Teaching Practice, though at the bottom of the preference list, was a compulsory component of Education studies. After completing our first-year studies in Education, we were assigned to several selected schools in Penang to undergo Teaching Practice. I was posted to St. Xavier’s Institution, where several Primary Five classes eagerly awaited their young trainee teacher. The practice was supposed to be for four months, but I spent most of the time observing their teacher conducting English Language classes.
Nevertheless, my time there wasn’t wasted, as I formed bonds with a few teachers. One of them was Mr Narayanan (fondly called Nara), who, in his 40s, was very friendly. Our bond became a long-lasting one, extending beyond my last day as an undergraduate. Nara later introduced me to his family, which included his wife and three young daughters. I became a regular visitor to their home, enjoying his wife’s cooking and playing their piano.
During the Teaching Practice period at St. Xavier’s, our lecturer, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon (who later became Penang’s Chief Minister and a Federal Minister with the title Tan Sri), visited just once to observe me. I was teaching Primary 5A English Language at the time.
During that first Teaching Practice, I was also tasked by our Social Science lecturer, Prof Dr Clifford Sather, to translate four Iban books into English. They were Raja Langit, Telajan, Dayang Ridu Bujang Kerimpak Labu, and Stangkai. Completing the task earned me more than RM2,000 in about two weeks, which certainly put a smile on my face.
After finishing our second year, I was sent to SMK Jalan Rowland for Teaching Practice, where I was assigned to teach Form Two History. It wasn’t a difficult task, as the lessons were a familiar subject to me, being a History minor. There were quite a few challenging boys in the class, but I managed to handle them well. Over the six weeks I spent at the school, there were only four teacher observations, including our beloved Dr. Koh. Another lecturer who observed me was Prof Dr Amir Awang (now Datuk), who playfully called me “Elvis”, alluding to my singing of the King of Rock n Roll’s songs. All the lecturers gave me positive feedback on my teaching.
Some elements of hilarity occurred during our Teaching Practice. On one occasion, while visiting our University Library at the Minden campus, I ran into my Education classmate Ooi Chiew Choon, the elder sister of my girlfriend, Ooi Chiew Ean. I called her, but she didn’t respond, even though I was about 10 meters away. She scrutinised me more closely and exclaimed, “Oh, Valentine? I couldn’t recognise you with such short hair!” I laughed it off, as she wasn’t the only one who admitted they needed time to recognize me with my new teacher-appropriate haircut. I told her to convey my regards to her sister, Chiew Ean.
As we entered the third year (1977/78 session), I encountered similar instances of people failing to recognize me at first glance due to my short hair. In our third year, Sculpture took prominence, as it was the first time our lecturer, Prof. Dr. Redza Piyadasa, came to teach our classes. He was a bit stern, especially with some older undergraduates who struggled with English and found it hard to grasp the sculptures of Brancusi, Henry Moore, and others. Dr Piya often spent more time with me and Chong Sweet Ling, as both of us were fluent in English.
Earlier, as the third year began, I led a group of Sarawakians and others to retain the rental of No. 25, Pantai Jerjak. I took the main bedroom, sharing it with a second-year student, Mulok Saban. In contrast, others included Sarawakians Inkay Ladon and August Buma (now Datuk), Sabahan Marcos Siton, Hashim Jeffery (now Datuk), and Jumaat (also now Datuk). A Kuala Lipis buddy, Yam Pak Poh, also joined us, sharing a room with August. Yam was later posted to Sibu, where he met his wife, the younger sister of pub mogul Datuk Jeffrey Lau.
I recall one week when I disappointed Mulok as I had to accommodate a Kelantanese princess (the niece of Tan Sri Tengku Rithaudeen) while she waited to move into her rented home. Poor Mulok sportingly slept on the couch for a week, and I had to treat him to several meals later to make up for it.
Back in the studio, our Photography sessions continued. After receiving the Special Mention Prize for a photogram contest in Tokyo, Japan, our resident photographer Zamri took a special photo of me working on a sculpture of Brancusi in the studio, which the Fine Arts Department used in its prospectus for the 1977/78 session. I was quite elated by this recognition.
In Painting and Drawing, I achieved better results, and one of my artworks (done in emulsion painting) was sent to the National Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur for the 20th-anniversary contest and exhibition. This was in August 1977, when Mulok Saban and I travelled with Painting and Drawing lecturer Dr Lim Eng Hooi and Print Arts lecturer Prof. Dr Chew Teng Beng in Dr Lim’s elegant Colt Gallant. Lim and Chew each had two artworks featured in the exhibition. Unfortunately, the trip turned sour when Lim’s car began emitting smoke after we passed Taiping, forcing us to stop in Ipoh for repairs.
By the time we reached Kuala Lumpur, it was past nine o’clock, and the museum was closed. We ended up staying at Sentosa Hotel on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, with Mulok and I sharing a room for RM16.80. Early the next morning, we visited Samad Gallery, where the man in charge handed Chew the day’s Straits Echo, which reported that his father had been in an accident the previous day. Shocked, we cancelled our trip to the museum and rushed back to Penang. Chew’s father had been driving his (Dr. Chew’s) Triumph sports car and, sadly, passed away. Later, we learned that our artworks were priced for sale, but none of mine were sold.
In September, Prof. Dr. Piyadasa took me to Kuala Lumpur to visit another exhibition featuring his works. We stayed with Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, the renowned Malaysian artist. One of Dr Piya’s works was sold for RM7,700, much to his delight, and he generously shared some fine drinks and cash with me.
Earlier, on August 16, 1977, the world was shocked by the passing of Elvis Aaron Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, at just 42. At our house in Pantai Jerjak, I mourned the loss of my idol. Known as “The Elvis of Penang” after winning a local contest, Mr. Curled Lips, in late 1976, I decided to form a band called “Revival of Elvis Presley.” I was the bandleader and lead guitarist, joined by Joeng Mideh (bass guitar), Carter Ballang Kapong (rhythm guitar), Sabahan Makibin Bodok (drums), and later, Edwin Khoo as lead guitarist.
Our music focused on Elvis, but we also played songs by Cliff Richard, Tom Jones, CCR, and others. One of our memorable performances was at Dewan Sri Pinang, where I performed “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Hound Dog” to thunderous applause. This was enough to highlight USM’s enthusiasm for music.
In October, I had another memorable moment performing with The Blues Gang, led by Ito. I sang “Jailhouse Rock” and “Don’t Be Cruel,” leaving the audience mesmerized. This performance caught the attention of Penang’s RTM director, who later invited me to appear on his TV show.
PHOTO CAPTION:
The writer doing a sculpture for Fine Arts Department’s prospectus for 1977/78 session
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Sarawak Tribune.
