Football - the round type

This is one story you will find hard to believe: that in Australia, the land down under, the people play football _the round type, sounds almost unbelievable. This is because the Aussies have always been playing football for younks but the shape of the balls has always been that of an olive (kana in chinese, zaitun in Malay) (oval, eggshaped, ovate, oviform, ovoid, elliptical, whichever word you want to choose)
You and I in Kulim and elsewhere in Malaysia, indeed the old world over have been kicking the round ball on the padang or any open spaces adjacent to the schools or our homes since we could run. All we needed was some shoes or school bags, or poles to mark the goal posts and we would run chasing the ball all over the space until someone intercepts it. This goes on all the time, morning, noon or evening like crazy.
The confusion is that the games they play in Down Under have always been called football whether it be rugger, rugby league or Aussie rules. Incidentally, Aussie rules, as far as I and many new comers are concerned, is stupid because it is rough and does not appear to have any rules. My friends will dispute that but to say the least the game looks chaotic.
So, to avoid confusion, the Aussies insist on calling the new game that they have adopted as soccer , or football - the round type. Hence the derivative socceroos.
The game, football of the round type will dominate the scene in the near future indeed it already has a very large following .
The Aussies are madly in love with sports, indeed sports of any type except badminton because they are not good at it. Their body mass prevents them from being agile.
The Aussies are sport mad

From Ronnie Koh, in South Australia

Dear Dave ,

I am glad that I have now made a new friend, a younger member of the old boys of our Alma Mater, St. Patrick’s School. Thank you for the perusal of the “ A letter from Dave to the teens of Kulim ( “ beloved Kulim” ) 1957 – 1965.” I commend you for initiating “Thetree RU Project” . Keep up the great work and the Tree will flourish. Unfortunately, the old boys of Bukit Mertajam High School have completely lost touch with one another – what a shame!

Dear Bill,

I giggle at your “ Friday Funny “ email & I showed it to my wife, Alice & she blushed & burst out laughing. I have a lot of geriatrics in my Practice & in a subtle way I relate to them the email. I reiterated that as the women get older the breasts hit the South Pole and hence the picture in the email! Incidentally, Adelaide has a nudist beach at Moana. Most of us are low on serum level of Vit D as we are have Sun Block 30 + and covered up from the UV radiation.I play three days of 18 holes of golf weekly, I drink my milk and I still have to take 1000 iu of Ostelin Vit D ! How about the nudist beach at Batu Ferringhi ? ! No takers.

(Comment by Bill- Ronnie, U R joking. Ronnie was a bit tired when he wrote about "Funny Friday " I don't know where he got that from.

Dear Stewart,

Many thanks for your very exhaustive email . You have an amazing recollection of the names. I am sorry that we lost Dr Choong Tet Min who also did his internship in Penang. He was to take over my Medical Post with the 3^rd Royal Malay Regiment when I returned to be the Medical Officer I/C of Batu Gajah Dist. Hosp. I hardly return to Kulim these days due to some misunderstanding with some relatives in Kulim. .

I caught up with Kok Poh, Ng Chew Wah, H.M & SI Malakar in Kulim on our way to South America x 3 weeks a couple of years ago. Haven’t seen them for years.

We have more face to wash & less hair to comb these days.

I had a big b’day party on 14^th March. The Surgery gave me a surprise and my children invited my contemporaries to Imperial Peking Resturant.

As Australia is short of GPs I keep on working. I still enjoy my work. I am a member of Grange Golf Club which boasts of 18 holes West Course – lots of deep bunkers and 18 holes East Course – narrow & lots of water & wet land. I have my Thursdays off and 0900 – 1300hrs on alt. Sat. as the younger GPs will not work.

We migrated here in 1977 and I bought over my building at St Morris & practiced there for 28 yrs & when I turned 65 in 2005 I decided to join a big Practice so that I could slow down, play golf and lots of Overseas’ travelling. I practiced in Menglembu, Perak from 1967 – 1976 as my wife was from Ipoh. I met her when she did her Nursing in Penang. We have 8 grandchildren – 2 sets of twins!. Mu daughter, Cheryl is the youngest, She is a Dentist. She has twin boys – 3 yrs old.

My second son, Jarrod is a Consultant Accident/Emergency Specialist at Royal Adelaide Hospital & now at a Private Hosp – Wakefield Hosp. His wife Browyn Gordon (Aussie) is in Psychiatrist training . They have a twin – boy & a girl and also a daughter , Maddie – 4 yrs old and a latest son – 7 months old. My eldest son, Steve is in a big Primary Care Medical Practice and his wife, Anita (ABC – Australian born Chinese ) – a boy, Elliot – 6yrs & Phoebe – 3 yrs old and Anita is a Ph D Consultant Rheumatologist at Royal Adelaide Hosp & Private Practice at Wakefield Hosp. The grandchildren keep the grandma busy.

More next time, as I have to work tomorrow.

Regards & Best Wishes to All of You. Some photos next time

Ronnie

(Comment: Ronnie, keep writing . U R fantastic. U write very well)

Penang Ferries over the years

The present
the midseventies
The early fifties

Bill and Peggy

Teddy's reply to Ronnie Koh

Dear Ronnie,
Wow!!! those photos are real treasure and could I reproduce them, enlarged them to put up at the Hospitality Suite at the reunion as it can help bring back the memories.
I can recognize Scully, Chin and Auyong Teik Yoon. As for you I cannot recognize when you were that young but the last time I saw you was before 1970 in your clinic
Menglingbu, Ipoh. After that I was transferred to KL but I did hear that you left for Australia. One of the faces there is Cheah Kok Poh, in the scout uniform and he is going
to be at THEtreeRU, in fact as the MC. Cheah Kok Poh, still lives in Kulim but comes down to KL once in a while and I will pass him your photo so that he could round up
more of those in your class or time. Choong Tet Min met with an accident in Kedah and is not around but his younger brother Choong Tet Shin is joining us at the reunion.
Attached are some details of the THEtreeRU and we hope you will join us.
I hear that John Loh, who is now in Perth, may be joining us but is yet to be confirmed.
Regards,
Teddy

From your long lost friend

Dear Swee Nam,

What great pictures!! They must be the earliest photos I have seen taken at St Patricks and how appropriate - at a time when we are all planning
to meet in at the THEtreeRU in Penang in October! Thanks to Teddy for forwarding it to me. I think I can recognize a few extra people:-

Picture showing Headmaster Auyong Teik Yoon in the middle:

* Mr. Scully on his left
* Mr. Chin second person on his right
* Its not Choong Tet Min at the back of Lim Thew but Choong Tet Chuen! Tet Min is also in the picture and seated next to Pak Seng..
(I know the brothers well as they lived across the street from me. Sadly, as Teddy mentioned, Tet Min died in a traffic accident after
practicing in Alor Star for only a few years. Tet Chuen, who ran the Kulim Printing Press very much on his own after his father died
in the early 60s, has also passed on a few years ago).
* Is that or teacher Mr. Clifford between Mr. Scully and Pak Seng?
* I cannot remember the name of the teacher on the right of Mr. Auyong except recall that he was my Science teacher and he also
heads Cornelius House - the sports house I belong to in school.

Picture showing Brother Bernard.

* That's of course Br. Bernard seated at the extreme right.
* Ooi Tin (of Kulim Club) one down on the left of Pak Seng.
* Tet Chuen is one down on the right of Pak Seng.
* Mr. Scully seated on the extreme left.

I recalled that Mr. Scully was always red-faced (?boozing) and quite a volatile character who rode a big BSA motor bike around. Mr.Chin
was a handsome looking guy and a very good swimmer but he died when he was quite young of ?TB. I also recalled writing to the two
brothers Lim Thew and Lim Poh who studied in Sydney in 1962 regarding my interest to come and study in Australia. Are they living
in Australia? Do you remember VS Paul who is a contemporary of Cheah Kok Poh and the late Chan Kum Lau (who has a 2nd Dan
and ran a Tae Kwan Do school in Butterworth). I am in contact with Datuk Victor S Paul who is Managing Director of Perkasa Construction
Sdn Bhd in KK in Sabah. Paul is doing extremely well and highly respected in KK - he would love to hear from you.
(amankk@tm.net.my OR secretary: kerrylo33@gmail.com).

Just in case you are still wondering who is this chappie Stewart Chew, well I am a few years younger than you. We were a big family
in 9 Jalan Raya. I was fairly involved with the Scouting movement at St. Patricks and my seniors were Cheah Kok Poh (my Patrol
Leader), VS Paul, ?Kee Liang (of Thye Joo) etc.

I remember you and Pak Seng quite well. Your parents owned Weng Thye Foundry in Jalan Kelang Lama, not far from the Kulim Police Station.
Your neighbour was Bee Tatt Clothes Merchant right? Do you remember your Bee Tatt neighbour Kok Soo Fen (Steven Kok) who studied
in Chung Ling High School. He was my contemporary at UWA in Perth and I became quite good friends with him (knowing that he hailed from Kulim!).
Well, Steve lives in Sydney (email: soofen2712@yahoo.com.au).

After finishing Form 5 in Badlishah in 1960 (we had to leave St. Patricks after passing form 3 because there were not enough students to have
a form 4) I worked a temporary teacher at Junjong for a couple of years. In 1963, planned to come to Perth with classmate Arunogary to further
our studies. Aru changed his mind and decided to head north to India to do medicine. He graduated and returned to Kulim and started Aru
Clinic in Jalan Raya. I believed Arunogary passed away several years ago.

I graduated from University of WA with an MSc (Medical Technology). Returned to Malaysia in 1970 and worked in the Pathology Dept. at the Universiti
Hospital in PJ. Recalled several pathologists in Histopath that I worked for such a Prof. Lau Kum Seng (he migrated to ?Melbourne), Dr. Murugasu
(currently in Adelaide?) and Dr.Chong (runs a specialist centre in Brisbane). Of course there was the very conspicuous Dr Anthony.Leong (a 6 footer)
who is quite a prominent neuropathologist currently with the ?Hawksbury Group.

I have retired two years ago as a Senior Lecturer in Medical Science (Histopathology) at Curtin University in Perth - after 31 years of service!! Have
been traveling quite a bit since my retirement and am enjoying the things that I always said I wish I had more time for, in the past. Yes, John Loh
and wife Agatha also lives in Perth and we are in close contact (John's younger brother Loh Yoon Choy was my classmate), Hope you like the
picture enclosed of us during Kok Poh's recent Perth visit.

What a great idea that we can all meet together for a very confusing "who's who?" session in the THEtreeRU meet in Penang in October - thanks
to the initiative and hardwork of Teddy and his team.

With Kind Regards
Stewart Chew

(Addendum: Chin Kong Gooi was the one who died of typhoid (Not TB). He was a product of Kirkby (first batch)The Eursasia chap next to Scully is Clifford De Sousa. Between Mr Chin and Auyong Teik Yoon is Loo Ah Lek ---- W. Dielenberg)

Registration Form

REGISTRATION FORM - THEtreeRU

TO Teddy Dielenberg , Suite 18, Ixora Residence, Jalan Jenjarum, Petaling Jaya, 47400 Selangor, MALAYSIA
Fax + (603) 8023 2082 – Email:
_______________________________________________________________________________

NAMES ………………………………………………………………….. No of persons…………..

Spouse’s name / attending ………………………………................ ……………….……… ………

Address ………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..………

Contacts : Tel / Mobile ………………………….. E-mail ……….…………………………………

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION required / not required - Dates - IN…………OUT………………

REUNION DINNER – 1-10-10 - NUMBER OF PERSONS ………………………………….

T-Shirt for Self - Size : XXL / XL / L / M / S Colours preferred : Grey / Blue / Orange

T-Shirt for spouse Size : XXL / XL / L / M / S Colours preferred : Grey / Blue / Orange

T-Shirt one free to attendee, if extra pieces required RM20.00 No Pcs … Sizes….Colour preferred

GIFTS EXCHANGE : Each one to bring a gift for exchange. The value not to exceed RM30.00
Please wrap up your gift and it will be exchanged with others, whatever you pick and this is all fun
But if you don’t bring a gift then you are not in the position to exchange.
DOCUMENTS OF MEMORIES, a book will be produced – Please complete the attached Form and please include the necessary photographs. Some of us have not met for 52 years and this book will help many to put things together, Names and Faces. Please send what is required as early as possible as we have a material deadline to produce it. The producer of this DOM is Dave Mokhtar Ramlee and please send the required details and photos directly to him whereas the Registration Forms directly to
Teddy Dielenberg
PLEASE HELP : Register early as we want to make sure all goes well and that we all can have a good
and a fun time at this THEtreeRU . Look, there is no guarantee that we are going to meet at the next Reunion or if there is going to be another one.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE PLEASE CONTACT THE FOLLOWING
For Hotel Accommodations , Reunion Dinner, Programs, Details in Documents of Memories & General
Teddy Dielenberg – Tel (H) 603-7880 1489 Mobile 6019-330 5418 – Email :
Dave Mokhtar Ramlee – (H) 604-731 5882 Mobile 6012-495 3484 – Email:
Agnes Teh – Mobile 6012-466 4046 Email :