Tuesday 8 May 2007

In conversation with some interesting old friends

The conversation in my living room suddenly became very lively, what with Pak Man telling us about his various TV parts alongside Roger Moore in the popular TV series, with Peter Finch in A Town Like Alice and many more. Pak Ehsan regaled us with stories of Mat Kambing or better known as the King of Soho whose management of the club called The Saint in Great Windmill Street gave opportunities for others like Din to work in the cloakroom and thus not only afforded them the chance to see the budding Rolling Stones but also to meet their future wives. Pak Mid would chip in to tell us about his adventure at sea, having survived the German torpedo which hit his ship, throwing him out mercilessly into the raging sea for three days before being rescued by another merchant ship.

Laughter would break out as they recalled the more interesting adventures all young, hot blooded sailors experienced at each port of call. Pak Ehsan described how Rokiah, all dressed up, would do the inang when they celebrated Hari Raya away from home, and just as we thought we had enough laughter for the evening, Din recalled how he broke the story to his mother back home that he finally found a Mat Salleh wife.

All admitted to having that gush of curiosity and excitement to see England as potrayed in the movies and then to go on and conquer the world – to take Times Square by storm and brave the cold harsh winters of Russia. Malaya’s independence had unleashed in the hearts of these young men, the spirit of adventure that had taken them to the far flung corners of the world.

This conversation must have taken place nearly thirty years ago and Pak Aman Majid or better known as Pak Man Tokyo, left us nearly two decades ago just after the interview, but he had left me a wealth of information of his experience and adventures at sea. And he had introduced me to sailors who must have been such colourful characters plying the Atlantic and the Pacific in their various merchant navy ships as deckhands and carpenters.

It is funny, I reflected very much amused – thousands of miles away from home, these Malay adventurers in the tradition of all Malays, had endearing nicknames for each other; Pak Ehsan addressed Pak Man as Tokyo, for Pak Man worked in a Japanese dockyard as a young apprentise.

Pak Mid was Pak Mid Carpenter, for that was what he did to earn a living on the Merchant Navy ship, there’s Salim Gurkha who jumped ship in the icy waters of Russia but no one could recall why Mat Kambing got his nickname. However, even with a name like that, he was touring the country with a theatre troupe, enchanting his audience with his tango.

It has been a while since I last listened to these animated conversations. I am now desperately putting together a paper on the lives and adventures of some of these sailors and for the last few days, I had been ransacking my archives of tapes and video tapes to help jog my memory. This conversation that I was listening to yesterday was recorded on the UHER, a very bulky and heavy German made recorder, which I had to lug around during assignments. And most of these interviews are still in reel to reel tapes!! For a second I panicked as I couldn’t think where to go to have these converted or copied on to CD or cassettes but suddenly I remembered the old and even bulkier Ferrograph that my husband bought off a friend to keep as a collector’s item.


So, much to the amusement of children and cats alike, I dusted the old Ferrograph, lined up the reels and hey, presto! That was how Pak Man and company came to be in my living room yesterday. So, do excuse me if I go quiet for a while as I have some very interesting company in my living room.

92 comments:

Mama Rock said...

interesting company you have there...so, were they conversing in english or bahasa melayu in their own loghat?

J.T. said...

So, that is what you call it! A Ferrograph. Wah! I have not seen one in a long time. My grandfather had one and I used to marvel at the way he operated it.
Those men had interesting nicknames, didn't they? I am wondering too how did Mat Kambing get his name.
I knew of a lady in Klang who went around addressing people as "Darling" her whole life. Obviously, she became Auntie Darling to everyone.
I have a tendency of calling people "kodok". Oops, I may end up being known as "Auntie Kodok"! :)

Kak Teh said...

mama rock, in true malaysian style - we spoke manglish! and interestingly also the pak ciks' malay is very much like filem melayu lama malay!

jt. You should see the UHER that I had to carry around during my BBC days! they weighed a ton!
I like that - aunty darling - I used to be aunty chocolate - because i tend to have lots of chocolates in my handbag and children loved me for that.

Pi Bani said...

Ferrograph? Never heard of it. Bulky and heavy recorder? Oh dear.. must have been quite a burden. Just recently one of the senior members in my NGO sought my assistance to buy her a USB MP3 recorder. I was thinking maybe this woman boleh tahan advanced. So I bought it for her thinking she knew how to use it. Boy, was I wrong... her daughter had to endure teaching her how to record and how to replay (forget the MP3!) and by the time she finally knew how to replay the recordings, all she heard recorded was her own voice, saying repeatedly, "Still recording ah? Ha?! Still recording?! Oh %@*!"

Theta said...

Now I know what you were rummaging through.... ;-)
Nicknames galore, eh? I wonder if the moniker, Mat Kambing came about because of his facial feature - a goatee, perhaps?
Or is that too obvious?
All the best on your paper!

Daphne Ling said...

Aunty Chocolate,
Can I have chocolate too? Pwetty petty pwease *batting the non-existent eyelashes*, with sugar and spice and everything nice? I'll be good...Don't tell my dentist though about the chocolate k? ;)
Thank you!

Kak Teh said...

Pi Bani,Ferrograph must be the greatgrandfather of the MP3. it is a real dinosaur. Imagine my husband carrying it downstairs for me to use it. Now i carry around a small digital recorder and am still baffled as to how to use it.

theta, I need all the support and encouragement to get me through these next few weeks. Why am I so scared of presenting papers? acedemic papers when I am so academically challenged!

daphne, yes, dear - have all the chocs that you want and perhaps you'll have some eyelashes...hehe!

UglyButAdorable said...

ferrograph??? if it was a charade i wud have said ferrero chocolate..hehh..hehh...

kak teh... my nickname in skool was penguin..nasib tak last..phewww...

wonda said...

Wow! Your ferrograph is still in good condition? Amazing! Cool! I wonder how old it is. Sure is a collector's item!

Kak Teh said...

uBa, hehe - I know what you mean. That's the first thing i thought of when i saw the brand name.

alice, yes, it is still working after all these years gathering dust in the cupboard. Old things are still useful kan? mustn't throw just like that,one day it'll come in handy.

Pak Tuo said...

Salam Kak Teh,

I wonder what next after pre Malaya 'Mad Sailors'... whoops sorry they are respected Pak Chik yes indeed.

How about those Brighton Boys and Gals Era at the Brighton College of Technology at the early days when free scholarships was awarded to young polish guys.
Quite amasing era don't you think so?

Grand dad was a hippy at one point in time?

smiling all along the way....hmmmm...isn't it?
The 70's Arwah Tun Razak did sent loads for student overseas to pursuit quest.
Major nation contribution comes from those whom graduted during those era.
Not forgeting Brighton at one point in time was a major Kg.Hippy.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kak Teh,

Fascinating company you have there. :)

Didn't you blog about them many blog-moons ago? I remember reading about these Malaysian adventurers and their incredible stories. There were even pictures, if I'm not mistaken.

Kak Teh said...

Pak Tuo, yes, Brighton seems to be a magnet for the happy go lucky. I thought there was also a nudist beach right in front of some malaysian students' accommodation -n must be very distracting to say the least.

mek yam, yes, i have blogged abt them many times before- but this time i have to listen to the interviews again - for a reason - and i found many info that I did not jot down earlier - what a discovery! thanks for the visit.

Lee said...

Hello Kak Teh, enjoyed reading your 'conversations'. Its always exciting to hear or recall memories of the way we were.
Wow! When I read "A Town like Alice"....I have seen that b/w movie not less than 15 times all these years. Infact I have the book too and read it many times. Its a beautiful love story too. I told my wife one day I want to visit 'Alice' or 'Alice Springs', middle of Australia's outback.
Yes, re those nick names, I too remember some, one a 'Mat Cina' (looked Chinese).
By the way, there are a few other movies re 'Malaya', "Three came home" (Japanese occupation of Malaya), "Planter's wife" (Chin Peng's time) and "The 7th Dawn" (about Chin Peng too) which was banned. I love all of them.
Best regards, Kak Teh. UL.

Ordinary Superhero said...

UHER? Ferrograph? and they are still in working conditions? Fuyoo. This is sooo....retro.

Typhoon Sue said...

what's a ferrograph?
a recording thingy?
never seen one.

Hope AdDict said...

salam kak teh, seems ure gonna be pretty busy with those company. do those sailors have descendant over there/ sorry to be so blurr:(

Kak Teh said...

uncle lee, if you have watched A town Like Alice,Pak Man Tokyo was one of the japanese soldiers and also one of the malay dancers doing the dance in the kampong. Yes,it is indeed a beautiful story. When the BBC did an audio version of the story, I became the voice of Fatimah...so exciting!
I'd love to watch all the others but mostly too gruesome, no?

Kak Teh said...

OSH, I am sure the UHER that I was using at the BBC must still be in good working condition. they are huge and heavy compared to the small digital thingies that we carry now. The ferrograph can be a recorder as well as an editing machine - yes, ancient but still working.

sue - you can see the picture in the entry ..it had bot been used for what must be like 20 years!!! must be more.

linalani, yes,they do have families - children, grandchildren...remember -most of them in their 80's.

Anonymous said...

kak teh,

sekali tengok ferrograph tu tak ubah macam dapur masak! heheheeh

Kak Teh said...

pok mang, how right you are! macam dapur gas dulu-dulu! tapi dalam keadaan terdesak ni ada guna juga benda lama ni.

wmw said...

I have not seen an actual Ferrograph...the only thing I recall that's older than a cassette was the bigger and bulkier 8 track tapes! I also recalled that my dad used to have this portable record player that came in a James Bond like suitcase. It came complete with removable stereo speakers. Only wished I had taken a photograph of it...have no idea where it is now.

Anonymous said...

Adik Teh, mohon menyimpang, mohon ruang untuk menumpang.

Wahai Adik Teh orang budiman
Ampun dan maaf Abang Malaya dahulukan
Kerana sungguh lama tidak berteman
Tidak menjenguk sahabat dan taulan.

Bukan benci bukan marah
Bukan kerana berhati gundah
Sekadar tiada ilham bermadah
Penaku kering matanya patah.

Izinkan Abang Malaya mencurah rasa
Berpuisi bermadah tentang cinta
Pepatah Arab ada berkata:
Kecantikan lelaki pada keindahan bahasnya
Tetapi puisiku tidaklah sehebat tujuh mu’allaqat
Atau qasidah-qasidah yang diperdengarkan di Ukaz.

Namun cinta tetap cinta
Pada pertiwi atau seorang wanita
KepadaNya yang esa atau sesama manusia
Kerana engkau dan aku bermula dengan cinta
Dan kita berakhir dengan cinta.

Ingatkah kamu saat itu
Ketika pertama kali engkau mengenali
Wajah ibumu
Atau mendengar suara ayahmu
Dan nyanyian alam di sekelilingmu?

Atau kali pertama engkau melihat wajah kekasihmu
Antara rasa gembira dan malu
Kerana dalam hatimu
Cinta datang bertamu.

Dan pasti engkau tidak lupa
Ketika anakmu lahir ke dunia
Jerit tangisnya mengisi maya
Air matamu mengalir kerana cinta.

Dan akhirnya dengan cinta
Kita akan kembali ke alam baqa’
Ditemani doa sanak saudara
Teman taulan rakan yang setia.

Bagiku cinta ada di mana-mana
Bagiku cinta sangat mulia
Yang datangnya membawa makna
Hadirnya membuat aku gembira
Ketawanya membuat aku suka
Tangisnya membuat aku duka
Dan perginya kuratapi sepuas rasa.

Kekasihku sudah lama pergi
Hilangnya ke mana akan kucari
Tiada yang mengisi tiada mengganti
Kerana itulah cinta sejati
Datang dan perginya tidak kusedari
Wujudnya antara mimpi dan realiti
Antara yang hakiki dan fantasi.

Namun itulah cinta
Tiada siapa benar-benar mengenalinya
Tiada siapa benar-benar memilikinya
Kerana cinta bebas sebebas unggas
Terbangnya jauh tiada terbatas
Tiada malam tiada siang
Tiada senja tiada rembang
Tiada bulan atau bintang
Tiada matahari terang benderang
Kerana cinta tiada bermasa
Ia hadir setiap ketika
Kalau hatimu bersih dan mulia.

NorAiniJ said...

I see… so that is a Ferrograph, never heard of it before. Wah Kak Teh, your entry here is so classic and retro lah…hehe. Can’t wait to read/see/hear more about the Pak Cik sailors? Are the stories gonna be aired in RTM again?

Unknown said...

Kak Teh,

Its me Taufiq yang we met at Malaysia Hall during PANIV, from Cardiff.

Well...just remembered the name of teh other 'orhang lama' here in Cardiff, PAK MANSUR. Does the name ring a bell. He is Singaporean asalnya.

Bukan apa sat lagi takut terlupa keluaq dari otak sekali lagi.

Fauziah Ismail said...

Salam Kak Teh
I cannot imagine myself lugging these equipment on assignments. Equipment from the yesteryears semuanya besar dan berat. Susah nak hilangkan. Now, I have a digital recorder that is as big as a credit card. I don't know how long it will be with me. Senang hilang.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Ah,

how i remember the ferrograph(s). i call it simply tape recorder, because thats what it was.
how i remember the RTM crew would have them on assignments in the 70s and i think, through the 80s.
of course, they were replaced by more modern gizmos. changing technology is so amazing.
i also remember the ferrograph because my dad had one -- an AKAI (Japanese-made) which he would set up at home on weekends when we were little.
he would play the guitar and sing and we would sing using a microphone. and the microphone was not the one we see today. it was smaller, squarish gadget.

those were the days....

(PS: looking through old photographs. ada gambar kita-lah. in the classroom. oooh bedik-bedik!)

Unknown said...

Kak Teh...what's that??? Ferrograph? Tak pernah dengar apatah lagi tgk rupekebendenye... thank you for forwarding me that orang dolu2 rupanya guna alat tu utk record conversation...

Mat Kambing? Hehehe... Got one in my village...but he got it because he sold Kambing...

JT, Auntie Kodok...aiyahhhh...*lol*. nope, i'm not gonna consider nor call you that!

Kak Teh said...

wmw, you know, most things those days are bulky. can u imagine having to lug around a record player everytime we had parties at friend's or we want to borrow one from a friend.

This is only for use at home.I dont think we can lug it around. The UHER yes,i know because i had to carry them around all the time.

Kak Teh said...

aaah, abang melaya jenguk kembali,
berpantun bermadah mengusik hati,
ku tertanya ke mana abang malaya pergi,
merajukkah dia sehingga menyepi.

sekadar tiada ilham untuk bermadah,
tiada melawat kawan yang mula gundah,
bukan diminta susun kata-kata indah,
setakat salam pun diterima sudah.

indah kata kupasan cinta,
cinta ibu, anak dan juga insan semata,
tiada bandingan yang layak bertakhta,
cinta kepada yang maha esa.

akan ku simpan kata-katamu itu,
dijadikan pedoman setiap waktu,
sebagai peringatan kepada yang Satu,
sebagai penawar di kala pilu.

sudilah lagi abang malaya ke sini,
susunlah madah indah berseni,
lengguk bahasa berwarna warni,
ceriakan lagi lelaman ini.

Izinkan daku undur dahulu,
habiskan kerja apa yang perlu,
begitulah adat kita selalu,
mengejar masa yang cepat berlalu.

Kak Teh said...

nj, i ',afraid there's no airing of the sailors again - unless i do more filming. This is just for a paper that i have to present.Doakan jadi,ya!

taufiq,thanks.Kak teh dok tengok balik gambar-gambar lama -memang ada pak cik mansur! kalau ingat lagi, mai jenguk sini naaa?

fauziah, i remember when I had a big handphone enough to give me a blackout everytime it hit my head inmy haste to answer the phone. and when i had a teeny weeny one - i dropped it so many times and finally lost it. Am waiting for the day when everything is implanted in our fingertips - we dont have to carry anything.

Kak Teh said...

ena,you know what my hubby is like - collecting old type writers, old tape recorders -and books and magazines jangan cakap lagi laa.

and errr,those old photographs- u're not thinking of blogging abt them, are you?

raden, memang tu semua diguna masa dolu-dolu. zaman kak teh in broadcasting pun depa tak pakai dah macam tu.

Tunku Halim said...

Kak Teh, last time I used a similar device was listening to the Chipmunks singing "oh eh oh la la . . ."

Was only a kid then!

BTW, hope you don't mind but I curi-ed some of the comments from your last post and put in my 44 cemetery road blog! Very spooky tales . . .

Kak Teh said...

tunku - curi all you want - and my experience at the hyatt which came back to haunt me is not what you think - will reply in post to satisfy yr curiosity!

Blabarella said...

Ahh, love your sailor tales. Does this mean we'll get to read more soon?? And maybe the sailor was called Mat Kambing because dia tak mandi kot, when he was a deckhand, and busuk macam kambing! Hehehee

Anonymous said...

Kak Teh

Ada sambung ka cerita ni kat kolum cetakan Jalan Riong?

Are you still "melaporkan" for cetakan Jalan Riong? Just curious.

Need to check something with you but I dnt have your email address besides your blog. (my- naniyhughie@yahoo.com)

Thanks

Nani

Kak Teh said...

blabs - yes, there's a possibility cos i keep getting more as i listened back to old interviews. Watch this space.

nani big apple - i think selepas seminar ni boleh laaa tulis hal ini. but for next week,it is something else.

I will email you.

D said...

that ferro thingy is really one of dinosaur days. Keep on feeding us (the ignorant, yet future generation?!!) of all things great and small (HaHA!!).

IBU said...

kak teh,
honestly - i've never heard of that ferro name. ferraro rocher surely. no wonder the cats were curious too!

err.. ada tak dengar any hum similar to that coming from 44 Cemetery Road? hehehehehehe ........

Eddie Putera said...

feraraff...payah nak sebut..macam feraro roche jer..

Kak Teh said...

d, orang lama mesti ada barang lama, kan? :)

ibu,kalau keluar bunyi-bunyi yang ganjil - kak teh dah lama lari.

djin - namanya fero bukan faraaa hehe!

Unknown said...

Hi Kak Teh,

Ahh..I remember you telling me in malaysia about your deep interest in writing about these wonderful sailors. Just with this entry, I dare say they are such an interesting and most of all 'real' people. I can sense that they are 'what we see, we get'! I like people like that. No duality about them.

Nicknames! That is familiar territory to me. When we are very close, we know each other only by nicknames. I went to a boarding school, our problem is, after knowing some of us for decades by nicknames, once anyone asked us if we knew so and so by her real name, we tend to not know who she is by her real name..and we'd go frantic to find out, only to be surprised that she's Kak Chah and not Norraesah or Shard and not Saadiah or Ron and not Rohani or Teh and not Zaharah..he he.

Once I was called by a special friend at college (she has passed away two years ago of heart problems) Ruby Diamond. She made me feel extra expensive everytime she called me by that name.

Looking forward to more stories of Pak Tokyo, Pak Carpenter, Pak Ghurka and the other interesting Paks.

Daphne Ling said...

Dear Aunty Teh,

HI...Personal note...A very early Happy Mother's Day to you in Sunny UK!

Daph

PS: Dont approve yeah?

simah said...

wah...interesting ni..am on the run... tak sempat baca semua...
will come back again later..

hope u r feeling better..

dear kak teh..selamat menyambut hari ibu...may it be for many many more times to come :0)

Hi&Lo said...

Auntie Chocolate,

You are my all-time favourite auntie. You spread happiness like virus.

Daphne Ling doesn't have to worry abt her dentist. According to reliable studies, chocolates give you the oomph. So, if you are feeling blue, have a choc bar.

It's also an energy food for athletes.

Abang Malaya was in my mind for quite sometime. Out of the wilderness, he emerged again with his vintage kehalusan bahasa.

Kak Teh, I like your reply to Abang Malaya: "sekadar tiada ilham untuk bermadah,
tiada melawat kawan yang mula gundah,
bukan diminta susun kata-kata indah,
setakat salam pun diterima sudah."

Abang Malaya, janganlah sepi terlalu panjang.

Apandi said...

Abang malaya and kak teh bermadah bagai. Those are beautiful verses that brings tears to my eye...

Cerita pasal sailors ? Interesting, cause I use to be one and Ruby is right, what you see is what you get. Good luck with your project kak.

Kak Teh said...

ruby, welcome back! You've been missed! I like the nick Ruby Diamond - how apt!

simah,selamat hari ibu to you too!! Have a nice time with the family. and let them pamper you!

Kak Teh said...

Hi&Lo, Aunty Chocolate now must cut down on chocs too because she cant find her waistline anymore..
I believe you have been busy? take care.

Apandi, what i like about abang malaya's verses and his presence here is that he provokes my thoughts and interests in things syaers and pantuns. Even if I dont know his identity and he remains a mystery - I'd still welcome his beautiful thoughts here for all of us to share, kan?
Thanks for the well wishes...hope i make it to the seminar! If my knees dont fail me - Insyaallah I'll be there.

Apandi said...

Yes, similar effect here. Oh, its a seminar. Kalau tak keberatan maybe you could email me a copy of the papers...err segan pulak rasanya buat request ni.

Dewangga Sakti said...

Kak Teh,
Satu cerita yang amat menarik.Bila nak bukukan?

Azmi said...

Kak Teh...write a book, write a book on this! Before someone else does! It's really valuable to have this kind of "history" compiled less they be forgotten. It's nice to know how people live in their era and you do it with panache! Someone wrote on the live of planters, very interesting too. So bila...? & Jangan tunggu lama lama...Salamz

Jane Sunshine said...

Am very, very happy that you are writing the paper. Let me know how it goes. All the best sweetheart!

KakNi said...

Nasib baik boleh guna lagi no... kalu dak ni haru la....

Hi&Lo said...

Aunty Chocolate,

I am quietly snooping at the conversations whenever I am online. ^_^

anggerik merah said...

Kak Teh dear,

happy mother's day!

Anonymous said...

Dear Liz,
A VERY HAPPY MOM'S DAY TO YOU....(today and everyday..:)Way to go you hip-hop mom!!! (hip you still got - hop you still can...:)

Lurrvvve from Christchurch

Unknown said...

Hi Kak Teh,

Apani babe, cakap kat Hi&Lo, you can't find your waist? Ha ha. Eh, masih cun meh...ala2 Cathy Ibrahim!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Ah, Happy Mother's Day!

Remember, that you are loved! I am reminded of this by Eliza, so I am reminding you te same thing.

Love U much!!!

atiza said...

KT

Happy Mother's Day :)

High Power Rocketry said...

: )

Anonymous said...

Kak Teh

Selamat Hari Ibu

Hope you are fine
nani

Unknown said...

Hi my dear,

Happy Mother's Day everyday, anytime, any moment! He he.

Hope AdDict said...

happy mother's day kak teh...are we going to have the sequel to the sailor's story anytime soon?:P

J.T. said...

Kak Teh, Happy Mummy's Day. Anytime is a good time, right? Hope you had a good weekend.

Daphne Ling said...

Kak Teh,

Rindu lar your writings...Teringin sangat nak ketawa terbahak-bahak sambil rolling on the floor...I know this is mean, but please do something stupid soon! So I can read about it!!! Keke...Hope you well...=)

Mulan said...

happy mother's day to you, kak teh..

ferrograph??? saw one long long time ago... tak tau pun apa function dia dulu2.. i was a kid then..

mad redo1 said...

Hi kak teh

It has been a while since last visiting this pages owned by the drop dead gorgeous woman of substance with orange hair...

Maybe you could ask your readers to contribute about their nicknames and their origin...

Mine? It is Birch, go figure... hehehe...

Ordinary Superhero said...

Forgot your blogger password? Bila nak update? dah teroverdue ni akak woi.

Hi&Lo said...

Kak Teh,

We miss you.

Tunku Halim said...

Kak Teh, I hope you project is going well. We miss your posts!

By the way, I've a new book coming out in a few months. Visit www.tunkuhalim.wordpress for details.

I sedang ambik gambar di kubur x2 tapi they aren't as good as the one on 44 Cemetery Road.

Kak Teh said...

apandi, the material will be pubished soon - insyaallah and i will let you know.

dewangga sakti - kak teh tau memang perlu dibukukan - insyaallah.

jane - yes i did it and you shd have been there to hold my hand. i had a few blogger supporters there!

Kak Teh said...

azmi, they are a part of our history and yes - need to be documented in whatever form. look after yrself - sorry i have not been able to visit.

ahni - tu laaa ingatkan dah tak boleh guna lagi dah!

hi&lo - you can snoop yes - will miss u if you are not here. miss the snippets you share with us here.

Hi&Lo said...

Kak Teh,

Overjoyed to see you back.

Kak Teh said...

Tunku, thanks - i think it went well! and i just had a mucvh needed sleep.
yes, saw the promo!

osh, hehehe - very funny - your penyakit is infectious laaa...but will be back with vengeance!

mat redo1, thanks for your kind words - yes, i am fascinated too with stories behind the nick!

Kak Teh said...

mulan, thanks for the wishes - now no more ferrograph - ferraro roche ada laaa.

daphne - hehehe - i do something stupid all the time! I was interviewing shuhaimi baba and then there was this ticklish feeling in my throat - i tried not to cough and my eyes started watering, my cameraman was still filming and I just burst out with a big spluttering cough! that was what happened yesterday!haiyaaaa!

jt. thanks for the wishes!

Kak Teh said...

linalani - yes yes, watch this space as the sailors will sail through here again!

ruby, happy belated mother's day to you too!

ms lamb chop of christchurch - long time no see!

r2k :)

Kak Teh said...

ena, hope you had a great day!

anggrek merah - hope you had a wonderful mother's day too!

atiza, glad to see you here agan - hope you had a wonderful mother's day too.

Hi&Lo said...

Kak Teh,

Ada jemputan khas dari Uncle Lee waiting for you at his blog. :)

UglyButAdorable said...

salam kak teh....

lamer tak update..hope everything is ok..u take care..

Anonymous said...

ur company is interesting indeed... u have a very good memory la kak teh to be able to remember all those... i mean they r like years n years ago.. but then the journalist in u trains ur mind that way... u r used to remembering..masyaAllah

Kak Teh said...

hi&lo - thanks - i saw - its hilarious. will comment- soon, very soon.

UBA - kak teh tengah feningggggg! running around like headless chicken. BUT will be back - Insyaallah.

Kak Teh said...

simah, you must remember, i also have tapes, video tapes and many, many notebooks to help me remember.

sue said...

interesting story from interesting people..

happy mother's day

Unknown said...

Hi Kak Teh,

Memang lama nya tak dengar from you. But I know you are busy. Its ok. As long ada dengar2 sikit sini lepas jugs rindu. Hugs.

Blabarella said...

Just reading the comments shows how loved you are by all of us, huh? We do miss you, but take your time! :)

D.N.A.S said...

I look at the ferrograph, then I look at the tiny iPod Nano. Wow, feels like they're 100 generations apart. Glad that it's still in good condition.

ilene said...

Hello KAK TEH,

Long time no visit you. Thought I'd drop by to give you hugs & kisses and to wish you a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

(I noticed that all comments now need your approval ha)!

Hi&Lo said...

Kak Teh,

You are much loved as Blabarella said. We are your extended family.

Your jottings remind me of humankindness.

Well, take your time to come back.

Apandi said...

Errrr, rindulah pulak to read your stories...

Kak Teh said...

Thank you all for the kind comments and concern. I am well but yes, not unlike that poor headless chicken. I am most touched by your comments.

the laptop i am now using is to say the least very kak teh unfriendly - so kena banyak bersabar. sometimes, i cant even log in to blogspot and i have also lost YM! that hurts!

zorro said...

Kak Teh, Your article "The Adventures of the Pak Cik Sailors" appeared in the New Sunday Times (Focus Section)today. Thanks. It is people like you and the Pak Cik that have brought a lot of cosmopolitan color to an otherwise drab and grey London/Liverpool. I am sure they told you about their football teams, which space did not allow you to elaborate on.

Back in PJ here we have our own blogger The Ancient Mariner aka Captain Yusof. An old sea-salt, slightly younger than me. I have not succeeded YET to get him to curse like a sailor, but can he down the bitters!!!!!Oh yes, he did use a curse-word (but not a seafaring one) when two MP rediculed one of the female opposition MPs. When he does behave like an ole sea dog....I will blog about him. Pay him a visit.

Kak Teh said...

zorro, thanks for the visit. Yes, there's so much more that i need to ask the pak cik sailors. every time i speak to them, something new emerges! Haha - so u have an old sailor in your midst! And you dont really need to be a sailor to come up with swear words when people come up with idiotic things to say...not one to swear myself, but i was really tempted!