I hope you will share with us your O-level days. And, to start with, I like to share with you mine.
Secondary school days were indeed memorable days. I remembered having to go through subjects which I had never liked. They included history, gergraphy and literature. To me, these subjects were too academic, and I did not think there was any value in studying them. In fact, I loved science and mathematics. I was brought up to think that being a science and maths genius would land me a good job when I leave school. Well, I worked and studied hard, and landed with 5 distinctions for my O-levels. I felt I achieved well, at that time.
During my secondary days, I was not conscious of having a girl friend. I had many friends, but being in a boy’s school "Montfort School" in Hougang, all my friends were boys. We had a great time, and if I remembered clearly, I went cycling up and down Punggol road, catch small crabs with a tiny coconut hair, swim in the murky mangrove swams and enjoy teasing girls in the nearby convent school.
They were all memorable days. I remembered songs like "To Sir with Love", "Mrs Robinson" and the entire Abba series. I looked forward to Fun Fairs, fund-raising Saturdays and playing "Hum Tum Bola".
I think some of us went to Poly and other went to Technical schools. But, those days cannot be forgotten. Do share with us your memories of your secondary school days, leading to O-levels or a Poly of Technical diploma?
I also hope you will also share with us one or two songs which you remembered very clearly during these days.
Terence Seah
Terence,
You’re such a hopelessly dreamer (remember this favourite “hopelessly” phrase in our days?) And how can you ever dream on such a hot humid afternoon? Well, I cannot mock at you, cos me too love the good ‘ol days – well, I still have my school magazine until now.
Dunno whether I should revisit the pages now and look at myself donning the school uniform – but then I was thin and scrawny and now not too thin, better fed, well, we’re all moving up the pyramid and hopefully enter Heaven when our time is up.
Going to karaoke with SHC brings us back to the sixties – thats why we like it.
And that ‘O’ level cert had a British brand haha …. Senior Cambridge – remember?
OK, I’ll leave the rest to fill in the “Times of our Life” -is Paul Anka still around?
Time for my lunch …………
Hi Susan #1,
I now remember another song and that is “Hopelessly devoted to you”. Actually, I am collecting a list of songs which SHCians remember during their secondary school days.
Senior Cambridge? You mean Pre-University? Gosh, I dont remember. I hope to see you when we have an event in a pub.
Terence Seah
i remember one adulterated song – strangers in the night – with the second line becoming “exchanging trousers, wondering what’s inside” – Haha.. that’s how sex education came about in a girl’s sec school.
My encounter with Terence brought me some 40years back, when he was my senior in the St John Ambulance Brigade. Seah Kim Seng was chubbier and quite vocal. The impressionable event when he was in the school SJAB team to debate with ACS. In the heat of the argument, somehow the statement ” if you still cannot understand, you should go home and drink your mother’s milk”!!!! That obviously brought confrontation with the Montfort boys closed rank in arms (I meant fists & elbows). In humiliation, we had to apologize for the gross transgression- the price a kampong school had to pay for not being elitist enough.
The growing awareness of the presence of the opposite sex was fodder for strange behaviours in this all boys secondary. The co-ed Pre-U classes, which brought girls into the school, created buzzes and infatuations. Even the not so pretty girls were ogled on– this is kampong school lifestyle!
Hi James #4,
If there is anything good memories of my secondary school days, in recent years, it has to be a chanced meeting with James Koh, wife Inez. We both came from Montfort School, at the end of Upper Serangoon Road.
An unplanned lunch meeting brought both of us almost 40 years into our past. Thanks James and Inez for helping to relive our school days.
Being in a co-ed school is very unfair to young boys. We only see boys, until we go into Pre-University. We wait at bus-stops to see the girls from the convent across the road. We encourage our friends to get closer to one girl, only to feel right in our heart that we like this particular girl.
Good story line. Boys and girls, from other secondary schools, share your stories, maybe your friends will find you out.
“To Sir with love” http://youtu.be/JOVQ4vAmM7Y
Terence Seah
one more adulterated nursery rhyme:
Jack and Jill went up the hill
to fetch a pail of water
Jill forgot to take her pill
and now they have a daughter.. hehe
i think i’d better not disclose what secondary school i’m from..
James & Terence,
Both of you were from Montfort School? What a co-incidence as my hubby’s from that school too! He used to live in the kampong across the road from the Catholic church – Church of the Nativity.
My hubby told me his teacher taught in Teochew as most of the students in his class were Teochews. Hhahahaha
Cheers
Ros
Hi Ros,
Yes. Our first language is Teochew. So our English classes are interspersed with Teochew. A classic one is ” He threw and ball and I ‘hoped’ (catch) it”. And of course- the teochew vulgar words.
Talking about teachers, the school had mainly male teachers ( obviously). So when there is an incidental lady teacher posting, all the male teachers go gaga. A male teacher would take the opportunity to woo her. He would first gave us lots of class assignment and then disappeared to the next door lady teacher- presumably under the guise of mentoring her.
Hi Rosalind #7,
Wow, we are making the school’s connection. So, from Montfort School, we have James Koh and your husband. Which year O level was your husband?
I cannot remember clearly but I think there was a shophouse or stall opposite Montfort School, and it sold ice-balls, with condensed milk and multiple colour syrups. The stall holder then puts the ball into a plastic bag or straight onto the palm. We enjoyed it.
The education system was unkind, and it deprived us of a mixed-school culture. Anyway, I did very well for my O-levels, when it was a boys school.
But, when I moved into Pre-U or HSC, my resuls tumbled badly, maybe because of the girls or the ECA. So, StevenN, you must have done well in school.
Terence Seah
Terence,
You just jostled my memory! There was the roti prata cum mamak stall. There was this gentleman on his bicycle selling rojak. One of the best. We call him “lao nuar”– salivating– because when he prepare the rojak, he would drool!!! Come to think of it– perhaps this could be why it tasted so “special”.
All boy schools have their own culture. Montfort School is a “gentleman” school. If we have any dispute or disagreement, we will settle the matter “behind the Church” (which was just next door. “Gentleman man! No need to complain to teacher, we settle ourselves!” I guess for a goodie boy like you, you may not be aware of this.
Those were the days, my friends!!
To Sir with Love!!
Before the next teardrop falls!!
and this song from Petula Clark
alamak cannot remeber the title and words leh!!
Margaret from RGS circa 1960s and Senior Cambridge and Great World and Beauty World!!!
we enjoyed the Drama Festival where we teamed up with boys from RI, which was still at Bras Basah Rd!!
Cldnt sleep last nite!
Finally got the song! KISS ME GOODBYE!!!
And I’ll go with a smile!
Terence, what abt
NOBODY’S CHILD
THE END OF THE WORLD
SAD MOVIES
N of cos BACHELOR BOY n OUTSIDER!!!(my husbands fav)
DISTANT DRUMS
TENESSEE WALTZ
FUNNY FAMILIAR FORGOTTEN FEELINGS (my fav)
RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD
DELILA
SURRENDER
WOODEN HEART
RETURN TO SENDER
Wow wow wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
brings back memories!!!!!!