The following aricle entitled “Sweet memories of Kirkby”
written in conjunction with the
Sweet memories of Kirkby
True friendship, strong bonding and great
camaraderie were characteristics that
stood out clearly at the reunion of the 4th batch (Class of 1954) of
Kirkbyites on Saturday, March 8.
It was as though time had stood still for the 52
ex-students of
FOND
For many, it was the first meeting in more than four decades. So the
Chairman of the organizing committee Zainal Arshad Zainal Abidin had to
introduce one by one as many of us had changed so much in appearance! Forty
nine years ago, we were in our teens travelling overseas for the first time to
study at a Malayan Teachers College 8,000 miles away.
Now, it was a gathering of cronies in their golden years, many of whom
have become grandpas and grandmas. But the spirit was spontaneous and
unrestrained, comparing receding hairlines, sagging jowls and spreading
midriffs.
Was it the carnival mood which set the tone of
merriment or was it the feeling that in our twilight years we should mingle as
much as possible when our limbs are still strong ? Or was it the nostalgia of
the good old days in good old
‘We toil in a warm-hearted
exile
For our homeland in sun-haunted seas!
And the song in our heart is forever
Of the Golden Chersonese! ‘
Oh those unforgettable days of 1954-1956 at
Kampong Kirkby in
for in our hearts of hearts we knew there
would always be some excitement and new experiences to be learned.
It was a time when students bonded regardless
of race, religion or creed and a time when strong friendships formed
during lectures, on the playing field and through annual presentation of Malayan
Medley watched in awe for its colours, rhythm and pulsating hits and beats by
our orang putih guests.
It was a time when the noisy and restless
English children around
Numerous hearts however were won and
friendships cemented. So were the hearts of their parents.
Summer time was our glorious days. In droves,
we travelled on shoe-string budget to various parts of the
We mingled with the locals and learnt their
dialects. We admired their opera, their ballet, fine art, architecture and the
spirit of Renaissance. Their relentless pursuit of freedom and individuality
impressed very much our young minds. Upon our return, we rushed to the College
darkroom to develop the photos, compare notes, pulling each others’
hair and reminisce.
As the groups travelling to the Continent were
multi-racial in nature and all speaking in one language, English, these trips
further strengthened and cemented our friendships.
Through these informal activities, we learned self-discipline,
tolerance, compassion and adapted ourselves to different ways of life.
Though the College was multi-racial and
multi-religious in nature, we treated each other as brothers and sisters, with
no racial feeling at all in all our activities, be they in the lecture-room or
outside it.
One thing was absolutely certain: we were all
Malayans and owed our
allegiance and undivided loyalty to our
country:
“ Yet
And she calls us from afar!’
For this particular occasion, the Kirkbyites
of the Class of 1954 were thankful to the organiser Zainal and his co-organiser
Cheong Koon Hoe for tracking the whereabouts of the ex-students and bringing us
together. We have forged friendships that bind. And the friendship forged has
become strengthened as clearly shown in the reunion.
Every Kirkbyite from the inception of the
College in 1951 till 1962 is aware and proud of the fact that they have made
significant contributions to practically every stratum of society. And the
memory will linger on….. with nostalgia for good old Kirkby.
Chiam Tah Wen
Kirkby 1954-56 & 1962