Saturday 19 April 2008

5 Stones

I was trying to recall how to play "Five Stones", the most popular game in primary school. A big thank you to Jeannette Poon for helping me out.

Step 1: Throw all five stones. Whilst throwing a stone, pick up one stone and catch the stone in the air before it falls to the ground. Do this for each of the stones on the ground.

Step 2: Repeat step 1 but pick up two stones at a time.

Step 3: Repeat step 1 but pick up a combination of three stones and one.

Step 4: Throw all five stones. Pick up four stones whilst one stone is in the air and catch the later before it falls to the ground.

Step 5: Whilst throwing one stone, place the four on the ground. Throw one stone up again and catch it whilst picking all four stones on the ground.

Step 6: Throw all five stones on the ground. Pick two stones. Throw one in the air and exchange the other with one on the ground. Do the same with the remaining stones on the ground.

Step 7: Throw the two stones held at the end of Step 6. Pick up one stone and then catch the two falling stones separately in each hand. Do this until there is three stones in one hand and two in the other. Throw the two stones and catch it separately. Throw the remaining stone and catch it with the hand that has all the stones.

Step 8: Throw all five stones on the ground. The opponent selects a stone to be thrown in the air. The player has to pick this stone without moving any others. The player throws the stone in the air and picks the remaining on the ground in one clean sweep.

If at any point of time the player fails to complete this set of eight steps, he/she will have to forfeit his turn to his opponent. Upon his opponent's failure to complete, he will return to the incomplete step, starting from the very beginning of that step.

Friday 18 April 2008

Hawker delights

"Joanna, do you remember the uncle who used to sell chee cheong fun on his motorbike? I really miss the fishballs and soup." - A Reader

I most certainly do! He used to park his motorbike at the exit gate of the primary school field, together with a small group of hawkers. I was one of the regular customers, especially when I waited for a lift home from my mum after staying back in school (as prefects often do)

One evening, I was tucking into my plate of chee cheong fun when someone yelled "Bandaraya lei lor!" All the hawkers started to pack up, including the CCF uncle. He jumped on his bike and drove off, leaving me eating my chee cheong fun all alone! A little later, a primary girl came by and asked me "Mana beli?" because there wasn't a single hawker in sight. Hahahaha....

What were some of the other hawker delights we loved to buy? I remember:-
  • Kacang putih
  • Guava (+ assam)
  • Pineapple/Sengkuang with peanuts and red sauce on a toothpick
  • Cincau & selasih drinks
  • Ice cream sandwich (I loved those!)
  • Ice cream cone dipped in crushed peanuts
  • All sorts of tidbits
  • That gummy thingy (probably toxic) that we squeezed out of a tube and blew big bubbles from
  • Colourful rubber bands to make ropes to play "high jump"

Playing "Jamban"?!

This highly-amusing conversation took place between some cultured BBGSians on Facebook. Like most primary girls, I remember playing "Jamban" too. What a name!



Ms W: U look so cute...and this corner leading up to the staircase... i nearly forgotten this structure had u not put in the pic

Ms A: This is near where we played 'Jamban'!

Ms J: Jamban, wat game was that? i remember playing this game where we run from post to post, and one person in the center will be trying to take over a post

Ms A: Yup, that's Jamban! We gave it that name (or maybe our seniors did!) coz it was played just outside the toilet.

Hahaha..Does anyone else remember playing "Jamban"?

P/S: Thanks so much for allowing me to share this photo, Jeannette.


Update on Thursday 24 April: Note from Lee Siew Sze


Hi. Hope you don't mind me adding my two cents' worth. I was at your blog and happened to read something about the game we played in school called "Jamban".

I believe that game is a different one to the description. The game described in your blog was "tiang", hence the running from post to post. Basically, the "catcher" needs to grab a tiang as hers in order to relieve her position as catcher. The girl caught would then be the catcher and the other 4 players will "tempt" the catcher by swapping posts with each other.

Jamban, as I recall, involved leaping to and fro the corridor (where the tiangs as mentioned above were) to the window sills that jutt out from the toilet windows, hence the name jamban. Again, there is a catcher who has to catch a girl in the midst of leaping from corridor to window sill in order to relieve her position as catcher. The girl caught would then be the catcher and the other players will tempt the catcher by leaping to and fro. If I'm not wrong there were 3 window sills and I think unlimited number of players.

Anyway, keep up the blog. It's fun to have memories of BBGS school days.


Wednesday 16 April 2008

Hostage drama in 1975

To date, most of the emails I receive are from BBGSians who write to tell me their stories. Last week, I received an interesting email from Sheith Faikis (a 26-year old male!) from Malaysia who is doing some research for a TV program. This involves tracking down a BBGSian named Chong Fei Fei who was caught up in a hostage drama way back in 1975. I'll let him tell you the story in his own words, and if you can help him locate Fei Fei, please email him directly at faikster@yahoo.com

Hello Joanna Yeoh,

I just visited your blog.

My name is Sheith Faikis Abu Bakar. I work as a researcher at FM Production: A production house that provides content for Astro. We are currently in the making of a documentary on the terrorist organization, The Japanese Red Army (JRA).

In 1975, the JRA stormed the AIA Building in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, and held over 50 hostages. Among the hostages was Chong Fei Fei. She was 13 at the time, and was a student at Bukit Bintang Girls' School.

I am now trying to locate this former student. I write to you hoping that you could give me some ideas on where I should begin my search.

About 3 months ago, I was asked to start research on this historic incident. Historic it may be, it has, however, surprised me that not much has been covered on this incident. I myself had never heard of the events of 1975, let alone the Japanese Red Army.

I started by first reading old newspaper articles and started listing names of everyone involved. Sometimes, in the news stories, they only mention names and don't furnish the reader with other details, and so not much can be researched from there. But in this girl's case (Chong Fei Fei) it mentions that she's a student of BBGS, and this is helpful.

This investigation has begun to get very interesting indeed. To date, I have managed to get in touch with a total of nine (out of 53) former hostages. Apart from those who are here, we have managed to get in touch with three who are now in the United States, and a Swedish woman. Why Swedish and Americans involved? Well, the AIA building housed a number of embassies back then, including the Swedish and American Embassies.

You will not believe how I got hold of this Swedish woman. All I can say is, "Thank you, Google!" She came down to Malaysia two weeks ago to be interviewed and stayed for five nights. The American hostages are waiting for us to go there, but I doubt the company would want to go all the way to the United States.

It's unfortunate that the ones here, are so unwilling to be interviewed. But I respect everyone's wishes. I am hoping that I can find more of these people from the past, and get interviews with them.

Last week, we went to see a Mr Sukdave Singh, an AIA security guard back then who was shot below the right eye by the terrorists.

I have attached here a news story (NST) on Chong Fei Fei dated August 7th 1975. If she was 13 back then, this means she was at that time either in secondary 1 or 2. Do you know anyone from this batch?

I look forward to hearing from you again.

Thanks so much,

Faikis

Saturday 5 April 2008

Asam boi ice cream anyone?

A couple of weeks ago, I mooted the idea of a BBGS clubhouse and asked you girls what type of food we should serve. One item that kept coming up was "asam boi" ice cream. Here's a peek at the amusing discussion thread that has developed around this almost-extinct delicacy...

Anonymous (12 March 08)
Many flavors of ice-cream Malaysia.. i.e: asam boi, kacang merah, barli.

Hamizah (18 March 08)
Also "asam boi ice-cream" uncle. I love the fact that the ice cream is fat & juicy rather than the thin one that we use to have.

Joanna (18 March 08)
What is this asam boi ice cream I keep hearing about? I don't remember an ice cream man..where got? Someone help refresh my memory please?

Anonymous (5 April 08)
Oh my dear Joanna.. How can u forget the 'asam boi' ice cream? The uncle's ice container was just in front of the water stall.. He will cut the top of the ice cream and wrap it with nicely cut newspaper.. Seriously, we can't get that elsewhere.. Hey..! Prefects helped the water stall auntie right? So, the uncle was right in front of you.

Hmmm...I vaguely re-collect an ice-cream man selling tubes of flavoured water. But I don't remember eating very much of it. Maybe I was too busy doing prefects' duty at recess time..ha..ha..

Do many of you remember eating this asam boi ice cream?
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I remember the asam boi ice cream - more like ice lolly. And the drinks aunty is a fierce looking lady. She's the book shop lady (Daisy's) mother in law isn't she?

6 April 2008 06:05

Delete
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, during my time ( 86 - 96 ) the ice cream stall was attended by a very nice old lady. I don't quite recall the Asam Boi Ice Cream but I do remember the type that you scoop up on a cone and she will stick it with peanuts. Yum!

I remember the Fierce Drink Aunty. She always ensure that her hair is Dye Black and you hardly ever see her without a comb and a hand mirror.

7 April 2008 17:26

Delete
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't remember any asam boi ice lolly in our school canteen either. Joanna, probably there was none during our time (I'm one year your senior)..

7 April 2008 21:27

Delete
Anonymous Anonymous said...

YES i remember the ice-cream uncle. And YES the asam boi ice-lollies too! He would cut off the top of the plastic with his little blade and hand it wrapped in his cut newspaper. After few years he died and the ice-cream stall/box was handled by his daughter, who looked very much like him!!! Memorieeeeesss ....

7 April 2008 22:37

Delete
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't remember the fierce drink lady but i remember the lady at the bookstore/co-op who did not smile too much :-( ... 1987-1991

I live in Dsara Heights and bumped into Ms. Yap few times with her dog! This was few years ago around 2003 ... she claims she remembers me but actually she mistook me for my cousin who also went to BBGS. But nevertheless, she remembered! Guess partly the reason was both our fathers were chairman of the PIBG for several years, thats why! She looked great with jet-black hair :-) ...

7 April 2008 22:42

Delete
Blogger Chad & Sharon Adelman said...

Yeah, I have no recollection of the ice cream man. My time, I think there was an ice cream old lady. She has the worst mood swings. I do remember the ferocious drink lady, grouchy and all. But I DO love the grass jelly drink that she always made and have the prefects serve us..... so thank , prefects.

5 January 2009 03:46

Delete
Anonymous harrie said...

Yeah..I remember that thirst quenching asam boi ice lollies from the ice-cream uncle. I remember we would crush the ice lolly and slowly suck the juice until the ice becomes tasteless... Yummy!!! Hey... I missed my school bus because of that 'k...:P

11 January 2009 19:31

Delete
Anonymous Poesy said...

My favourite up till today but have not ventured to make it myself. I did find someone who can make an assam boi mixture that closely resembled the right taste!!

12 February 2009 13:12