Teasure trove of nostalgic songs from the Far East

I have always enjoyed playing songs from my childhood days. If you have grown up in a small town you will know how neighbours loved to play their music at maximum volume to entertain everyone far and wide. Nobody seemed to mind. It brought music to people who would otherwise be unable to afford a good system, or who simply never learned to indulge in any form of entertainment. I was a young teenager then and the only music at my disposal an old radio with very poor reception. Also, in those days, 24-hour music on the radio was unheard of. You tune in to your favourite broadcast at a scheduled time, just like when you want to watch a favourite TV show.

Today I dug into a treasure trove of music from that era. Go to this website: http://questing.wordpress.com. Here you can get re-acquainted with names like Frankie Cheah, Francis Yip, Simon Junior, Agnes Chan, Anita Sarawak, P. Ramlee, etc. Did you now that actresses Nancy Sit and Fung Po Po also sang? Their singing prowess did not reach the halls of worldwide fame, but to hear their voices crooning the old hits is really a treat if you are looking for a escapade into nostalgia.

The website above does not play all the songs of these singers, unfortunately. However, you can quickly turn to Youtube and search for the singers to enjoy the rest of them. Happy listening!

How I will celebrate this Christmas

As I was doing gardening yesterday, an elderly neighbour stopped and chatted with me. She told me how she enjoyed the Christmas decorations I have put up. To be honest I gave last year a miss, but I didn't tell her that. I remember now that this same neighbour has mentioned to me before how much she liked my Christmas tree.

Yesterday, this same neighbour told me that when we heard our carolling, she "felt sad". I don't know what she meant by that, but she said she felt like going into my house and join us. She would be most welcome, I told her. I think many older people reminisce about the good old days when the sound of carolling was everywhere. I think many people love to see Christmas decorations lighting up their street. It creates a holiday atmosphere for everyone.

Yes, I think I'll make it a point to put up my Christmas tree every year, because it is not just for me. It is also for my neighbours. I will make it a point to play the carols loud enough for my neighbours to hear. If a carolling team comes up the door, I'll make them sing long enough for the neighbours to enjoy. After all, what better opportunity is there to proclaim the birth of Christ to our neighbours?

Malay music broadcast in Australia

Years ago when I was a student in the US, it was a special treat to visit the Chinese grocery shop on rare occasions. The smell of familiar Chinese foodstuff and the sound of Chinese music was enough to trigger a bout of nostalgia. Nowadays in Melbourne I feel like I am in a Chinese community all the time, so the visit to the Chinese grocery shop has become not a treat but a daily routine.

Last night, however, it was a rare trip down memory lane to hear a long forgotten Malay/Indonesian song over the Melbourne airwaves. I happened to be tuned in to 3ZZZ on FM 92.30, at around 11pm (Sunday). It was actually a broadcast in Malay (not Indonesian). I was pleasantly surprised to hear the song "Mimpi Yang Sedih" being played, among other Malay songs.

If you want to listen to this delightful song once more, go to Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TXuqWLSomc&feature=related . You'll love this!

And if you want to hear Bengawan Solo, click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVDgt45ExA4&feature=related

Discovering the joy of radio

"When I was young I listened to the radio.... waiting for my favourite songs...." (The Carpenters)

It is probably difficult for children nowadays to fathom what it is like not to have instant access to their choice of songs all the time. When I was a teenager, collecting song albums was something not everybody could afford. Listening to the radio was a popular pastime. Radio stations actually published in advance the songs they were going to play. People gathered around the radio and waited for their favourite songs to play, just as The Carpenters used to sing. People actually listened to the radio, not just have it play in the background while they multitask in their busy schedule.

Several years after that I bought a shortwave radio. It was fun to tune in to stations far across the oceans. Through crackling reception in the middle of the night, I could hear people speaking in different languages; yes, real people talking in real time. It was a fantastic feeling to hold in my hand the ability to tune in and listen to strange voices coming from all over the world. However, I must admit that radio surfing was not a popular thing to do during my time.

Now I discovered that my new mobile phone comes equipped internet radio.What a pleasant surprise! In an instant, I have access to tens of thousands of radio stations, with more than 7000 from the US alone. Listening to American broadcast brings back memory of the time I spent in America. I could tune in to Malaysia and be instantly transported back to my country of origin. I could listen to the sweet chatter of foreign languages I do not understand, or imagine myself in Timbuktu or Bollywood.

In addition, my mobile phone also comes with free-to-air radio. Although I have a radio at home and in the car, it is great to have one in the pocket as well. Late at night when everyone is asleep, I could tune in to my local stations and simply relax in bed until I am lulled to sleep.

Unlike preselected music, with radio, you never know what you are going to get (er, Tom Hanks said that over a box of chocolates). That is what makes radio listening interesting. To hear a long forgotten tune come back to life always have me longing for more. I would feel the joy of rediscovering radio all over again.

Bali, a paradise no more?

I have a outdated notion of Bali. When I was young I used to think of Bali as a tropical paradise; can you imagine that coming from someone who actually grew up in the tropics? My juvenile impression of Bali was based on rural Malay life in Malaysia. I imagined it to be like the villages I have known and loved, only more idealised. I thought of Bali as a place of swaying coconut trees and friendly sarong-clad villagers who are more than happy to welcome visitors into their midst.

I have a trip planned for Bali in the beginning of next year. While it will be a fulfillment of my childhood desire to visit the place, I am afraid it will also bring an end to my fantasy. I have read too many accounts of mounting crime in Bali, terrorist attacks, and atrocities against Christians, to consider for a moment that this trip will be the visualization of my hidden fantasy. I still hope to be wrong.....

Life in a small town

One of the most refreshing books I have ever read is based on a small town in rural America. It describes the colorful characters of the various people who live in the small town, the problems they face and the aspiration they harbour. I cannot remember the name of the book nor its author. When I tried to google for "small town, USA" I found that there are many similar books. Probably many of them as just as interesting too. I consider myself to be very fortunate for having grown up in a small town in Malaysia. That is why I could relate so well to the book I mentioned earlier.

The book helped to open my eyes to the intricacies that make small town life so interesting. This is why I love to drive through the little towns on the numerous trips I have made between Melbourne and Adelaide. When I see schoolchildren in such places, I am reminded of my own school life during my childhood days. A group of loitering teenagers will trigger memories of my own teenage life in a small town. I can imagine they too enjoy the same simple pleasures that thrilled us back then. Even a deserted street reminds me of the sleepy hollow that I call hometown. That book has helped me to find expression about my own small town life and I want to discover it again. It is one of those books that can made reading an unforgettable experience in itself. Perhaps by chance I might run into that book again - one of these days.

Tuning in to the past

In the place where I work sits an old radio. Perhaps it has been there on the same spot for decades; I don't know. I just find old radios to be so fascinating. Most of them still work long after many other mechanical or electrical appliances have been happily replaced with modern ones.

From the radio, if you are an oldies fan, you will hear the same old melodies wafting out of the speakers. Close your eyes for a moment and you might be transported back to your childhood years.

I love old radios. I have had one where the built-in clock had a flip display. I bought it in Kmart when I was in college. The well-heeled college kids had a full hi-fi system in their room but I was happy enough with my little clock radio. It kept me entertained for several years and introduced me to songs that today's children call the oldies.

Tricyle for the overgrown baby

When I saw this 3-wheeled motorcycle, I thought it resembles the tricycle I used to ride on as a child. It even has the same kind of back seat for the rear passenger. This contraption must have been designed with the overgrown baby in mind. Some of you might recall the kid's tricycle that I am talking about.

The school bell

My primary school used to have an old fashioned bell that hung from a window at the school office. At the sound of the bell, everyone hurried to his class. I loved that sound because it had a clear warm tone, unlike the electronic buzzer that many schools use today. Bells always sound so much more cheerful. The school bell was a friendly clarion call to get down to serious work. It brightened the day ahead for me. I also looked forward to the next ringing of the bell, which was at recess time. Of course, the final bell of the day was the most welcomed one.

As little kids, we considered it a treat when the teacher asked one of us to go and ring the bell. I used to do it with great pride, as you can well imagine. Years have passed since those days. I am sure I owe my disciplined approach to time keeping in general to the simple school bell. It regimented all six years of my primary school life and it still echoes happily through my mind whenever I think of it.

Is motorized transport a necessity?

It was about 30 years ago when I was studying in Taiping. At that time there were bicycles everywhere. Housewives rode their bicycles to the market every morning. Schoolchildren rode bicycles to school. Even courting couples rode around on their bicycles, adding further proof to the age of innocence.

Taiping is not much bigger today than it was 30 years ago. The streets are full of cars and motorcycles now. Bicycles are seldom seen. Motorized transport has certainly taken over our legs. It is now difficult to get from one place to another due to heavy traffic. Parking bays are few. So why have people abandoned the bicycles for cars and motorcycles? I cannot think of a good reason, as the town has not grown much at all. The same transformation is seen in other towns, save for the sleepy hollows. Sadly, nobody seems to miss the bicycle at all, while they nonchalantly contend with the traffic, day after day.

My first camera

I was fifteen years old at that time. I had never owned a camera before. When my parents went on a holiday they asked what I wanted them to bring back. I asked for a camera. Of course, my parents didn't know the first thing about a camera, and neither did I. I only remembered what they bought me was quite a plasticky thing. I kept it for a long time but I never used it. I am grateful to my parents for listening to me and I believe it was that gift that triggered the love of photography in me. So today, on Mother's Day, I just want to say "Thank you, Mum!"

Life changing moments

Can you recall any of your life changing moments? Sometimes something that seems insignificant at that time can turn into a life changing moment when you look back years later. I recall a time when I was just a few years old. I still remember that day clearly in my mind. My 6th Uncle (on my mother's side) came to visit. I don't recall him visiting us at any other time during my childhood, but it was on the fateful day that something happened that will have long lasting impact on my life. My uncle was in his late teens or early twenties at that time and he was taking a course in electronics. On this visit he brought along a sound recorder and proudly got the family together to see what he could do. The technology at that time uses magnetic tape that is wound from one spool to another as you record (like a movie reel). The recorder itself was quite an impressive mechanical contraption that preceded the cassette recorder, which some of you may still remember about . I sang a nursery rhyme after much coaxing. Other than that, I never saw or heard about the recorder again. It must have been quite a short lived career aspiration for 6th Uncle.

Years passed and I find that recording audio, video, and still images (photography) has become a deep-seated passion in my life. I cherish the ability to record and preserve moments of history, so that I can revisit it over and over again. The memories can be preserved forever. My beloved family and extended family will never fade from my mind. My passion grew from that life changing moment when 6th Uncle came to visit.

How to spend your school holiday

Once a school teacher described me as having an inquisitive mind. At that time I did not think much of it; perhaps I even thought it was not accurate observation. The dictionary defines inquisitive as "eager for knowledge or intellectually curious." It is now perhaps 40 years since that time, and when I look back at myself, I think the teacher was right. I was actually quite eager to learn things. When I was young, I wanted to do everything: I wanted to be able to play basketball, and strum the guitar. I wanted to be able to paint, to take develop photographs, to repair a car, to make wooden furniture, etc. I wasn't satisfied with just doing something new; I actually wanted to know the theoretical side of it as well. Every school holiday was an opportunity to learn something new... if only I could find somebody to teach. Over time, I generally learned a little bit here and there. It was only during the recent years after I have "semi-retired" from active career that I could devote time, energy, and resources into some of these unfinished pursuits.

Nowadays young people have lots of opportunity to learn new things through the internet. They also have more disposable family income. They are also more exposed to the material world. Unfortunately, with these opportunities also come distractions that never existed before. Kids are exposed to computer games and other electronic toys that are designed not so much to challenge the human ability as to entrap the young in order to enrich the makers. The world of real games and real sports is now replaced with virtual games and sports that appear out of the Wii console, the PS3, or the iPhone. My advice to you is, get back into the real world. Whether you are old or young, pick up a new skill this holiday.

A tropical paradise

Once upon a time, there lived a peace-loving people whose kind and gentle nature was known throughout the world. When travelers journey through this place, they did not talk about the beautiful weather or the unspoiled landscape. They talked about the friendly smiles, the genuine hospitality, and the slow and unhurried pace of life. It was a tropical paradise and I loved this place. I thought the whole world was full of people like that.

Time passed. I grew up and traveled to many places in the world. The people I met were different. The world out there was not filled with the same gentle people I knew and admired. Returning to the tropical paradise, I was even more alarmed that the gentle people I once knew have been replaced by greedy, callous, and corrupt people that I never knew existed before. In their drive to enrich themselves, they have polluted and destroyed the environment. Through corruption and mismanagement, they empty the public coffers. The utopian world of free public health care is slowly replaced by privatized hospitals. What used to be quality education is replaced by poorly run and sometimes dubious institutions from primary schools to colleges and universities. A peaceful society now lives in barricaded houses with hired neighbourhood security guards, numbed to escalating crime, and harassed by the very people who are there to serve and protect them. A tropical paradise, like the Garden of Eden, has disappeared.

First pay day

We had dinner with some friends last night. On one of the conversation topics, one of our friends talked about how he felt when he got his first pay working as a pharmacist. He said he was paid in cash on that day. He felt so elated that he went straight to a restaurant and ordered a meal all by himself. I can imagine the feeling; finally you have arrived at the real world of working adults. You feel a great sense of worth because you are being recompensed for professional services rendered.

I believe that that point in a person's life is the apex of the feeling of being rich. You'll never feel richer than when you get your first pay. Very soon after that you will be mired in utility bills that you have raked up yourself, car installment, house mortgage payment, insurance, tax, repair and maintenance, traffic offenses, and buying things you don't really need but want. And social entertainment... you can't be a loner. Then you get married and have children... more expenses... No matter how much more you earn thereafter, you'll never again get that same feeling of being superbly.

Bill paying before the computer age

I told myself that whenever I can't think of what to write, I'll write about the past. Perhaps someone in the future will find this so amusing, because it will be like looking at old photographs. So quaint, one might say.

When I started my working life after graduation in 1982 the service industry was run on pen and paper. In fact the personal computer was only in its infancy with the Apple IIe only starting to make its mark. In those days (in Malaysia) most people had only three household utility bills: water, electricity, and telephone. Nowadays in Malaysia many people subscribe to pay TV and broadband, in addition to the other three utilities.

At that time, each utility bill could only be paid at the utility company's outlet. We had to wait in a long queue to pay each bill before running off to the next place. It was a blessing that traffic and parking were not such a colossal problem as it is in Malaysia today. Nowadays people can choose to pay all their bills through the internet, or to pay different bills at just one location. It is funny isn't it, that even as computerization has made life easier and supposedly freed up time, we all still live terribly busy lives, don't we?

A clean world less than 50 years ago

If you think of the amount of non-biodegradable plastic waste we leave behind, it is hard to believe that the world was a pristine place only 50 years ago. The first commercially successful plastic, called Bakelite, was invented in 1907. The widespread use of it took off before all too long. I still remember a time when plastic was not around. Everything was biodegradable. I wish someone had documented that era from this perspective. Yes, many baby boomers will be able to recall this time which would be in their childhood days.

I grew up in Malaysia. The situation may be slightly different in other parts of the world. During those days, the grocery store wrapped everything using recycled newspaper. Plastic bags were not introduced yet. Packages were tied up using straw (or reed), which had to be kept wet continuously or else they dried up and broke easily. Instead of big plastic bags, shoppers were given paper bags to put their purchases in, if needed. Housewives each carried an open woven basket to the wet market every morning. Umbrellas made of bamboo material and waxed paper were used to keep out the sun and the rain. At home, pails and basins were made of aluminum. Pots were aluminum or clay. Drinks came in glass bottles which were collected and sent back to the bottling company in wooden crates for re-use. Needless to say, there was a non-plastic alternative for every plastic product we use today. In those days, the environment was free of permanent garbage. Every piece of rubbish carelessly strewn degraded within a short time. Yes, I believe the earth was a pristine place only 50 years ago. The oceans were free of filth, and the Himalayas must have look like unexplored territory to every new visitor.

Sharing of songs; now and before

A friend of mine just sent me a song book via email, The file size is just 1.8Mb, but it contains 120 pages of songs complete with guitar chords. At approximately 6-8 songs per page, there are at least 720 songs in it. Before you start thinking about copyright implications, these are very old Christian songs we used to sing in the old days. Actually many of them are not familiar to me. I will get some people to sing them so that I can record the songs and make them more useful for me and for others. I don't know about you, but I love to play the very old songs on my guitar. The lyrics are beautiful and they are great when you are in the mood to worship.

Here is how it was done in the "BC" (before computer) days. When I was a teenager, photocopy machines were not yet available. If we found a song we liked, we would look for the lyrics in the magazines, or borrow somebody's songbook. Then we would hand-copy each and every song into a notebook.To learn the songs, we would tune in to the radio, while the more fortunate ones have the luxury of playing cassette tapes or vinyl records on a player. It was not easy at all to distribute your favourite songs to your buddies. I wonder how many kids today appreciate what is available to them now.

Recollection of a money box

Today while at the Post Office, I saw a little gold-coloured cash box. It looked like the one I have at home; a reminder of an event that happened about twenty years ago. A feeling of sad remorse came over me when I thought about it. You see, about two decades ago, my two sons then about 3 to 6 years old took all their "ang-pow" money and spent it all on buying two money boxes from a bookshop near our home. It was the first time in their young lives that they purchased anything on their own. Obviously they did not know the value of money then.

I can imagine two little boys, excited with all the ang-pow money they had collected over the Chinese New Year, walking into a shop all by themselves. I should have been very proud of them. Instead, I flew into a rage when I came back from work and threw the boxes across the floor. I thought it was time I gave them their first lesson in economics. Now, older and wiser, I should have cherished them for their innocent way of expressing what they wanted; a money box to keep their savings. What an idiot I was! How I must have crushed them! Now my two sons are adults and this incident fortunately have not affected them one way or the other; thank God! As for me, I will have to live with the occasional remorse that I missed an opportunity to react as a good parent should, and show love to them at an important point in their young lives. One can only look back, but will never be able to change something in the past. Therefore live life the way you want to remember it in the future.