Makassar, here I come

Less than five days to go, and counting.

I am in trepidation, but I am looking forward for a trip to Makassar to visit a former teacher of mine, who used to teach Sains Paduan and Fizik in high school in 1977-79. I have always been on the lookout for my three bapaks from high school and two of them passed away before I could meet up with them.

In Bapak Maryoso's case, just the with knowledge that he hailed from Pekalongan, my brother went to Education Dept in Pekalongan to seek info on bapak and by chance, the person there knew of a Bapak Maryoso who went to Malaysia to teach in the 70s. He returned to Jawa in 1977 and according to that person, he went back to Malaysia and apparently his family now lives in Selayang.

No, he had passed away.

Just like Bapak Muljadi, though in Bapak Muljadi's case, he was so near too as he was living in Seremban.

So after knowing Bapak Mappa's whereabouts, I am not taking any chance and immediately arranged a ziarah trip to visit Bapak. Fortunately, my buddies from KB76, Zul Maon, and Rozhan are willing to join me to visit as part of entourage to visit Bapak.

Bapak is now 86, and is apparently healthy.

Bapak is part of the 3 science teachers who taught and prepared us for integrated science for the SRP exams and we did so well then. Part of the credit for science has to be given to Bapak (with Cikgu Ghazali and Shaari), if I remember correctly. They probably work harder than us for SRP 78 with daily tests, and quizzes.

He went on to teach us Physics for F4.

What makes this trip more interesting and more 'meriah' is that Cikgu Dr Fatanah will be joining us too. We have the KNAP story to tell Bapak, and I am sure from teachers' perspectives, there are many stories to be told.

Sunday 5 February. Makassar, and Bapak Mappa, here we come.

Serenading Juria

Prologue

In the 70s, specifically from 1974 onwards, we lived in a government bungalow located within the compound of the police barrack of Aulong, Taiping. I guess the bungalow was built for senior government officer, so for security reason, it is placed within the compound of the police barrack. One can't be at a safer place. Most of the time, the police officer on duty would be opening the main gate for us; at times, we would open it ourselves to show respect.

As I have mentioned in a-much-earlier entry (2010) - Beautiful homes of my souls, the barrack boys are of different materials than us. They were much more hardy and resilient. Tougher, if you must. Unlike us, I must admit.

I wrote about them being thick-skin having serenading a particular girl that caught their attention. Yes, they would, much to my amusement. I would never do such thing. Of course especially not today and certainly not during those years.

But the song in particular was not really a big hit song, so I can't find it over at Youtube and posted in together with my entry.

Until I uploaded it myself last night.

This is a lesser known song of Hail Amir, but in 1978, I would think, this girl Ju (or Juria) was The girl at the Aulong Barrack. Perfect. I was really amused with the boys' antics to remember it until today.

Serenading Juria

And I certainly would not forget during one of the rare occasions I was at home - circa 77/78, a group of the Berek kids would sing Juria, a song popularised by Hail Amir. And they would sing it out loud; loud enough for me to hear them and remember it.

Juriah, engkau cantik, engkau manis...so goes the lyric. I don't remember the whole thing now. It was not the most popular of Hail Amir's songs during those years, but there is a reason why the kids loved to sing this song in the 70's Aulong Police Station.

For obvious reasons, there was this (pretty) girl called Ju - I am not sure if her actual name is Juriah or the Ju is just an initial of a slightly different name, I think, living in the police quarters, and she was the object of their attentions and affections.

As for me during those years, there were already many pretty gals in Kota Bharu, so I had never been bothered with the Berek gals! Obviously, I am trying to justify that I have nothing to do with this episode.

And I would like to make full denial that I have anything to do with this! ;-)

I remember this incident because I thought they were funny, and downright brave - if not foolish, to be doing what they did. Actually I found it amusing. It reminds of movies where the boy would serenade the girl at their home - and sometimes they got kicked at their ass by the gal's dad. PRamlee also has similar scene with S Samsudin trying to woo the maid in one of his movie - was it Antara Dua Darjat? But of course Wak Karto would come to the 'rescue' much to his chagrin.

Brave indeed - these Berek kids. And they must have thick skin.

EPILOGUE

This is Juria, but not the Juria of the 70s. Of course I would not have a picture of the Barrack police Aulong's Juria.

This is the Japanese version Juria and a fashion icon in Japan.

Syed Haron - Songwriter/Composer Extraordinaire

"Tuan Syed Haron!" I called him,

He turned around, and I grabbed his hand and shook it. Not knowing me obviously, he was puzzled by the attention this stranger is giving him.

"Thank you for Hujan, thank you for Warisan and thank you for Hanya Lagu. I think Hanya Lagu is yours, right? " I said, while still holding his hand. (Hanya Lagu was his first composition for Sudirman that caught my attention in his first LP in 1978.)

"You remember alll his songs?" his wife exclaimed, listening intently to my monologue with her husband. "I was brought up with Sudir's songs, dan tentunya mesti ada lagu-lagu tuan Syed. Masa itu saya sekolah menengah." I replied.

He squealed in delight, obviously embarrassed by the attention, and clearly overwhelmed by the occasion. Being a humble man, suddenly he was surrounded by more and more people wanting to take pictures with him.

Hujan and Kepulanganku are probably his two best songs; they are a delight to my ears. Kau Akan Kembali, Tak Perlu Diucapkan and Hari Itu Dalam Kenangan were amongst the other many hits he had with his best buddy Sudirman. Untukmu is another pleasant song to me. Beautiful. Back then I would only know him by name, and had never seen his picture. They were all beautiful songs and I can only then admire this gifted songwriter.

Warisan has been used many times over, over many events and occasions, especially Merdeka day celebrations. Yes, I don't understand why he is not being recognized and rewarded by the government. He deserved better for sure. Lesser mortal had been rewarded much more.

Thank you again, tuan Syed Haron. Your songs live on in my mind, and I am sure I not exaggerating if I say in thousands others. Make that in million others!

The boys also memorializing the occasion with this picture

EPILOGUE

You can read my take on Kepulanganku here. Otherwise here is the song.




 Hari Itu Dalam Kenangan

I uploaded this song. Now with over 24,000 views and 77 likes.

This is the first song he penned. I like this song. It is close to my heart.

When RM1.00 was worth more than gold

"OK, time's up. Please exchange your answer paper with your neighbour and we will go through the answer together."

With her as a teacher, it was never ending class tests. If my life nowadays revolves around the two certainties in life (that is tax and death), in 1978 it would be geography tests. Each week we would be preparing ourselves for her geography test. It would be Australia, it may be Japan or Thailand; by test day I would have memorized all the important towns and cities in the respective country, and anything you would need to know about that country.

She has a way of teaching us Geography. I found her teaching methods very interesting, and inspiring. Her tests were no chore at all. I looked forward to all of them. At 3 am on test day, I would be wide awake in my dorm, using torch light to go through my Geography book, while others would be snoring in the bed.

It didn't bother me at all. All I was thinking was how to score in her exams. I don't need that extra sleep; I need that extra mark I can get

A particular classmate normally would booked  his place next to me everytime we had Geographhy tests. He would try to copy my answers. I did try to prevent it, but I was only successful only to a certain extent. Obviously I would not want anyone to outscore me; what's more by copying my work.

If only there was a short cut method of studying for him

"Ah, of course. It is easy for the boys to remember Nakhon Ratchasima," she exclaimed, while sporting big wide, smile. "They would only have to remember it as Nakhon Roshaima!"

Most laughed, while yang empunya diri must be blushing.

I guess back then she was one the favourite girls in class and in school.

Fortunately I did not have to resort to such trick. As I have said, I have not had my sleep since 3 am that day, so my study method then was conventional. I have to swear Shema, it has nothing to do with me! ;) It must have been Birin or Azli, hahaha. May be if I had known such trick, I would be able to study smarter and not necessarily harder.

But I knew it too late. Simply I could not change my study style and methods.

After going through the test on Japan that day, she announced that whoever got 100% for that test, she would present RM1.00 to him/her. I smiled knowingly, confident that I am going to be that recipient.

But it was not without hiccup. One of the question was about the population of Japan. The answers that one can select were very close, and depending on your reference point, they would be correct answer (say 120 million, 125 million, 130 million), so in the end she conceded that she would accept any of those answers.

In the real exam, she contended, there would only one answer and that all the choices would be distinct.

I was extremely proud when she gave me RM1.00 for getting all correct answers in the test on Japan. For someone who was on RM10.00 a month for pocket money (sometimes, nothing, I must say) from bapak, I was rich that day. Immediately for the break, I headed to the cafe on top of Dewan Makan, and bought myself roti telur (for 30 cents) and drinks (can't recall what).

It was a good meal that morning, much better than what was on offer at Dewan Makan. It was so pleasurable.

Waking up at 3 am preparing for her test, it had been certainly worth all the effort. The freshly made roti telur was perhaps the best I had ever tasted in my life.

That's for sure.

For a 15-year old with little pocket money, if any, that RM1.00 note she gave me that day was worth its weight in  gold to me. Otherwise I would not have remembered the details after 34 years. 

And that was not the only ringgit I had gotten from her.

In 1979 she rewarded a bunch of us with another ringgit each for getting A1 in geography for SRP. Somehow she had been generous with us. I don't recall what I spent it on then; certainly the first ringgit, and being the sole recipient, would stuff memories are made of.

(How important was this in the overall scheme of things? Very very important. It was the only present I got for SRP 1978. The promise the Pengetua made to me when I called to get my results did not materialize.)

When I first met her again in 2003 after a lapse of 23 years, obviously she would still remember me. I have no doubt that that would be the case.

But my first sentence to her, while in introducing myself to her at her MRSM Jasin quarters, would be to remind her of the ringgit I got from her. "You gave me RM1.00 for getting 100% on a geo test!" I told her.

"Rahman, tentunya," she smiled broadly.

Immediately my grin grew wider!

That's Dr Fatanah Mohamed for you, a Maal Hijrah recipient at the national level. Obviously since the 70s, she had gone on doing very well with her career, perhaps something I would be unable to match myself. Knowing how she had motivated me to study hard for my exams, it was no surprise to me.

But to me, after all these years, she is simply Cikgu Fatanah, a teacher, firstly and foremost.

EPILOGUE

She would always oblige my invites. At times I do feel guilty as I thought as her former student, I should be the one crossing valleys, and climbing mountains to fulfill my teachers' invites (or visiting them) and not the other way round.


But then again she is a different breed of teacher.

Nov 2007 at my office warming party. Here Cikgu is seen with the host
and blogger and former student who still think very highly of her and would
bring the RM1.00 memory to his deathbed. 

These pictures were taken in 2006 during the Raya Open house at my place. She can be seen with her former students. She stayed on for quite awhile that day with the steady stream of her former MRSM students dropping by that day.

Once a teacher, always a teacher...Going through the pros and cons
for Arif to consider in deciding whether to follow
his father's footstep in heading to MRSM or not

Cikgu Fatanah must have some stories to tell her former students - the
Darwin 3 (1978) girls. Nakhon Ratchasima is on her left, while
Zaharah and Soraya listen on in this Raya 2006 open house. Eh I mean to
say Roshaima lah.

Cikgu Fatanah with her two daughters and her former students at my house
for the Raya 2006 open house celebration.