A good friend inquired today if I could be reborn, would I want to reborn in the same "skin" or one of a different colour? My answer was that I am very happy to be born -the wheres, whens, whys and the hows of it; extremely so. The only blight would be losing my father at an extremely young age and the "dire circumstances" that followed.
But to complain not-"life has a chance to be good." Enjoy the poem below, all you who are poetry lovers.
Life
What is our life? A play of passion,
Our mirth the music of division,
Our mother's wombs the tiring-houses be,
Where we are dressed for this short comedy.
Heaven the judicious sharp spectator is,
That sits and marks still who doth act amiss.
Our graves that hide us from the setting sun
Are like drawn curtains when the play is done.
Thus march we, playing, to our latest rest,
Only we die in earnest, that's no jest.
Sir Walter Raleigh
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Podgykat, I am no connoisseur of poem let alone composing one like what Sir Walter Raleigh (pronounced a 'Rowley"}had done. This was of course, as you are fully aware, attributed to my non-participation in your literature class. I do however, sometimes, read a few lines from Tennyson. Nonetheless, the beautiful lines from Sir Walter Raleigh speak perfectly what life is.
Be that as it may, my recollection of Sir Walter Raleigh was not in his poem but in his trial. Indicted for high treason, he was commissioned to set on a journey looking for gold in the new land in the East in exchange for freedom. He didn't find gold but came back with new-found territory for the crown. The King changed his mind and decreed that Raleigh must face trial. The change of mind was not the issue but the way the trial was conducted. The evidence, which was ruled admissible at the material time, was mainly that of confession of Raleigh's close friend, who was never called to testify let alone being crossed examined by Raleigh's counsel. He was convicted, sentenced and executed. Had that trial been held under the system that Englad has today, I think the legal history of England would have been different.
Leaving Sir Walter Raleigh as it was, my recollection of the four-year stint in Tanjong Lobang College has always been one with nolstagia. Fellow students either they had become my friends or not, the teachers, the hostels, the classroom lessons,the cliffs and the sea have brought many beautiful memories. Mr William Laing's history class was one that never failed to amuse me. His sense of humour has a class of its own although sometimes a contradictory in terms (perhaps because he never laughed at his own humour.
To Groovytuai, who I believe will pass this blog again, I must thank you for keeping my memory of the Kolej fresh again. Those fourth formers of that year of 1980 were really good students, who were second to none among their contemporaries. I have been observing students for the past many years. I am convinced beyond doubt none of them today possess the sense of responsibility that we had in those days. I need not say more, look around you will distinguish the difference.
Enough for now.
Have a good day.
Henry, no doubt about that. I am going to hangout with Podgee as long as she let me..hahah unless she says scoot somewhere lah. Really enjoying this blog to be honest with you. Those fourth formers of 1980 were and are something else, I must admit. I wish I could see the progress with my own very eyes. Hey kaban, there is another blogger(class of the Black Hole of Kenari)around,and am hoping for two or three more here in the next few months. Pretty soon we can have Tanjung Lobang Bloggers Club! Just kiddinglah. Here..this is a gimme..BDFS is the initial.
Be good.
Heartwarming, and heartwrenching at the same time.
Sorry to hear of the loss of your father. I too lost my mother, not at a young age, but just right when I was in the position to give to her a small portion of all those things she gave me through years and years of hardship, struggle and sacrifice.
Sometimes I don't know which is worse... losing a parent early, or not having them around to see their labour bear fruit through us.
God speed.
P.S. Hope you're enjoying the footie... :)
Just as I expected-the laywer in Henry responds! Thanks Henry for elightening us on how the end came for "Rowley"-your non-participation in English literature cLasses did not stop you from appreciating the words of many of the classical writers. I thought you were going to do a critical analysis of this poem, like Miss Helen Chua had us do aeons ago! This whole poem is a beautiful piece. I suddenly feel like doing a C&A, but I'll spare you fellas the "pain"-haha. I believe that being spectators of how some "humans" choose to live their lives is the shining example of how not to live mine. Hope you enjoyed your drive into the "countryside" yesterday. I would've invited you to stop by-my daughter wanted to have her cousins over and have another birthday do! But in the middle of it all she developed a fever(had been experiencing the sniffles few days prior)I made her another cake-this time in the shape of a lion's head! Her current favourite animal! I'll post a couple of pictures soon. Thankfully, today she seems fine and is already into the thick of things with a couple of cousins who stopped by.
Groovy, glad you enjoy dropping by- just 'shooting" straight from the heart lah, not everyone's cup of tea . There's a former perpertrator of the "Black Hole of Kenari" blogging somewhere? That should be interesting! That club sounds good-we could meet up occasionally and compare notes! But sadly, Groovy, you're out of reach at the moment...I'll stay tune in to your site for THE "kolej" news! Hah, I must tell you this, in my pursuit of that now "impossible to locate" school mag, I found dear hubby's! He's also from the same said "kolej"-only 6 years earlier to us! Hahaha.
Keropok, thanks for enjoying the entry/poem. Sorry to hear of your loss too. Being a mother myself now has made me very sensitive to my children's needs as per my own experineces as a child. I was a mere toddler when I lost my dad-he was working in an oil company in a neighbouring country where I was born. There was an uprising and he and a number of employees were taken hostage by the rebels. In the rebels' bid to take over a tiny police post, manned by only 2 officers,(!) many hostages were killed, my dad one of them. The death cert read, insantaneous death,caused by a shot to the temple. Maybe, therein lies the blessing-he didn't have time to suffer more pain wondering what was going to happen to his wife and four children, with another on the way...
You know Kerops, at whatever stage of our lives we lose our parents, the pain doesn't get any less. When you lose them at such an early stage of your lives, like my siblings and I did, at first it just doesn't sink it-not when you're having fun, learning how to cycle, catching "ikan puyu" in the overflowing drains after the rain,having loving granparents to care for/shelter you, etc. Ignorance, they say is bliss. It only hits you like a ton of bricks when you mature into adulthood and when realisation hits, boy, it hurts......bad. Because then, only then, are you able to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together. But that's another long story to tell. Might end up with "Brain Damage" (reliving it)-as the Floyd sings it! :) But as I like to believe, "Life has a chance to be good" -sometimes we just gotta let it. Speaking of which, any of you folks coming "our way" for the world famous Rainforest Music festival? I hope not to miss it this year! Hope you guys have a swell weekend!
Podgee,... One the Kenari's Black Hole victims has a blogging site now. I am trying to convince some other fourth formers-class of the 80 to follow suit lah! Ya, would be interesting indeed. Haahhh must be in the closet somewhere lah tu!! Go and visit my folks..I know my other mom(aunt) has mine. The last time I was down there.. it was kept in good hiding place! Now Henry can tell you..after the guessing game..or perhaps Tony. Tell Tony that 'Dick the menace' says hello. That is really a gimme.
Be good and enjoy life. Later.
So, Groovy, you are relly Dickson -just as Henry predicted-out goes Bobby and whatnot! Hahaha. And I found my mag after another scrutiny of the study! Got wedged between a table and the wall, probably after after some tidying up. Belum sempat scrutinise the faces yet! Edwin Samat's in town and Henry has told me he'd like to meeet up in the evening-I'd love to join them, if nothing gets in the way! And if the other two ladies in our usual group's up to it! Should be fun, haven't ween Edwin since school days when he used to be so "ruggedly macho" zooming around kolej grounds on his motorbike! Hahaha. Nice days to you! Enjoy the football, umm soccer!
"When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corners of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child has grown, the dream is gone...
I... have become comfortably numb"
Podgee, foremost tell Edwin Samat hello if you guys meet up somewherelah. Hope things won't be in the way, and those two ladies are up to it..hello too to those senior ladies. Edwin was so good to me when I was a little tiny tot in Tanjung. I used to sit down with them under the shade of that tree infront of his dorm! Haiya..scrutiniselah itu mag..you will find my third world ugly face in there. Bobby it was and Dickson it is honestly..two different person sharing the same frame. Either one will do.It seems like he's MIA...in hiding for some odd reason, but as Henry said..can't hide forever! And yes maam, I am enjoying that football games. You too maam, have a nice day..see while you having your good day, I am having my good night..snoring my butt off!!
Take care.
Hi Keropok,beautiful piece. Thanks. Hope all's fine in your world too. Or do you dream football too? :)
Groove, that's right, when we're up and about you're snoring happily in the comforts of your bed and vice versa. I sudah scrutinise the mag, there's someone in 4A who looks like you? Betulkah? So Dick & Bobby are one and the same?? Yes, did make it to dinner with Edwin, Henry,Othman,Nyuak and Sophia. Brenda was indisposed due to staying up late for the footie and now has the flu! My little one was also cooperative in that she didnot mind being left with daddy eventhough she still wasn't that well. All of us hadn't seen Edwin in 25 years! I said 'hello' to him from you, also still trying to remember all those tiny tots he used to 'shelter'-still a great guy that way. He was here for a church meeting, and has sort of 'janji' to help in our next reunion which we want to hold in Miri. So we can all go visit familiar haunts - to the cliffs/bay and that pine tree lined roads- ahhh, breathe that air just one more time! Would be great won't it? We thought of the dates around the time just when the school hols start -sometime in November. Hopefully. Take care then.
Nama berita nuan Henry?
Podgee, yes maam..I was in Four A. I am going to flip through that old photo album I managed to sneak through custom the day I left 'bejalai'. hahaha it must be me if it looks like GTlah. Honestly, I had no idea how I got the name, and I didn't ask. You can call me by either name or both hahaha. I have been called worst before!So, How are they, Mr. Samat, Mr. Joseph, Mr. Baijuri, and Mr. Bajok doing? High flying I bet. Now, that would be good..I have not been since I left. One day lah..I will make an attempt to bring my wrinkly self that direction.
Good Day. Later Podgee....
GT, the meet-up was great! Glad I made it! The owner of the place we went to for drinks after dinner couldn't believe that we were such "old friends"-spanning some 25 years. He had to pull up a chair and join us for awhile! Yup, Mr Samat-orang minyak Shell, Mr Baijuri-orang minyak Petronas(though,indirectly) businessman,Mr Nyuak-bigtime businessman. You bring your "inwhateverstateself" here, I tell you, you won't regret it! Honour amongst friends,our strongest sentiment....... Good day, or should I say goodnight? Happy snoring!
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