Quotable Quote

IMAGINATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWLEDGE
KNOWLEDGE IS LIMITED,
IMAGINATION ENCIRCLES THE WORLD.

Albert Einstein

How good is our education system

Almost all countries have some mission statements on Education. The article following is an intent put out by The US President, Barack Obama on the outcome of his educational policy.
I have chosen to put this statement on the blog because it so happens that education is my calling.
Australia has also made big strides in its education programme through the introduction of early childhood education and the implementation of the teaching of languages in schools to name just two areas.
What I am driving at is the importance of education in the preparation of our young for the tasks ahead in all areas of life. It is not enough to just say 'copy the Chinese or the Jews to show improvement' as one politician put it. It involves a lot of energy put in by the students guided by well trained educators.
What is the quality of the programmes that help to prepare our children for higher education not just in the main cities but also throughout the nation. Do we have well trained teachers in the various fields, do we have proper facilities to help with the acquisition of knowledge such as science and language labs especially in the primary and lower secondary areas of the country?
Do we leave out subjects, for example languages, simply because the children have difficulty in coping with their learning?
How often has the government done its homework to improve its education policy?
Something to think about for the purpose of nation building.

Where do we stand

Ihaveb The Current Situation

At this defining moment in our history, preparing our children to compete in the global economy is one of the most urgent challenges we face. We need to stop paying lip service to public education, and start holding communities, administrators, teachers, parents and students accountable. We will prepare the next generation for success in college and the workforce, ensuring that American children lead the world once again in creativity and achievement.

The SolutionImprove K-12 schooling:

• We will recruit an army of new teachers and develop innovative ways to reward teachers who are doing a great job, and we will reform No Child Left Behind so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.

• Expand access to higher education:

  After graduating high school, all Americans should be prepared to attend at least one year of job training or higher education to better equip our workforce for the 21st century economy. We will continue to make higher education more affordable by expanding Pell Grants and initiating new tax credits to make sure any young person who works hard and desires a college education can access it.

• Make sure our children are prepared for kindergarten:

  One of the most critical times to influence learning in a child's life is the period before he or she reaches kindergarten. We will invest in early childhood education, by dramatically expanding Head Start and other programs to ensure that all of our young children are ready to enter kindergarten.

Counter

The counter on your left was introduced last week. It's starting date was 19th September 2009. Don't be surprised if the number indicated is low. It should increase as more and more people take peeps at the blog from now on.

You are never late to continue sending your articles.

Bill

Negotiation begins................

Dear Ron,

Your suggestion to include a visit to Kulim for our of group of 'geriatric tourists' is a great idea! I am sure that a tour to our old schools will bring back
wonderful memories (and tears). It will be hilarious when we all front up in the same T shirts!! Perhaps lets get some publicity - let the local papers know about our visit. Then Kulim will really have woken up and remember this return of her 'children' for long time!!

The Kulim Club is possibly an appropriate venue for our lunch - I am sure Cheah Kok Poh would be able to arrange that.

Kind regards.



On Wed Aug 5 1:55 , Ron Heng sent:

Teddy,

I like the t-shirt idea. I will talk to Aaron this week-end. We get the t-shirts printed in Malaysia. It is cheaper and in any case the t-shirts in Aus are mostly made in China.
We are going to smell if we wear the same t-shirt for 3 days. We can give each one 1 t-shirt as part of the function cost but make extra t-shirts available for sale. We can take orders when we get responses of intent to attend to ensure that we get printed the right quantity and sizes.

What do you think of the idea of organising a lunch in Kulim?. We can hire a bus to take us there from Penang for the lunch and include a quick tour of Kulim. Perhaps we can organise with the headmasters of St Pat, St Anne and SBS for a quick tour of the schools. Just imagine all these oldies turning up in Kulim and the schools all dressed in the same t-shirts. Kulim will remember us for a long long time.

Talk again soon,
Ron

The blog is starting to regain momentum

Stewart,

I will be staying on�after the reunion, but I don't have any plans about what I will do.
I have thought of going to China from KL for a week or 2. If you have any suggestions of
prolonging our reunion with visits to Kulim etc. I will be in that. Actually Teddy and I did
just that in April this year and it was very enjoyable. I can be tempted to do it again. I
am so busy now watching the grass grow so I guess it does not take much to make me extend my
stay. Maybe I will find an unfortunate Aussie girl to come with me since you lot will have
your spouses with you.

Cheers,
Ron

__************************************

Dear Julie, Teddy, Dave and Ron,

Its all so exciting for me receiving emails about the RU52 - 01.10.10!� Thanks guys - I can
see this joint reunion becoming
so very special and heart warming.� Experiencing it together in Penang with all its ambience
is certainly most appropriate.� Keep up all your good work - much appreciated by one and
all. ��

Seeing all of you guys again from our last St. Patricks Reunion, especially Dave Li (it
seemed to me like you just bopped in quickly and left us the last time!) would be great.�
Meeting up with Julie (you showed me around KL at year 2000?) and Grace Choong and ?Tet Shin
(my Kulim neighbours I haven't seen since I left for Perth in 1963!) would be absolutely
fantastic.� Love to meet up again with my scout Patrol Leader Kok Poh who was such a
lifewire at our last reunion.� Ron, do you have plans of extending this next reunion to
Kulim with a group of takers?� I'll definitely be counted this time! ��

Lately, I have been quite busy being a diligent grandad to my two girls - I have four grand
kids, all below 4 years old!� But I can still be of help to you guys.� I am excited that I
will make a trip to KL/ Penang in November or/and February when I hope
to catch up with Teddy and Dave.

Kind regards
Stewart

*********************************

On Fri Jul 31 9:10 , "Teddy Dielenberg" sent:

Dave,
>Thanks for the info and you really are a motivator, since you guys got me started to
work on it, it keeps me ticking and
>I probably will go to Penang sometime after Christmas and will get my contacts to
negotiate them as well for
>in January 2010. As far as the list for Then we have to work on the girls through some
of those �
>known contacts, such as Yew Hoon, Grace, Mee Siew �and others, Grace and Mee Siew will
probably be able to contact those older girls, Julie Wong, Lucy and Yew Hoon on
>the younger ones, Forget about those under 60s they will be too young to join our group,
except for Amy , OK , as we leave her to Stewart to handle. I already had a word with
>Cheah Kok Poh and he is also excited and when he is down in KL in August we are going to
meet up and discuss about it. Will keep you all informed ���
>Teddy ����
>The G-Hotel is not only close to the action but it is a nice hotel. We can book some of
the places there for dinners brother, Lin can get in touch with him, we will do all that in
December, will let you know the date

******************************

>�
>Dear Teddy,
>
>This RU52 joint thing really go me excited although it is over a year from now
hehehe.....
>
>About those colors you know the SPS is Green, White and Red (IF my memory dont fail
me)..Convent St.Anne Kulim, Dark Blue, White and Red. SBS Kulim Dark Blue, Yellow and Sultan
Hamid Colledge, Black, Red and White.....
>
>Hey Ted when r you coming to Penang to do that scouting huh? pls inform me too (well in
advance..who knows i may join you too hehehe).
>
>Dave, THEtree man 
>
>PS: remember it is the G HOTEL that is close to everything not Gurney Hotel. 
>�

Tentative date: 1-10-10

Teddy is fired up.
He said "I just received and E-mail from Stewart and he requested to have it on 1-10-10."
Please take note 1/10/10 for the get together. Place and duration of meeting have yet to be decided. If you are keen to meet your mates make a date now ( before your legs start to give way to your weight and the need of a wheelchair becomes imperative), just joking, lah.

Aside: I can do with lots of articles, stories, notices and dreams to keep this blog alive. Please play your part.

Stay young.

Bill

Confusion Reigns

I received an email from someone by the username of chewhg. It got me puzzled for quite a while. The problem grew intense because the email was from .au. I was a bit relieved when I was asked whether it was snowing in Canberre when it was 3deg in Perth. That narrowed the field by a mile. It suddenly dawned on me that it could be from David but he was from Singapore. I then settled with the idea that David had moved to Perth from Singapore.
The revelation came the following day in a reply from the guy who sent the email.
It was Stewart. I then wrote the following message to him--

How silly of me. You left out your christian name. Confusion certainly took over me for quite a while. Stewart and Chew Huat Guan are the same person. (Repeat 100 tiimes) I am familiar with Stewart because I have tasted his excellent char koey teow but Chew Huat Guan is new to me. Sorry mate.
Please let me into the difference between Huat Guan and Huat Hock? I have not heard from David for a long time. He must be a very busy man.

Reminder:; please don't , whatever you do , don't leave your Christian name out. The username can be very very confusing. Mine is wdberg.

Message from Bro Paul Ho

*
*
*


http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/17271/the-last-lasallian.html

Click on the URL or paste on your browser and search.

It contains a message from Bro, Paul Ho

The retirement of Brother Paul Ho brought to a close the 157-year presence of the La Salle Brothers in Malaysia. The legacy La Salle brothers in Malaysia started in March 1852 when a majestic sailing ship completed its 3-month voyage and entered Singapore's busy harbour. Six Brothers came ashore to take charge of St. Joseph's Institution, Singapore and in Penang the very same month, St. Xavier's Institution.

Produced by Maran Perianen

Obituary

Anthony Khoo, Wm Dielenberg

Another sad piece of news. One of those who attended the 50 years Reunion in Penang, Anthony Khoo, passed away yesterday. I have attached pictures of him taken at the Reunion.

The funeral will be held on Saturday, 23^rd May from his home in Taman Sentosa, B Mertajam. I saw him in his house the last time I was back in Kulim and after you left and went back to Alor Star. We went to see him again in BM and of course with LOH Yoon Choy. At that time he already had problems with his back and could not walk and needed a walker to help him.

Anthony Khoo was with us in Form 3, he was senior to us but was retained. He used to stay in Machang Bubok and travel daily in our head master, Auyong Teik Yoon’s HILLMAN so much so I always thought he was related to him and got corrected by Anthony Khoo when we were last in Penang.

I have already arranged for Loh Yoon Choy to send a wreath on our behalf.

You know two down already. This means if we all were to meet next year it will be two short. Let us hope 2 is enough. If some more it will frighten the shit out all of us lah!. I will try and send a photo of him of those years so that others may remember him.

Teddy

(picture above)

Old Patricians

Patricians Nite 2009

Venue: The High Tech Golf Club

6th June, Saturday 2009

at 7.30 pm

charges per head; MR 35

For more info pl. contact:

James Vincent 013-4533127

Chin Kim Fook 019-3645128

Bala Surramaniam 019-5622611

Lurthanathan 012-4637296

***********************************************

Reply slip

Name ............................................is interested to participate in the above dinner/ Pl keep me posted on further developments.

Pl. make payments in cash or cheque to per. alumni Sek. MenKeb. St Patrick Kulim

a/c:058-201-200389-2

Thank You

signed; James Vincent.

President

Memoirs of Kulim Coronation Cinema

I read your recollections of the old Kulim Coronation Cinema with great delight. I am a little younger and I do recall enjoying going to the ‘Cowboy VS Indians’ film shows. I think I paid 40 cents for 3rd class, but sometimes when I went with my sisters, I had to go second class which cost 65 cents. I do remember the heroes Alan Ladd and of course there were others like Gene Autrey, Roy Rogers and my favourite Audie Murphy (not to be mistaken with EddieMurphy)
Later, because my elder brother worked in Lian Thye Hoe (a Chinese Liquor Store in Kelang Lama) which had connections with the proprietary of the Coronation, we were actually given 2 free tickets a month. Guess what? We were upgraded to 1st class upstairs!
On some good days, if I had a spare fives cents I spent it on buying nutmeg ‘hum sar lay’ (preserved skewer of nutmeg or green mango) and enjoy it during the show. Sometimes it would be a small newspaper cone filled with rojak for 5 cents! The options for tit-bits those days were incredible – there was ‘kachang puteh’ (I particularly like the dry round ones – you can break your teeth eating them!), fruit slices of pineapple, papaya, mango, water melon and ‘bung kwang’ which were pre-chilled on top of a large block of ice. Of course, don’t forget the messy ‘sng wan’ (shaved ice ‘ball’ in syrup) that we all liked.
I distinctly remember having to shut my eyes to the bright sun when the show was over as we trooped out of the cinema .
Those were the good old days when you can have a bowl of char siew mee for 20 cents and for a couple of extra wantons you pay 30 cents. Char koay teow with egg was 30 cents and ‘Kopi or peng’ was 20 cents! And this is all available outside the Coronation cinema.
I was back there recently and its surroundings haven’t really changed very much, except that that Coronation has now become a very congested bazaar. I ambled into a stall for a cool drink of chrysanthemum tea and stood right next to this hawker selling rambutans and langsats whilst I (sadly) reminisced about those good old days. As far as I can remember, this ‘leong char’ stall with its big brass vats containing the drinks has been there all these years!
Keep the fire of this St. Patrick’s School c60 Alumni burning. It sure brings back sweet memories.
I will be seeing Teddy in KL in April.



Thank you Stewart. Very entertaining. I wish more people would partake in the contribution
Bill

Comments by Stewart Chew from WA

Hi Guys,

Its quite strange that I too had a fascination for the 'char koey teow' man's antics as much as his delicious 'char koey teow'. Apparently my 'char koey teow' is quite well known among my Chinese friends here in Perth!I learn a lot about the technique by watching the Penang hawkers do it. Lets compare our methods. First, you must use a very hot wok (preferably of cast iron) - use plenty of hot oil (tastier if lard ouch!!)and a generous scatter of chopped garlic. I used chopped fish cake or prawns for taste. We can get nice fresh koey teow, bean sprouts and even 'koo chye' (chives). In place of cockles, indulge in a few chopped fresh oysters!Fry quickly on a very hot wok. Do not cook more that a couple a serves at a time (the idea is to scorch it on a very hot pan. Add the usual light and dark soy to taste. Add a tablespoonful of 'sambal olek'. Put in the bean sprouts last followed by the oysters. Quickly take it out. Bet you it'll taste good.

Kind regards.

Stewart

My appetite for Char Koey Teow

What is your appetite like for hawker food?
I enjoy a plate of hot (as in temperature), hot (as in chilly) Koey Teow.
My first taste of Koey Teow was the one prepared by an old man just outside Coronation cinema.
He used to do a roaring wayside business. Watchiing him stir frying the stuff is just mouth watering. A springkling of garlic on to a spoonful of hot oil, you can almost hear the the garlic sizzling , followed by a spoonful of chilly smashed in a lesong. Then it was followed by two handsfull of the noodle, This was stirred rapidly before an egg was cracked over the mixture, I always paid extra for a second egg. I forgot, I would always insist on some prawns and slices of chinese sausage. Within minutes my mouth watering koey teow, with bean sprout added, was bundled in a piece of banana leaf layered over by a piece of newspaper. There were times when I would squat by the wayside to savour the stuff. Most times I would take the makan home to share it with my mum and the other siblings.
Recently I have been experimenting with the frying myself. I have reached a stage when I can say that it is like the real thing.
Who likes rojak? Me me me me me .
Tell us what you like best.

In partnership with the Tree by David Lee

I too spent my youth in Kulim. We, My brother Gilbert and I were sent to St. Patrick to continue our education after it was interrupted by the second world war. I know it was a long time ago.
I was in Std four and my brother must have been in Std three. That was in 1947. We loved school because we were always in the front line to collect prizes for our successful performances. I completed School Certificate in B.M. High school within the next four years - quite an achievement.
One of the things we used to engage ourselves in was watching films at the Coronation Theatre. We would all line up at the third class entrance and as soon as the show started we would sneek ourselves through the screened doorway after slipping twenty cent coins into the ticket collector's hand.
Our hero was Allan Ladd. Western was our first choice. Second was Tarzan.
We would wait patiently for the adds and coming attractions to roll by and as soon as we saw the words "Directed by" the whole theatre would burst into a roar of applause because we knew the show would be starting. It was fun. We really enjoyed ourselves together with the rest of the audiance.
Guess what? Each time the heroes went charging after the Red Indians, in the case of the Westerns, we would all clap and cheer half expecting the soldiers to wipe out the Indians.
When the show ended we would all walk out feeling all excited and recalling all the actions that took part in the show. Such was the excitement each time we went to the cinema. I used to love the Coronation theatre. It was a place to escape from the hard work at home.
More next time.

from the blogger ( Bill Dielenberg)

A very Happy Chinese New Year
to all who celebrate the occasion

Another pic from Juru

How's it going mate! I have another old picture
for you taken at Juru in ?1962. We must have a few common friends
in this picture.

Back L-R Rockson, Kariappan, Stewart, Dr. Kok Seng (still lives in Kulim - married the late Ah Eng from Chung Wah Photos), ?
Middle L-R Siew Chengs sister, Ming Khee, ?, Siew Cheng, ?Rais
Sitting L-R ?Beng Huat, ?.

Old buddies forever.


I can't explain why the picture is so small. If you click on the photo you will be able to see an enlarged image. It was sent by David Chew. (Help me to keep this blog alive)