Celebrating Chinese New Year

Today, only a few of us are in the office. Many have left for CNY celebration. We couldn't wait to start our holiday but for the sake of our Chinese friends, we don't apply for a break to make sure things run smoothly during this festivity. I've known Chinese since I was really young and as I grow older, the relationship with my Tiong Hua friends are getting closer. I didn't go to Chinese school and I didn't have any Chinese friends when I was in primary school but I had many Chinese teachers who I still can recall today. 

Mrs Goh was my math teacher in the lower primary. She's not that pretty but she's smart and very talkative. I think at that time she's around 40. She always dressed in lycra fabric knee-length dress and put on a terompah-like slip-on everyday to school. The hair was big and curly, her eyes were small and she liked to laugh out loud all the time with her big voice. When we were in standard two in 1983, our class was placed on the top level of the old building made entirely of wood. Somehow in this building the blackboard was positioned higher than usual. Perhaps Caucasian teachers during the British occupation were taller than us. In order to write on the board, teachers needed to step on a long wooden bench. 

During Mrs Goh's lesson we had to sit down on the floor as usual. I didn't understand why we had to, because desks and chairs were available but as a student, you obeyed without asking. We  sat on the floor and waited for her to start the class. Slowly she stepped on the bench and started writing from left to right of the blackboard. When she reached the end of the bench, her weight pull up the other end of the bench and she felt straight on the floor with her skirt covering her head and we could see her underwear. She quickly stood up and told everybody who laughed to stand up. Sorry teacher! We couldn't help it, it's so funny, it's almost unnatural NOT to laugh. 

And naturally, we had to stand up the whole lesson for being such inconsiderate students. Another game that we loved to play was to guess her underwear color. Mrs Goh had the habit of sitting down like a man. And with dress everyday, that's just not right. At that time, the teacher's lounge was located in an open air area just above the stairs and when we climbed the stairs, we'd know who won. Sorry Mrs. Goh but I have to admit that you were one fine teacher. I couldn't be where I am now without your guidance and I remember you still. Thank you. 

Another teachers that I remember well are the golden couple, Mr & Mrs Tan. This couple was amazing. Both of them taught English. Mr Tan was a very gentle man and when he's angry he'd look like he's just won a lottery. The voice was so soft you tend to repeat what he said unintentionally. Nobody was afraid of Mr Tan because everybody loved him. The wife was the opposite. I don't think anybody would dare to play-play with Mrs Tan, she would wallop you sophisticatedly. Haha! I could imagine how Mr Tan felt at home, pity him. :)

I bet Mrs Tan would be jealous of Puan Chan. Puan Chan was not married at that time though I thought she was the most beautiful real person I've ever seen in my entire life. She dressed really well, spoke eloquently, and she liked giving advise to all the students. She trained me to tell a story on stage and I won third place. :) No, I don't think Mrs Tan was jealous of Puan Chan but I am pretty sure Mr Tan had a good time looking at her. I hope she's well and lives a proper life all these years. 

Nope.. this is not Mr Chong

My secondary school Chinese teacher who I remember the most was Mr Chong. He taught me Additional Math. O.M.G!!! He's the most boring teacher ever. His soft spoken voice was not helping the class and he couldn't speak Malay well. "Norana, kenapa memancingnya di siang hari. Bangun sekarang dan lakukannya di papan hitam". Translation "Norana, why are you fishing in the middle of the day. Wake up now and do it on the blackboard". I would stand and stare at him until he asked me to sit down. I didn't understand any single thing he taught me. Sorry teacher, your writing was nice on the board but I couldn't get with your program! Mr Chong liked to wear men shirts with pleats on top of the sleeves and his hair was always nicely comb like a mama's boy. 

Apart from the teachers, we also dependent on Chinese tailors to make our dresses. They were skillful people. And my sister's favorite tailor or perhaps the only tailor in the village was Ms Chong Late. Well that's how we pronounced it, I don't know her real name. I dreaded going to her house because she had dogs that barked like tigers. Every time my sister asked me to collect her dress, I'd feel like dying. But Ms Chong made great dresses for us for all those years. 

There were also some Chinese we knew who sold fish and vegetables from house to house and we always ended up become friends. 

And now I'm working in a Chinese company for almost 11 years. I understand the culture well and I learn to respect them more. I've established great relationships with my dear Chinese friends. My daughter also have lots of Chinese friends and she's learning Mandarin in school. We are all Malaysians. So long as we have respects for one another, we'll live long and prosperous lives together. Happy Chinese New Year to all!