Wednesday 15 December 2010

Featured in KLUE

Here's an article about Jalan Bukit Bintang in last month's issue of KLUE, written by Chen May Yee, one of my classmates who's now based in Minneapolis. Thanks for the article, May Yee. And apologies for the late posting. Between starting a consulting business, parents visiting Singapore and holidays in Morocco, I've been a busy little beaver!


Thursday 21 October 2010

Calling BBGSians in UK!


This message is posted on behalf of Doreen Craig and Ong Jin Kar who have taken the initiative to set up an OGA chapter in the UK. Bravo girls...way to go!!

Attention all BBGSians currently residing in UK/EU


We are happy to announce the formation of a OGA chapter in the UK/EU. Is anyone interested in becoming an administrator? Ong Jin Kar and Doreen Oh (both from the Class of 1986) are looking for a couple more girls to join them as administrators for the group (ideally London-based). This post is purely on a voluntary basis so NMW applies.

Once this OGA is set up, we can organise functions such as reunion lunches/dinners which will provide a great opportunity for everyone to catch up with old friends, and of course, make new ones. The first reunion dinner/lunch is planned for January/February 2011. We have news that some KL-ites have expressed interest in joining us too for the happy occasion...bless Air Asia!

Please pass on this information to as many ex BB girls as possible so we can start the ball rolling as soon as possible. For more information, please email Jin Kar at jinkar@hotmail.com or Doreen at doreen.craig5726@o2.co.uk. If you are on Facebook, please send your message to Jin Kar Ong or Doreen Craig.

Let's make this happen so we can re-live the good old days of our beloved alma mater here in Europe!

Friday 15 October 2010

Blast from the Past

Moonlake, Joanna & Lu Meng proudly displaying the BBGS badge at Fort Canning Park

Last Saturday on 9 October 2010, four girls who grew up in the '80s trooped up a bukit (hill) to see some bintang (stars). And since three of us were from BBGS, we promptly declared it a mini-reunion! The three girls were Moonlake Lee, Tan Lu Meng (Jaclyn) and yours truly. The generation of 40-somethings who grew up in the era of giant shoulder pads and tacky plastic hoop earrings proudly congregated at Fort Canning Park in Singapore for a musical blast from the past.


Retrolicious Stars: Johnny Hates Jazz, Debbie Gibson & Rick Astley


We had so much fun singing and dancing to the tunes of Johnny Hates Jazz, Debbie Gibson and Rick Astley. I only recognized 2 songs from JHJ - "Shattered Dreams" and "Turn Back the Clock" - and judging by the response, so did the rest of the crowd.

Debbie Gibson's voice was as high-pitched squeaky as I remember but of all the entertainers that night, she was the one who REALLY connected with the audience. She is one hot mama, judging by the legs on display under her teeny sequinned skirt. She sang all her hits - "Shake Your Love", "Electric Youth", "Foolish Beat" and "Lost in Your Eyes" - but really brought the house down with her encore number "Dancing Queen" by ABBA.

Finally, Rick Astley, the love of my life in the 1980s, appeared on stage. Sigh...that man can still sing! He started with "Together Forever" before moving on to slower numbers to " allow a 44 year-old to catch his breath and bring down his heart rate". What a sense of humour! For me the highlight was when Rick sang "When I Fall in Love"...aaahhh....I would have swooned and fainted had not the crowds been packed so tight. He went on to parody his canoe-paddling dance moves in "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was hilarous. I LOVE YOU RICK ASTLEY!! I hope he heard me :-)

Finally at 12:30am, we trooped down the hill after five hours of standing and dancing on tired feet, which we all felt acutely the next day, declaring it a retrolicously brilliant night of entertainment.

(Photos courtesy of Moonlake Lee)

Thursday 7 October 2010

Time to Party like it's 1980s again!



Hi Girls,

I still remember the first cassette I bought in 1983 at my local pasar malam. It was Michael Jackson's "Beat It" - and that's the day I officially entered the 80's. Before that I was stuck in an endless loop of Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard and Beatles music from my parents' era :-)

Now, it's cool to be retro again so some of us BBGSians in Singapore will be at Fort Canning Park this Saturday 9 October to party with Rick Astley, Debbie Gibson and Johnny Hates Jazz at the RETROLICIOUS concert! A group of us will be meeting at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station at 6:30pm to walk to Fort Canning together.

Tickets can be purchased at http://www.sistic.com/ or from SISTIC agents. 10% discount for OCBC credit card holders.

Please contact Moonlake Lee at mlee@specialistdentalgroup.com if you'd like more details.

Come join us!

Never gonna give you up...never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you...
Together forever and never to part...together forever we two
And don't you know I would move heaven and earth...
To be together forever with you...

Thursday 5 August 2010

Catching up with Ong Jin Hui

Joanna catching up with Jin Hui and her family in Perth

Most of you know by now that one of my favourite things about travelling is the opportunity to catch up with friends who are scattered across the globe. Last week in Perth, I caught up with Ong Jin-Hui (Class of 1988), a BBGSian whom I haven't seen for 23 years! Jin Hui migrated to Perth in 1988, married Michael Ho and they have 3 beautiful children. Jin Hui graduated in Accountancy but her true passion lies in running marathons. Her lean frame is a testament to the many miles clocked around the beautiful parks and waterways of Perth. Her Facebook updates indicate that she runs regularly up to 26 kms a day. Way to go, girl!


3 smiley faces: Alessandra, Isaac and Lucas / Watch out, Lucas!

Jin's 3 children - Alessandra (10), Isaac (8) and Lucas (5) - are the friendliest funniest kids I've met in a long time. They were just so bubbly and hospitable that by the end of the evening, they had invited me to stay at their house for 2 weeks, and asked if they could spend the night in my hotel. Sweet Alessandra is clearly brilliant in school and strives to be the best in everything she does. Isaac, whom I think has the potential to be a handsome film star, is very perceptive and funny. When I said I loved to borrow other people's kids to have fun, he said "Oh, you mean like walking a dog?" LOL! Little Lucas is everyone's darling with a very sweet tooth. You should have seen him rummaging for lollies before dinner and how his face lit up when I offered to buy them ice cream for dessert.


Boys providing entertainment during dinner with their Karate Kid moves

The evening came to a lovely end with a nocturnal trip to King's Park to catch a view of Perth by night. It's a beautiful city made even more memorable with the presence of old (and new!) friends. Thank you Jin Hui, Michael and the kids for showing me your hometown. I'll be back...I promise!

Wednesday 28 July 2010

Tell us what you REALLY think

Dear Girls,

Thanks to Poh Ching Suan, we've just published a six-part series on the BBGS school rules book.

Now that you've had a chance to read them after all these years, tell us what you REALLY think. Did you take pride in its high standards and discipline? Or do you think it's overly strict? Perhaps, some of them appear ridiculously outdated and you wonder how we ever kept them? Have you passed any of these on to your children and how is that working out?

Would love to hear from you!

Cheers,
Joanna

Saturday 24 July 2010

School Rules - Part 6

Food
All food must be consumed outside the classrooms. Eating is only allowed during recess.

Litter
All litter must be disposed of in the proper containers provided. The school grounds, drains and flower pots must be kept clean of all litter.

Bags
Bags are not to be left lying about. During assembly, all bags must be in the hall.

Language
Bahasa Malaysia and English are the only languages to be spoken on school premises. Bad language is forbidden. On Wednesdays, Bahasa Malaysia is compulsory.

Traffic
  1. Cars must stop outside the school after 7.30 a.m. except when it rains.
  2. Cars must wait outside the school after 1.30 p.m. except when it rains.
  3. No buses are allowed into the school compound.
  4. Parking is not allowed in front or under the perch of the school.
  5. All pupils must enter the school through the pedestrian gate.
  6. Line up when boarding the school bus. No pushing.
  7. Obey the traffic warden when crossing roads.
Accidents
All accidents that occur in the school must be reported immediately to a member of the staff or a prefect.


All images courtesy of Poh Ching Suan (Class of 1985)

Friday 23 July 2010

School Rules - Part 5

Here are more delightful ditties from the School Rules Book...some of them sound as if they were written by Master Yoda himself :-)

Keep the compound clean
By throwing your rubbish into the bin

Rocking your chair, please cease
Or else, five cents please
Cups and bottles please return
This good habit you must learn

All images courtesy of Poh Ching Suan (Class of 1985)

Thursday 22 July 2010

School Rules - Part 4

Library
Time: Monday - Friday : 7.30 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.
Saturday : 8.00 a.m. - 12.45 p.m.
School Holidays : 8.00 a.m. - 12.45 p.m.

All library rules must be observed when using these facilities.

Rules for borrowing:
  1. All girls, except Upper Sixth formers, are allowed to borrow only ONE book at a time. Upper Sixth formers are allowed to borrow two books at a time.
  2. There can only be ONE renewal after a week. No immediate renewal of spotted books is allowed. Any renewal can only be made after a week.
  3. There will be a fine of 5 c per book/magazine per day late until the book is returned. There will also be a fine of $2 on red spot books due on Saturday but returned on Monday. All red spot books must be returned by 8.00 a.m. on the specified date. There will be a fine of 5 c per hour late until the book is returned.
  4. The loss or damage of books must be reported to the librarian immediately.
  5. Borrowers responsible for the loss or damage of books or magazines must pay for the repairs of replacements in addition to a fine.
  6. The following books are NOT to be taken out of the Library: Atlases, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and other books marked an 'R'.
  7. Books with any of the following faults must be reported to the librarian: books with loose or torn pages, books with missing pages, books with completed date due slips or cards, books without date due slips or cards
  8. Nothing must be written on the page of any book or magazine and nothing must be underlined. THIS IS A PUNISHABLE OFFENCE.
  9. Blue, green and red spot books are to be borrowed by teachers and Sixth formers only
  10. Only Fifth and Sixth formers and teachers are allowed to borrow magazines, ONE at a time. They are allowed to keep the magazine for a period of THREE days.
  11. A borrower's card is NOT transferable.
  12. No reserving of books or seats is allowed.
  13. PLEASE DO NOT TEAR PAGES OUT OF ANY BOOK OR MAGAZINE. LEARN TO BE CONSIDERATE.

Other rules:

  1. There must be NO talking or whispering in the Library.
  2. No eating is allowed in the Library.
  3. School bags, tupperware etc. must be left outside the library neatly.
  4. Anything taken out of the Library must be checked by the librarian on duty.
  5. Only teachers and Sixth formers are allowed to take their files into the Library. Sixth formers must leave these at the counter.
  6. No printed materials of any kind, except textbooks, are to be taken into the Library. If found, such materials will be confiscated.
  7. Anyone leaving the Library with a library book must have her borrower's card with her.
  8. No one will be admitted unless wearing school uniform and school badges. Girl Guides may come in their uniforms on Saturday.
  9. Book shelves must be tidy and books replaced according to call numbers after use.
  10. Magazines and periodicals must be replaced properly in their respective shelves after use.
  11. Chairs must be pushed in after use. THERE WILL BE A FINE OF 5 C FOR CHAIRS NOT PUSHED IN AFTER USE.
  12. There will be no leaning against the walls or sitting on the floor.
  13. Girls not taking a certain subject are allowed into the Library, but only with permission from their Form Mistress.
  14. Girls whose classes are given Library periods must come to the Library during the specified times. They are only allowed to borrow books for the first 30 minutes ONLY.
  15. Borrower's cards are sold on the first two days of the month only (please refer to the Library notice board for these dates) to girls who have lost their cards. New cards are priced at 50c each. Girls with completed cards may renew their cards during Library hours at 5c each.
  16. Magazine slips are sold on the first two days of the month to girls who have lost their magazine slips. New magazine slips are priced at 20c each. Girls with completed magazine slips may renew their magazine slips during Library hours, at 5c each.
  17. Each girl is allowed to use a maximum of two books & 2 magazines while working in the Library.

NOTE: Ignorance of these rules will not be accepted as an adequate excuse.


All images courtesy of Poh Ching Suan (Class of 1985)

Wednesday 21 July 2010

School Rules - Part 3

Are you enjoying this series on the School Rules? I most certainly AM! While some of the rules are good, some of them are downright funny - in this day and age. I've found myself bursting into laughter reading some of these pages. Here's a good one...


Pillars support the building
Not the feet when shoe-lacing,
Neither the head when resting
Nor the feet when standing

All images courtesy of Poh Ching Suan (Class of 1985)

Tuesday 20 July 2010

School Rules - Part 2

Uniform
The complete school unifrom must be worn at all times in the school. The school uniform must be worn at all school functions and games outside the school unless special permission is granted. Once the pupil is in school uniform, she is not to let down her hair, remove her badges and bows or wear other shoes besides her school shoes.

The following must be observed:
  1. correct colour
  2. unifrom - clean and ironed
  3. skirt - not more than 2" above the kness
  4. white blouse - not shirts, no pockets
  5. sleeves - not to be folded in or up
  6. proper buttons, no pins
  7. bows for 6th formers - 1/2" to 3/5" wide, 45" long
  8. shoes - white/brown/black (clean). At special functions only white shoes are to be worn by girls in Forms One to Five. Slippers or shoes with heels are not allowed. Black shoes and a maximum of 1 1/2" heel are allowed for 6th formers only. A fine of 5 cents is imposed on dirty shoes, 10 cents per shoe for 6th formers.
  9. white socks - clean, turned down ankle length
  10. a) long hair - tied up and tidy. If possible, hair must be plaited. No hair must touch the eyebrows b) short hair - well brushed and tidy. No hair must touch the eyebrows. No hair to touch shoulders. If it is shoulder length, it must be plaited.
  11. no fancy or coloured clips. Only black or white ribbons allowed.
  12. no jewellery except earrings and watches to be worn.
  13. Badges - Every pupil must possess 2 badges i.e. school badge & house badge to be worn at all times on the left hand side with the school badge above the house badge, not overlapping.
  14. nails - short and clean. No nail varnish. 6th formers are allowed long nails & colourless nail varnish
  15. Baju kurung to be worn only on Fridays. Slits in front must have a clasp, not a school badge.
All images courtesy of Poh Ching Suan (Class of 1985)

Monday 19 July 2010

School Rules - Part 1

Here's an image that is bound to send shivers down many a spine. Yes...it's the BBGS School Rules Book!


Strange creature that I am, this familiar green book sent me into spasms of delight because I used to memorise its contents, and have been hunting high and low for it since the blog began. Thanks to Poh Ching Suan (Class of 1985), this "ancient relic" is now available in digital format and will be shared on this blog as a series of posts.


Love it or hate it, we can't deny that it played a big part in how we chose to behave (or not!) during our BBGS years. Enjoy this trip down memory lane with me, as we journey through the yellowed pages of the BBGS School Rules book.



School Hours
Our school hours are as follows:-

Forms 1 & 2 1.20 p.m. - 6. 15 p.m.
Forms 3 - 6 7.30 a.m. -1.10 p.m.

All pupils should be in school at least 5 minutes before the bell.

Girls from Forms One & Two should try not to come to school too early as the older girls are still in session. All afternoon pupils must make their way straight to the Canteen/Hall where they will wait till their bell summons them.

No pupil is allowed to leave the school compound during school hours, including recess, without the permission of the Principal.

No pupil is allowed to absent herself from school without permission from the Principal. In case of illness or any emergency, a medical certificate or letter of explanation from either the pupil's parent or guardian must be produced as soon as possible.

The habit of asking permission to leave school in order to bid relations farewell/welcome is greatly deplored. Far too much time is wasted on this and pupils would be much better employed at school.

Silence
Silence must be observed:

a) during Assembly
b) in or near the office
c) in or near the Library
d) when moving from one class to another
e) on the stairs
f) once the bell rings at 7.30 a.m/1.20 p.m. and after recess


Discipline
  1. The highest code of behaviour is expected from every BBGS girl.
  2. Courtesy, sincerity and uprightness should characterise every pupil.
  3. Respect all teachers. Greet them and offer help whenever the opportunity arises.
  4. No pupil is allowed to participate in any outside activity without the permission of the Principal.
  5. No pupil is allowed to linger outside the classrooms or the hall when there is a class in session.
  6. Pupils are to line up as soon as the bell goes and wait for the teachers before entering the classrooms.
  7. No dashing along the corridors and up and down the stairs. Keep to the left when moving up or down the stairs and along corridors.
  8. All books, comics and magazines considered harmful will be confiscated.

Classrooms

  1. All classrooms must be kept clean.
  2. Flowers in the classroom must be fresh and well-arranged.
  3. All pictures should be changed at least once a term.
  4. Charts/diagrams/News items must be up-to-date.
  5. Desks & chairs must be straightened before school begins and during recess.
  6. Chairs must be used properly. No jigging of chairs is allowed
  7. The corridors immediately outside the classrooms must be kept clean by the pupils concerned
  8. Class cleanliness shields for both morning and afternoon sessions are presented weekly to the classes which are considered cleanest.
  9. No pupil may switch on any light or fan before recess in the morning without the teacher's permission. On leaving a classroom all lights and fans must be switched off.
  10. No pupil is allowed to write or draw on the blackboard without the teacher's permission.
  11. All pupils must vacate their classrooms during recess, before and after school and during physical education. No pupil is allowed upstairs during recess.

Hall
Pupils are not allowed to use the stage or the piano without permission. No entry to the hall during recess

Sick Room
The clinic is meant for those who are ILL. Anyone who wishes to use it must get the necessary form completed and signed by a teacher. Any girl found in the clinic without a form will be severely punished. No eating is allowed in the clinic.

Toilets
Every pupil is responsible for the cleanliness of the toilets. Only use the toilet allotted to your class. Report any damage to the office immediately.

Posters
All posters on the notice boards must bear the signature of the Principal. All out-dated posters must be removed.

Canteen
  1. The canteen must be kept clean at all times.
  2. Line up for food. No pushing.
  3. Don't eat behind the canteen.
  4. All bottles and cups must be returned to the counter.
  5. No rubbish is to be left on the tables.
  6. Pupils who stay back after school are not to make noise in the canteen.
  7. Pupils are not to linger in the canteen when the bell rings after recess

Sunday 11 July 2010

Happy Birthday Miss Chua!

I just received a delightful email from Betsy Li that I can't wait to share with you. Remember our beloved Miss Chua? She served BBGS faithfully for many years as a lab assistant, accounts clerk, CU Camp kitchen coordinator (P/S: She was the master cook responsible for the delicious nasi lemak we enjoyed annually!)

Miss Chua Saw Eng turned 80 recently and a celebration dinner was held at Overseas Restaurant on 3 July 2010. Here are some photos of the special day that was celebrated in the company of many BBGS teachers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS CHUA!


Sunday 23 May 2010

Greetings from Singapore



Eleven fellow migrants to Singapore sharing a common BBGS heritage came together this weekend. In addition to the Singapore residents, we also had visitors join us from KL and Melbourne.


Over glasses of sparkling wine and apple tea, girls ranging from Class of 1983 to Class of 1992, quickly got down to the business of introducing each other and sharing our favourite BBGS stories. It didn't take long for us to discover many interesting professions and subject matter experts including insurance, financial planning, dental, occupational therapy, jewellery and interior design and plastic surgery - which incidentally got the longest airtime (wonder why?)

Let's meet some of the ladies shall we?


Van Kit Meng and Poesy Liang

Van Kit Meng has settled in Singapore for over 20 years, having come across the causeway to study at the National University of Singapore. Her family has recently re-located back to the island state from the Middle East. She even remembers me clinging to my mother's skirt during her days in primary school so to honour that amazing memory, I called my mom in the middle of dinner and had Kit chat with her!

Poesy Liang travelled all the way from KL to join us. She had us in stitches with stories of her escapades in school such as spending hours at the Royal Selangor Golf Club instead of attending geography class, and missing her Home Science exam. She vividly recounts the tale of making up for the exam by cooking char koay teow - "I remembered to add the si ham last!"


Moonlake Lee and Mrs Chew Hai Hong

Moonlake (and her sister Tinkerbell) had the most well-remembered names in BBGS, thanks to her hippie parents. After living in US and Canada for almost 15 years, she's been in Singapore now for over 6 years and is part of the management team for her husband's multi-specialty dental practice in Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

We also had the privilege of catching up with Mrs Chew Hai Hong, who taught Modern Maths and chemistry. Mrs Chew, whom we affectionately called Mrs Chew Ha Ha because the amount of laughter that emanated from her classes, took early retirement from BBGS to travel with her husband to Abu Dhabi and Singapore. Her principal occupation nowadays is looking after her 3-year old grandson.


CLASS OF 1987 (Seated L-R) Seto Wai Ling, Tan Lu Meng (Standing L-R) Joanna Yeoh, Loh Yee Git, Chang Wei Fun

The Class of 1987 was the most well-represented at the gathering. Apart from myself, the other guests included:

Seto Wai Ling, who flew in from Melbourne to join. She describes herself as a "professional student" and is currently pursuing postgraduate studies in Japanese

Tan Lu Meng (Jaclyn) is an occupational therapist with her own private practice. She's lived in Singapore for over 17 years and never fails to amuse us with her stories of the infamous 3C1 vs 3K hockey game and Puan Naaimah impersonations.

Loh Yee Git (Jean) just moved back to Singapore from KL and manages regional Marketing Communications for a telco. She remembers being very quiet and shy in school and only broke out of that mould when she went to college in the US.

Change Wei Fun (Patricia) is a qualified actuarist (thanks to career advice from Miss Yeap!) and Financial Controller of a major insurance company in Singapore. She joined BBGS from Kuen Cheng and remembers being baffled about why BBGS school rules were so strict and couldn't understand why the girls were more interested in Bible Knowledge instead of Hong Kong Cantonese serials?


CLASS OF 1988 (L-R): Audra Khoo, Jeanette Poon and her daughter Jasmine

The Class of 1988 was represented by:

Audra Khoo, who's best remembered in BBGS for flouting all rules with regards to hair length, colour and school uniform, turns out to be a beautiful glamorous fashionista (of course!) We had a good time laughing over the number of offence slips she used to get from me :-)

Jeannette Poon, who brought along her daughter Jasmine, is a qualified nurse who currently works with one of the top aesthetic (i.e. plastic) surgeons in Singapore. Of course, she gave plenty of advice about botox, liposuction and face lifts....not that any of us need it but we'll keep her phone number...just in case!

All in all, it was a FANTASTIC reunion which lasted till 1 am for some of us. We can't wait to get together for the next one...KL Hokkien Mee at Big Eater Simpang Bedok anyone?

Saturday 1 May 2010

Back2BBGS @ SG


Calling all BBGSians...it's party time in Singapore!!!*

So many of us have migrated to Singapore that it's time to come together for a reunion. It's time someone gave those RGS and CHIJ girls a run for their money :-)

You're invited to fun-filled evening guaranteed to turn sophisticated women into shrieking teenagers the moment we see long-lost friends.

Date: Saturday, 22 May 2010
Time: 5:00pm - 8:00pm (or later for those of us who want to party on)
Venue: Cappadocia Cafe Restaurant - Hotel Rendezvous
Activities: Catching up and chilling out
Cost: SGD70 (estimated price includes 3 course dinner + 1 glass of bubbly)

The restaurant serves excellent Turkish cuisine (halal) but we'll make sure that there's champagne to start the evening.

You may contact Joanna Yeoh at joannayeoh@gmail.com or visit our Facebook event page to RSVP. Please reply by 10 May so that we can confirm bookings.

SEE YOU THERE!!!*

* I know Mrs Abraham said we should only use one exclamation mark at the end of a sentence but I can't help it, I'm so EXCITED!!!

Monday 26 April 2010

Candle 37: A Song to Sing

I received a delightful gift in my inbox this morning from Carolyn Joan Lau (Class of 1981), which she'd like to share with all BBGSians. Carolyn is a landscape designer based in KL, who found a pre-Independence songbook that was used by schoolkids in colonial Malaya, containing the origins of our beloved School Song. Curious to find out more..read on! Thanks for sharing, Carolyn...


Dear Joanna

Here is something to add to the Back2BBGS blog, more so for you younger ones. (Joanna says: Thanks for the compliment, Carolyn. It's been ages since anyone described me as young!)

I found this old song book in an old Ipoh junk shop. The cover is as old as my generation - hope we're weathering better than this book!

There are so many odd songs in it that us older girls used to sing in primary school - with Mrs Singham at the piano (Pri 1) - that we can never shake out of our heads. School concerts were such a blast - done properly - and so much fun.

More importantly, do note that our school song was adapted from "Land of Our Birth" (words by Rudyard Kipling). Many schoolkids in the Federation of Malaya, and later Malaysia were singing this!



Wednesday 7 April 2010

Candle 36: Allyn Rabiah Seddek




Another BBGSian in the news...and why not? This time, it's Allyn Rabiah Seddek (Class of 1987) who was featured recently as a successful entrepreneur running a Thai Restaurant and premium gifts business. We were from the same graduating year, and she playfully asked me if I remembered her as the "naughty one". I most certainly do, and congratulations girl...way to go!

Sands of Time

I've been researching BBGS history for many years and would just like to clear the misconception that we're the oldest school in Malaysia. We're NOT. The chronological order for the founding of premier Malaysian schools is:

Penang Free School - 1815

St Xavier's Institution, Penang - 1825
(which my father attended)

Treacher Methodist Girls' School, Taiping - 1889
(which Miss Yeap Gaik Khoon and my grandmother attended!)

Bukit Bintang Girls' School, KL - 1893
(which my mother, my sister and I attended)

Victoria Institution, KL - 1893

Methodist Girls' School, KL - 1896

Methodist Boys' School, KL - 1897

Convent Bukit Nanas, KL - 1899

St John's Institution, KL - 1904


...but that still makes us the oldest girls' school in Selangor :-)

Friday 2 April 2010

I Bet That BBGS and SBU can get 10000 fans before any school

Score as of Tue 6 April 2010, 5:00pm

BBGS/SBU 3734
CBN 3288
St John's 3085
VI 3296

GO...GO...GO!!!

=========================
Dear Friends,

Something strange has been happening on Facebook in the last week. I've been seeing friends pledge loyalty to their schools en masse: CBN, St John's, VI, BBGS/SBU

Curiosity got the better of me today and I looked up the Facebook Fan site after receiving my 5th invitation. And I was immediately hooked! How can we resist the temptation of showing CBNers that the rivalry is alive and kicking.

So go to --> I Bet That BBGS and SBU can get 10000 fans before any school

BBGS DYNAMITE DON"T PLAY WITH DYNAMITE...YAY...YAY...YAY!

Love,
Joanna

Tuesday 9 February 2010

First generation Malaysian

My parents and I had the pleasure of spending last Christmas with Juwita Suwito and her mother. Our lovely Malaysian songstress (and ex-BBGSian of course!) was gracious enough to accept an invitation to sing at my parents' church in Penang. We were all totally WOWed by the power and melodious subtleties of her voice...amazing!! If you ever get a chance to hear Juwita sing...please GO!

I happily volunteered to sell her CDs and they were all gone in a matter of minutes. Says more about the singer than the seller, I'm sure ;-)

Juwita was recently featured in The Nut Graph and you're welcome to read her story here:

First Generation Malaysian

You go girl...we're so proud of you!