Da Blogs Da Thang: Picture Daze #1

Picture Daze #1

Published Saturday, August 27, 2005 by lecram sinun | E-mail this post

Went through a bunch of photographs tonight. Most I haven't seen in years. Thought I'd scan some and post them just to scare the beejeebers out of those of you visiting this blog. It may just end up becoming a weekly feature... only because I'm a sadist.

Yup, this is yours truly as a baby. I think I was about 4 months old (pre-polio), but already planning to conquer the world. This is evidenced by the intense stare that could hypnotize millions.

I think I had the average cute quotient as a baby. I'd like to think I'm a lot cuter now... but I keep that under wraps just to avoid being tar and feathered.

Ahhh... the class photograph from Primary School (elementary). I was in Standard 2 (thats 2nd grade for you Americans) at St. John's Primary School. Just try to find me. My friend Jonathan Muhuideen (who now lives in Oakland) is also in this pic looking pretty damn pissed off. When I met him in June this year, I was assured by Jonathan, as he wielded a sharp cutting instrument, that he's over it.

Then there was the big move across the street to St. John's Institution. This was the class photograph in Form 2 ( 8th grade for you Americans.)

Notice if you will, the absence of a teacher. I think we killed him the week before. Just ask Kien & Vert who are also in the pic with me. (Try to find us in this one.) No one copped to it as we all pointed the finger at Jonathan who was still pissed off from Primary school.

This picture caught the formation of KISMANTAB - the greatest rock group that never was. Did tons of recording but their albums are so rare that rock luminaries such as Jimmy Page and Robert Fripp are not looking for them. Rumor is their cover art made Roger Dean cream in his pants- but this is only a rumor... and a bad one at that. Among their critically acclaimed songs - "Close The Door Behind You" and the oh so forgettable "Kueh Kohchi, Kopi Oh, Papadam," a heart stopping ballad that swept the ocean.

MAN, TAB & KIS slyly used a school excursion to Pulau Ketam (Crab Island) in order to scout out venues for their world tour. They shunned the big stadium venues and preferred bringing their music where the "real" people were ... and where they could get good crab for cheap.

This Mega Tour was going to be the first of it's kind. The lineup included the top acts of the day such as Yes, Santana, Led Zeppelin and The Partridge Family. (TAB really wanted to score with Laurie - MAN was hot for Shirley - KIS was in love with his own Fender bass)

Unfortunately music fans were deprived of this once in a lifetime experience as the other groups had never even heard about the Mega Tour or KISMANTAB. That was their loss... and a loss to the world.

The boys would have walked into the sunset... but it was 10 in the morning. They decided instead to pool their money together and drowned their sorrows in a hefty feed of Rava Ghee Dosai and Kopi Peng.

They eventually went their separate ways only to be reunited 30 years later via the Internet. "What about the Mega Tour?" you may ask. Let me put it this way - could the Beatles ever reunite? Enough said.

FOR WHO IS WO IN THE PICS... CLICK HERE.

If this wasn't scary enough... click on the pics for bigger versions.

Labels: Picture Daze

14 Responses to “Picture Daze #1”

Anonymous on August 28, 2005 7:07 AM

Geez! My early years are a black out! I remember the class photo as I've one too, but the others.....
We did so much and I remember so little. Part of my brain is definitely gone. But ta for the pix. Yes, we were once young!
Oh, I was busking in Piccadilly last week and I thought I recognized someone, so called his name. It was Vincent Koh! I've his details and will pass it ta ya. He asked about ya. He had his wife and daughter in tow.
lecram sinun on August 28, 2005 9:09 AM

Cool that you ran into Vincent!! Last I saw him was my last trip home. Yeah, send me his details! Cool! Tell Vert wjhat is up on my blog and get him blogging again. Cheers!
aughra on August 28, 2005 4:39 PM

So, have a bunch of you Malaysians moved to the US? When did you get here?
Mustang on August 28, 2005 4:39 PM

Hey...cute baby photo..who would have known?

M
lecram sinun on August 28, 2005 6:44 PM

mustang -
:) I know. I'm still trying to figure out what happened.

aughra -
of the 3 stooges, i'm the only one here. The other two reside and workb across the pond in London. All of us left Malaysia to "follow our bliss" in the late 70's and early 80's. Vert works with computers. Kien is a musician who has worked with the likes of Dave Stewart among others. I am a lowly playwright... or will be again soon.
vertebrate on August 29, 2005 12:50 AM

Yikes. Such fresh-looking kids. Makes me think of the preamble to a horror film, where they show B&W photos of people innocent times, then show where they are today, then go on to show you exactly why you shouldn't go enquiring into why you shouldn't open that odd puzzle box sitting on top of the sarcophagus in the secluded log cabin at the north end of the graveyard.
lecram sinun on August 29, 2005 8:26 AM

Vert!
Good to see you back! Hopefully you'll get back to blogging... even if it is once a week!

Cheers!
lecram sinun on August 29, 2005 9:00 AM

it was the first letter of our names... except for Kien's TAB. I think that one came from some CIA code.
Lelly on August 30, 2005 11:35 AM

I love these pics and story, cuz! not that i recognise you in ant of 'em (and i assume you're in all)but then i haven't seen you for 37 years or so! Tell me which is you/kien/vert...and is Richard Lau there? St John's pic, front row second from left looks a bit like him??
Tiger on August 31, 2005 12:04 PM

...hmmm, (the human verification thing seems to be buggering my note leaving attempts up. I swear I'm a person! :))

...trying this again & hoping it doesn't double post--that I had a dyslexic moment (as I am known to do on occasion) & typed the letters jumbled--or something.

Now what did I say in my previous note attempt?
Fun pics & stories. :) & thanks for visiting...
Tiger on August 31, 2005 12:07 PM

...ah... much better. :)

I totally get the need for those things--but for some reason they make me a bit nervous... must be something to do with my tendency toward anxiety/panic/OCD.

At least this format doesn't use some super morphed version barely resembling the alphabet (like Yahoo uses--man--I go cross-eyed then! :)
Anonymous on September 12, 2005 10:56 PM

Oi Oi Oi..this is the aforementioned vincent koh and I thought it was leicester square, not piccadily.

Some pretty good photos here man. Thankfully i'm not in any of them and i'm sure we can come to some (financial?) arrangement so that i stay out of them.

And who's this lelly who looks for richard lau in old photos?
lecram sinun on September 13, 2005 10:22 PM

Vince, good to hear from you. you should signup for a blog too, dude. Or I could arrange for your pics to appear. :)

lelly is my cuz in england who I have not seen in 37 years.
KFarmer on September 26, 2005 8:41 AM

now that has got to be one of the cutest baby pictures ever- black and white photos are my fav. enjoyed reading your adventures.