UPDATE ON THE ST.AIDAN OLD BOYS&GIRLS REUNION

The informal gathering has been confirmed for the 31st of March 2007 from 5pm onwards.Please RSVP your attendance to Mr.Anbu at 0196549127.

Birthdays (dedicated to my sis,Anne)

Top:My 17th Birthday.Bottom:blowing candles together for our 12th/9th birthday

Our birthdays were all about presents,presents...

Can we speeden things up please...the icing looks delicious.Our 7th/4th birthday

Our 5th/3rd Birthday.I must say anne looks like a doll here.

My 8th birthday.We decided to have separate birthdays for once.

...and more presents!!!

Our 9th/6th birthday.One of my best birthdays ever.Almost all my classmates attended.

What birthday would be incomplete without a musical chairs event??

I have no clue whose birthday this is,but this must have been taken in St.Aidan during the late 60's or early 70's.My dad is 3rd from the left,standing!

There was a time when I couldnt imagine a birthday without celebrating it with my baby sister,Anne (she was named after St.Anne). It was the one event that both of us would long for all year round,and thankfully,mum and dad never let us down. Anne's birthday fell on March 31st and mine on 22nd...so to kill two birds with one stone (and save a heck load on birthday cost), we'd always end up celebrating a joint birthday either on March 31st or by the end of the first week of April.

Our sibling relationship has always been very special.Besides born under the same zodiac, we were both left-handed,and to my mum's utter agony,we were also very telepathic.I think she's lost count on the hundreds of occassions when we used to always say or do the same things at the same time. But as the years passed, it was something both of us began to comprehend and accept, and realised how close we really were. The more I think about it,the more I believe we should have been born as twins. Anything I did,she copied.And on one occassion,when i tried to imitate a character from the movie "Bionic Boy", she jumped off a hill simultaneously with me,and fell head first onto the tar road,ending up with 5 stitches on her forehead.

But our birthdays were something else.I think it was also the one occassion that most of the kids from Bahau used to look forward to because it always had at least 70-80 kids attending.The excellent part about this whole birthday thing was how we used to unite plenty of young adults who would willingly come forward to help my mum and dad organize the party,chip in with the cooking and assist my dad with the kiddy games. In fact,long after the kids had gone home, the adults would still linger on,creating a mini-party of drinks,food and sing-a-longs. To my sis,and me,we would be itching to open up (no..tear up) all those present wrappers to unearth what wonderful treasures that beckoned in our midst. Every new toy, we hugged with joy.At times, we tugged at each other's present,mostly grappling away over the largest one.Yet,I'll never, ever forget my sister's million dollar smile,and the twinkle in her eyes as she opened each present.Something money could not buy,and I saved every single smile in my mind for each birthday that sailed past in our lives.

I miss those birthdays with my sister.

The last time we celebrated together was for my 17th birthday, almost 20 years ago.We havent stood side-by-side,stooping over to whoosh the candles away for too long. I dont think it will happen this year either,but at least we get to meet each other once every two months.I met her 3 days back in Port Dickson,and the first thing I did was to walk over and give her the longest hug I have ever given her.It must have surprised her too.I guess, the sibling love I have for my baby sister still reigns supreme over everything else in this world.Sometimes as we grow out of our childhood, and progress from the teenage rebel years and into our adulthood,we lose some very precious portions of our lives.For me,I cherish those very wonderful moments I spent with my sister, from the day she was born, to the day I gave her away in marriage 8 years ago.In a flash, she has flown by my heart,blossoming from a little doll, to a gawky teen and into a beautiful woman.

I see a lot of her in the eyes of my nephew, and his mannerisms reflect a lost world I once used to share with my sis.

I guess time changes everything.As adults, we all undertake new responsibilities once we begin a family.Every day spent in the present, erases a piece of our past.Seasons change, people change..but as brother and sister we shall forever remain.I carry my sister's smile as my sunshine wherever I go, and she paints my world with colours whenever I think back of all those wonderful birthdays we used to share.

THE HISTORY OF ST.AIDAN'S SCHOOL

The school was officially opened by the Yang Di Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan

(The above scanned articles were taken from the very rare "follow the gleam" yearbook of 1965.The first of only 3 year books ever published by the school.We have also extracted the text and are publishing it in its original nature, below) Click on each image above to enlarge it

HISTORY OF ST. AIDAN'S SCHOOL 1958 - 1965
The people of Bahau had for many years wanted an English Medium School. Requests to Government did not seem to meet with much response. A group of people in town therefore got together and formed themselves into a Committee - the Bahau English School Fund Committee and went about raising money so that they could build their own school.

The Rev. T. M. Oliver, who used to visit his friends in Bahau, was approached by members of this Committee and asked if the Church would be prepared to start a school. After examining the situation, the Rev. Oliver recom­mended to the Bishop that an English School should be built.
The then Diocesan Secretary for Anglican Schools, Canon Dr. D.D. Chelliah, discussed the project with the then Chief Education Officer, Mr. S. Thambiah and Officials of the Ministry of Education and finding that the Government was prepared to support the school, plans were finalised.

Monday 16th December 1957 was therefore a milestone in the development of Bahau when the Venerable Archdeacon of Singapore laid the foundation stone of St. Aidan'; School. The historic occasion was witnessed by a distinguished crowd of people who then adjourned for tea to the Malayan Chinese Association.

The three months prior to the laying of the foundation stone were indeed very busy months. Rev. Oliver was given the job of finding a Headmaster and one or two teachers who would be prepared to be pioneers in the field of English Education in Bahau.

Mr. Lionel van Geyzel, retired Headmaster of the Government English School, Port Dickson, agreed to become the Headmaster; Mr. Devadas Dorairaj, a teacher at the Anglo-Chinese School, Seremban, volunteered to serve at the new school.

A public announcement was made in Bahau that an English School would be opened and that parents with children born in 1950 and 1951 who wished to send them to an English School could register at 16, Main Road, Bahau, the residence of our Board Treasurer, Mr. Lee Poh Seong, on the Saturdays of 16th September 28th, October 5th and 12th.

In November, Mr. Van Geyzel decided to decline the Headship of the new school. The Rev. Oliver was in a quandry; he finally approached Mr. David Gunaratnam who was teaching at the Anglo-Chinese School, Seremban, and fortunately Mr. Gunaratnam agreed.

It must have been indeed quite an experience for him. There were 140 children who had to start school in early January 1958 - just two months away. There was only one teacher; three more had to be employed - Miss Lu Fang from Kuala Pilah, Miss Lily Sundersingh from Bahau Estate and Miss Janet Lim from Bahau. Two classes, Standard 2 Express, were held at the Malayan Chinese Association building, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. A creche on Taisho Estate was used morning and afternoon for another two classes, Standard 3 Express. The Headmaster, Mr. Gunaratnam had his office at 16 Main Road and had therefore to do his work at three places!

The School was officially opened on 29th November 1958 by his Highness the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan and dedicated by the Rt. Rev. H. W. Baines, the then Lord Bishop of the Diocese, The cost of $100,000' was met from a Government Grant of $80,000, $4,000 each from the Dunlop Malayan Estates Ltd., Guthries and Harrison & Crosfield, $4,000 each from the Indian and Chinese Communities.

The first batch of candidates were presented in November 1961. These were pupils born in 1949, admitted to school in January 1958 when St. Aidan's began and who completed the six year ordinary course in four years, so that they could be of the right age for the promotion examination; 75 out of 102 pupils gained promotion to Form One.

The 1962 candidates did the six year primary course in 5 years. Once again the promotion pass was above seventy percent. The attainment continued in the last year of this public exam in 1963, our first group of pupils to do the primary school course in the proper time.

SECONDARY SCHOOL. To cater for our 75 pupils who gained promotion to Form One in January 1962, our first Secondary classes were started. In 1963 and 1964, the Secondary classes progressed to Forms Two and Three. The first set of candidates for the Lower Certificate of Education Examination in 1964 obtained a 65% Pass.

The foundation stone of the Secondary School was laid by the Rt. Rev. S. K. Sansbury on 5th September 1961. An administrative block, toilets and six classrooms were built in 1962 as the first phase of the Secondary School at a cost of $75,000 from a Government Grant of $60,000 and $15,0(}0 Parents' Donation to Building Fund. Unfortunately, plans for development into a full Secondary School had to be shelved in 1964 due to the building of a new Lower Secondary School under the Government's Comprehensive Education System. We record our gratefulness to the Dunlop Malayan Estates Ltd. for a grant of 57,500 towards the Secondary School Development.

As St. Aidan's was not going to be allowed to develop into a full Secondary School, our Form Three graduands had to go elsewhere for their Upper Secondary Education.

The abolition of the Secondary Continuation School System at the end of 1964, resulted in the integration of their 4 classes with our secondary classes in January 1965.

In the successful life of St. Aidan's School over the past seven years, thanks be to God for the dedication and guidance given by His faithful servant, Padre Oliver, the keen interest shown by all those who have served on the Board of Managers, for the farsightedness and good foundations laid by its first Headmaster, Mr. David Gunaratnam, for the service that the teachers have given and for the wonderful support from the parents and people of Bahau.

January 10th 1966, the opening of the school for the new year, would begin a fresh page in the history of our school, the march to develop St. Aidan's into one of the finest Primary Schools in the countrt•.Our beloved Chairman, Padre Oliver retires in June 1966 and Bahau will bid farewell to the man who was instrumental in bringing English Education to them - The Founder of St.Aidan's School.

STOP PRESS!!! OLD BOYS&GIRLS REUNION ON MARCH 31ST

Our two models (Viji and Jeeva) posing as if they were Miss Malaysia candidates.Do note the contents of the banner above.There are plenty of hand phone numbers you can contact.Please RSVP your attendance for the gathering by 27th March.

"This is a great chance for the old girls and boys of St.Aidan to meet up and to re-connect friendship. The March 31st event will also be the platform for the formation of a St.Aidan Alumni- a strong voice of past students to look into ways of betterment for the school. We will also showcase some issues that may need the guidance and thought of the old students.But most of all, we would just love to see old friends meet up and experience the school once again. We are planning to have the event in the school hall,and it is most probably to be held from 6pm onwards.Please pass the word to your batch mates to come join us for this preliminary event to the 50th Anniversary grand celebration of St.Aidan which has been confirmed for 27th October 2007." - Mr.Anbu, ex student of St.Aidan and organizing committee of the 50th Anniversary.

A few words from Tun Hussein Onn

The late Tun Hussein Onn,and his thoughts on St.Aidan school,published in the 1972 yearbook.Click on the above image to read the article.

(THE FULL CONTEXT OF THE ARTICLE)


"Saya alu2kan penerbitan majalah Sekolah St. Aidan, Bahau. Negeri Sembilan ini, serta saya perchaya melalui majalah ini ramailah pelajar dapat menchurahkan bakat mereka untok di-muatkan didalam-nya
Kechergasan sekolah dalam bidang memajukan pelajaran murid2-nya dan kebaktian yang dapat di-usahakan-nya terhadap masharakat adalah di-antara kandongan majallah yang ,sa-umpama tetapi tidak-lah terlalu besar kalau saya mengharapkan supaya soal kemurnian hati dalam mendokong chita2 kebangunan bangsa hendak-lah mendapat perhatian yang pertama dan utama. Kerana rahsia kebangunan sa-suatu bangsa yang besar dalam Sejarah di-mulai daripada kemurnian jiwa ra'ayat-nya yang berani berkorban supaya bangsa-nya hidup dan yang berani hanchor supaya negara-nya luhur.
Akhir-nya ,saya mendo'akan agar Sekolah ini akan terus maju jaya dan pelajar2-nya belajar bersunggoh2 hingga terchapai segala, chita2."

Kuala Lumpur,
9hb Nobember, 1972.
( HUSSEIN ONN)

The Houses of St.Aidan

I got this scanned from the "FOLLOW THE GLEAM" yearbook of 1972 (15th Anniversary issue).You can click on the above image to see the finer details and accompanying story on the page. Also check out the Lindesfarne house,which is now a chapel.

Mr Devadas house as it stands today,now converted into a kindergarden

Our Journey Back to St.Aidan

My lil' house.Now converted into an education centre for children with disability skills

Mission accomplished!The holy grail..the foundation stone of St.Aidan(Note the date:16th December 1957)

The location of the foundation stone.

Mr.Nadarajah's house.Jeeva and Viji had loads of good memories here

Side view of the first blocks in St.Aidan which was built in 1958

A peek through the square hole from the projector room and out into the school hall

Orange school hall,but sooo much better than how it looked like a few years back

The projectors may not be around,but that didnt stop Viji and Jeeva re-enacting their versions of how our dads used to handle the movie projectors.

Sometimes, we travel far and wide,looking for the one thing that continues to elude us.The one thing that can finally fill the empty space inside of us that we deem "unfillable".To some it may be a lost love,to others it could be material things. But to three childhood buddies, it meant going home.

Our home,St.Aidan.

Jeeva,Viji and myself decided to take road trip back to Bahau with the mission of capturing the one photo that we did not have...the holy grail..the foundation stone of St.Aidan. I picked them up from Seremban, and we first did a quick pit-stop back at my hometown in Tampin to collect two priceless publications - the "follow the gleam" year books (1965&1972).Thank god my dad was clearing up his cupboard and stumbled upon them.

Within half an hour,we were cruising past landscapes of greenery,cutting through the warm afternoon breeze,and the frozen landmarks of small towns like Jelai,Johol and Dangi,that stubbornly continue to fight progress-ancient chinese restaurants and classic kopitiam outlets that would dwarf Starbucks and Coffee Bean from their sheer heritage and taste.

To the three of us,we just couldnt figure out why we kept reminiscing about St.Aidan.To most people reading this blog,you'd probably be wondering what in the world could be so grand about a place that we only lived in for 10 years,and fragments of memories that we could hardly conjure up today.What made it so special to us? Its really hard to express,but I do believe it has everything to do with the fact that we had a decent childhood with a recipe that included ingredients of a multi-racial friendship, strong-knitted family bonds, a super balance of a great education system and co-curriculum activities, and loads of great events,parties and fiesta.

As we neared the school, we were relieved to see that there was a wedding preparation being staged at the school,meaning we could easily get into the school compound without too many questions asked.Thankfully we had the old caretaker around,Mr Sukumaran,who was cheerfully on hand to provide us with as much information and freedom to snap away with our digital camera.Yet,I noticed something different.Something vastly diverse from the last trip I made a couple of years back.We were faced with a ghastly shade of orange everywhere we laid our eyes upon.Could it be true??Yes...the school had a new coat of paint..every building..even the school hall..and to us,ghastly or not,it was heavenly!!

The grass had been cut,the hall was nicely decorated,the chapel looked wonderful...even my old house with its previous broken windows and scaly paint was all spruced up as if royalty was making a visit.That got us in high spirits,and I didnt waste time snapping up some glorious eye-shots.The highlight of our trip was when we were given a chance to go up to the projector room.It was really walking down memory lane.The steep steps up,the old trap-door, the dark,dingy walls...aaah....sheer nostalgia.Jeeva and Viji were really having a grand time,and we re-lived the moments when our dads used to prop us up on tall benches with cushions so that we could peek out of these square holes in the walls while the movie sailed majestically from the projectors to the silver screen.

We were then introduced to one of the organizing committee of the 50th Anniversary event, Mr Anbu, who himself was a student in the early 60's. He filled us in on more information over a cup of tea, before introducing us to the current headmistress of St.Aidan, the ever-so-friendly Ms Ng Tai Tai.Thank god the school is in her good hands.We gave her a quick background overview of ourselves, and she responded positively about our blog efforts,giving us her blessings.

We made a quick stop-over back at St.Aidan to snap a few photos of Jeeva and Viji's old home,and wished Mr Sukumaran and Mr Anbu goodbye before whisking our tired bottoms back to the concrete jungle.Sigh! The price we pay as adults.But as night falls,and our eyes drift away to slumber land,we are thankful that our childhood is just a dream away,as we once again run and play among the memories that shall forever be a part of us.Home...

Our Chief Blogging Researcher and His Wonder Years

This blog could not have materialized if it was not for the support and research of my gifted St.Aidan mentor/friend. Here he is,speaking from the heart:

Name:
Jeevananthan

Current Attachment:
Teacher, SMK Kampung Baru Si Rusa ,PD

St.Aidan Years
1973 to 1978

Chief Blogging Researcher

Thinking back I feel really proud to have studied in a school like St Aidan's. Memories of happenings in the school still remains fresh in my mind. St Aidan's is rather special to me as I not only studied there but lived in the school compounds from the time I was born till I was 12.My dad Mr. Nadarajah was one of the earliest teachers of the school since it started in 1957.We lived in one of the semi detacted houses just next to the field. The school compound was my playland. I think there is hardly any place that I have not wandered in the compound.The one thing that I cannot forget about St Aidans is the school sports.

Till today I am yet to come across enjoyable sports events like those of held at St Aidan expecially the house decorations that are done so secretly by the house masters during the night before the sports. I still remember the march pass by the armed forces marching for the tune ' Bridge Over River Kwai'. The teachers of that era were that committed to their work and they always went that extra mile to put up something. St Aidans was also one of the 1st schools in Negeri Sembilan to have their own hall.Just imagine ,we used to have movies shown in the hall on Fridays. As I can remember the movie projectors were handled by Mr. Chandran and my dad.I wonder how many students would have had these priviledge of watching movies like The Love Bug, Crazy Boys, Grizzly Bear,etc at school for a minimal fee.

I would really like to get back to those who studied from 1973 - 1979 in the Neptune class. One of them who is still in touch with me is Lew Chee Ming. Others that I would like to get in touch are Joseph Lopez, Edmund Martinez, Lee Seok Hwa, Chin Fui Kean, Santhy Ponudurai, Nordin, Wong Siew Yong, Woon Siew Sin and others of that batch.

Another special thing about St Aidans is that my parents wedding was the 1st wedding that was held in the upper block classrooms of the school in 1964.

I hope the plan to have a gathering to mark the 50th anniversary of the school takes place as planned. Siva, son of Mr Chandran, a teacher of the school who also lived in the school compound got me to assist him in gathering some info about St Aidans. He is doing a wonderful job and I will do my best to assist him. We are planning to go down to bahau to have a look at the school this weekend. Heard that the school has gone through tremendous changes....... Hope we don't have to dig for the remains. Anyway we are bringing the shovels along.. just in case..

Cheerio for now.

Where Are They Now? Mr.Naidu

This photo was taken way back on the 28th April 1971.Left is Nazrin,toddler is Sabrin and tallest of the lot is Shirin

The Naidu family.The family I have known all my life, and are based all over the world

(standing from left : Nazrin,Sabrin,Shirin and Amelia. Sitting: Mr.&Mrs Naidu)


There really wouldnt be enough space in this whole blog to feature the "Indiana Jones" adventure-styled life of Mr.Naidu. So, I'm going to take a back-seat and enjoy the thoughts from the man himself.Here he is reporting from East Timor.



"Everyone knew me as Naidu while my full name is actually Appala Naidu. I was one of the early teachers who joined St.Aidan in the year 1965 and ended in the year 1987 before being transferred to the secondary school.

I optioned out at the age of 50 and joined private colleges working in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru and in Papua New Guinea. After that ,I joined an NGO in Cambodia before being accepted as an United Nations Volunteer in the troubled country of Afghanistan. I continued working with the UN and am presently deployed in East Timor (Timor Leste). Presently,my specialisation with UN is assisting conduct elections wherever the UN undertakes its mission.

I was so thrilled to have been posted to St.Aidan in Bahau. I was then travelling from Kuala Pilah, a small town in the state of Negeri Sembilan. St.Aidan in those years had the only secondary school catering up to form 3 preparing the students for Lower Certificate of Education. The staff comprised of the secondary and the primary were the happiest lot working together. I was under the headmaster Mr.David Davadas Dorairaj. He was an able , competent and also served as a National Teachers’ Union leader.

During my teacher's training period, I underwent almost two years part time Athletic training.I was one of the top technical athletic officials with the Malaysian Amateur Athletic Union . Well informed about the athletics specialising in the track, field and jumps, I was able to impart my full knowledge improving the standard of athletics in Aidan. Impressed with the most updated techniques , the other schools in Bahau and the districts soon followed suit. My passion was sports. I spent most of the time improving the facilities of the old fashioned procedures. St.Aidan, as a result, emerged as one of the top schools in the arena of athletics, football and basketball. I can proudly say that St.Aidan was the first school in the district to begin with the most advanced sports techniques.

To improve the infra-structure of the sports field, there were a number of able teachers who were there to assist without any grouses.They took such an interest working hand-in hand facilitating me in my efforts.

I have to mention two of such dedicated teachers namely, Mr.Nadarajah and Mr.R.Chandran. I cannot forget a number of other dedicated teachers who were posted to St.Aidan. We were lucky to have such wonderful dedicated teachers who took their teaching service dear to their heart. Volumes can be written about those early teachers for their sincere and dedicated service but time doesn’t permit now.

Most of the teachers were young and energetic. Every one of them gave their best. The parents, public in general, the estate managers, the wives of the teachers and even their children gave tremendous support whenever needed. It was amazing. This kind of support whether moral ,physical or financial towards the school, encouraged us to work harder.

As time passed, as natural some would be in their old age, some left the physical world and yet some spent their time nurturing their grand children telling them how they adored working as a young teacher in St.Aidan.

Over the years, the communication lines among the teachers and the students would have been interrupted or discontinued. I wish this website would bring them together and cherish the old memories .My mailing address is ganaidu1844@yahoo.com or naidu@un.org

I visited the school with my family members two years back. I couldn’t believe the once glorious school has come to this dilapidated condition. My children now mostly in overseas couldn’t stop crying seeing their old quarters where they lived and the field they played as kids. Whoever was running the school after Mr.Devadas Dorairaj had no idea of how the school was raised. Once a two room school on a borrowed land stood proudly until some years back with four blocks of buildings with a multipurpose hall on its own land has come to this pathetic stage. Maybe the present generation of teachers have entirely a different vision than those in the past!

However, I cannot forget the best times I had like raising funds, planning project after project, raising the educational standard of students in every field. I am sure the early teachers will agree, the closeness and cooperation we had among the teachers who were always laughing and joking but mindful of our dedication towards our duties. This, the closeness with the teachers cannot be forgotten. I owe my gratitude to Mr.Devadas Dorairaj under whom I learned the work ethics, dedication and leadership.The prime time of my life spent with St.Aidan cannot be forgotten and I hope I will forever cherish those sweet memories."



**well put,Mr Naidu. I have known this great gentleman all my life, and to me he has always been a father figure,taking me as his own son since I was young.His dedication to the field of sports in St.Aidan is unsurpassed to this very day, and many past teachers and parents have commented and complimented his efforts.We wish him our sincerest wishes as he undertakes more serious roles serving humanity.There will be more postings about Mr.Naidu in the weeks to come.In the meantime, you can contact Mr.Naidu directly, or email us at staidanbahau@gmail.com with your full contact details,and we will forward your mails to him.**

Where Are They Now? Mr Nadarajah

The dashing Mr.Nadarajah back then with the 2nd batch students of 1959.Standard 1 pupils

Name :

Mr. Nadarajah

St.Aidan Years :

1958 to 1960; 1963 to 1977

Currently :

A contented grandfather who enjoys raising his grandchildren in Seremban

Best Moments of St.Aidan :

"I fondly remember the fun fairs the school board and PIBG organized to raise funds by selling coupons, back then. It was such a wonderful experience and I even remember one time where we offered a mini minor car as a first prize for the raffles draw. Then there was also the spirit of healthy competition that used to run in our veins to out-do each other during sports meets.Each school house would work secretly on their own projects to become the most decorated and it was quite intense amongst the teachers to pull off a great show.But the amazing thing was, once the sports were done,we'd all get together and have a laugh about it over drinks.No grudges involved.Also, I enjoyed the days when I was involved with the cinema club. "

What do you miss the most about the school?

"I lived in the school quarters for many years, and to me,it was like my second home.No,let me correct that.It WAS home!Years later when I had to leave the school, it made me very upset walking away from so many good memories and good people. "

Who would you like to connect with the most?
" Anybody and everybody who remembers me"

A History lesson please....

" St.Aidan started off as a break-away school.The first batch of students were the standard one pupils in 3 class-rooms in St.Aidan. The standard 2 pupils were based in town in a shoplot and the standard 3 class was in Taisho estate.The school began to take shape from 1959 onwards.Of course, the foundation stone of the school was set up in 1957, making it 50 years old this year."

**If you'd like to get in touch with Mr.Nadarajah, please send us an email with your address and contact details to staidanbahau@gmail.com

Party Time!!!!

I'd like to think everyone at the table is consuming orange juice..he!he!This is quite a priceless shot..it features my dad (3rd from left),sitting side by side (clockwise) with Mr.Nada, Mr.Ting and Mr.Naidu.Ironically all 4 of them lived in the school quarters.Check out the super slim ties,and funky glasses.

Photos from an era time forgot

The Oliver school hall. The scene of many a concert,movies and even spooky tales.More about the hall in the coming posts.My house is 150m to the right of the school. The founder of the school - Rev Terence M Oliver
1958

The 1st batch teachers & staff

Seated from left: Mrs Thomas, Miss Janet Lim, Mr.David Gunaretnam (the 1st headmaster), Miss Mary Lu Fong, Mrs Sundersingh

Standing from left: Ramaiyah (caretaker), Mr Nadarajah, Mr Devadas Dorairaj, Rev Thomas, En. Mohd Nor b Hj Ismail

She used to be my girl....

Alison sitting with my kindergarden teacher Santha Kumari. My mum is the one who is carrying my sis in yellow. You also get a peek into the interior of my st.aidan house

Here's a gem of a picture.Taken at my 5th birthday bash. Im standing on the furthest left in all dark brown.Jeeva, the chief researcher for this blog is second from the right in the second row.Still on the back row and third to the left of Jeeva is Declan (Mr.Devadas's son) and to the left of him is his sister in all red, Sharmen.The girl standing to the right of me in yellow is Sabrina and to her immediate right is her older sister Shirin.The toddler in red is their youngest sister,Amelia.Missing from the photo is Nazrin, which makes up the four girls (Mr.Naidu's daughters) who I have known all my life,and lived as my neighbour in St.Aidan until 1980. The toddler in yellow is my sis, Mala. The girl on the furthest right is Ting Pei Pei, the daughter of Mr.Ting,another wonderful ex-teacher of St.Aidan who lived in the school quarters and were neighbours to Mr.Nadarajah.To the left of Pei Pei is Helen (who i used to label goldilocks) from UK and beside her is Alison from the US.

Alison was my biggest nightmare back then. She used to be so friendly to me and would follow me wherever I went during my kindergarden days. She'd always want to share her biscuits and drinks with me,and greedy me would take the offerings and run as far as I could from her. One day during our break, she came and sat beside me while I was chomping away on my favourite jam biscuit.Then she surprised me with a quick peck on my cheek.I freaked out,and pushed her hard away from me,in the process hitting her nose. I remember her fleeing away in tears and although I didnt mean any harm, I was grinning from ear to ear. I must have thought "that'll teach her!". Yeah,it taught her alright.She squealed to her mum, and her mum came immediately to my house to complain.Good god.The fit my mum went into about me hitting a girl. I remember clearly my mum breaking a long twig from our guava tree, and chasing me around the house with her self made "rotan". After several lashes, a painful twist of my ear and a humiliating "sorry" to alison, I made up my mind never to speak to her ever again.

It was all I could ever remember of this beautiful 5 year old blue-eyed american lass because a few months later they left Bahau... and I never heard from them ever again(her dad was an expat attached to the estates and they moved with his job).Many,many years later, I would seek out her photo in my old albums to try as hard as I could to remember any details about where she eventually left to,but my memory would fail me everytime. It's funny that after all these years I still miss someone whom I despised during my childhood. The amazing thing was,she was always nice to me, and I took her friendship for granted.It taught me a huge lesson in life and embedded a friendship philosophy in me till this very day. "Never take anyone for granted because you wont know a good thing, until it's gone!"

It's too late for regrets, but she will live long in my memory and I hope someday, our paths shall cross again.

update on the St.Aidan 50th Anniversary Celebration

It's been a frantic 24 hours since the last post, as I've been trying to reach out and establish if there really is gonna be an event to commemorate st.aidan's 50th year anniversary.Thank god I got the answer,and from none other than Mr.Devadas who surprised me from out of the blue with a call.I almost fell off my chair when I realised it really was him on the other side of the line.It's not everyday you get a call from someone you havent had an exchange of words for 30 years!!!!

I cant think of anyone who hasnt heard of Mr.Devadas, who I believe (with all due respect to all the other past headmasters and current one), is definitely numero uno in everyone's good books.He's been hailed as the man who made the right changes and whose vision transformed the school into what was once one of the finest primary schools in the country. I was such a toddler when he was around, but I am making an effort to go and meet up with him to get some insights and a lesson in history during his tenure as HM of the school.There will be a separate post about him in the weeks to come,and if I get lucky,I'll soon be able to feature all those long lost teachers and ex-students of the school in individual blog postings.

He did link me with one very precious information.A glimmer of hope that the gathering was really gonna happen.And the link was to Usha Appadurai, who I found out is part of a committee who have exciting things lined up for the grand event come October this year.For the moment she has mentioned that there will be two gatherings...one smaller sized event to be held in KL, and the biggie in October.Probably held in the school field with a tent, and hopefully the Menteri Besar of NS to be the guest of honour.It's still early days, but things are gaining momentum.

I hope the event in itself will not be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It would be a travesty to have participants gather from all over the country and beyond for just one day, and then return to their own private lives, allowing the memories of the school to drift by.I hope the event will be a catalyst to renewed friendships, jolly-sing-alongs, business opportunities,a sharing of childhood dreams and a synergy of camaraderie souls.It would be fantastic to keep a little flame of the school burning in each of us.Because, after all, when we look back someday, it certainly was the true beginning for many of us.

I wish I had more photos to post.Im still digging my old photo albums, and I am looking everywhere for the school's only 3 yearbooks "Follow The Gleam" (one red,blue and another olive green).I hope they surface from somewhere..or from someone. Im trying to get my dad to lend me some of his old photos. I did a comprehensive search about the school on the net..and I ended up with zilch!What a pity.Not even a single image or story to fall back on.Totally frustrating..yet a blessing in some ways.I figure,if I had it easy, I would not be appreciative of the history of the school, and now I am forced to go back in time and dig up as much information as I can.Along the way, I'm sure, Im meant to stumble upon precious nuggets I may have missed if information was so easy to come by.
Oh,well...que sera sera.

50 years of St.Aidan

Its a funny thing how a photo can awaken a flurry of whizzing technicolor lights in your head.Today, it happened to me.A simple black and white school photo of me way back in 1978.I must have stared at this photo for a whole 10 minutes before it dawned upon me that I just could not connect myself with the little boy of my past.7 years old...arms folded tight...looking as if I hated standing on a bench under the blazing sun to smile for a photo which,at that time, just didnt make sense.(or maybe I had to pee or somethin'..:) )

until now..

Gosh..I would do anything to trade places with that 7 year old.No bills to pay, , no undue work stress,no traffic jams,no taxes, no worries about receeding hairline or increasing waistline...heck..what was I to grumble about back then???Homework??Maths??

Even now as I skim the faces of my childhood school mates, one question begs itself to be answered..where are they?What do they look like now?What are they up to? Ting Pei Pei,

Lawrence,Wong Victor,Khairibi,Choo Chee Boon,Tarmizi,Yong Lee Thing,Hemalatha,Mona Lisa....goodness..they all seem like a distant memory...almost like ghosts trapped in a parallel universe. (thank god I re-connected with my old buddy Vijayan, who is now a doctor in Sabah)

Sigh...

Memories...its the one thing we cling to the most..and the one thing that slips by the fastest.

This year marks 50 years of the school I grew up in..literally. St.Aidan Bahau, a magical,wonderful fable of a place back in the 70's when I lived within its premises . I would go on to spend my first 10 years there...a decade that would go on to shape my life, setting the stage for bigger things,challenges..yet,no matter where or what I was doing,my mind would never stray too far away from my warm childhood days of St.Aidan.

I started this blog inspired into preserving those cherished yesterdays. Unfortunately what should have been an alma mater of distinguished proportions,has withered away,a shadow of what it should have been.In fact its in shambles and it kills me to see a foundation that sprung so many great memories,students,teachers,men and women, disintegrate away into nothingness.I shall play my part to keep the memory of the good ol days running, and to bring together a community who can share the best times they have had growing up within and around the parameters of this enchanting school.

In the meantime what this blog will do,is, provide a canvas for some thoughts,photos and insights of my journey back in time to a place I cant let go off.And sometimes you just cant break the friendship and bond that were always meant to be.Like the special place that I hold for the family I have known all my life, my neighbours - the Naidu's.

In fact,we made a vow 2 years ago during a mini reunion (Shirin,Naz,Sab..i hope you gals remember..) that we'd someday link up with the stories from our childhood and share it with everyone. Im also hoping to get ex-students and teachers of St.Aidan to send me their stories and feedback in which I will be able to post up on this blog. So far, I have Jeeva (Mr.Nadarajah's son, a former teacher who also lived in the school quarters) and Terrence Declan, the son of Mr Devadas, the respected former headmaster of StAidan, to join forces with me.

Looking forward to getting this into gear.Cheers! (p/s I'm 9th from the left..standing)