I and Vun Thien Ngan became buddies after we got acquainted in National Overseas Chinese University, Luzhou, Taipei, in 1966. We were there doing our pre-university course. He came from Sabah, a Hakka-speaking province in East Malaysia. Since I am also a Hakka, we mixed well as we spoke the same dialect. Later, I was enrolled into National Taiwan University and he got into 師範大學（Shi Fan University）
Nevertheless, we used to get together every now and then and hang out during weekends. Somehow we had the common interests in swimming and dancing. Getting our bodies to move in motion was one part of our college life. I joined the NTU’s swimming club as a member and the pool was just a walking distance from my dormitory. We also made frequent trips to other public swimming pools in Taipei during the summer holidays. That’s where we could meet up beautiful girls from other colleges and universities.
We loved dancing so much that we even enrolled ourselves in a dancing school to learn Cha Cha, Rumba, Jive, Quickstep and Tango. We found that if we knew how to dance Waltz and Foxtrot only, then some smart guys would come and invite our dancing partners when the music changed to Cha Cha, Rumba, Jive, Quickstep or Tango. We felt miserable and frustrated sitting there watching our beautiful partners dancing with "strangers in the night". Once we mastered the skill of these dances, then it’s our turn for "changing partners".
I don’t know about Thien Ngan who has settled down in Sydney, Australia for years, but I have stopped dancing for quite some time. I and my wife danced only once a year when we attended the New Year Eve Party. As for swimming, I am still able to swim Breaststroke for 20 laps whenever I get into the pool. I like it because my whole body is in motion when I swim.
I also like to sing the oldies whenever I have the chance to go karaoke or attending a wedding dinner in Segamat. My childhood friend, Tan Jing Ming, sounded to me that one day we must gather again and sing the old songs we used to listen in my late father’s shop, Bakauwali Tailor, in Kuala Lipis.
Here are Johnny Tillotson’s lyrics of Poetry In Motion. I hope you sing along:
When I see my baby
Nevertheless, we used to get together every now and then and hang out during weekends. Somehow we had the common interests in swimming and dancing. Getting our bodies to move in motion was one part of our college life. I joined the NTU’s swimming club as a member and the pool was just a walking distance from my dormitory. We also made frequent trips to other public swimming pools in Taipei during the summer holidays. That’s where we could meet up beautiful girls from other colleges and universities.
We loved dancing so much that we even enrolled ourselves in a dancing school to learn Cha Cha, Rumba, Jive, Quickstep and Tango. We found that if we knew how to dance Waltz and Foxtrot only, then some smart guys would come and invite our dancing partners when the music changed to Cha Cha, Rumba, Jive, Quickstep or Tango. We felt miserable and frustrated sitting there watching our beautiful partners dancing with "strangers in the night". Once we mastered the skill of these dances, then it’s our turn for "changing partners".
I don’t know about Thien Ngan who has settled down in Sydney, Australia for years, but I have stopped dancing for quite some time. I and my wife danced only once a year when we attended the New Year Eve Party. As for swimming, I am still able to swim Breaststroke for 20 laps whenever I get into the pool. I like it because my whole body is in motion when I swim.
I also like to sing the oldies whenever I have the chance to go karaoke or attending a wedding dinner in Segamat. My childhood friend, Tan Jing Ming, sounded to me that one day we must gather again and sing the old songs we used to listen in my late father’s shop, Bakauwali Tailor, in Kuala Lipis.
Here are Johnny Tillotson’s lyrics of Poetry In Motion. I hope you sing along:
When I see my baby
What do I see
Poetry
Poetry in motion
Poetry in motion
Walkin' by my side
Her lovely locomotion
Keeps my eyes open wide
Poetry in motion
See her gentle sway
A wave out on the ocean
Could never move that way
I love every movement
And there's nothing I would change
She doesn't need improvement
She's much too nice to rearrange
Poetry in motion
Dancing close to me
A flower of devotion
A swaying gracefully
Whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whooooooooa
Poetry in motion
See her gentle sway
A wave out on the ocean
Could never move that way
I love every movement
There's nothing I would change
She doesn't need improvement
She's much too nice to rearrange
Poetry in motion
All that I adore
No number-nine love potion
Could make me love her more
Whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRS38qBplH4 to watch and listen to Johnny Tillotson sing "Poetry In Motion' on YouTube.
Click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRS38qBplH4 to watch and listen to Johnny Tillotson sing "Poetry In Motion' on YouTube.
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2 comments:
Thanks and it is very interesting, especially, those university life when we were in Taiwan.
The name of my university in English is National Taiwan Normal University.
I am still hoping to go back to visit Taiwan one day.
It's good to bring back old golden memories. I see u had a wonderful time during Varsity days in Taiwan. Your former college mate David Vun even write on ur blog. It's great to have contact with a long lost friend. Regretably, our old school mates and friends are not intersted in blogging and we don't have any contacts with them. I have emailed to some of them but regretably received no reply. U are the only one still in contact. So keep it up old friend. There's nothing more excruciating in life than seeing an old friend after an absence of many years. We're not getting any younger, u know. Old friends are like golden oldies. They bring back "Yesterday Once More" and set " Poetry in Motion" in our hearts. Last month I met Helen Lai of Cross Street. She was with her husband just back from Australia. I had a nice chart with her. I asked about her brother Sow Ha who was my classmate. Sow Ha is now in Melbourne. In Lipis, my only breakfast old time buddy is Koh Tek Yee. We always talk about old times and our collection of old songs and movies. Now " Whose that walking Down the Street?" - Cliff R. "I Saw Her Standing THere"
Beatles." " She Loves U, yeah, yeah,yeah.
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