Monday, January 08, 2007

Old Friends

I left Malaysia for the United Kingdom in the year 1966, the year England won the World Cup. After primary and secondary school, a total of eleven years, our batch graduated in 1962. A farewell party was held and there were promises of staying in touch. Most of those promises either faded away or never got started. Most of us from year 1962 left our hometown Segamat either for tertiary education or took up employment in larger cities in other parts of Malaysia or Singapore. Staying in touch was quite difficult in those days. Telephone calls were expensive and the internet had not been invented. I guess after a short time there was very little contact between any of us. Those with families in Segamat our hometown, only returned during special occasions like Christmases and Lunar New Years.

I left for UK in August 1966. In those days travel was expensive and there was no way one could return home for annual visits. In 1969 after completion of studies I started work and only managed to save up enough for a visit to Malaysia in 1970. Further visits to Malaysia became less frequent owing to work commitments and the thirst for travel and to visit other countries. Memories of childhood friends faded and stayed in the background of my memory for many years. The only childhood friend that was constantly in my mind over the years was Onn. I had always wondered what had become of Onn. It had always been my hope that we would meet up again.

My wife Dianne and I took early retirement in 2000 and since then we had been traveling far and wide. Lately through a posting at Segamat.com, a few of us managed to re-establish contact. On my last trip to Kuala Lumpur five of us, including Onn and his charming wife, managed to meet up for a seafood dinner. The food was good, the company excellent, making it a wonderful night indeed. We parted with promises to keep in touch. Now with the internet and email I hope we will keep contact with one another.

Abdul Malik from Kluang, Balbir Singh, Wee Meng and Tong Lim from Johor Baru are childhood classmates whom I would very much like to meet up again. A get together will be organized soon and I am looking forward to seeing them again.

After so many years away from Malaysia I have finally made my way back home. I believe I have completed a full circle. Now with time on my hand, no more responsibilities towards work or children, I have decided that it would be good to make contacts with old friends again. Memories of school days, friends from childhood are precious and I hope that I would be able rekindle these old friendship again.

1 comment:

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

kluang, batu pahat and segamat are the three towns that i enjoyed visiting. the people were very warm. and the towns were living memories of old singapore.

hey, i was a member of kluang golf club until i gave it up. played several times at segamat and batu pahat as well.