The National Champion

 Union is strength.

Such is the strength of this choir.

I see it grow from strength to strength way back a decade ago.

From a small gathering of enthusiasts it grew in leaps and bounds; a group that lured like minds - the great minds. Great minds surely think alike and ultimately the good attracts the good.

They concur that Rome was not built in a day; the choir never did. It took years of toil and labour before the fruit of success was reaped. They were into musical productions; Grease, Mama Mia, Footloose and the training did them wonders.

More haste less speed; they heeded that and so their slow and steady game won the race.

They poured  in sacrifices, time, money and were determined to make things work for surely when the going get tough, the tough get going. The team was unique and good factors paved the way for sweet success. Good things definitely come to those who wait patiently and who strive relentlessly. 

Perhaps worth mentioning are the parents. They are supportive, sporting and steady in allowing them to practice irregardless of time and day chauffeuring them like nobody's business. Such is also a factor of victory; for they understood that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and their children cannot afford to be that link. 

 Congratulations boys and girls.

The Seafield League.

They are fighters right from young; Praveena. Haziq, Vanessa and Shakir. They never do things by halves as they poured in their souls for the cup. Good job. They say little boys should be seen but not heard; but such is not true of Shakir. He is the vocal one and is also the one who informs me of the well-being of the choir. When they were announced the Champion, he had to be heard ! Messages came in and I am grateful and delighted to hear from him. He is a good boy. I know he will grow up to be a fine young man and do his mother proud. 

The Seafield Choir is one to be envied and their success story is a well-deserved one. They have done their school proud in tandem with it being the niche area of the Cluster School Status.

Kudos ever.

It's Time Again

 01.04.14

It's no fool's day.

It's the birthday and the retirement day; an auspicious one.

Yes, another of Seafield's iconic figure is leaving the gates of the school; a mandatory call.

Dear Datin Zaleha Bt Abu Hasan has called it a day.

But do not think she is resting on her laurels.

Life has just begun.

 Seafield holds its tradition well. The day was conducted flawlessly and everyone's role well spelled out. You only need that one who cares deeply and the event will be remembered forever.

 Dear Principal says it's her privilege to work with young minds as they keep her young and gungho. So, she's ever willing to learn, unlearn and relearn. She spoke of her life experiences and expectations and how she loved to inspire all who come along her way. A warm, sincere and loving lady, she has brought much joy and hope to many. Her 34 years of service in many governmental departments has benefited thousands and her knowledge and skills encouraged many to scale heights of achievement. You are encouraged and want to achieve under her coaxing.

Good people get the best blessings. She is the privileged one to get the honour of being appreciated by so many today. Many heads of department, principals, the PTA board, teachers, retired friends, the Alumni, students and parents congregated here today to bid her goodbye and pour out their well wishes profusely. She is indeed well-loved.

 She has become more than a boss to me. She is a friend, mentor, motivator and you work hard because it's difficult to disappoint her. Her gracious disposition causes one to want to perform and do well under her instruction. Her energy level is inspiring and she always has new ways and ideas along the path. She has taught me not to fear of the unknown like what she did to the school's attempt to achieve the Cluster school status. Brave like a lion, she will zoom into any idea that will bring good to the school; not allowing anything lesser to happen. She spots the mistake well and corrects fast.

 It has been my life's privilege to be under her tutelage.

The best boss is one who trusts you and allows you to judge and execute.

 I must say she gave me that so that's why it was enjoyable working under her.

The best boss.

 This is so inevitable. Heart- wrenching that she has to leave and everyone cried. I left the scene earlier for this would be too much for me to handle. See Encik Rahim in pink? He sobbed like a baby as he has been under her as a student,  teacher and administrator. The new assistant in Pn Teo is obviously the best choice. Both mentor and mentee have to say that final goodbye.

There, that's a good way to smile and leave. 

The privileged lady has to exit the gates of the school in grandeur.

Goodbye Datin Zaleha... but they know she would be back soon.

Enjoy your days to come and may they be filled with good health and happiness.

Seafield says goodbye to another iconic figure.

She is losing too many these days.

God Bless Seafield.

The Lost Voices

 Someone informed me of the performance by the choir.

I must go and support them; they brought a lot of pride and joy to my life while I served in Seafield.

 Entitled The Lost Voices, I wondered at the choreography and the choice of renditions.

Why the lost voices? It sounded so old and traditional.

 I was wrong.

Though the renditions were 'ancient' it was a collection of popular folk music from all over Asia.

Serious. All over Asia. They sang in Korean, Japanese, Malay, Indonesian and even  Mongolian and Hokkien too. So versatile and catchy. The choir has grown in maturity; leaps and bounds.

 Susanah, the choir coach shared from her heart on how much the team has grown. It was a good 12 years ago when she first managed the team; then a small and untrained one. The members were groomed into singing in unison for patriotic and performance renditions. Though they seemed to dread the slow, patriotic ones  in the beginning, they soon learnt that it was part and parcel of the game. You need to enter local competitions to grow famous. Most local competitions make patriotic renditions a must.

In between mastering them, the choir was also trained to participate in the international scene just as how they performed in Germany and Thailand previously. They robed in tunes that catch the spirits and hearts of the hearers. You get uplifted being with them.
Last evening was again a repeat of their voices. They entertained the guests perfectly in their varied submissions of songs never heard for a long while.

 One such rendition was a Japanese folk song first taught to them when they performed in Thailand last March by Masashi Kishimoto of Rangsit University. I remembered hearing it for the first time too and was impressed by how quick the children caught the tune.

 Listen to them singing the Japanese tune.

It was then followed by many other tunes like Bangawan Solo, Suriram and a "tok tok" song organised  by a famous choreographer just for them. "Tok tok" was a challenging one to deliver and Susanah was sure proud of her protege. They made her happy.

 Kaevin, the up and coming bright star did it in Korean; one which brought the audience to their feet.

 The old timer; Imran who stands by the choir through its ups and downs delivered his "My Way" in his ever popular voice. He has lost quite a bit of weight. It was nostalgic looking at him.

Of course Ryan with his guitar skills added much hue to the evening. He has a heart for music and the ever supportive mother makes sure he is given the best of chances and groomed to the maximum. He is a lucky boy. He played so professionally.

The 2 hour performance ended in a medley of local tunes including this Hokkien one. 

Listen to them.

They were so lively and entertaining. The good attracts the good. May the team continue to grow and be a blessing to all around them.

Thank you for the evening. May the coming trip to Brisbane be one that will again add another feather to their cap. Hopefully, the Australians will receive another awesome performance and it will be another unforgettable, historical event.

All the best, children.

I miss you.

My Pride

 You see, you are bound to meet them somewhere.

My protege from Seafield.

This is Ms Neerosha.

Guess what. She did her form six studies in Seafield. Today she reported here as a trainee for her TESL degree. So today teacher met student and they become colleagues.She has chosen the road less taken by being a teacher; a vocation avoided by many. So she is brave and is starting a career that helps the community. May she find the path rewarding and fulfilling. Really, the vocation will add colours and heartaches to her life. But rest assured she will hold a legacy that will only be hers alone. Have a good journey, girl. May the best stay with you.

 

Meet my ex head of Seafield; Ryui Bynn. Today he came to see me about another good venture. He is into motivation and training for the young and brave at heart. Am I glad to see him into a career that will help many youths in life's journey. An exemplary student himself, he has always been known as a polite and obliging child in his school days.Many are touched by his generous spirit and ever willingness to help in times of crisis and needs. We were not wrong to judge him as one with a meaningful future. Today his visit to the school has confirmed our gauge of him.

I look with pride at him. Today he talked with my counselor on programmes that will boost up the leaders of the school.He is out to help many as has always been his forte and passion. So I will see him in action soon. Isn't it most rewarding to see your protege like this ?

This is the meaning we hold and keep close to our heart; so glad to see them developing into individuals that will add value to society.

Proud of you, my children.

The Future Leaders

 The winners.

They were established winners even in their school days. The school is really a ground for talent hunt as individuals develop their potential in all aspects; personality, academics, co-curricular activities and the list is infinite.I guess the most important is to win friendship and develop social skills that will mould your future.

It's hard to be successful without the support of your peers.

Today I cannot help but associate some students who have winning streaks in their walk so far.

This one has always been known as a song bird.

She has a sweet and mesmerizing voice that will tug your heart and the melody she creates is the taste of today. Here she is seen competing in "Soul To Shine' a couple of years ago and of course she won a prize.With her ukelele she sang to the hearts of the judges and audience. She loves to perform on special occasions too; like the Leo and Interact Nights and Prom night too. At all times, she will cause her listeners to applaud and want more. So, the school in her gesture to allow potentials to develop did not know that May Yean will one make a name for herself in the country.

As I follow her in the social media, I am not surprised that she won a bronze medal last weekend in 

"The Rising Star" grand finals under the eye of Yuna; the coveted one.

Mayean doesn't only sing; I can assure you. She is bright academically and even as the assistant head girl, she outshone many in her duties and her pleasant disposition is her golden trademark.

Surely, everyone is proud of her.

Well done May Yean.

This one surprises everyone non-stop.

Within a couple of months of his stay in London, this head boy has already made his existence felt and known by many through his outstanding performance in LSE. It's great to be young; it's greater to be able to adapt and respond positively in a new environment so effortlessly. I marvel at his adaptability for I have known of many who were crushed under such circumstances; being away from home and comfort. His positive outlook has been detected from his school days. Always having some surprises up his sleeves; his quick thinking skills have found him in winning positions most of the time. Never a quiet moment from him.

So, even in LSE he fights all the time.

After many rounds of scrutiny and tests, he made it as one of the only 3 selected candidates in an investment search for talent. He, I guess will be under the tutelage of the Equities Analyst Investment Funds Unit in LSE making decisions for tons of monetary ventures. He will be an added advantage to the unit.

Well, his stories have yet to be added and he indeed is inspiring to many back home especially among the Seafieldians; both students and teachers.

 Back home everyone is watching for the next conquest.

Indeed, we are proud of May Yean and Kaelan.

The Bright One

 We spotted him in his early years in school; he played an effective role as a leader in the lower forms and led the prefects to a new level of management. He was a good team player and was able to get many to work along with him.

 Kaelan Ong Wei Ern was given the Principal's special award before he left his Alma Mater;

 an indication of his potential as a future leader.

 As the president of the Interact Club he conducted many projects of labour of love; including this task of cheering up the children's ward in the Sungai Buluh Hospital.

 With the teacher-in charge, Kaelan painted a good name for his Alma Mater and his early involvement in such social commitment helps to lay a bold foundation for his future endeavours.

 Despite being heavily involved in co-curricular activities, he made it to one of the top 10 achievers in the SPM exam; earning him a scholarship with the securities commission.

 The strong and loving support of his parents and siblings added much moral strength and hiked up his confidence. 

This is indeed an exemplary family.

Today, I heard he has again made it with his 4As in his A levels and so he has earned a place in the coveted institution - London School of Economics. I am sure he is going to make waves there again.

So, Kaelan may you continue to excel in whatever you do and bring pride to your family. country and Alma Mater.

May you also continue to labour in love for the less fortunate and stay humble as you savour in the successes of life. 

Take care and all the best in your future endeavours.