Root - Origin of Self

We may now be beautiful

Famous and admired

But ...









We were once

Ugly and unnoticed

Let's not forget our "roots"

Destiny

Where besides Tanjong Lobang School could destiny be planned, shaped and fulfilled?

Where besides Tanjong Lobang School was there a will and skill to turn vision into reality?

Tanjong Lobang ... unique and tough

As this lone leaf was unique in the spring,

So too was Tanjong Lobang School unique right from the beginning.





When all others withered and dropped,

Tanjong Lobang School stood bravely and fought.







Cheers,
The Old Guy

Mrs. Philips ... my favorite teacher

Mrs. Philips ...

You were sympathetic ... while others were judgmental

You encouraged ... while others displayed seeming disgust

You kept asking, "How is M----?" ... while you always knew she was well and happy

Where are you, Mrs. Philips? You always were my favorite.

Cheers,

The Old guy

"Chain Gang" by any other name is still "Chain Gang"

I started this blog thing a while back, but was never really serious about doing much with it. My question was, "who cares about my thoughts anyway?" Consequently, it turned out to be a sorry excuse of a blog.


Now, inspired by the newly organized "Ex-Tanjong", and by a fellow Limbangian, I think I will put some effort into this exercise, and perhaps turn it into something worthy of a "blog".


So ... here goes





Back in Tanjong Lobang School (1961-64), when I as a boarder, I and other male students were required to participate in the after-school "work party". For sure, it was more "work" than it was "party". And this activity usually started after the afternoon "tea".


Work Party after Tea ... what a noble concept that was!


Students were grouped and assigned certain areas where weeds and other undesirable plants and undergrowth were to be cut or otherwise removed. Each student was armed with a special cutting tool, the parang, that was securely attached to a staff of approximately one meter in length. Each student would then be "safely" spaced, and swinging that special parang.

To this day, I still marvel at the fact none of the students had ended up losing his head (literally), for among the students were many descendants of the once-feared highly-skilled parang-wielding "Borneo Headhunters". My guess is: we really liked each other then. And this supposition, I am happy to report, is reaffirmed and evidenced by how we now treat each other within "Ex-Tanjong".

The "work party" was forced labor, in my work-party-humbled opinion, but it was a consistent and logical step for the school to execute nonetheless. There was (is) plenty of rain and warmth to promote rapid growth in the plant world throughout the compound. And it was a very cost effective method of achieving "campus beautification".

Does this remind anyone of a "chain gang"?

Oh well ... it did toughen us, and in the process it also taught us to be collaborative, considerate and caring toward one another.


I still think it was "chain gang" in disguise.


Cheers,
The Old Guy