Appreciating our teachers

Would you believe that this had been in the planning stage since last year? I mean, a makan session among us old boys of Westlands Primary School? But it never materialised because we were all scared shit about the Covid-19 virus. At that time, the delta virus was raging through the country and we were rather alarmed about the daily huge numbers of infections. So it was agreed with my co-organising friend that the reunion would be scheduled to a more appropriate time. 

It could have been indefinitely but fortunately, not. That time did arrive. In the last month or so, we talked about the lunch again and decided to go ahead with it at the Ocean Green Restaurant in Northam Road. Airy, open space with fan ventilation, not air-conditioned. What more to ask for?

However, only eight of us could make it to the lunch. Luckily, we were able to have two of our old Primary School teachers present. One was Liew Chen Tong who moved from class to class to teach the boys Chinese but I was a terrible student. The other was Tan Eng Chuan, my class teacher in Standard Six. When I first got to contact Tan Eng Chuan, he was so pleased and happy to speak to me. "You don't know the feeling," he explained, "when one of your old students talk to you." 

I guess primary school teachers do not get many invitations from their old pupils, unlike the secondary school teachers. When you are in secondary school, you are already more matured. There's more interaction with the secondary school teachers. Not so the primary school teachers. But somehow, my batch appreciates them. We've been trying to get in touch with as many as possible. Heck, I'm in touch with my kindergarten teacher as well! Only problem is that he stays in Seremban and I can't get to meet him. 

Nevertheless, there we were at the restaurant yesterday to meet these two old teachers, to reintroduce ourselves to them and to talk about the old times. Hopefully, we can do another session before the end of the year.

Seated were Liew Chen Tong (left) and Tan Eng Chuan (right). And us old buggers, left to right, Teik Wah, Chye Chye, Hock Siew, myself, Soo Heong, Oon Hup, Lip Chye and Chien Ch'eng.