row, and then we tried to hit them from a distance. Similar bets were also played with rubber bands (which were valuable then) and picture cards. Kite flying was seasonal during the windy days. Although we could buy the kites from the shops, most enthusiasts would pride themselves in making the kites themselves. They pasted coloured rice paper onto light bamboo strip frames, which were tied to a long string smeared with boiled animal resins mixed with grounded glass fragments. The aim was to fly the kite in the air, to try and cut the strings of other flying kites. When one of the kites was cut loose, the children would run to catch the falling kite, often crossing streets recklessly, amidst shouts of joy. Rearing Siamese fighting fish and catching small spiders (there was a recent Singapore TV series called Spider Boys) from garden hedges, and challenging one another were fun, especially with occasional bets.
Comics and Pen Pals
Most of us would have hobbies, a word that is seldom heard nowadays. A hobby is an activity to enjoy and indulge in our spare time. We collected many items, such as stamps, coins, cigarette packs, picture cards, or matchboxes. Stamps were most popular. We would join stamp clubs, and received stamps from England, which we would buy and then mail back postal orders as payment. Some collected stamps according to themes such as flowers, ships, animals or famous people. We eagerly looked for letters (a dying practice) from overseas, with foreign stamps on the envelopes. We learned about names of exotic places like Sierra Leone, Seychelles, and San Marino! Other hobbies would include photography (where we had to learn about aperture, exposure, and depth of field), indoor games (without using batteries) like chess cards and caroms, painting (with real paper and paints) and writing (and rewriting several times without a word processor). During the pre-television days, we spent a lot of time reading. Our favourite books were reading stories from the “Famous Five” and “Secret Seven”, written by Enid Blyton and classic novels by Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, which had been adapted into simpler English. The girls would read the romantic stories from Mills and Bloom. We read many comics magazines, such as Beano and Dandy with characters such as Desperate Dan, Jonah and Korky the Cat. The popular drink Kickapoo was made famous by the comic strip Alley Oop. Comics characters like Superman, Batman, Zorro, The Lone Ranger, and Spiderman were our heroes then and apparently now, after being resuscitated on the big screen. We did not know what porn was. The nearest we read were the steamy classics such as “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” and “The World of Susie Wong”. Before the era of Facebook and emails, many of us had pen pals from near and far. There were pen pal columns in newspapers and magazines, with names of those who were keen on “friendly correspondence”. We selected the persons, according to the age, gender and country and then wrote letters to them. We had to wait for five days for the replies from local pen pals or as long as 2 weeks from pen pals overseas. We exchanged personal information, interests and news from our countries. We learned to take time to put our thoughts on paper in proper English sentences, instead of the garbled words nowadays.
Back Lane Badminton
There were many opportunities to take part in sports and games. Every student learned how to play football, cricket, hockey, badminton and rugby in school. Malaysia was world champion in badminton then, with our heroes like Wong Peng Soon, Eddy Choong and Teh Kew San. Thus everyone played badminton. Any house with a garden would make a badminton court on grass, sand or cement. We also played on any empty ground, from gardens with frequent damage to plants, in the middle of the small roads (not too many cars then) and in back lanes, often picking up wet shuttles from the longkangs (drains). I remember playing in Gim Hye’s house in Aboo Sittee Lane and enjoyed the jambu ayer as well.
Cycling – Sweat and Rain
Except for the few wealthy families, most of us walked or cycled to school. School buses were rare then. During the early morning and mid-afternoon hours, the streets would be flooded with bicycles. Schools used to build long sheds for the parking of bicycles. School journeys could be as far as five miles (we had not heard of kilometers then). The mornings were pleasantly cool (the days before the earth-warming), but returning home in the afternoons could be hot and sweaty. Sometimes we had to cycle back for sports later, leading to sore bottoms and sweaty clothes and underwear! When it rained, we had to wear raincoats. It was against the law to carry umbrellas while cycling. In any case, we could be blown upwards by the wind! We were proud of our trusty “steed”, often with famous brands like Raleigh or Humber. China-made bicycles came later. During our cycling journeys, we looked forward to see school girls cycling in the opposite direction, hoping to receive some reciprocated smiles! Children in those days did not have to go to the gyms. All the walking and cycling provided the necessary exercise. It was only in the mid-sixties that a few students managed to ride the popular 50cc Honda Cub. It would cost around $600 (dollars, ringgit was not introduced yet). Most of the cars in the sixties were European cars such as Morris, Austin, Ford, Fiat, and Renault. When the first Japanese Toyota came out, it was widely ridiculed; the thin car body was allegedly made from Milo tins. There was no air –conditioning in the cars then. At the most, there was a small fan, which blew hot air in the afternoon!
Beaches and Hills
During the weekends and holidays, when exams were not too near, we would go on picnics and hikes. Most of us did not swim in pools, even if we could afford to join the swimming clubs. There were many clean beaches, some with fancy names like Moonlight Bay and Miami Beach. There were no big hotels or condominiums then. We had the whole beach to ourselves. One of our friends had a small sampan, which we could row out to catch fresh fish for the barbecue on the beach. Sometimes, we would pitch tents and spent the night on the beach, playing cards, drinking beer and telling ghost stories. We might trek up the hill or cycle to villages or jog across rambutan orchards (especially when they were red and ripe). Hiking up the Penang Hill from the Moon-gate, near the Botanical gardens, would take about 2-3 hours. Some of us had walked round the island, taking three days with sleeping stops in the local school hall or Scouts campsites. Cycling round the 46 mile road round the island would take about 6 hours, especially struggling across the hills near Balik Pulau. We were consoled by the aroma of the durians! In 1964, Yew Oo, Hon Tat and I cycled all the way to Kuala Kedah (about 60 miles) to catch the boat to Langkawi. Iyer (now Sulaiman) took the bus with four girls. We started before 6am and should arrive at K.Kedah at 2 pm. We were delayed as Hon Tat had leg cramps, and we had to detour to Alor Star for him to take the taxi. Yew Oo and I continued cycling strenuously to Kuala Kedah, hoping to catch the ferry. Fortunately, they managed to ask the boat to wait half an hour for us. We took the bicycles as there was no public transport in Langkawi then. Fortunately Yew Oo had a friend who took around in his timber lorry. Langkawi was really unspoilt then with pristine beaches and clear waters. That was the forerunner to “Tour de Langkawi”! Sometimes we would rent the seaside or hill bungalows for a few nights and share the costs. Oon Siew was generous enough to invite us to his family’s holiday bungalows on Penang Hill and along Tg Bungah Beach. One of the bungalow, called Adorable, was known to be haunted! We would eat canned sardines, baked beans and egg sandwiches. We would play games, cards or even mahjong and held campfires and barbecues. Girls would be invited, but there was no hanky-panky. In those days, we were too naïve and innocent or perhaps there were no TV or internet to corrupt us.
Kachang and Ice-balls
Of course we spent a lot of time eating, usually at the food stalls of course. They were not called food courts then. The favourite haunts were Dato Keramat padang, Penang Road, Gurney Drive, Pulau Tikus and New World Park. Food was cheap. We could buy a packet of kachang puteh (old spelling) for five cents, thus the popular saying “cheap as kachang puteh”! Sweets were two for five cents. Noodles were around 20-30 cents a bowl. Drinks were 5-20 cents. My father ran a coffee-shop, and he used to remind me of the number of cups of kopi-oh at 10 cents a cup he had to sell, to pay for my fees. In those days we had to pay monthly fees of $2.50 in primary and $5 in secondary schools. None of our classmates went to pubs. We would spend time in the old style kopitiam with round marble-top tables and the classic wooden chairs with specially shaped seats. Ice kacang was 20 cents a bowl, ten cents more with ice cream or with banana slices. Ice-balls made from shaved ice, with red beans or sweet corn inside the centre, and flavoured with rose or sarsi syrup, could be enjoyed for just 5 to 10 cents. Another popular drink was the coconut water sold in a glass filled with strips of grated coconut flesh. There was an Indian man selling curry puffs. He would go round with his basket, singing from the song Clementine, “Oh my darling, oh my darling, karipap karipap!”
Cartoons and Stars
Movies were a popular form of entertainment. The famous Cathay, Lido, Rex and Odeon cinemas were like our second homes. Tickets were sold at different prices, $1.20 for the first class seat at the back of the theatre, then 80 cents for the second class seat in the middle, and 40 cents for the seat in the front rows. Some cinemas had balcony seats, meant for the richer patrons, with seats at $2.00. We would wait for the popular shows to come the second round, perhaps three months later, for prices that were 40% less. Older shows would be shown on weekend mornings, called the matinees, with ticket prices at $1 for balcony and 50 cent for the stalls. Of course, those cinemas were before the Cineplex sound systems and cushioned seats! The only problem was the frequent bites from bed bugs. There were no hand phones to disturb us, instead there were crackling sounds from those eating kwa-chi (melon seeds) or groundnuts. The feature movies were often preceded by the Pathe newsreel (no CNN then), and then cartoons (Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny and Pop-Eye) or the Three Stooges. We already had coloured movies in the sixties but wide cinemascope screens came only in 1958. The first such movie was the musical “The King and I.” I stayed next to the New World Amusement Park which was like an old version of a theme park, with merry-go-round and dodgem cars, food stalls and gaming machines. There was a small cinema (called Globe) inside, which only had netting side-walls, and we could watch old movies for free. There was a theatre, with just five feet high sidewalls, which often showed Chinese wayang operas. Occasionally, Rose Chan would perform in that theatre and I had the opportunity to watch her for free (by standing on a stool!) Unfortunately, I was only ten years old and did not “enjoy” that experience. We had our share of hero-worship of film stars. Popular screen stars were Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas, and Charlton Heston. The last mentioned acted in biblical epics, such as the “Ten Commandments”. The movie was so long (about 3 hours), that there was an interval in the middle of the show for us to come out and buy drinks. Our school would arrange for special screening for school children at student prices.
Radio & Redifusion
Television came to Malaysia only in 1964. Even then a small black and white TV set would cost about $500 (a car would cost about $7000). Colour TVs came only in the 1970s. So we listened to the radio with only one RTM station with four mono AM channels, to cater to the different races. We could tune in to shortwave (with a lot of crackling noises) to the BBC and Voice of America. At that time, the Radio RAAF, broadcasted from their airbase in Butterworth, was very popular, characterized by the Australian accent of their DJs. Sometimes there were live broadcasts of events such as the Thomas Cup badminton or the Malaya cup football. With just the voice commentary, we had to use our imagination, when we tried to follow the game with its smashes and drop-shots or the goals. Even more ubiquitous was the Redifusion, which was a two-channel radio that was transmitted through telephone wires. With a monthly subscription of $6 a month, we could listen to pop songs or Cantonese stories which came in series over several months. We were able to request our favourite songs and dedicate them on air to our friends. A popular programme was the Top of the Week, where we would guess the following week’s most requested songs by sending Hacks sweet wrappers. If our lists were correct, we would get a cash prize of about $30. If nobody got all the top 8 songs in the correct order, the cash prize snow-balled till as high as $500, which was a fortune then. I entered one quiz show and won a dozen bottles of Brand’s Essence of chicken. Gramophone vinyl records were the only medium of recorded music. Later, recordable tapes in the form of reels came in. Cassettes were introduced only in the late sixties. However the record and tape players were not affordable for many us. Our favourite singers were Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Cliff Richard, Doris Day and Connie Francis till the arrival of the Beatles and Rolling Stones in the mid sixties. Those songs had melodies and words we could understand.
Girls and Dancing
We seemed to have matured during Form 4 and 5, when we were 16 and 17 years old. We began to show interest in girls. We had a nickname for the girls, Alley-oops! I attended my first party in Form 4 and learned how to wear a tie. I tasted my first beer but never enjoyed it. I even tried my first puff of the cigarette but was so nauseated with it, that I became an anti-smoking advocate in later years. By Form 4, we began to mix with girls from Methodist Girls School and St George’s School and the occasional Convent School girl. There were picnics, barbecues and dance parties. We tried dancing (not “lam sing”) the Foxtrot, Waltz and Cha Cha Cha, though not many of us were good. Our generation saw the introduction of the Twist by Chubby Checker, followed by some crazy dances called the Shake, the Hustle and the Jerk! There was usually no liquor, except perhaps the occasional punch and beer. Boy-girl relationships were by and large innocent. There were a few couples who paired up, but we never heard of any scandal happening.
Blind and Orphans
While waiting for our university admissions after Form Six, the former classmates of Form 5 science got together informally as “The Club”. In addition to regular gatherings in the homes and picnics, we would volunteer to help the blind in St Nicholas Home by reading to them. We tried learning Braille so as to help transcribe reading materials, but it was not that easy. Once a week, we would accompany the blind children to Chinese Swimming Club, to help them enjoy the water. Some of us also volunteered with the Ramakrishna Orphanage, by playing with the children, helping their studies and even painting the walls. In one election year, I was selected to be one of the helpers in the counting of the votes. The counting went on till 1 am, and we were provided snacks and an allowance of ten dollars.
Fun and Friends
Without TV, we actually played sports and not just watched the televised games. Without computers, we read and wrote proper sentences (with occasional reference to dictionaries and encyclopedias). Without mobile phones and Facebook, we went out and met our friends more often. Of course the modern gadgets have made our lives more convenient, but they are no replacement for the fun we had enjoyed, the friends we had made, and the fulfilling experience which had enriched our teenage years.
Sunday, 6 October 2013
Book Published "YOUNG EMOTION"
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YOUNG EMOTION
Contents
I) POEMS
Young Emotion
Starry Lights
You Came To Me
True Way to Love
May
I Am Not
Parting Sorrow
I will Love you Ever More
Penang Free School
II) SHORT STORY:
Village Encounter
III) ADVICE
Keep on Smiling
Thinking for Ourselves
Tips for Study & Exams
Let Us Help
Save for a better Future
IV) PERSONAL
Teenage Years
Youth to Adult
The Room in the House
Why I Chose to be a Doctor
V) OPINION
Our Hungry World
Number of “As”
Scholarships and the Rich
Gambling
Juvenile Crimes
Speed and Death
Apa Fasal?
Why I Think Malaysia is a VIP
Malaysian Politics 1962
Prologue
Looking Back to Schools
Life before TVs,Computers & Iphones
Golden Reunion
VI) Songs with a Twist
VII) Teachers’ Quotes
VIII) Random Thoughts
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