Friday 28 May 2010

Girls Will Be Girls

So there we were nine damsels all in a row - from right *Dak Ijah, Dak Pe'ah, Dak Izah, Dak Ani, Dak Ji, Miss Twiggy, Dak Mah, Dak Cantik (can't recall the name - she was new)and Dak Rose.

*Dak is the Melaka shortform of "budak" used when referring to people younger or same age as you.



We were gathered in the tuckshop - as school canteens were known then - waiting patiently for the guest of honour to make his appearance.

This was quite an important occasion going by the formal baju kurungs almost everyone was wearing except for the two hostelites who were dressed in the fashion of the time - mini-skirt and short shift - mainly because they had to save their single pair of baju kurung for study period later at the hostel's Bilek Mentala'ah. It was 1968 and short Beatles mop was in. Miss Twiggy even had on her kasut beatle!

On the blackboard was chalked in decorative writing "CLIFF AND SHADOWS"

And I guess that was their music that was played on the school record-player.


Cliff Richard - Congratulations


 We were waiting for this man, Che'gu X ( I'm not sure what his name was. Sorry Che'gu if you happen to be reading this).



The young and dashing Che'gu was one of a pair of trainee Bahasa Melayu teachers who were posted to our school for their practical training after getting their degrees and then doing their education diplomas. Teachers with degrees were not too common then and were viewed as prized items and son-in-law material. This Che'gu was the more popular of the two with the girls perhaps because he looked better than the other and exuded charisma, whereas his colleague, who taught my class, bit with sarcastic humour and tended to disengage the students rather than draw us in to the subject at hand.

Be that as it may, for as long as I was studying at that school there had never been a farewell party held for any teacher except these two. And I suspect that it was only for Che'gu X that it was intended as it was mainly organised by the girls from the classes that he had taught, and I had heard only glowing accounts of his teaching style from them.

Looking again at those pictures....  gosh,  sophisticated minah jogets of the P.Ramlee movies we were indeed not. The one sitting in the chair next to where Che'gu was making his farewell speech was just too shy and had to turn her back away.

But like I said, this Che'gu had a natural charm and a way with words that could blow anyone's defences in his raja lawak fashion. I can't remember at all what he had said but just look at the effect he had in this picture.


Gone are the shyness and the "on best behaviour looks" and out came the shrieks and squeals, 3rd from right left bent over double crying, Dak Rose, Miss Twiggy, Dak Ji and a few others forgetting to close their mouths and Dak Ijah hurriedly getting her handkerchief out...

Hahaha I can't stop smiling looking at those pictures. Girls are girls anywhere anytime - and it is only the best Che'gus that bring out the best in them.


Meanwhile at another place at about the same time, at a gathering of the goody-goody boys with some goody-goody girls, you can see good girls are just that - GOOD girls; and good boys are just..... boys.



In the photo below the girls were exactly in the same position and pose, but the boys had moved and looked more relaxed.


Is this the old "cool" or what?

Well... you may try and spot my hubby :)

32 comments:

Tommy Yewfigure said...

Wah Zen in a mini skirt, I like to see that!!!…kekeke. FYI, I adored Twiggy, she was simply sweet with those long chopstick legs of her.

And RA with all the smarties pants that dream of (Try Hards) wanting to be groovy. Looking at those photos, I’m feeling remorseful now looking back, those ARE the goodie 2 shoes that I bullied into doing my homework4me…..hahaha. And those typical 4 eyed Ah Mois (pretty maids in a row) & muah got a love-hate relationship :))))

This song was popular back then;

Those WERE the days

Cheers,
Tommy

P/S- Hey Zen, I don’t know what u girls see in that Cikgu. Look at his bushy eyebrow & the way they r positioned, I would say he’s a dead-set buaya darat. Pakmat, betul tak?

Zendra-Maria said...

Hey Tommy, did I mention that I was in any of those pictures? Eeeeyer!

And you a face-reader or what? Re chegu's eyebrows, doesn't it take one to know one? Come to think of it, I think he did drive a red sports-car to school hehehe

Anonymous said...

I think I may know who that teacher is. Going by his looks and the time period, this teacher went on to become a lecturer in UKM. He completed his PhD in the field of education in a prestigious university in the US which was where I first met him. I think he became a full professor subsequently, specialising in cognitive education.
He married late in life. He left us
at the peak of his career as an educationist - it was a tremendous loss to the faculty.
I am sure it is him. If you want to know more, please get in touch with Kak Puteri of Kama Kata and ask for
Derebar. I will be happy to share something of this wonderful personality.

Derebar

Zendra-Maria said...

Thank you very much indeed Derebar. If he was really the person you mentioned, I'm so glad that he had done so well and gone very far in his chosen field. I have only vague memories that his name began with R, but I may be wrong. I'll ask Puteri, thanks again Derebar. Take care :)

Anonymous said...

Yes, you are right. Arwah's name does begin with an R. Dia orang Perak.

Derebar

Zendra-Maria said...

Derebar thanks for the confirmation. Innalillah wa innalillahirajiun. Al fatihah to Che'gu R. May he be placed among the saliheen. Amin.

Red Alfa said...

Wifey Z,

How did you get all those photos of me and friends from the days of yore?! You did say you had stacks?

BTW, little did we imagined then that among the boys only 2 have not emigrated?

Of the girls, don't remember any of them! Given they didn't change their poses, I think they were from Convent Peel Road!

Zendra-Maria said...

Red, pssst ask Cik Awi... hehe

Scooting off to Batu Pahat today with her

And you're as good as having migrated yourself :(

Jay D said...

i wish i was there, back then...the girls look much more carefree, fun, and original sweet!
oh that cikgu, after reading comments abt him, made me envy with how lucky u were. may Allah bless his soul!

Cheqna said...

When i first read d "cikgu X"..thot u were trying to be mysterious;

sorry to hear about ur cikgu..semoga ruhnya dicucuri rahmat.

anyway, d photo part where the "girls" posed ~ boleh buat quiz, "spot the difference"!

:-)

Zendra-Maria said...

Average Joe, unfortunately you were born a little too late for the "girls" hehe...

and Amin to your doa

Zendra-Maria said...

Cheqna, Amin to your doa too. I had always wondered what had happened to Che'gu X.... and Che'gu Y for that matter. But little did I know the answer would come from a mysterious someone in blogdom. I'm very happy for that. Wonders never cease.

Re the last two pics, can YOU spot the difference?

Pak Tuo said...

wow..Kak Z,so classic
'Bilek Mentala'ah'

HAA as in Jawi bertemu dengan DAL or ZAL?

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Zendra,
I've always wondered about the "Dak" thingy. Thanks for the explanation. SO I'd be 'Dak Angel, eh? purrr...meow!

Anonymous said...

eerrmm yr hubby kat kanan sekali in last pic.

Tommy Yewfigure said...

ROTFLMAO...kekeke, anon; 14:20, u must be a joker, u meant the guy next to 'I walk the line' Johnny LUI (Cash)? No-lah, that one is Aloysius Keith Ramachandran mah, betul tak Dak Ani??

tireless mom said...

Phewittt...

Look at those pics. Macam cerita J Bond or P Ramlee.

Still cant spot your hubby even though have met him once. Macam lah boleh kenal kan.

Zendra-Maria said...

Pak Tuo Will, disebabkan asrama itu di Melaka, rasa-rasanya HAA itu bertemu dengan WAU! (remember our battle-cry at the meeting of the clan?)

Zendra-Maria said...

Dak Angelina, I think Dak Jolie sounds much better :)

Zendra-Maria said...

eerrmm... Capt!

the "eerrmm" is another one of your signatures hehe

alamak... like this how are you going to recognise Azeim man????

Zendra-Maria said...

Tommy the Stalker, hoii you know the guy kah? Is he your neighbour or something?

Zendra-Maria said...

TM, i do agree about the p ramlee / bond girls look-alikes there ahemmm ahemmm. how about ms twiggy? hehehe

if only wrinkles and fat could be erased, you might recognise the young red alfa hahaha

Red Alfa said...

Yea Tommy
Very close.. that guy's Manmohan Singh probably now the top orthodontist in Vancouver! Closer still your Johnny Lui (cash) owns an electrical power systems design company in Adelaide.

There are only 2 Melayus in the picture, one must be me and I didn't look like Jins Bond, OK?

Lee said...

Hi Zendra, wow! I enjoyed your this history memories and the pics.....looking at the pics brought back my own memories, ha ha.
And I never knew that 'dak' originated from Malacca. And I was from Malacca, but only up to 12 years old....so must have missed that.

I guess you and gang sure had your fair share of fun too, huh?
Stay young, Zendra and have fun. By the way, when is your Everest climb? Ha ha, Lee.

mekyam said...

zee,

this is so charming, esp the "daks". and i really dig the word "tuckshop" too! :

Zendra-Maria said...

Yes Lee, "dak" is asli Melaka, I've not heard it being used anywhere else. People address themselves as "orang" as well like in "mak, orang nak turun Melaka" meaning "mak, I'm going to Melaka" hehe :)

Everest? I don't quite like how it sounds lah...

Zendra-Maria said...

mekyam, I love the british "tuckshop" too before the american tv shows influenced the change to "canteen".

I s'pose "dak" is synonymous with "mek" but it's not gender-biased hahaha :)

mekyam said...

setuju, zee! i mmg tak suka americanisms even though i dah dok sini berkurun. i find most of their coinages, unlike british ones, are lacking in charm and wit.

DrSam said...

walauweee kanda. I just could not imagine my life would be if I were to be in your B&W era. The girls looked naturally sweet. I suppose my teropong iman would not be of any use during those days :)

DrSam said...

actually...still could not figure out which one is kanda RA :)

Zendra-Maria said...

Dinda there were no youtubes to corrupt our innocent minds then, only funny chegus hehehe

As for kanda RA, yes he has changed beyond recognition ;)

Zendra-Maria said...

mekyam, you should teach them some of your witty stringers!