A Long Time Ago at Main Convent, Ipoh
Fellow Main Convent Alumni……….recognise this? It is said to be the kitchen. I don’t recognize it……this was WAY before my time 
Maybe some of you out there know which part of the Main Convent building this is……do let us know. And do tell us if this building is still there today (perhaps it has been restored / renovated?).
We await for some good news……….
Hey it looks very nice. I cannot quite make out of the place. I think it is the hall, where we usually conduct our singing, concerts and many other activities. Cannot quite remember there is an attachment to the hall.
Must ask my other convent old girls to comment.
Thanks for the photo. I was pleasantly surprise to see my old, old school.
If I remember well, this could be near that part of the building
where our nuns and mother superior used to stay and also near
the School Boarders’ accommodation. There is a passage leading to
this building from the school hall(left side), but apparently the nostalgic steps could have been hacked down. During our time, the school canteen is on the left side of the school hall if you enter from the front and that’s probably where this building was once upon time there. Correct me if I am wrong.
Hi Katherine. yes, DO ask your fellow school mates….i myself have nvr seen this part of the school, and i’m wondering what’s happened to it
I did e-mail to them. They claim alzheimer’s disease. Cannot remember. “Orang yang tua muda lupa.” Anyway I am waiting for some of them to reply to me.
One of them remember that the nuns went there for food. I marvel at her. How on earth she can remember and I cannot.
Welcome to the blog, Sien Fong! interesting find…..
seems to me to be near the shortcut entrance to the secondary school canteen area back in the early 80′s and near the nunnery lodgings. I think the staircase is no longer around back in the 80′s.
After having spent all my primary and secondary school years at Ipoh Main Convent, I thought I’d be able recognise every nook and cranny of the premises without having to strain a single grey cell. After all, I still have the occasional dreams of my alma mater despite the passage of time. How wrong I have been. Is there any indication on the back of the photo as to when it was taken, I wonder.
Welcome to the blog, Marianne
Phoebe….couldn’t agree with you more! having been a Convent girl myself, i could hardly identify this part of the school. this picture is just a scan…i’m not sure if there was anything written on the original.
To all the other Convent girls out there = keep those guesses coming!
I dont remember seeing this structure in the primary and secondary school.Maybe the structure was torned down before my time.Maybe,the building could be part of the hall used for our singing, concerts and many other activities in the secondary school or the wooden structure is part of the new secondary canteen or the corridor leading to the back gate of the school.
The convent holy infant jesus has a kindergarten operated by the nuns.This structure could be torned down when the kindergarten no longer operate.
Yes, this used to be the kitchen (canteen area). It’s on the lower level(right hand side) near the stairs to the assembly hall. ANd, on the first level of that building were the classrooms for Forms 1 – 3, and the teachers’ staff room was on that level too. Time had passed by indeed (already age in mid-50′s now)!!! ANd, I attended kindergarten till secondary level at this school……
if i’m not mistaken, that is the bilik kh, the first building of main convent ipoh. now, right behild the bilik kh is ipoh parade. when i was schooling in main convent, the passage and the stairs was torn down already though.
I was there in the early 70′s and this structure no longer exist. It looks like the corrider leading from the main hall to the netball/badminton court and the building behind the sheltered corrider had been replaced by the Form 3 block with the canteen beneath it! However, I stand to be corrected!
Hi OV. like you mentioned, maybe this building was part of the hall…..but with all the suggestions we’ve had so far, this is still a mystery to us!
Does anyone remember the orphanage at the back of the premises at all? The relatively low building behind the covered walkway somehow makes me think of the original orphanage proper which was, I believe, housing scores of orphans of all ages up until the early ’70s. I have a vague recollection of the mass ‘adopting out’ of fit and healthy orphans, regardless of age, around that time. Some left the orphanage on their own accord, either to get married or to work/live on their own. Unfortunately, a number of them, due to either severe physical or intellectual disabilities, were left behind and continued to be cared for by the nuns. Over time, the facility underwent a change of name to ‘Asrama Bintang Rumah Wanita Cacat Infant Jesus Convent’.
I can still remember the two orphans who were in my class throughout my primary school years. They were Lily and Imelda. Apparently, those who were housed at the orphanage from a very young age were taught to speak French as their first language, followed by English and Malay which they learned upon commencing primary school. All of them had to learn to play the piano, too. Sadly, I never again saw either Lily or Imelda after Standard 6. I have always wondered what happened to both of them.
Hi, Sally.
Are you, by chance, the same Sally I know?
Phoebe
Hi, yes…and you are Phoebe F…..? I just realised I’ve ‘lost’ you in my fb list….how did that happen? I don’t ‘check into’ all the friends’ profiles all the time….some of them are not very ‘active’ in their updates…so, I didn’t notice when their profiles are ‘missing’ from my list. How are you?
I remembered the orphanage building you mentioned. You follow this site too and also Ipohtalk….
Let’s get in touch again…..
Cheers
Sally
Hey, Sally!
Nice to ‘bump into you’ again, so to speak. Yes, do drop me an email some time.
Well, you know me, I have this genuine ache for all things Ipoh. As mentioned in another comment I posted here last night, you can take me out of Ipoh but you can’t take Ipoh out of me despite the separation of time and space.
All you former students or old girls [normally no one likes to be called that] should go back and help the school. As the father of three girls who attended a PIBG meeting, I told them that the school was quite run down and I was informed that the Old Girls’ Association was not in a position to help. I was also a Rotarian adviser to the Interact Club there and I noticed that the schools is quite run down. I feel that all the former students should join the association and help them in whatever way possible as the aid from the government is insufficient
Hi Janet C. you mentioned:
“It looks like the corrider leading from the main hall to the netball/badminton court and the building behind the sheltered corrider had been replaced by the Form 3 block with the canteen beneath it!”
funny, the same thought crossed my mind too….but during my time, the Form 3 block was already built and running….perhaps that’s why i don’t recognise the building in the picture.
Felicia
Sue could be right – it could be the original convent. The trees behind the low building could be where Ipoh Parade is now! Anyway, I’m printing out the picture and gonna ask Sr. Mary Michael or Miss Rosy Yan or some very senior ex-girls/teachers if they can remember. BTW, I see these lovely teachers in St.Michael’s church opposite the school every Sunday.
Sally,I still cant make up where is the location despite i have good memories about my school.I attended the kindergarten too right up to Form 5. The assembly hall you mentioned, is it the primary school hall?
That time,when I was in the primary,I remember when we entered the school, on our right are the classroom and on the left are the office and our chapel.then we continue to walk thru with an open space ( usually we assembly there before we entered our class)on the left.On our right, is the toilet( just beside our classroom) and after the toilet is the book shop and the staff room.Then the primary canteen.There were more classroom above the staff room and the canteen.( double storey building).
Then,we have to go down a flight of stairs before reaching our primary assembly hall.So the wooden structure belongs to which part of our building?Eager to find out.Or maybe sister maureen knows better.
OV
From my memory, that section of the building would have been renovated to build the blocks for the new classrooms (Forms 3…)
It was near the other canteen.
I met up with Mrs Selvamany and Mrs Valerie Ho when I went back to visit. And, managed to talk to Miss Hew on the phone. I live in Adelaide and 2 of our former teachers are here too…Mrs A.Loh and Mrs Cho. I do see them every now and then and keep in touch..
And, there are a few ex-Convent girls here too.
Now I know which part it belongs.Thanks.
Send my regards to all the teachers in Convent.
As for Mr S.Y Lee,
Best is to see the MB or look out for the former students ie. world-known Datuk,businesswoman in clothing industry, isetan or ‘heir to the throne’ wife to see what can be done.
I wrote to several friends as I could not trust my faltering memory of my alma mater. My last stint in Ipoh Convent was in 1964. One of my friends who now lives in Australia has written the following:
“I am positive it was where the orphans and boarders lived, but I think the nuns lived in the main part of the old building, in the upper floors. My parents used to send donations of food, toiletries and money to the orphanage to mark special occasions in our family, and I remember going into this building with the gifts. It is certainly off the old hall (left of pic) – I had ballet lessons there for a short time in the afternoons (I remember well the cool cement floor, worn to a lovely shine by all the feet of hundreds of us Convent girls), after school, and opposite next to the hall on the other side was the sandy primary playground, and the kindergarten classroom and the tuckshop, as we called it.”
I couldn’t agree more.
She mentioned ballet classes and I remember a certain Miss Pimms used to teach us ballet.
I now live in France and about 6 or 7 years ago I met a Chinese man, by chance, on the deck of his boat. He and his family was sailing round the world round the world on a boat he had built in Brisbane. We discovered that his aunt was my teacher, Miss Hew. What a small world.
My girl friend added after one of her visits to Ipoh – “We walked past the old back gate by which we had to leave the school at the end of the day, remember? It brought back memories of all the ice-balls and rojak wrapped in a cone made from banana leaf that I used to eat while waiting for my sisters! And when I didn’t have enough money for those, I used to pay 5 cents for a piece of “sar cot” or bangkuang smeared with hare-ko and and chilli paste, and sprinkled with ground belachan!
Were you allowed all these “junk foods”? That car park is now a big road, separating the school form the park or building on the opposite side.”
Hi, Sybil.
Thanks for conveying your friend’s memories that confirm my first impression of this pic. As mentioned above, for some reason, I had this inexplicable feeling that the building was the original orphanage proper although no one else had mentioned it earlier.
I don’t know why but I keep seeing this mental image of two long table-benches in the middle of a rather large room on the ground floor. I can also ‘see’ a small brown table in the corner of the room and an upright piano along an adjacent wall.
As far as I can recall, I have never ever seen nor been inside this building before. It was definitely not there during my time at CHIJ.
I wonder if your friend might be able to share more of her memories with us. Like her, I also live in Australia.
Phoebe
I have memories of those long table benches too. And, I remembered watching some of the orphans making curry puffs (the pastry)…rolling it out on those benches. Yes, the piano too. Wow! “Flashback”……….
I meant to mention that it was the orphanage building, but, somehow….slipped typing into the comments.
Oh yes! Some former Convent students are famous now and successful in their careers. Proud to be from COnvent Ipoh!!!
Sally,
What I had described aren’t ‘flashback’ images as such because I’d never physically seen this building first-hand with my own eyes before. Hence, I couldn’t possibly have seen the inside of it either. I’m not sure where those vivid mental images I described came from. I feel I can almost sketch the remaining features and layout of this large room. This building definitely wasn’t there when I started my schooling. Was it there during your time some years earlier?
to the former Convent-gals, thank you SO MUCH for sharing your thoughts with us
going by your comments, this picture is probably part of the orphange….many, many years ago!
Phoebe
I meant ‘flashback’ for me. I started schooling here in 1961….so, I vaguely remembered that building was still there. Then, they built the new blocks………..
Don’t know how you have those images in your mind?? Perhaps, you have some ‘special powers/senses’….wow!!!
When I started school in 1953, we were seldom allowed to use the main entrance (a sort of archway)of the building itself. Instead there was an entrance to the left of the main door. My first month of schooling was in the class right after the side entrance (Std 1A). Owing to the “incompatibility” with the teacher,(we used to be hit on our knuckles with a thick ruler for every alphabet that was not written meticulously), my mother had me transfered to Std 1B which was just behind Std 1A. Next to Std 1A was the adminstrative office, sometimes teacher’s room, and a little further down was our school chapel.
To the left of Std 1B, across the corridor, was Std 1C and I think there were another class or two after that. Leaving this part of the buildng was a covered walkway and to the left, separated by a sort of patio were the toilets reputed in my days to be haunted so we always went there by twos making sure that someone else guarded the door. The toilets were built obliquely to the front building and were neither attached directly to the
teachers room nor the book shop. After the book shop was the tuck shop and the canteen with several rows of tables. Then the stairs that led down to other classes.
A huge sandy recreational area was in front of the teachers’ rooom, etc. This was the primary assembly area but when it rained the above assembly hall was used. During most of my primary school years, we spend our lunch breaks searching for beads in the sand.
i surely remember miss hew of all of em but sad 2 say i’ve lost contact with all the ex there at ’76. hello 2 all ex teachers there n esp sr mm, by the way sr mm, sr gertrude gave u a compliment u never guess!
I do remember one particular teacher who used the ruler to hit the knuckles on the students’ hands, and, she also pulled their ears. There was an incident when she pulled so hard on one student’s ears that her earrings cut thro’ her skin and bled! Ouch! She cried, of course, in pain!!!ANd, she was my former classmate.
Sybil, you have great memory in describing the details of the classrooms….eee!I have such fears when going to the toilets (those ghostly tales) and esp. on rainy days (afternoon classes)….it was spooky!!! Yes, we always went in pairs to the toilet.
I went to school by the school bus and we were dropped off by the back entrance. Then, we walked thro’ the long corridor to the small assembly hall……there are usually bicycles parked at the side of the corridor/passage way. And, there would be a nun(on duty) sitting by the gate to make sure the students arrive/leave safely…
There were lots of hawkers selling food at the back entrance too. I love buying cupcakes from the cake seller and ice-balls from the drinks seller.
Sally, Phoebe,
I think the man in charge of the school buses was called Martin. I used to go to school by trishaw when the driver was out of town with my father. We didn’t live very far from the front of the Main Convent and the driver/trishaw man would drop us off just before 7.30 a.m. We need only leave the house about 7.20 a.m. whereas the bus started it’s rounds just before 6 a.m. from our house in Caldwell Road. My sister and I sometimes came home by bus from the back gate of the school – memories of iceball with sarsi,rojak,green mangos, etc.
Whilst trying to figure out where the classes were located, I kept awake most of last night trying to remember the most impressive moments in each of those classes. Cathechism was taught in the class of Std 1D (across the “haunted” toilets) from 7.30a.m.-8.30a.m. It suddenly dawned to me that I had learnt the Hail Mary and Our Father in Chinese taught by a Chinese nun. It lasted as long as it had lasted i.e. about 2 years and it only proves that the above prayers should only be said in English as although everyone surrounding me prays aloud in French, (I live in France) I pray in English. Chinese prayers, which sounded peculiar to me in those days have completely traumatized me.
There were also those fearful dental visits. It was like a trapeze act without the safety net – our mothers were not around, only other pupils in whiter shades of pale.
I had sent a photo of a Ipoh school ballet in the July issue entitled “A Ballet in Ipoh”. Do you recognize any of the girls?
aaah! whenever the dental van came to pick up the students, I’d do my ‘trick’ and went to the toilet (excuse for nature’s ‘long call’)…thus, missed going on the van coz they cannot wait for me. But, just couldn’t do this all the time and eventually HAD to go to the dentist. (yes, hated those dental visits)!
We had bible studies and went to the chapel (first lesson)in the morning….I enjoyed the folk dancing classes and arts, cookery..
Was chosen to perform dances with the group on Merdeka day celebrations at the field opposite St Michael School.
Sybil
that photo of the ballet girls (taken in 1963)….wouldn’t be able to recognise any of them…I was still quite young then. (only 7 yrs old)
This is the staircase leading to the Main Hall, beside the netball court. Next to the netball court would be the primary school hall.
Welcome to the blog, June!
Talking about toilets in the Main Convent, it is commendable clean. I remember an escaped of mine. Just a little story for laugh. During my student days, the primary toilets were up near the kindergarten class. The secondary was near the hall downstairs. The primary girls cannot use the secondary toilets.
Once being near the secondary toilets and for convenience sake, I broke the law and went into the secondary toilets. Do you know that some of the nuns were like the gestapo Nazi soldiers. She watched me entered and latched it from outside, locking me inside. I pounded and called, all my friends deserted me. Looking for way to escape, luckily the toilets are all open on top. I climbed up the toilet cistern and went a few toilets away from the one the nun was guarding and quietly and quickly slipped away. I was hiding and watching her. After some time she unlatched the door, thinking of giving me a good ticking off or punishment, she found the toilet empty. I cannot helped chuckling and return to my class. She was looking around and could not find me. Thank God for that she does not know which class I was in and cannot recognized me. From that time onwards I really obey the rules stipulated by the nuns.
WOW! what a story Katherine
well, there weren’t any nuns teaching during my time…but i wouldn’t be surprised if i had a run-in with one of those ‘Gestapo’ nuns too…..hahahahha…..
Scary to hear what you girls had to go through in CHIJ,Gestapo type nuns,haunted toilets & all that.I like to talk about a certain schoolmate of yours here. I am sure some of you would have stared daggers at her. In 1968, she was just about 15 yrs old. She was then living with her family in a semi-d 2 storey house in Happy Garden. I was then about 14 in Form 2 ACS & I had to(on purpose mostly) cycle past her house on my way to school. As I approach her house, my heart will begin to pound faster. On reaching, lo & behold, she would be there sitting on the concrete seat in front of her house dressed in her deep blue CHIJ uniform waiting for her schoolbus. A sight for sore eyes!!. At that time she spotted shoulder length hair & her school bag was a luggage type. She was already by then a tall & tanned stunning beauty with well chiselled facial features. She made heads turned(well, mine did all the time anyway) wherever she went.An extremely fine specimen of a female. I knew her brother who was a SMI boy. Whenever I visited him, I never did pluck up the courage to even smile or say hello to her as I was just mesmerised by her beauty.I considered myself a brave & daring person but when it came to her, a cat must have gotten my tongue & my legs would turned jelly.Looking back,she was a quiet,demure & homely thing.I dont think she ever knew I existed. A year later, they suddenly moved away & in the next few years we all know what became of her.Her name is Josephine Lena Wong.
Come to think about the missionary schools. St, Michael is the brother school of the Convent. ACS is the brother school of MGS. It is indeed fun to witness the rivalry among the missionary schools. The MGS. will invent satirical songs against the Convent. Vice versa. It is indeed lots of fun. Anyway I have a lot of MGS good friends in the past.
The rivalry were caused by fierce competitions of being the best school. Guess it is really fun time then. No real animosity.
I am aware that Convent girls generate brains and beauty, so does the other missionary schools.
Competition is healthy and good among schools. It does motivate the students to strife and achiever higher and better in all fields. It goes to show we are proud of our alma mater and want her to be proud of us too.
Hi Rosebud,
Was this pretty girl Josephine Lena Wong a former beauty queen, a Miss Perak or Miss Malaysia or something like that? The name does ring a bell. I have heard my elder sisters mentioning this name in the early 1970s as somebody famous from Ipoh. Of course I was still a young girl of barely 10, so I don’t understand what the fuss was all about then. Just curious.
hi, Rosebud….was this the same girl you talked about, who studied at the tuition centre with you?
Katherine, yes there was always ‘competition’ among the mission-schools. i do agree that it did motivate us to work harder.
Yes, I remembered Josephine Lena Wong, the Miss Malaysia of yesteryears! Didn’t she become a Mrs. Fonzeka (may not be the correct spelling). Recently her daughter got married and it was highlighted in the newspaper!
Welcome to the blog, Valiant Knight. thanks to You and Rosebud, now i’m VERY curious to know MORE about this Josephine Lena Wong
hahahaha….
Just because you are curious, I’ll add to your curiosity! I think she was the only Malaysian contestant to get into the Finals (last 5)! This was in the early 70s! Yes, I would agree with Rosebud that she was a stunning beauty!
Hi Felicia & Ipohgal-I am surprised you dont know Josephine Lena Wong(JLW). In the early 70s she was a Miss Perak, then Miss Malaysia. In the mid 70s she became the toast of Malaysia being a finalist in Miss Universe.From then on, the repute of Ipoh beauties further spread far & wide. Her own daughter is also a Miss Malaysia last year. With her looks suitors were aplenty & she married young. Her first hubby was the heir to the Kwan Loong empire but he died young.She remarried & is a Mrs Fonseka now. The reason I know these is she was my neighbourhood girl & friend’s sister. No Felicia, she wasnt the CHIJ girl I talked about. In fact my only younger sis was also from CHIJ & she was also very popular among the boys. She was quite attractive though not in the same league as JLW. I would say on a scale of 1 to 10, I rate her at 7.Many used to come to my house on bicycles to look her up. She was outgoing & even took part in Talentimes. Now she’s settled happily down under & already a grandma of 2.Seems CHIJ is pretty linked up to my life. I know many of my sis’s CHIJ schoolmates & I could still remember their names.Ta
Rosebud…if JLW was a famous beauty in the 70s, then i wouldn’t know her – wasn’t born yet!
i do wonder where she is now though…..
Hi Rosebud,
Please don’t feel surprise. In 1970, I was still a little girl, haven’t started school yet. I remembered vaguely hearing this name then but don’t understand what the fuss was all about. My mind was elsewhere, near my hungry tummy.
If you spent some time reading up some of my articles like “The day the curtain came down for Nam Foong Coffee Shop” and “The Forgotten Skillful Scissors Sharpener From Ipoh”, you will realised the years from 1969 to 1974 were the bleakest time for my family. We lived in extreme poverty and we were in constant hunger. So the name JLW and beauty pageants were the furthest from our minds.
Today, however, I can afford the luxury to go to google to search for her name and photos. Pardon me for not knowing her presence.
Hi to all,
Reading this page brings back so many memories of CHIJ!
I tend to agree that the photo shows the elevated corridor that leads from the main hall to the middle of the school with the concrete badminton courts in the early 70s. The building behind it was demolished to make way for the ‘new’ 3 storey Form 3 block with the canteen below it. There was another area adjacent to the canteen that was called the ‘bicycle shed’. We used to sit under the corridor during recess time.
The orphanage in those days was at the back where there was an open area for netball. There were not many orphans by then and some of them would watch the students doing PE or playing netball. The long tables and benches were definitely there.
Heard a lot of ghost stories – what about the toilets that are on the way to the block where we had Art classes and I think, we did Form 2 (afternoon) there in 1969.
I remember JLW, she was several years my senior and we took the same school bus home. Must say that she wasn’t very sociable with us young ones though!
I am wondering whether this page is going to turn into a CHIJ old girls blog page – but I have just moved from Ipoh to Adelaide this year and it is very nostalgic to read all the comments. Sally, are we from the same batch – Form 5 1972? Mrs Cho rings a bell but I can’t remember Mrs A Loh. Maybe we can catch up on old times?
BTW, if SY Lee is still reading this page, I think I know him too – the lawyer?? CHIJ the building may be quite run-down now – but it is almost 100 years old. It would take more than the old girls association to restore this heritage building – especially if you look at the example of CHIJMES in Singapore. The Ipoh Main Convent has been a wonderful school for us and even in our days, the condition was quite spartan. But, most of us who have been there will remember the unpalatable canteen food, jammed toilet doors, the odd nooks and corners of buildings put together as an after-thought – with fondness.
Thank you for putting these photos and comments online – it reminds us of our roots and heritage. Keep the good work going ….
God Bless!
Hi Cindy and welcome to ipohWorld. If you girls want to use this page to meet other old girls or discuss your schooldays or whatever then please go ahed we are always plesed to see you all.
Hi ika
Thanks!
Hi Ipohgal-Yes I read your earlier articles reg 188 Hugh Low St opp the ‘sun-kai-cheong mata liew’. Thanks for sharing with all. I must have ridden my bicycle past your shophouse a 1000 times in the 60s & not aware your family inside was going through such a terrible time. Your Chinese New Year with only plain curry from the ‘Hoong-Moh-Tan cheh thow’ was very heart wrenching. My family was also not well off. My late father worked hard to put food on the table. He ran a small business which depended very much on the elements to have a good day.I remembered my late mother used to cry when a rainstorm came.I did not suffer as much as you did but thankfully we all have pulled through those trying times. We must never forget the sacrifices made by our parents. Ta
Hi Rosebud,
Thanks for your kind and comforting words. I think many Ipohans will know where is 188 Hugh Low Street by now and the Yip family that once stayed inside this place.
Yes, those very difficult days are still very fresh in my mind, almost like it was only yesterday. I could not forget hunger and poverty. It was during those days that some best lessons in life were learnt. My dad, single handedly lifted us out from that miserable life but he paid a high price for this with his health. I loved him and missed him terribly. I blog in his memories and mom’s too.
Cindy
Yes I am from the batch 1972. Which suburb are you staying at in Adelaide? I live in Modbury North….coz of privacy, our email address are not shown here. So, will need to get in touch with the administrator? Would love to meet up with you…who was your form teacher? I had Mrs Selvamany. Mrs Loh taught Arts and Maths. Her late husband, Michael Loh (passed away suddenly in May this yr of brain haemorrhage)…he taught at SMI before. Mrs Loh and family were very shocked and saddened, of course. She lives not far from me….
Look forward to hear from you.
Sally/Cindy. If you both wish I can provide the emails, but please email me at info@ipohworld.org confirming that you would like me to do this.
Thanks, ika.
Email is on the way to you. When I can get my stuff sorted out, I will also try to see what old photos I have of Ipoh, its people and lifestyle. I would like to contribute something too.
Sally,
I am in Hope Valley – maybe 10 mins from you!! My form teacher was Doreen Tan in Form 5 and Mrs Khoo in Form 4. Mrs Selvamany was my Maths teacher. Hope to catch up with you soon!
Cindy
Yes, you’re very close to my hse. Hey! I was in Mrs Khoo’s class before in Form 4, so, we would definitely know each other…what a small world indeed!!! I’m curious now to see who you are..it’s been 30 yrs since we left school, so I can’t remember all the classmates’ names…..and we’d have changed in our looks too…so, might have some difficulty in recognising as well.
Sally,
Maybe we should use the names we had in school???
I am Hew Siew Fah. Looks – definitely changed …. everything travelled down south – to Adelaide!
You all seem to be so much younger than I. I started primary school in 1953 and when I sat for Senior Cambridge, Mrs.Selvamany was already teaching at that time. Incidentally, Mrs. Mukundan was our form teacher.
Hew is probably a rather uncommon Chinese surname. If I remember well, there were two Hew sisters teaching. Some years ago I met, by chance, in the Marinas in the South of France a certain Eric Hew, a dentist, from Brisbane. He took sabbatical leave and was sailing round the world. He said that the Hew sisters were his aunts. Siew Fah is he a relative of yours?
There was also a certain, Rita Ho from Ipoh Convent who was a radiologist in Adelaide. Lost touch with her after she fell ill 20 years ago. Does anyone from Adelaide know if she is still there?
aunty felicia, how am i going to say anything about those old stuff when it extinct before my time. but those ghost stories will around and we don’t have that much confidence of course we will really scared – at day time! you tell me.during my time our toilets was ok. now the teachers -there was this teacher and i do think she was the best then in primary school – she made sure she do our homework and the day she hammer me pyschology whooops! i was pupil last to a pupil 1. have i not seen it all at that place. there was this one teacher at one of bad moods days oops come out *&^@ (in canton please). and my poor cousin at form 1 she does not make a sound until she have to and suddenly came 1 flying hand at her face.my time is the best – u don’t see teachers arguing with students and u don’t see teachers picking on students on her bad day. but i was there when james bond girl datuk michelle yeoh was there. sorry to be what you are today do not depend on which school you come.
Hi Sybil
Hew is not a common Chinese surname but quite common in Ipoh and Kampar! I am not related to the Hew sisters who taught at the Main Convent. Actually, the younger sister (Mrs Chong, I think) passed away when I was in Lower Primary. She died of leukemia – I may not be entirely correct.
The older Ms Hew is still up and about in Ipoh – still pretty sharp I hear. Both sisters did not teach me. My teachers included Ms Thomaz, Ms Rosy Yan, Ms Mary Ng (PE), Ms Wong (Maths), Mrs Selvamany (Maths), and I had a Mrs Liew for Needlework and Cookery. Not sure whether you remember them. Actually, Mrs Mukundan was the form teachers in Form 5.
All of a sudden, I am having a bit of a memory blank trying to recall most of the teachers of our time!
When I was doing my primary school in Marian Convent, there was a nun called Sister Winifred. She walked with a limp – did you know her then? Then there was Sister Oliver who taught us the gospel in Form 1. I am trying to recall the name of the Rev Mother – was it Sister Fidelma?
During your time, was there a school song?
Gosh, hit the submit key without checking. So many typo mistakes, sorry!
Cindy and Sybil
For your information, Mrs Mukundan had passed away. And, Cindy I do remember those teachers whom you’ve mentioned. I had Mrs Liew for cookery class too and Miss Mary Ng (PE), Mrs Valerio Ho (History, I think), Mrs CHo (Biology), Mrs Khoo (Geography?),Miss Christine Lee (forgot what she taught), Mrs Perumal (Music),Puan Maziah (Bahasa Malaysia)and there was another Malay cikgu too(forgotten her name), Mrs Ursula Toh, Mrs Beatrice Chan (swimming)I have some latest photos of Miss Hew (our former school Principal), Sister Maureen, Ms Rosy Yan, Mrs Selvamany…
I received the Centennial celebration programme book from Mrs Selvamany … I missed this event coz I have already booked for my return flight back to Adelaide (and I was not aware of Convent’s 100th yr celebration dinner on Jan 6 2007) until I was in Ipoh and met up with some former school friends, who informed me then…..
Cindy,Sally
I do remember Sister Winifred but I don’t remember the reason for going to Marian Convent which I did for a year. Will send a photo of the teachers and Sister Fidelma to Ian as soon as I can hobble to the printer, the scanner, etc. I have a habit of falling off ladders!!
Do you all know that Convent was almost demolished? The Catholic Church sold the land to a Singapore company to build a commercial centre. There were lots of protest but nobody heeded them however God saw it fit to save Convent Ipoh and caused a great economic depression and the buyers could not carry on with their project.
I think the school is on borrowed time! Any idea what the Catholic Chuch has in mind for the precious land?
Actually a new school was built by the Ministry of Education for convent to move into but not many pupils and their parents wanted to, so the plan was shelved.
People in power do not care about heritage! This is a fact! At best, we will only have our memories and pictures! So those who love Ipoh’s heritage, see what you can now and you will have them in your memories after they are gone.
Dear UV@Valiant Knight,
Do you know that if the offer had been accepted, the name would no longer be the “Convent”?
Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus will always be in our hearts. I have snippet of memories in Convent to share. Remember the boarders in Convent. These girls stayed in Convent because the families were outstation folks or the families were too busy to take care of them. They lined up and take their little pails to bathroom to bath or to wash their own clothing, do their homework and other chores at specific time . Their folks will visit them or take them home during the holidays. They slept in the dormitories in front of the school or back. They have a regimented life style taken care of by the nuns.
I had a good friend, who once was a boarder. She went wild when she came out of the Convent. Seems to me that she got out of jail. Sometimes I wonder if it is good or bad to send the children to boarding school.
Some of the orphans in the Convent were quite aggressive. The speak some French, English and Malay. Some had been adopted by families and the rest mainly handicap are left behind. Now there are old and due to their handicap they are left in the Convent for the rest of their natural lives.
While we were schooling, after class we have to take turns to sweep the floor, pick up papers in the fields and do some menial tasks.
Regarding punishment. When we don’t give the correct answer, we have to stand on the chairs. If we still cannot answer to the questions of the lesson, we get promoted to stand on the desk. Look like statue of liberty.
If we do not do our homework stand out of the class. Woe betide if you were punished and Rev. Mother Pauline walked passed. Big trouble. Mother Pauline was like Madam Medusa. One look at us and we freeze or turn to stone.
For talking in class we have to write a hundred lines “I must not talk in class.”
Miss Hew is fond of throwing chalk at us. If we failed to work out the maths formula on the black board.
Beatrice Chan was our swimming teacher. Her famous quote “don’t pee in the pool, I can see bubbles.” I doubted it. How can you pee in the pool there are bubbles, though I never dare try. Very gullible when I was young.
Ms Rosy Yuen with her squeaky voice can never control the boisterous students once the class was over.
Mrs. Mukundan was my Literature teacher. She was one of my favorite teacher. All the Shakespeare’s characters came alive with her teaching.
Miss Mary Ng was our P.E. teacher. Watch out if you cannot find a partner to dance with, you will end up being her partner. You have to know the steps, watch the steps and the timing. By the time you finished the dance, your energy will be drained out. She is now married in England.
Miss Yeoh taught us science. She is a petite lady always wearing cheongsam. Walk with good poise.
Mrs Loo taught maths. She always find out I cheated in maths homework. During my time our maths books have answers at the back. I always copied the answers at the back. My working of the maths problems sometimes were wrong.
When you were young you might not appreciate them. They punished you and made you stay back to teach and correct your mistakes. When we mature and mellow, we understand and we love them for all they had done for us.
To all the nuns and teachers I am grateful to them for the dedication towards the students. They not only pass to us knowledge but also to be a responsible and honorable person.
They were other punishment I might have forgotten. The other girls can fill it in, if they can remember.
Anyway no matter what, I have a really happy and fond memories of the nuns, teachers, students of the school. I am indeed proud to be an ex-convent girl.
when you pee in the pool, you would not be able to see ‘bubbles’ but if you ‘left off wind’….then, definitely there will be bubbles!!! Yes, I do remember Mrs Chan telling the students ‘NOT TO PEE IN THE POOL’……..And, oh yes! standing out of the classroom if you didn’t do homework. And, Miss Hew would pull those with long hair if they are not tied up! I remembered one incident I was asked to take something to her and just before I entered her office, the rubber band which was holding up my hair snapped! So, I had to ‘hold up’ my hair with my hand..as you all knew how strict Miss Hew was…. she pulled my hand off and pulled my hair even before giving me any chance to explain why I was holding my hair…..Anyway, I think I was rather BOLD and I retaliated ( I felt I had to stand up for my rights)..so, I told her that the rubber had just snapped and I asked her to walk out the office and looked on the floor…the rubber band was still there on the floor!!! She did walked out to see…. and,then.. well… she sort of ‘calmed down’ and told me to look for another rubber band to tie up my hair….
Wow Katherine, what a fantastic outpouring of memories of your schooldays under such ferocious teachers and fearsome nuns!
Before I read this, I thought MGS was very tough with the students but now I knew there was another school for company!
No, there were no nuns at MGS when I started school in the early 1970s but that doesn’t mean school is fun. Far from it. Infact, I hated it.
As with everything, there are some easy going teachers but there were a few you would not approach even if they were 10 feet away!
My Std 3 form teacher, Mrs Hoe Tuck Wah was the first ‘mean’ woman I have ever met in my young life. For the slightest mistake which would not constitute a mistake by today’s standard, she would insist us to stand on our chairs and then progressed to the desks, just like in your school. Makes me wonder whether she learnt this from your Convent! Next, she will send us off to stand outside the class the entire lesson. See, same pattern of punishments although we are from different schools and different years! And this for turning back when she was writing at the blackboard.
For whispering , she would shoved a piece of chalk into our mouths and it had to stay there until she was satisfied. Sometimes she would use pacifiers when she ran out of chalks! And mind you, those pacifiers were not sanitized nor even wash with water. They were kept in the same box of chalks! It was a wonder how come we didn’t fall sick after this!
The horrifying days got carried into Std 4 and her place was taken by another equally fearsome form teacher, Mrs Lee Kon Yin. For a mistake in maths homework, you will see her hurling your maths exercise book out from the window down to the ground several floors below and you have to go down to collect it yourself. More than 3 mistakes and she will pull your ears so hard you thought the ears will come out! Being forgetful of your multiplication tables will earned you several very tight slaps on the face that left a very visible mark on the cheek. But the hardest to bear would be a few hard blows to the ears. Yes, she loved to box student’s ears if they couldn’t hear properly what she was saying. When she was pregnated, she would get agitated very easily and unlashed her fury on us for even asking her permission to go to the loo during lessons. One of my classmate couldn’t stand it and pee on her chair and hell hath no fury than when Mrs Lee found out!
I don’t know whether I am sensitive but I found that most of the students who got punished by these 2 teachers mostly came from low income families. Thus, the daughters of the scissors sharpener, the trishaw rider or the tin mine coolie were always on the receiving ends although there were equally as many other students who ‘committed’ the same mistakes but then they were daughters of the middle or higher income groups. She rarely touches them. Perhaps our poor and uneducated parents dare not complain. Not a single day past without one form of punishment or another.
In secondary school, the only punishment I got was to run round the school field 16 times and then stand under the hot glaring sun until school dismissed in the late noon without a drop of water. By then, I am so exhausted, I almost fainted. This was the punishment for all students from Form 2 to Form 5, done together in batches because some girl threw her sanitary pad into the toilet bowl and flushed it down, causing a blockage in the main sewerage and nobody owns up when the Principal, Ms Chong Nyuk Mui asked during the Friday assembly infront of all the teachers. Since she couldn’t find the culprit, she decided to punish the whole school. Boy, am I glad when it was time to leave after SPM and I have never gone back. Just past by and have a glimpse but did not walk in.
Sorry , typo mistake – pregnant, not pregnated.
Hi Katheine & ipohgal ,
It’s amazing that lady teachers could be so harsh , so uncharacteristically unfeminine !
In my days in a boy school , ACS Ipoh which is only co-ed at Sixth Form , all the female teachers ,
I recall , were lady like and very personable . They were our first acquaintance with educated women
and they made a largely favorable , some a strikingly attractive , impression on we boys – enough to
affirm our faith that “….a thing of beauty is a joy forever….” irrespective of our individually we define
beauty .
By and large , the female teachers exercised women power judiciously . Should we step out of line
or take things easy , we were not spared the sharp end of their acidly sarcastic but witty tongue
lashing which occasionally enhanced by their mood of the month , could be very caustic . All in all ,
A sobering but secretly , rather “enjoyable” experience – gluttons for such soft touch punishment as
we were . Miss Chong taught us History in Sixth Form , a stern dragon lady , she had our best
interest at heart . I was glad to have been able to catch up with her during the recent September
ACS Alumni Dinner .
The heavy corporal punishment came from the men teachers . These were generally stern , well
meted out and well received , essential for character- building . Often times , we free spirited boys
might be tempted to push to the limit , and did benefit from an assertive demarcation of “go” and
“no go” .
There were 3 instances however where the punishment were out of line . In one case , for no clear
reason 2 boys were singled out and told to kick each other in the shin . A sadist sport and a weird
experiment to test when friendship would degenerate to betrayal when one of them would break down
under pressure to inflict a massive kick on his fellow class buddy ?
The second , a poor , thin Sikh boy was made to stand in a wastepaper basket at a corner in front
of the class for forgetting to bring his book . We felt for him , his unjustified humiliation . For one
whose community where men prided as being lion-like .
There was this language teacher we had in Form 2 . Although many of my friends and I were spared ,
some unfortunate ones were called out to stand beside the desk where he was seated . Before long ,
we could hear them uttering painful yelps . We were unable to see what transpired , we could only
guess that the long hand of the law , more correctly , fingers , was at work . We were all in shorts in
those days . The maniacal mind was into his contorted version of faith healing – faith circumcision ?
The
For most of us, we have to bear such punishments from the teachers, parents (caning when we’re naughty…)which seem like a ‘normal’(expected) thing for them to do so….THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE OR ALLOWED in the schools here. It is called ‘child abuse’ and you can be reported, charged and jailed for doing so..
What a great difference in cultural expectations!!!
I work for the Education Dept here in Adelaide, and, we are not allowed to restrain a child. When a young child crawled under the table and refused to come out to join in the class for group activities…. we are not allowed to ‘drag’ him out from there. Just have to try and ‘talk and coax’ him out……And, we cannot use ‘put down words’ also like ‘naughty’, stupid, shut up,…..
And, when we assist a young child (preschool age) in the toilet eg some of them could not unzip their pants or they have soiled their clothes and need to be changed, we have to get another staff to be a witness when we changed the child’s clothing or clean up the child ….. just to ‘protect’ ourselves coz of so many child abuse (sexual abuse cases). It’s the dept.policy that all staff have to follow this rule. And, we have to wear rubber gloves when attending to injury (cuts, soils, body fluids…)
And, all procedures have to be recorded down and counter signed by the ‘witness’…
Hi Ipohgal and LMS136 I belong to the 60s. I don’t know about the punishment meted to only the poor students in Convent. I believed that the rich, average and poor all got punished when the rules and laws were broken, in my school.
Maybe in the 60s the teachers and nuns are more dedicated in their profession. They were no sadist.
When we were punished we never dare to tell our parents, like nowadays children. If we ever did it, we got double punishment. The punishment will be from our parents. They always tell us the teachers were always right during that time.
Turning back the clock, I agree with them. We were naughty and lazy and we deserved the punishment. Our pranks and not doing our homeworks need some chastisement.
Ipohgal, I have to differ from your opinion because I never witness the prejudice in my time, in my school.
Maybe as the years passed things change. One thing I noticed, the education has deteriorated and many of the teachers have no dedication nowadays. Money or prestige are their primary concern.
Hi LMS136,
I have nothing against punishments in school if we deserved it and such punishments must be within human’s logic and acceptable to all.
I am not sure whether both Mrs Hoe or Mrs Lee are still around in this world and are reading this. I don’t mind being asked to stand on my chair or desk or outside the class for some minor offenses. A few strokes of the cane on the palms or even buttocks are still tolerable, so too a slap on the cheek. But I do hated to be shoved with a chalk or a dirty pacifier in the mouth. It was so humiliating.
Being the educators that they are, they should know these acts are hazardous to our health. Pulling or boxing our ears so hard will damage our ear drums and cause permanent deafness to our ears. And we have to endure these sadistic acts not only once or twice but on daily basis, so much so that we have a psychological scar in our little minds – the fear of going to school and always feign sickness every morning come time to go to school.
I felt, and I still do, some female teachers (there are no male teachers in our primary school) are what the Cantonese said, “Pak kap ngan” which means they tended to look down on kids from poorer families and act more harshly to these already disadvantage kids. They are more lenient with daughters from more well to do families.
I still remembered there was one particular incident when the daughter of a trishaw rider, Lim Ai Leng was so badly punished for lingering in the toilet longer than was permissible but the other girl, Doreen Wong, the daughter of a doctor was only scolded lightly and told to quickly return back to her seat, this for the same offence and caught at the same time. Whatever the teacher’s reason might be, this doesn’t go down well with the mindsof ten years old girls. This is only one of the example of such blantant discriminations.
Hi sally,
It will take a few decades more for us here to catch up with the mentalities of the Education Dept of Australia.
And to Katherine,
You are right! Our education system and our educator’s performances have deteriorated dismayingly over the years and sadly nothing much were done to upgrade them.
It’s sad that in some countries, child protection does not seem so important (and also,respect for other mankind)… there are too much violence around the world.
One of the responsibilities in our employment is, we have to do a course in mandatory reporting. So, if we suspect a child has been neglected or abused, we must investigate and make a report. There are cases of children who have died from such abuses…….when the ‘system failed them’.
Hi ipohgal,
I feel distressed & sad that you do not have fond memories of school life at MGS. There are not many MGS old girls blogging at this website (from what I gather) but I can vouch, being an old girl, that MGS school life was one of the greatest moments in life. Sure, there were strict disciplinarian teachers (1 particular one during lower primary years) but the rest ranged from mediocre, good to inspirational. Had one particularly “crazy” one who one day spat at a student walking past her! – after my batch finished Form 5 I heard she was institutionalised (I may be wrong) – she was definitely cuckoo.
Canteen food was deeelicious, even office workers would sneak in to have lunch!
I really do wonder how the school is doing right now. I did visit a few years back during the school holidays when there were no students around…sat in my Form 5 class at my old spot…reminisced of years gone by. Haiyo, feel so old already. It seems like it was just yesterday.
Hi ipohgal ,
Discrimination of any sort , no matter howsoever based , is not humane , not acceptable at all . I can understand the deep sense of injustice experienced by those at the receiving end and the psychological
consequence .
One possible explanation for this “biased” approach in handling out punishment could be that the teachers concerned felt that poor parents were less likely than middle class parents to remonstrate against them .
Chalks and dirty pacifiers are not school punishment devices , they fall into the category of instruments of torture. . One wonders how they treated their children and their poor hubbies at home !
I am sorry to hear of such sadistic punishment. I am aware of the bias nature of some of the teachers. Truly sad to see the poor children succumbed to such pain and emotional scars to their young lives.
Maybe that is the reason that parents are getting more protective towards their children and there is a child abuse act implemented.
It is so sad to see that education which is one of the foundation block that dispense and build character out of the youth become a stumbling block to the betterment of them.
Sometimes I wonder where the world is heading to????
It is so cold and callous. Can we do something about it??? For me, I join some NGOs. Giving back to society, what they have given to me. I am sorry Ipohgal you had gone through such pain and suffering. Anyway you have bounced up and become strong amidst the adversities you encountered in the past. Well done. If you ever come to Ipoh, do contact me. I would love and honor to have such a friend.
Hi all,
Despite being constantly humiliated for two years in primary school by these two teachers but I did came across a few teachers worthy of praises. My Std 1 class teacher, Mrs Doris Dors, of Eurasian descent, was a motherly figure. Plump, with frizzy short hair and a constant smile, she taught us how to paint and sing. Today, I could still remembered a few songs like “It is a small small world” and “If you are happy happy clap your hands.” Then in Std 2, there was Miss Rita Thavarajah, a tall towering lady who droved to school in a Morris Minor and had her neck covered with a piece of white cloth. Later we found out she was suffering from hypertyroidism. She taught us English and sewing. Lastly, there was Mrs Simon who always worn sari and had flesh flowers on her hair. She was very pleasant and friendly. She taught us History in Std 5 and was our class teacher as well.
In secondary school, there were several teachers whom I admired tremendously. Mrs Koh and Mrs Jagdish Kaur (English teachers), Puan Norliah and Encik Hashim (BM teachers), Mr Gurcharan Singh and Mrs Gill (History teachers), Mr Teh and Mrs Wong Yew Choong (Maths teachers) as well as Mr Choong (Science teacher). I enjoyed their lessons and are forever indebted to them for guiding us in our studies so patiently and treating us in a more dignified way.
Sally, I agreed with you. I think all future teacher aspirants should be evaluated for their state of mind to determine their suitability to handle young children (if the authorities are not already doing this).
5candles, I am glad to come across another former student of MGS besides wongsoiyin. Yes, the school canteen was very big and some of the food sold there are quite tasty. I loved the chee cheong fun with chilli and sweet sauce costing about 10 to 20 cents then. I wished I could have more pocket money to spend then but that was all Dad could afford. I loved the library too..it was a place to seek solace and from there we were transferred to another world…a world of fairy tales and fantasies.
LMS136, yes, I shared the same opinion of why children from poorer families were more easily abused. The teachers knew their parents are poor and uneducated, therefore they are less likely to stand up against injustice. My dad feared of retaliations from these teachers if he were to speak to the headmistress. So, instead of getting less punishments, you are going to get more. As for their hubbies and children, perhaps it will be a totally different treatment, who knows?
And finally to Katherine, yes, this is indeed a very cold and callous world. If only there were more warmth and love to go around! I too, would love to meet you one day if chance permitted and am touched by your warmness! It was so noble of you to give back something to society.
Such abuses does hurt then but that was so long ago. All is forgiven but let’s hope there will be no more of such abuses and discriminations for the future generations, especially in an institution as respectable as a school, a place to nurtue our young.
Have a nice weekend, all of you!
Sorry again, typo mistake. Nurtue should be spelt as ‘nurture.’
hey we are not here for english lessons. by the way let me say another theme. do you know that i first see the world of supermodel in my own school back in ’72.there is this supermodel of a teacher who is also an expert at – let me get back to her afterwards. sr fidelma was demoted during my time. i heard she already sunset. as i am fond of dressing way back then at 13 can’t stop admiring those cheongsams. doreen tan keep us waiting what she were wear the next day and so has miss lim (maths in form 3). how do we juggle between cooking and needwork and swimming with folkdancing and then tango with maths to see stars all over and science and their magic show and play dead animal surgeon while looking into your own bones. now back to my form 1 day. she actullay can teach geography and read story books at the time. she do this while she is reading her storybook, we took turns to read geography paragraphs by paragraphs. and when it time to explain, she will know when to bombard – how crazy but she can do. she actually taught to do research work in form 1 and we can do. so please not all is bad. we cannot have everything. that’s the way it is. i’m sure those teachers can think back in time and has regrets – give them a break! i do have children myself and i keep making mistakes everyday. so do i have kaki anymore.
Hi ipohgal ,
Glad to know that there were other teachers had been there for you , to balance out the indiscretions of the few who failed to live up to the duty entrusted upon them .
Notwithstanding these impeding circumstances , you have developed into someone that MGS Ipoh would be proud to claim as an alumnus .
The stature and traditions of good schools perpetuate and live by the character and contributions of the teachers and in turn their students when they take their place in society . As a product of a mission-founded
school , this conferred some advantage in easing our passage into a more cosmopolitan , a more liberal
mindset environment .
Many of those students who were identified to be destined for success did not appoint , some however did not quite fully live up to the expectations that their teachers and fellow students had for them but that did not mean that they were a failure , success is after all relative . What matters more is that there are many more of the other students who were not identified as being likely to be brilliantly successful , but later life in life they turned out not only to surprise their ex-teachers but also themselves for their various roles and contributions to society . They made their school proud .
In a recent tribute to ex-teachers , one of my classmates made this touching remark . He lamented that he did not make contact with some of our teachers who had made a difference in our lives for fear that his achievements might disappoint them , but now that they had passed on he is left with this regret .
In our times , perhaps we placed a greater store of faith in our teachers who helped inspire our quest for knowledge and self-development . The vast majority of them did not disappoint us .
Hi ipohgal ,
Para 4 , line 1 : the last few words should read “did not disappoint” .
The result of an impetuous typing finger running too fast ahead , not the work of the “printer’s devil”
I suppose there is no regulation in M’sia that required anyone who works with children to undergo criminal history checks? Here, in Australia, we have to obtain this clearance for employment. And, it is a requirement that this be reviewed (renewed) every 3 yrs). Also, we need to have qualifications in First Aid…Very strict rules to follow over here. The good thing about students in M’sia is that they wouldn’t vandalise the schools (or burn it down….)Over here, there are so many cases of schools being vandalised/burnt down (during school hols or even over the weekend)…..The kids here’get away’ with anything and they don’t seem to respect/value education………Some of my friends teach in High School….the problems they have to face with these teenagers and their families(esp in the low social-economic areas)
If they don’t like the teachers, they’d ‘stalk’ them and vandalised their cars, ‘throw’ abuses…… one particular friend couldn’t take it anymore…she quit from the job! She dreaded going to that school every morning…
I’m glad to be working at preschools and primary schools only…but, at times, I do work with special needs children, like autistic children or children with behaviour/development problems..which is rather challenging. But, you see the rewards when the child progresses and improves…. which is satisfying! One just need to be very patient, empathetic and perservere….I love my job.
Congratulation and well done Sally. We hope and pray to have more teachers like you.
Regarding the future of individual students, some shine in the brightness of the light and some are ordinary and mediocre. Each of us have our own destination whether for greatness or just ordinary.
For myself as an example, I am just an average person who destined to be born and die in Ipoh.
I am still in contact with some of my teachers whom I respect, love and adore, for the contribution they have towards my life.
Once I commented to one of them. You should be glad that you have mediocre students that have no chance to go abroad,to make a name for themselves in fame and fortune. At least when you need help I am still around to answer your call. Hahaha….. at least that will change their perspective of wanting all their students to excel.
Katherine
We’re all blessed with different qualities and ‘purpose to be on this earth’…..appreciate each day and what we have. Some of us have to go thro’ many obstacles in the journey of our lives and for most of us, it’s difficult……So, no matter what….and as long as you’re able to stand up, walk…..move on with your life and have faith! Remember there are always others who are in worse circumstances than you. I always remember this saying, ” you complain of no shoes? Look at the person next to you…. he/she has no feet!”
Best wishes (Love) from
Sally
I’m pleased that you have a very positive attitude Katherine. My previous message is not directed to you personally…it’s just in general for all to read.
I remember one particular teacher who told one of my classmate who was a rather ‘slow’ learner… that she would not succeed in the future. I’m wondering what happened to this classmate and if she had turned out to be successful…then, she might ‘show or remind’ that teacher what she had said!!! It sounds terrible..we shouldn’t be so spiteful. Sometimes, people said things without realising… human nature is such….
Hi LMS136,
There is no bitterness at all on my part…..I have put all these behind me ……just sharing some school memories and to point out that school life is not a bed of roses. At least not for everyone.
Hahaha, after what I have exposed here about Mrs Hoe and Mrs Lee, I doubt MGS will be proud to have an ex student like me, ranting in the cyberspace!
I have never attend any old girls or old boys functions in either MGS or ACS although I would love to do so. As an obscure homemaker, I really don’t know what to say in the company of achievers, with me here so mediocre in life! LOL! Just feel small among the giants!
You are doing fine with your typing. Me, worse. I still remembered there was a time during my secretarial course in college. I was so completely hopeless on the manual typewriter with some fingers got stuck in the gaps between the keys. The lecturer saw it, shaked her head and sighed. Thank god for the electronic typewriter and now the keyboard, no gaps in between!
“at least that will change their perspective of wanting all their students to excel” hahaha, Katherine, you have done us mediocre ones a big favour. Yes, not all students will end up being doctors or surgeon, lawyers, engineers or bankers. Some of us became nurse, florist, salesperson or hair stylists. Hope they don’t see us as failures!
Hi ipohgal ,
” Hong hong yau chong yuen” . Translated from Cantonese , this expression means that every profession or calling is honorable as they serve the common good of society .
Our choice of calling is a personal one , dictated by one’s preference , aptitude and circumstances . No one calling is more superior than another . It’s a person’s qualities and values than count , not his position , his wealth or his success .
We look forward to class and school reunion functions to reinforce the genuine friendship we made in our school days . God forbid if anyone were to think that it is an ego trip to flaunt his position , or his wealth or his success or his titles !
There is an ex-classmate who was an outstanding athlete , far more robust and stronger than we were , a good student . He was afflicted by an illness which prevented him from pursuing a tertiary education . Year after year , he would make an effort to turn up . Unflinching despite his circumstances , devoid of any sign of self-pity . He remember us and our friendship , just as we acknowledge his . We are humbled by his demeanour and sincerity .
I hope that you can make an effort to join us at the next year’s function scheduled for August to coincide as closely with the founding of ACS as is possible . Perhaps I may have the privilege of hosting you at our table
This is a sincere invitation , for you to see the colours of your ACS brethens ….hahahaha . Nothing menacing or sinister , I assure you . Only a promise of a casual and happy evening in celebration of our ties in ACS .
We had typewriting classes in school . I deliberately failed because I did not aspire to be a petition writer .
Others obtained nearly perfect score , pushing me down in my examination ranking . How silly of me !
School reunion functions are not an ego trip . God forbid ! We would think very poorly of anyone who went there to flaunt his success and credentials . We are very touched by one of our classmates who make an effort to meet up with us every year . He was a very good athlete , far more robust and stronger than us , a good student with a bright future . Unfortunately , he was sticken ill and could not continue his tertiary education . He did not sucuum to self-pity . He remember us and cherish our friendship as we cherish his .
A person holds respect for what he/ she is as a person – demeanor , values , decency and other admirable qualities ,ot because of his job , his titles or his success .
Hi LMS136,
Thanks for reassuring me that such functions are not ego trips! Some years back, I went to a small gatherings of former colleagues to celebrate CNY at one of their house. We took turns to cook the steamboat and barbeque and it was fun.
But when conversations turned to topics like how many A’s your kid scored in the exams to how many houses or shops you have just bought (we used to work in a big property firm where most employees dabbled in property investments), the evening’s mood was spoilt.
Yes, I will try to attend a reunion for ACS students in the future if it can be fitted into my schedule. Look forward to meeting former students of my alma mater.
Ipohgal
I appreciate how you feel when others start talking about their wealthy possessions….and you have nothing to ‘boast’ about in the conversations. Well,regardless of this, just be proud of yourself, that you have worked and earned an honest living, brought up a humble family(if you’re married with children)….have a kind heart, thoughtful. Our ‘spiritual wealth/inner qualities’ are far more important and valuable than materialistic wealth.
Hi ipohgal and sally ,
Yes , what a detestable “kill joy” behavior , inconsiderate and in bad taste .
If one is fortunate enough to be successful , then one must learn to be comfortable with one’s success , in being humble enough to keep it private and personal .
Those who loudly bandy around their success stories , are not only insensitive but are clearly in desperate need of seeking recognition . Why ? Inferiority complex ? Is this a form of self-administered tonic to dull their lack of success in other departments ? Quite a “kiasu” attitude , don’t you think so ?
If these preliminary ostentatious indicators of success were to subsequently suffer serious reverses , would it not be a big loss of face for them for crowing out their prospective chickens even before the eggs are hatched ?
Hi Sally and LMS136,
Yes, both of you are so right. Many Malaysians are lousy companions at functions or gatherings. For them, it was the opportunity to flaunt themselves without much considerations for others.
Among the females, their favorite lines are something like “Aiyah, how come you are still single ah? Old already lor. Still don’t want to get marry ah? Need me to be your match-maker or not?” for those still umarried ones. To those already married with kids, their predicted lines would be, “Eh, many A’s your son got for his UPSR exams ah? Mine got 7 lah! So, which private school you want to sent him too?” or “Eh, how come your kids so skinny one? Did’nt give them enough nutritious food ah? Do you want to try the multivitamins that my kids are taking? Very expensive one but worth mah!”
And among the males, their expected stunt would be, “Eh, sure you don’t want to buy that shop ah? Value buy, you know! If you don’t want, then I will grab it too!” The way they asked, it sounds like buying a shop is as easy as buying a pair of shoes at the sales!
These people, and there are plenty of them around, are the biggest turn offs you can ever meet at gatherings.
I preferred more inclusive topics that will affect all of us, such as global warming/drastic change of weather, our political climate and how the economy affecting our spending power.
Another big no no is religion. Some people goes around preaching theirs and totally forgotten that there is something called freedom of faith guaranteed in our Constitution.
So, with more and more of such people circulating in our society, it is a little wonder why more people are comfortable staying at home to have a private time with their loved ones after a hard day at work.
I feel rather uncomfortable too when some people seem to ‘put pressure’ on others when they talk about their religion… they’d ‘preach’ on and on………I have faith in the Lord but I DO NOT talk about religion NOR ‘pressure’ others, or even try to convert them (esp when in social gatherings)…..
No one could put pressure on me as I CHOOSE what I want to hear. Apart from certain hiccoughs, my best friend is faithful, musical, funny, informative, nonchalant, up to date with latest issues, etc. And most important “is silent if not solicited”. Long Live my Computer!
Here’s a little dose of nostalgia for my fellow former Main Convent girls. It’s our school anthem as we knew it … way back when. Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Holy Infant Jesus, hear thy children’s prayer
Help us to be like thee; kind and just and fair
Guide us in our labour; guard us at our play
Simple in virtue, growing day by day
See our badge, the cross is raised
Gold we choose for thee
Silver, too, as kings should have, and red for calvary
Marguerites in garland; a sign of purity
Holy Infant, may our badge always honour thee
Let us always steadfast be, in duty to our King
To our parents, teachers and all that life may bring
Let us ever humble be as thou at Mary’s knee
Let our hearts stay pure and sweet offerings to thee
Holy Infant Jesus, bless our Mother dear
Bless our teachers and our school and all that we hold dear
When we leave our school behind and make our way alone
Be thou always at our side and guide us to thy throne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Postscript:
Does anyone know if the school anthem is now sung only in Bahasa Malaysia?
Phoebe
Thanks for posting the school anthem up….I received the program book (for the Centennial celebration dinner)from Mrs Selvamany and the words for this anthem are printed in there. A few former friends asked about this (the words to the anthem)…but, I haven’t ‘found’ the book yet…forgotten where I have placed it (around the house). I shall share this with them…yes…brought back memories of those days when we have to sing this at school assembly.
Wonderful song. Thanks Phoebe. I sang it all by myself. Maybe a bit out of tune but just bring back a lot of happy memories. The lyrics are just fantastic. I adhere to every word in it. I wish all the ex-convent girls will gather to gather and sing the school song once again and put it in the UTube. Like all the singers that sang “We are the world” Any takers????
Katherine
Will be great fun to have all former students get together and sing this anthem ( you know, when I was back in Ipoh a few yrs ago,during my visits….I bought the pinafore style, turquoise color school uniform) to show my daughters,and, also for memorabilla. Think I chose a size that fit me….hmmm…I should have a photo taken wearing it…Ha!ha! But, I’ve put on some weight now..so, not sure still fit me tho’…..
Hi Phoebe. yes, the school song is now sung only in Bahasa Malaysia (i think only two verses are sung during assembly). it’s not really a direct translation from the original English verses, but close enough.
but it’s not too late….we shall see when the next reunion is!
Katherine…hmm…..if you had suggested it sooner, we gals could have sung it at the 100 Anniversary celebrations
All former Main Convent students are invited to the annual christmas party held at the school hall on December 11 2010 from 4pm till 7pm. Those who are interested to attend this event, please contact Florina Ng at the school for tickets and other details about the event…..Wish I was in Ipoh. Would have loved to meet up with my former teachers and other friends….will try and make a trip back next time.
Aiya Ipohgal I was looking to a dinner with you when Ika invited us on Friday. We do have fun. No questions asked as you have stated above. We enjoyed ourselves tremendously. Just missing you. Some of the bloggers were there. We all have lively conversation. They did not asked me why I am not married. If they do, I would have graciously answered them by asking them to introduce me to a rich dirty dying old man. When he dies I would inherit his wealth and become a merry widow. That’s my usual answer and that shut many mouths. hahaha…….
Hi Katherine,
Yes, sorry for not being able to make it back to Ipoh for the dinner due to family’s commitments. Anyway, I am glad all of you have so much fun and enjoyed yourselves that night.
Hahaha….that was a potent answer to an uninvited question! Giving them a witty answer will always hit them in the belt and put them in proper place!
Keep on blogging and sharing fond memories of Ipoh and have a nice weekend!
i think this might de claz which is beside de parking lot…coz de office seem to look alike
I remember this photo. This building was pulled down in 1962 (replaced by a modern one which I did not get to see)the year I left. Sister Helen (Art teacher) painted this for me as a souvenir when I left as the boarders were not given access to this building. They allowed me though just before I left!It used to be the nun’s refactory (& maybe kitchen too)& connected to a “modern” building ajoining the boarders’ refactory on the first floor. There were two (or three?) upper floors that contained secondary classrooms (Forms I et definitely II). There was an exit entrance on the groundfloor to the exterior of the school. If you remember, there was a surrounding wall with glass pieces on the top.
hi Mary. since you say the building was pulled down in 1962, then perhaps this picture was taken before that (1960 or earlier).
did Sr Helen tell you what replaced the nun’s refactory?
She did not say anything about the replacement. It must have been a new refactory for the nuns as they were camping not faraway from our refactory. I met Sister Helen years later. She had just left the nunery & was leaving for Australia.
The first floor of the left part of the photo used to be our dormitory (Std. to Form II). When Mother Pauline decided to reduce the number of boarders, it closed down & we moved to the senior dormitory in another part of the builidng, in front. The ground floor was the Assembly hall. The Chapel was in front (left of the photo, before the passage).
Thanks to Sybil, I got this link. We met up with each other a couple of years ago in Corsica in a commun friend’s home. A small world!
With age, I am becoming nostalgic; having moved three times in my schooling years I lost touch with my camarades.
Sally the pinafore will fit any size. It is so loose and only a belt over it. You should take a photograph in it. Come to think of it, I would love to persuade all my peers to put on their old uniforms and take a photo togather. I would be tickle pink with all the pretty grandmas all in a row. hahaha….
Sad to say I never keep my uniform. Wonder where all my uniforms gone. I still kept an old Convent HIJ cloth badge.
Peter Wang thanks for teaching me all the tricks riding a bicycle. At my age don’t think I can do it. If I don’t fall, most probably I would get a hard attack.
Mary since you had been a boarders in the Convent in the 60s, if I am not wrong, do you know of another boarder by the name of Jenny Sam Yee Wah?
I know Sister Helen Vitalingam. She is still a nun helping the single mother and the abuse women. Her sister is Christine Vitalingam and it in our year. Heard she is overseas, unfortunately did not have a chance to meet up with her yet.
Felicia you had mentioned Damian Wong a teacher who taught tuition in Bahasa. If you ever see him again asked whether he is a cousin of Andrea Wong. If he admitted. Do let him know I a friend of Andrea Wong send regards to him.
Katherine, we are not talking of the same Sister Helen. The one I knew was Sister Helen “Ratnam”. When she left the convent, she took her own name “Enid” Ratnam. She was skinny, quite pretty with glasses & had sparkling eyes! I saw her off at the airport in Subang on her way to Australia. She had definitely left the Convent. She kept in touch with my sister in Perth for awhile.
I must see Jenny Wah’s photo. Maybe I knew her as See Wah. I was a boarder from 1958 to 1962.
i do remember this part of the main school – the drain along the wall on the left runs down the slope and i remember sitting along it with my sisters n their friends during recess – it was a dry drain and the trees by the side were the orliyander (correct spelling?) trees. what wonderful tales we had to share.i remember 1 of the borders – a vijaya menon from tanjung malimhas anyone her contact?
Thank you for a wonderful walk down memory lane – I went to Marian Convent for my prmary schooling and was at the Main Convent for Form 1 to Form 5 – would love to make contact with schoolfriends that finish in yr 1976
Hi Katherine and Ipohgal and everyone who had been abused by teachers:
I empathize and feel for you because I too have had my share of
abuses. Yes, I have also seen some discriminatory punishments
when they are more lenient towards more well off childresn
and harsher towards those less well of.
Yes, Sally, you are correct. In America, teachers have to undergo
background checks as well. They get suspended and jailed if they
ever beat students. I guess that’s why a few students go the
extremes of revolting by bringing guns to school and shooting
the teachers and fellow bully students.
Maybe we should start a blog and call it “Tiger Teachers of Ipoh”.
How did I come up with the title “Tiger Teachers”?
Well, there was a book called “Tiger Mum” by Amy Chua, a Harvard
law professor, a Chinese born in the Philipines and resides in
the US now.
That book talks about tough parenting roles that borderline some
would consider abuse.
There are lots of similarities between abusive parents and
abusive teachers.
Hopefully all those abusive teachers who are still alive will
meet their karma of being humiliated in return if they or their
children or grandchildren happen to read this blog.
This is the best justice to console and heal our damaged psyches.
heyy, i guess tis is the walkway to the hall.. now im in form 3 tis very year..perhaps im the youngest here. But well, i really love the blog as well.. convenites spirit! =D
Dear Cindy,
I missed out your comment about me. Were you the Cindy Hew who worked in Taiko?
As for Convent, there seems to be a new building for the Primary at Chung Thye Phin Road. Hope someone will also produce an old picture of the building.
I still think the former students should do something for Convent just as we are trying to do something for the ACS Ipoh. It does not have to be something grand, just an inspiration for the present pupils.
SY, have a look at http://www.ipohworld.org/blog/?p=1618. If this is the building you are talking about then we do have an oldish photo but not yet in the archives.
Hi there, It is so nice to read all the nice stories and how proud we all are to be part of Main Convent. I left in 1987 to migrate to Australia. I currently live in Hobart, Tasmania. Do any of you have any contacts for teachers like Ms Nair who taught English, Mrs Bala from the primary school and Mrs Abernathy also from the primary school. I had a fantastic time at school. I remember when I was in primary school, one of the PE teachers -Mrs yeoh would make students do their PE lesson in their panties if they forgot to bring their shorts. That was embarrasing. Thank god it did not happen to me. I have not been back to ipoh but am planning to go back next year in July. Hopefully I get to catch up with some friends and teachers aswell. those memories are so priceless. I will be keeping them close to my heart. The photo above of the school- well the staircase is from the volleyball courts opposite to the primary school hall. The long bridge or walkway leads to the hall for the secondary school on the left. Just before the hall is the chemistry and physics lab on the right.If you walk on the bridge going to your right is the classrooms for Form 4 and 5 and the afternoon staff room for the Form 1 teachers. The buildinh at the back of the bridge is the canteen on the ground floor and the Form 3 classrooms and the library. I still remember it like yesterday. Well hopefully it gives all of you some picture of how the school was back in the 80s. Speak soon. take care
A big “halloo” to harwant Gill, all the way from Tasmania. Thanks for visiting ipohWorld and do visit us again soon.
What is more, let us know when you will be in Ipoh next year.
By the way, do you have any photos from your younger days in Ipoh and the Convent please?
i’m currently studying there!that place is now the kemahiran hidup room for ert students and pd students~ths school is a wonderful place now~but the upper chapel is locked:(
may i know whats inside???
we study music in the chapel:)
GO COGA!
Hi SY
Sorry for not responding earlier – yes, I am Cindy Hew who used to work in Taiko ages, ages ago.
How are you and how is Ipoh?? Sure miss Ipoh and everything that is Ipoh!
Hello everyone, I am looking for a copy of the 1974 CHIJ year book. If anyone has a copy, please let me know. I left Ipoh many moons ago and have settled in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, USA (via England) I do have fond memories of Ipoh and Main Convent. Please shoot me an email at cynbin@ptd.net I would love to make contact with anyone who knows me.
felicia…I would love a reply…anyone else..I’m keen to know and i’m studying there form 1…School song sang in malay only..
Anyone knoe terezinha gonsalves or joanitha gonsalves or eonida gonsalves(their mum)terezinha gonzalves is the head og the convent old girls alumni:)
Hi Ashley. from your previous comment, you were wondering about the upper-chapel. well, from what i can remember…i think it is connected to the former dorms (the large area above the upper-hall, and beyond it). when i was in school, my best friend and i managed to sneak up there to explore the place. during that time there were renovations going on and the place wasn’t locked.
perhaps if any of the former students who were also boarders at the Convent could tell us more?
Hi Convent Girls,
I must be of the same vintage as Katerina Wong and Sylvia, 1956 – 1966. All the memories come flooding back. Thank you for setting this up so we can share our old school days memories.
L F
You are very welcome Lai Fone. Do visit us often – there is always something new to see.
Hi Girls,
Anyone out there from class of 1980? We are organizing a 50′s bash for the batch from 1980. Let me know if there is anyone here from 1980 CIJ Ipoh who will like to join us back in Ipoh sometime later this year.
We currently have about 60+ exCIJ girls participating in this event
My wife is from CHIJ Class of ’80. Perhaps you would know her: Amy Nga.