Photohunt: Numb

I tell my students to shut their eyes and imagine...........

I had just come from a freezing New Zealand.

I am in a scorching tropical island.

There were too many people.

I feel like fainting. 

I get out of the place.

I see this stand.

It says icy slush.

I buy the biggest, tallest glass of lime slush.

I take a giant gulp.

Help!!!!!

I have a brain freeze.

My lips are NUMB.

http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/

weekend reflection, sunday bridge, save the world: Sia Villa

 In one of my stories, I showed a jar at the bottom of the stairs. This was in a traditional house, the ground was muddy, we had to wash our feet before we went upstairs. I was very interested to see the reflection of the rungs of the stairs in the water.

 Here  the rungs produced wavy reflection.

 I promised my Kai Sister Diana Chin I was going to write her story. I am going to do it in the style of This is the house.....

This is the house of the Sias, it remains the same as the day it was built 60 years ago. A similar but much bigger house to my grand parents. I don't have to write about its simplicity yet beauty.

 This is the handsome man, the first born of the Sia family, who swapped his uniform for adventure.
This is the handsome man who went across the sea to seek his fortune and his fair lady.

 This is the bedroom of the family home where the handsome and brave man brought his beautiful bride from Indonesia.
This is the girl whose famous story was known all round the place.
This is the girl whose birth on this very bedroom floor gives home birth an air of authority.
This is the girl, Diana, who not only survived the trauma of a home birth, but lived to go round the world.

 This is the meter wide wok and wok cover which Diana's grandma cooked with.

 This is the chimney where the smoke emitted.

 Here are beautiful water hyacinth hat covered the whole creek. 

 This is the soldier who guards the estate.

 This would have been a nice convention centre. With the architecture of an open air, there is breeze from all corner, and saves on power to run the air conditioning.

 These are the chairs that are waiting for you and me.

 This is the playground that Diana's kids would have loved playing, but they live overseas.

 This is the coconut tree and many others whose juice quenched many a thirst, especially on that 6th July 2012, to those who had come all the way from Canada and New Zealand.

 Here are more coconut groves.

 This is Diana and her uncle's ancestral home. Their hospitality I will never forget. I slept in a comfortable bed, in an air con room.

This is Sia Villa,  I wish you were here with me. I am so in love with this place. 

http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

http://bayphoto.blogspot.com/

http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/

http://weekendreflection.blogspot.com

ABC Wednesday D for doctor.

 The first time I wore the surgical blue scrubs, it was under very sad circumstances. I wrote it in my book, "Diary of a bereaved mother, goodbye my baby." I wrote on the evening Andrew was born, I was given a set of scrubs. Andrew was dying, and I didn't care what I was wearing. On this day of 6/7/2012, I had to wear the scrubs inside the operating theatre in Rejang Medical Centre. I pretended to be Dr Chin.

 Dr. Tang Ing Bing was the class monitor in 1975, Kai Chung School. I was the form teacher. He was a good student, very polite and respectful. I am not saying this because he is a VIP person in the centre. Back in 1986, I remembered seeing him with another student Al Ngu in an airport. I recognised them, despite not seeing them since 1975. Here, next to him is his younger brother Dr. John Tang, who is now the managing Director.

Ing Bing treated me lunch. His Dad, Mr. Tang Chok King was my principal and he was there a long time. The Chinese have a saying" Jiao Tze Yew Fung." Loosely translated, it means you have been very successful in educating your children. I welcome comments to explain this. Both both sides of Mr Tang was Winnie and Orlando.

 
Ing Bing gave me a tour of his medical centre. This MRI machine must be what my friend in Singapore called, a hamburger. http://www.rejang.com.my/pages/en/home.html

http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.co.nz/

Mellow yellow: Bird Incubator

An incubator for newly hatched birds in Jurong Bird Park.
Located at the new breeding and research centre.
http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Links about Chimney

Thomas was one of my earliest blogging friend. His interest is brick chimney which I find really hard to find. I always keep an eye open. This trip back to Sibu , Sarawak, I managed to spot one. But can't tell what is is. So here you are, Thomas, may be you can tell.

There is a welcome here for you in Kai Chung School

 The students used to collect water from this water lily pond for the annual spring clean. There was no bridge then.

I got a student on duty to take my photo with the welcoming team. These are the few photos of me.

Kai Chung principal, staff and students put on a roaring welcome for the Alumni and ex teachers who came on their 7/7 Lau Peng Yew Reunion.

I was very privileged to be invited the day before, to the principal Mr. Ting Pang Kheng's office for a little recollection. He told me that he is married to the sister of a very beautiful and talented girl Tiong Leh Ming. I was disappointed she wasn't coming.

 I dedicate this post to her, and to all those "little kids" who were involved in that original "There is a welcome here for you."  Leh Ming must have choreographed and composed the song, and the late teacher Roddy Lau was the teacher in charge. I tagged along to help the students.

The song is like this, sorry I can't record it here. I sing it all the time with my ESOL students.

There is a welcome here for you,

There is a welcome here for you.

We are glad you are here,

in Kai Chung school.

There is a welcome here for you.

It must have been 4 groups of 100 students at each corner of the dual basket ball courts. They were lined in 2s, and danced towards the middle where the VIPs would stand.  This dance is similar to the New Zealand female Kapa Haka or the Hawaiian dance. You turned your fingers and gyrated a bit of your hips. Come to think of it, a bit like the Iban Ngajat, but the hands were together.

As we practised in the hot sun after school, Leh Ming's sweet voice projected to the whole school. It was hard co-ordinating such a big group of students. but Leh Ming was unfazed. I saw how beautiful it was.

Unfortunately. the dance was not performed due to unforeseen circumstances. I  cried for Leh Ming, I cried for the students, I cried for all involved.

Leh Ming, if you are reading this, if you would make a recording, I will post it on here. Your voice is much better than mine.

Photo: Alana's graceful pose taken by Lim Chin Yong.

If my new friend Moh Mee Sui  was dancing for that eventful day when he was young in 1974, I am pretty sure his daughter Alana dancing for the Alumni on 2012 would be a better dancer than her dad.There is a Chinese Song, Alana. May be I will do my theme song on Alana.

http://weekendreflection.blogspot.com

http://thursdaythemesong.blogspot.com/

Oooooooooooo!, New york new york, Kovan

August
3rd ~ Oooooo

 On the second last day of my holidays in Singapore, My friend and ex neighbour E in NTU took me to a Paranakan Restaurant and then to this place New York, New York for coffee. In case, there are many branches, this was at Kovan.

 I looked at this machine and had a pang of nostalgia. When I was little, my aunt had a shop with a machine like this. It never failed to amaze me how, one table spoon of sugar can be spun to a big ball of candy floss.

 The waiter Eric Toh was very attentive and kindly offered to make one for me.

 For free. Pssst!

 Thanks Eric.Your boss should be very happy with your PR work.  To my friend Meg in Canada, Sorry you missed out on this. I was looking high and low for you.

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