Are you a true-blue BBGSian?

NEWSFLASH!

You're all invited to try out the new Facebook quiz entitled "Are you a true blue BBGSian?". It was designed by Tan Lu Meng & myself (Class of 1987).

Come back and tell us if you enjoyed it. Better still, send it round to all the BBGSians you know ;-)

BBGSian has new book out in UK

Congratulations to Shamini Flint (BBGS Class of 1986) on the release of her Inspector Singh series in the UK this week. Here's what Shamini has to say:

CALLING ENGLAND PEOPLE!! Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder is out on 23/4 (day after)in the UK and should be available at Waterstones (£6.99). More importantly, it's been selected to be the Daily Telegraph Recommended Book of the Week! That means it can be bought at £2.99 with the paper at 750 Tesco stores - so please rush out and buy dozens!! I promise to remember you when I'm famous...

So to all BBGSians in the UK, go grab a copy of the book with the Daily Telegraph and let us know what you think!

Candle 14: Tina Lim

Tina, Lu Meng & Joanna @ Changi Singapore

It's wonderful to catch up with old friends even if only for a few hours. This evening, Lu Meng & I caught up with Tina Lim from BBGS Class of 1988. Tina and her family were in Singapore for a short holiday and we managed to squeeze in a quick dinner at Changi Airport before they flew home. Tina is now a banker with BNP Paribas and is married to Andrew. They have 3 beautiful children: Hannah (4 yrs), Sarah (2 yrs) & Nathan (4 mths).

After much persuasion, we managed to round up the kids for a photo at the departure gate. Aren't they gorgeous? Oh yes, the husbands were there as well but were to busy taking photos and staying out of the way - which is what most well-trained spouses of BBGSians tend to do..haha..

Candle 13: Rosnita Abdul Rahim

Rosnita (in blue) seen here with her best friends Kavitha and Wan Amal, shares her story with us.

What years were you at BBGS?
I was in BBGS Primary in 1983 (standard 3) - BBGS Secondary in 1991 (form 5)

What are your favourite memories?
That would be eating at the school canteen because we had a selection of food! haha! From Yong Tow Foo to noodles to Malay Food and not forgetting the drink stall that sold home (or rather canteen-made!) drink at the price of 20cents and 40cents.

Whenever it comes to classroom cleanliness, I just love to clean the toilets! And made that fancy class signs on the door.

The choral speaking competition was something that I look forward to every year too, although I was always nervous to do it on stage!

The co-op that we used to have under the stairs in the canteen block is also something that brings back good memories because they had all the cute little things in there.

Another favourite memory would be spotcheck!! haha! I think not many school have spotchecks, huh?

I also love our Sports Day and our cheerleaders! And that one time School Carnival in 1989, was it?

What did you do after leaving school?
I went to Perth, Australia to further my studies, but came back two years later and continued here in Sunway College. I did Marketing.

Where and what are you doing now?
I was working in Island & Peninsular as a Project Secretary for 4 years before joining another company as a marketer. I made the toughest decision about 2+ years ago (after having my second baby) to be a full time mom or a full time homemaker as they call it now. I'm in Ampang KL.

What values did you learn at BBGS that you're passing on to your kids?
It has always been discipline. BBGS was known to have a very strict dicipline. When I was in school I thought "why cant we roll our baju kurung sleeve?" or "why must we hook our baju kurung" or "why must we keep our hair neat all the time" or "what different does it make to have a clean pair of shoes on or not?". But when I look at it now, we are lucky to have been brought up with such a dicipline. We become a more presentable women. And also to be a more respectful person. Oh yes, I am going to pass these on to my kids.

Like you, Joanna, I always have Bukit Bintang Girls' School in CV. And there were a few times during my many interviews (either to enrol in a college or in job interviews), we (the interviewer and I) speak a little of BBGS. At that moment I cant help but to feel proud to be a part of the BBGS huge family.

Veni, Vidi, Vici

Just as Julius Caesar spoke these famous words before the Roman Senate after the Battle of Zela in 47 BC, I spoke them today as I walked into Pavilion KL for the first time. It was a bittersweet moment.

Veni : I Came...

I came to see the Pavilion because this is where BBGS used to stand. It's right in the heart of the Golden Triangle in Kuala Lumpur - prime real estate - which eventually crowded out our beloved school when the land was re-gazzetted from educational to commercial status. Yes, some investors made a lot of money but really, as Bukit Bintang developed, it was no longer a conducive environment for education. As someone who had to endure the piling works for Regent Hotel & Lot 10 during her SRP and SPM years, I remember the distractions very well.


Vidi: I Saw...

I saw a very classy mall with amazing luxury shops, and stunning architecture. I saw tourists and locals alike enjoying themselves on a day out. I even saw another BBGS girl wave at me as I rode the escalator up to the ground floor. During the entire trip, I was busy trying to figure out where all our old haunts were. Here are some guesses...let me know if you agree.

• Prada/Gucci wing - Clinic Block
• Coach/Ted Baker/ Coast - Office Block
  
• Jaguar showroom - Primary School
• La Bodega - Canteen

One thing I do object to is the Paris Hilton boutique. It was so un-BBGS that I was tempted to march into the store and serve them an Offence Slip :-)


Vici: I Conquered...

I've conquered the gloom and despair surrounding the removal of our beloved halls and grounds. As BBGSians, we all need to grieve the loss and then, let go and allow the process of healing to take place. It starts when we let go of the negativity and move on. Let's embrace the good, wholesome and positive values that BBGS stands for. Those values will not, and must not die.

Finally, I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Poesy Liang for taking time off to show me around. It certainly made my day more enjoyable and Poesy's sunny disposition helped dispel any morose thoughts that threatened to break in. She is one BBGS girl we can all be proud of.

Candle 12: Kelly Yong

I don't know about you girls, but I have a thing about dentists - I'm petrified of them! :-) It's hardly surprising then that my last dental visit was over 7 years ago. Today, I decided that I had put it off long enough and went to a clinic near my home in Damansara Perdana. To my surprise, I was greeted at the door by the dentist herself, Kelly Yong, who exclaimed " Aren't you Joanna Yeoh from BBGS? Come in! Come in!" That was the friendliest greeting I had ever heard from a dentist so I entered - happily.

Dr. Kelly Yong is from BBGS Class of 1989, and she completed her studies in Manipal and London before returning to Malaysia. She served in the government for five years, before starting her own practice four years ago. I must say it was the best dental visit I ever had. Not only was Kelly professional, she was friendly and genuinely concerned throughout the procedure. What I especially liked was that she talked me through the process and explained exactly what was going on. It was also funny when she remarked that she did not expect BB girls to have many dental problems because we are so disciplined and well-maintained, especially since we had a clinic nurse in primary school. I had forgotten that!

So if you need a friendly professional dentist who also happens to be a BBGSian, why don't you give Kelly a call at 03-77105828?

School is cool

Last week, Michelle Obama spoke at a school assembly in North London, and I was very inspired by her words - words that I remember hearing at our own BBGS school assembly decades ago. "Girls - you can achieve anything if you study, work hard and hold on to the values that you've been taught". Here's a little snippet of what she said to the girls...

"If you want to know the reason why I am standing here, it’s because of education,” she told them.

“I never cut class. I loved getting As, I liked being smart. I liked being on time. I thought being smart is cooler than anything in the world. You, too, with these values, can control your own destiny. You, too, can pave the way.” She urged them to believe in their dreams. “For nothing in my life ever would have predicted that I would be standing here as the first African-American First Lady. I was not raised with wealth or resources or any social standing to speak of. I was raised on the South Side of Chicago — that’s the real part of Chicago.”