tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post113129819714307632..comments2023-12-23T22:32:53.531+08:00Comments on Taking Up The Challenge: Vanishing Scenes of Singapore - Part 6 (My Secondary School Days)Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-26944816325415747902012-08-05T22:38:02.405+08:002012-08-05T22:38:02.405+08:00Reading all this comments brought back some fond m...Reading all this comments brought back some fond memories. I was in Victoria Pre-U for just 2 months and then reluctantly left for Polytechnic. BUT I had a wonderful class (I thinks it was 1976 back then)who just love to talk and joke with each other. Really can't remembers any names now. I remember the GP teacher who sounded girly..does anybody here remember his name? I remember once he spoke during assembly and everybody laughed at him.Jeffreynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-76365548153529240822011-06-23T16:31:53.787+08:002011-06-23T16:31:53.787+08:00Victor you brought memories.one phrase Bulldog Wee...Victor you brought memories.one phrase Bulldog Wee told me when he saw my final prelim results 5 6 passes<br />He told me you are going to sweep the<br />roadside. His Wakeup call does wanders I score 7 0s with 3 ujects at 1 and continnue my PreU1& 2 till 1976<br />I will always remember you Bulldog Wee DohartuaDohartuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01000336940897684394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-8875009055707730102009-09-05T16:46:38.855+08:002009-09-05T16:46:38.855+08:00Great school, in fact I can recollect happenings i...Great school, in fact I can recollect happenings in this school better than those at my secondary school, especially the the strict principal.Singapore Schoolhttp://www.raffles-college.edu.sgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-64906059352685339142009-03-01T23:49:00.000+08:002009-03-01T23:49:00.000+08:00Hi Zan, thanks for you interesting comments. I don...Hi Zan, thanks for you interesting comments. I don't think I was ever taught by Chikgu Ali before in VS. From the way you've described him, I think that it's quite fortunate that I was not his student. Haha.<BR/><BR/>Zan, you may be able to meet more fellow Victorians or even classmates of your primary school by joining <A HREF="http://www.yearbook.com.sg/" REL="nofollow"> yearbook</A> as a member. (I have just joined.)Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-87195574985513204792009-02-28T02:01:00.000+08:002009-02-28T02:01:00.000+08:00Ha!!! Ha!!! Ha!!!Wonderful reading...All of em, in...Ha!!! Ha!!! Ha!!!<BR/>Wonderful reading...<BR/>All of em, including the link to the vivid details of each and every teachers, but guess, since Senior Vic, Toon Seng, did not take up Malay as a second language, you're not familiar with a certain Chikgu Ali, who gave me a tight... i mean really tight slap, by using his left hand to hold my cheeks and WHAM!!! the right hit my left!!!<BR/>Thought, i was the only one who kena, until recently, most of the younger Victorians that plays soccer with us every Sunday at VS, told me that they also got the same privileged treatment from the same Chikgu!!!<BR/>Salute!<BR/>ps<BR/>Yue Wen, i'm also from 78 cohort!<BR/>was in 4C...<BR/>best regards to all<BR/>zan<BR/>aka<BR/>victorian1978@yahoo.com.sgAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-49064772973016151632009-02-07T07:25:00.000+08:002009-02-07T07:25:00.000+08:00I am sure things have quietened down a lot today. ...I am sure things have quietened down a lot today. Don't forgot those were the 60s and early 70s.But for many of us who have become parents or grandparents, we went through that period experiencing and learning each life lesson. Will that make us better people? Time will tell. I sure wish we need not learn life that way - maybe learn about life from books and speeches.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-85593572106236097552009-02-07T01:20:00.000+08:002009-02-07T01:20:00.000+08:00Peter's account is, as usual, interesting. I didn'...Peter's account is, as usual, interesting. I didn't know The Elite school had such naughty students. Maybe he can compare notes with yg, who's his senior .. haha<BR/><BR/>What happened to Peter's punishment regime? Throw duster and stuff chalk in mouth .. or were those in primary school only.Icemoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08174805596607457468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-84772719707298775512009-02-06T06:56:00.000+08:002009-02-06T06:56:00.000+08:00Our school was always a boys' school since its inc...Our school was always a boys' school since its inception except interrupted in the mid-60s and from 1970 onwards till this very day. the girls came @A levels for 2 years. So secondary students who a) never seen girls @close-up or b) never know what is a "girl" due to 4 years of monkhood, become excited even girls might be older than them.<BR/><BR/>Now I remember another thing school boys did in our time. The challenge was to make the form-teacher "give up" teaching the class. Again in 1970 (I shall not mention which are the classes) threw a challenge that a certain teacher would not survive another day teaching the class. When the teacher asked the class to keep quite, they continue teaching. The teacher threatedn to throw any student of the classroom if talking continued. One brave student stood up and told the teacher, "it's u or me who will stay in the class". Promptly the teacher left the class in tears. After that, many teachers came and went through those classes. The student who spoke confidently today to that teacher is one of Singapore's richest man - he is in mid-50s today and a graduate who topped his university course.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-5182724986538462262009-02-05T23:17:00.000+08:002009-02-05T23:17:00.000+08:00Peter, how come assembly had girls?Peter, how come assembly had girls?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05335608859783587110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-20650609335679229882009-02-04T19:16:00.000+08:002009-02-04T19:16:00.000+08:00So for Vicotr sake, if your son in RI tells you ab...So for Vicotr sake, if your son in RI tells you about the cheer song Green-Black-White, Raffles fight fight fight, you know the humble origins.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-74030315130175159012009-02-04T19:14:00.000+08:002009-02-04T19:14:00.000+08:00Of course I remember 1970 when we had school asse...Of course I remember 1970 when we had school assembly in the Bras Basah Road school field. As usual we started singing the national anthem whilst the national flag went up. <BR/><BR/>Then we sang the school anthem and when the school flag went up the pole, a string of fire crackers (real ones mind you) went off from the building which housed the school hall and directly opposite the flag poles. At the end of cracker firing, down rolled a string of bras and panties (green, black and white representing the school colours). Philip Liau the school principal was in mood to laugh. Mr. Lee Fong Seng (later RJC principal now retired) went hunting for the culprits including a reward leading to information. The school assembly had girls (first time after 1965).<BR/><BR/>We all could not control our laughter. Till this day the culprits could not be found BUT I know who they are. One in fact is now the head of a polytechnic department (cannot tell u which one).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-77100874485005978882009-02-04T00:09:00.000+08:002009-02-04T00:09:00.000+08:00Toon Seng and Peter, our two schools seem to have ...Toon Seng and Peter, our two schools seem to have very similar curriculum. Tell me what else did you learn in school. Haha.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-38023114052610977552009-02-03T19:01:00.000+08:002009-02-03T19:01:00.000+08:00I like Toon Seng's description of each individual ...I like Toon Seng's description of each individual teacher in School - very factual.<BR/><BR/>I thought what Toon Seng described also took place in my school. he mentioned peeping at teacher's undies - Yes there were 2 I remembered BUT not my class. One was a VSO teacher from England and the other, O Boy, can't find the right words to describe her. She wore those short pregnant one-piece dress that the boys wish the wind was a bit more powerful to lift the dress up. <BR/><BR/>There was one teacher (Wee Kiat might know this fellow teacher) who was perpetually tanned, slim, permed hair like a bob and wore sun-glasses. I think she also drives - a Hillman Imp model. She told the class she always wear bikini and go topless at Changi Beach.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-39589310349324528912009-02-03T06:17:00.000+08:002009-02-03T06:17:00.000+08:00Victor, on the rare occasions I accompany my wife ...Victor, on the rare occasions I accompany my wife to church (Covenant Community Methodist Church) I would see Mrs Mary Toh and she would remember me.<BR/><BR/>She's still healthy and strong and her glasses are just as thick!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-16790526448146206892009-02-02T00:29:00.000+08:002009-02-02T00:29:00.000+08:00Thank you for your comments, Toon Seng. I read you...Thank you for your comments, Toon Seng. I read <A HREF="http://straightfromtheshoulder.wordpress.com/2009/01/31/teacher-teacher/" REL="nofollow">your very interesting article</A> but was not able to put a comment there.<BR/><BR/>You mentioned Mrs Mary Toh. She was my form teacher for Sec 4, I think. Several years ago, I even met her when we attended the same course at the Civil Service Institute in North Buona Vista Road. And she still could remember me!Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-66909530376420711842009-01-31T09:56:00.000+08:002009-01-31T09:56:00.000+08:00Sorry got the year wrong - it should have been 70 ...Sorry got the year wrong - it should have been 70 to 73. I spent a few months in 74 for Pre-U One but was booted out when the results were released.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-67760071012724108012009-01-31T06:33:00.000+08:002009-01-31T06:33:00.000+08:00Hi, I was in VS from 71 to 74. I mentioned Mr Mok,...Hi, I was in VS from 71 to 74. I mentioned Mr Mok, and a few others in my blog: http://straightfromtheshoulder.wordpress.com/2009/01/31/teacher-teacher/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-780315706837220042008-08-21T09:52:00.000+08:002008-08-21T09:52:00.000+08:00Wow Jeremy. You really can remember a lot of detai...Wow Jeremy. You really can remember a lot of details which I have forgotten. That last part about the 2 old timers fighting their spiders is really funny. Wish I could be there to witness it. Too bad that Nparks official was so over-enthusiatic. He shd go and look for litter bugs instead. Heck, how many spiders are lost to nostalgic baby-boomers a year in Spore anyway?<BR/>Incidentally, I have seen quite a few spiders in my garden. Maybe its becos we don't use pesticides.<BR/><BR/>BTW, you shd have posted your comments in another article that Victor posted purely on this topic.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-74103087067978207492008-08-21T09:28:00.000+08:002008-08-21T09:28:00.000+08:00Ahh spiders,Used to keep many during my primary sc...Ahh spiders,<BR/><BR/>Used to keep many during my primary school days.<BR/><BR/>Had so many that I did not have time to feed all of them. So i ended housing them on my father's orchid plants. One male per pot. I stapled the leaves together so that it made instant HDB housing for the spiders, and they would most probably not run away.<BR/><BR/>The better males I will feed, the rest probably find their own food if I am too busy.<BR/><BR/>Most spider experts would also at some time or other see their best males go down the drain after too much exposure to the opposite sex. They actually mistake a male for a female! While attempting to court her (errr him!) he might just get badly bitten too.<BR/><BR/>Best time to catch them sometimes after light rain when they come out for a drink, but the water also makes the leaves stick together and you end up parting a lot of leaves but no spiders in sight.<BR/><BR/>On dry days, using a thin stick or pencil to prod leaves that looked stuck together is the fastest and safest way to check for nests. When you confirm the leaves are stuck then you take out a plastic bag and put around the leaves and cut the leaves off nicely. Then you go to a flat pavement to check your catch.<BR/><BR/>Can picture myself in the 70s'as a skinny boy of age 6-7 squatting down and staring up the vegetation hoping to see the shadow of spiders hiding in their nests. <BR/><BR/>Some more people use more crude capture tactics like using clumsy fingers to try and pry open the nest far enough to see if anything is at home. Other just use two hands and cup and grab the nest (sometimes ending up squashing the spider instead and scaring away several others nearby).<BR/><BR/>Good large male spiders tend to be at the bottom of cluster of vegetation. Due to their alertness, they are also quick in jumping out of the nest on the first sign of threat. Hence going to pavements to check the catch. Newly caught males are very jumpy and you can easily lose it. Hence the nostalgic images of boys running quickly from the vegetation of the school fence with their hands cupped together trailing bits of vegetation, and then squatting on the pavements nearby or basketball court checking their catch.<BR/><BR/>Spiders also have the knack of being able to return to their nests after you missed it the first time. So we often go back to the same spot and check the next day. Often a knotted stem serves as a marker for missed catches.<BR/><BR/>The crudest method of catching spider i have ever witnessed was watching a guy use a panel from a cardboard box and shove it at the base of a bunch of long lallag like plants and just grab the whole bunch and thrash it against the cardboard....dislodging spiders from their nests and onto the cardboard.<BR/><BR/>Pandan clusters also tend to have lots of spiders (and mosquitoes).<BR/><BR/>Newly caught spiders are very jumpy and can easily be lost when they make quick jumps from your hand. One trick is to blow a gust of wind at them. They will instinctively crouch and stop moving. After a few minutes of handling, you can already see the difference. The spider becomes less weary and will just walk among your fingers.<BR/><BR/>Sometimes if you are alone and trying to spar you spiders, one might just walk too fast for your liking and end up near your neck or head. Best put the other one down and take the stray one away from your head area. Not a very nice experience to have one run into your ear. The loud sound, the itch sends chills down your spine. Very tempting to just squish the bugger but the mess afterwards might not be a good idea. Just have to find a friend and used a thin stem to chase it back out. But the ordeal during those few minutes will make you more vigilant about not letting one get anywhere near your ear.<BR/><BR/>It was totally embarrassing the other day when i could not find even one spider to show my kids. I think the pesticides really do their damage. i cannot even find a fighting spider among the type of plants that i used to find them.<BR/><BR/>Ended up in the car park of pierce reservoir determined to show my 5year old daughter what fighting spider is and met another middle aged man trying to do the same. His son was a bit shy when I asked if he wanted to pit his spider against mine......and us two old timers ended up fighting spiders.<BR/><BR/>What took the cake was when a Nparks official came up and told us to release the spiders back. Gave a half cocked lecture about preserving our heritage.<BR/><BR/>So remember not to bring back the ants too when you go for picnics in the nature reserves ya!Jeremy Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14260663606814249370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-16917704873345229032008-06-27T01:15:00.000+08:002008-06-27T01:15:00.000+08:00Hi Andrew, just in case you don't know it, I have ...Hi Andrew, just in case you don't know it, I have written a post on <A HREF="http://victorkoo.blogspot.com/2008/06/fighting-spiders.html" REL="nofollow">fighting spiders</A>.<BR/><BR/>As you are asking for quite a lot of information on other topics and details, may I suggest we take this discussion offline. Maybe a phone interview is more appropriate. I will be contacting you shortly.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-45039748979314723922008-06-27T01:06:00.000+08:002008-06-27T01:06:00.000+08:00do you remember when you were a boy, and talking t...do you remember when you were a boy, and talking to your guy friends? when you were 14 to 15, what were the topics you talked about? girls? sex? life? ambition? and what kind of stories or escapades did your friends make up?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-26126472886945560252008-06-27T00:57:00.000+08:002008-06-27T00:57:00.000+08:00hi victorthis is most useful!my email address is w...hi victor<BR/><BR/>this is most useful!<BR/>my email address is writer@pacific.net.sg<BR/><BR/>if your friend, the spider fighting expert, wants to relive old memories and be spider fighting consultant, do let me know!<BR/><BR/>does he know where were the best places to find fighting spiders?<BR/>and what were the names of the spiders?<BR/><BR/>once again, my email add is writer@pacific.net.sg<BR/><BR/>do u remember what kind of home cooked simple meals your mother cooked when you were a kid?<BR/><BR/>my memories were - porridge with luncheon meat, but i lived in hdb flat, not kampung.<BR/><BR/>the time period of my tv series is set in the post 65 period. i guess spider fighting should still be prevalent back then.<BR/><BR/>do u remember what sports u played back then?<BR/><BR/>and who were the matinee idols back in 1968? and who were the kungfu idols, if any? bruce lee came later, so who was the equivalent of bruce lee, back in 1968?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-37420739223189896532008-06-26T15:36:00.000+08:002008-06-26T15:36:00.000+08:00Andrew, I just spoke to a good friend and colleagu...Andrew, I just spoke to a good friend and colleague who is about 8 years younger than me. He used to be very crazy about fighting spiders when he was a kid. If you could leave your email address here, I will try to arrange for you to interview him.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-38378448409172548352008-06-26T01:01:00.000+08:002008-06-26T01:01:00.000+08:00Hi Andrew, I have never played with or caught any ...Hi Andrew, I have never played with or caught any spider in my childhood before but I have seen my neighbour kids play with them before. I can give you a brief description of a typical spider fight here.<BR/><BR/>They house a lone spider in an Elastoplast box. It was a rather flat (about 1 cm thick) rectangular metal box that was red in colour. (Elastoplast, as you probably know, was a brand of plaster or self-adhesive bandage as you would call it now. This brand may still be available today but the packaging is probably different.)<BR/><BR/>They put a leave or two in the box, probably to make the spider feel "at home". It also gave the spider some places to hide.<BR/><BR/>When it was fighting time, the outside surface of the box would be the fighting arena. Another spider belonging to another kid would be placed on the same box and when the 2 spiders saw each other, they would face each other and start their "fighting dance" routine. Both would hold out their arms and move from side to side. They would make contact every now and then.<BR/><BR/>After a few minutes, the loser would run round the box with the winner chasing close behind it. That was when you know that the game ended.<BR/><BR/>There were usually no fatalities. Don't know about injuries though as a spider is too small to examine and it doesn't bleed red blood.<BR/><BR/>Fighting spiders are usually male. If a male one meets a female one, they will probably not fight but do the other "f" thing. Quite naturally. Haha.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13303109.post-36623011899499863992008-06-26T00:35:00.000+08:002008-06-26T00:35:00.000+08:00hi victorthank you so much for replying.i still ha...hi victor<BR/><BR/>thank you so much for replying.<BR/>i still have the old year book. Proudest moment in victoria was helping the school win an interschool chess tournament. Yes, i was a geek. President of chess club and what not. <BR/><BR/>I want to ask if you caught spiders back then??<BR/><BR/>and if so, WHAT ARE YOUR METHODS AND WHAT ARE YOUR TECHNIQUES? AND DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO WAS A SPIDER EXPERT? <BR/><BR/>my memories are very vague.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com