To see Chao Wee’s face light up every time we came across a memory was really heart-warming. There were moments when it was impossible to wipe the smile from his face – he would just beam from ear to ear. I captured these moments in time – this brief history neither extensive nor complete but rather pieced together as we went along. This is just my chance to say ‘Thanks Chao Wee for the Memories’.Ipoh
I’ll begin the stroll through ‘memory lane’ with Ipoh – the birthplace of Chao Wee.
His ancestors immigrated to this city in Malaysia from Guangzhou, China many moons ago - I’m just not sure how many. The 1st house he lived in was a 1-story attached dwelling. He has no memory of this home as the family (mom, dad, 2 sisters and Chao Wee) moved to a 2-story house on Jalan Chew Peng Loon, 
a few streets away when he was just a ‘wee’ 2 years old. However, we did chance upon the neighbors 
from the first home. They welcomed us inside and while Chao Wee’s mom spent time catching up on news, Chao Wee, his sister, Siew Ching and I spent time poking around the house and neighbourhood.The inside of this house is a museum unto itself from the 1970’s,
almost identical to the furnishings that Chao Wee remembers from his childhood. There is the rotary phone, (and you think 
I am archaic) the electrical/fuse/utility box, the chairs with the exact same fabric and design, the bathroom, the layout and placement of the rooms 
(same as the main level in the 2-story), the large kitchen, the cement flooring (smooth, shiny and cool to the touch – a standard feature in tropical climates) and various sundry items, such as the covers for food to keep the insects away.
Then we explored the surrounding area of the 2-story house the family lived in. The bougainvillea bush that Chao Wee distinctly remembers in his yard is no long
er there. 
There is, however, the alleyway where he spent hours honing his badminton skills. And the nearby park where he played on the swings,
the cement barrels and ‘rocket’ climbing bars with his buddies.When he wasn’t out roaming the neighborhood, he attended the all boys elementary school, S.R.J.K. (C) Sam Tet.
Not much has changed with the school 
except the basketball court is now covered and the entrance to the 
school is from a different street. There is still the same cafeteria with, I am guessing
, the same mediocre food and the same dress code and hair code. As you can see, Chao Wee abides by the hair code even to this day.To get to school Chao Wee rode the school bus – identical to the one in the picture. He bought his school supplies from a nearby stationary store, which still carries items that Chao Wee used as a youngster. This store is next to the first KFC in Ipoh – where Chao Wee acquired his taste for ‘fast food’.
Speaking of schools, we visited th
e all girls school, Ave Maria Convent, 
where both his mom and sisters attended – complete with the swimming pool where they all learned to swim. School was in session and some of the classrooms of girls were busy reciting their lessons, with a few being distracted by our presence. And yes - all dressed in the same uniform and abiding by a strict hair code as well.Chao Wee remembers all the sights and sounds of Ipoh and was excited pointing them out as we drove by.
There was the crossing of the river and bridge to Old Town,
the local Theatre (still standing today but the building now houses a store),
a trip to the clock tower,(the time now frozen at 8:50), a few circles around the town fountain,
the original buses and the drive a few kilometers to the south edge of Ipoh to the Sam Poh 
Tong Chinese Buddhist Cave to feed the turtles (hoping to guarantee his own longevity and good luck).Let’s not forget a few family outings that Chao Wee and his family enjoyed. The D. R. Seenivasagam Park with its mini traffic playground for kids, complete
with traffic lights, parking spots, yields, stop signs, roundabouts, etc. This is where Chao Wee and his sisters rode around on rented bikes, learning about and obeying the ‘r
ules of the road’ or exchanged roles as a pedestrian or policeman. The park also contains a Japanese style garden and lake which conjures up a family story – Chao Wee fell in the lake when he was about the age of 3, just a curious boy trying to get a closer look at the tadpoles.The family also had trips to the local nearby limestone cave temples,
possibly for some peaceful respite. And we’ll include the family dinners at restaurants (since this was an outing for me while visiting Ipoh) enjoying the local specialties – 
dim sum, salted chicken, bean sprout chicken and local Chinese cuisine.Chao Wee’s dad spent a fair bit of time at the Chung Ling Alumni Club.
This was an exclusive club for graduates from the Chung Ling School in Penang.
Probably the biggest draw here was Mah Jongg. This gambling past time was a vice of Chao Wee’s father, often detaining him until the early hours of the morning. When we were there, 2 tables were still going at it, the players virtually ignoring us as they placed their bets and drew their tiles. The club still has the original refrigerator from the 1970’s, now being held together with some wire. And there are still a couple original pictures o
f past club executives which Chao Wee recognized. 
Although not a fancy club by any stretch of the imagination, it still offered a great social atmosphere for its members, with parties and dances held for the families.But I think some of the fondest memories Chao Wee must have of his father is the time spent together learning the game of Badminton. His father was a very experienced player. He was a state champion in New South Wales when he was studying in Australia and remained active in the sport throughout his lifetime. Once in while the family would travel together in Malaysia (i.e. Genting Highlands) to watch Chao Wee’s father play in tournaments. According to Chao Wee, their house was cluttered with trophies. So Chao Wee comes by the sport naturally. Chao Wee has used all this knowledge to his advantage, being a sought after player in his junior years and then incorporating the skills into his game of tennis - he’s now a top player in Vancouver and his condo is cluttered with all sorts of trophies.
Chao Wee’s father had family in Penang so there were a few visits to see them.
From Ipoh it is about a 2 hour drive north to the 20 minute ferry ride 
over to the Island of Penang. Chao Wee’s memory of these visits is vague. He does remember staying at a house where there was no indoor washroom, only the outhouse out back. He explicitly told us he did not like ‘going’ there. And the Gurney Street hawkers were set up right on the beach instead of across the road where they are situated today.Singapore
At the tender age of 11, the family decided to send Chao Wee to school in Singapore. It offered greater opportunities for his future, especially the chance to further his English language skills. He lived with his eldest Uncle and family until about the age of 15, finishing both his elementary school (2 years) and secondary school (3 years) education at that time.
The elementary school (Birkhall in Queenstown) is long gone, although we passed over the old school grounds while on the MRT (mass transit). However, we were able to spend quite a bit of time at the Secondary School, which was right across the street from where he lived in his Uncle’s apartment.
The visit to the Fairfield Methodist Secondary School
was absolutely delightful for both of us. We had full access to the school grounds. We took a few moments at the cafeteria 
where Chao Wee discovered that the menu hadn’t changed. He was tempted to order some food but decided
to pass on the idea since neither of us was remotely hungry. We both thought it might be substandard, as is often the case at schools.We wandered over to the main courtyard
where Chao Wee remembers gathering there for the beginning of each school day. Can you just picture Chao Wee with all the other students lined up and standing at attention in their blue and yellow uniforms, h
air neatly groomed to standards The Principal would greet the students with a daily pep talk, outlining the schools values and then the students would recite the obligatory National Singapore Pledge before heading to their classrooms. I can hear their voices now:We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language, or religion,
to build a democratic society
based on justice and equality
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation.
Chao Wee mentioned that teachers in Singapore schools are often former students. Sure enough, we met up with one young teacher who immediately told us this school was his alma mater. He showed us into a couple classrooms,
saving the best for last – the science lab. 
I’m sure we can all think of incidences that occurred in the lab when, as teenagers, we were let loose with Bunsen Burners, test tubes and experiments.
As luck would
have it, the school has an archive library and we were able to find the yearbooks from when Chao Wee attended. There is his high 
school photo and pictures of him with the Badminton Team, the Computer Club, and The Singing Gauchos. I remember asking Cha
o Wee about the Badminton team and how he must have been the best player, given the lessons with his father. He told me not quite. That Sumardi was his nemesis, always edging him out in badminton matches. Sumardi was just a bit bigger and stronger than Chao Wee at that time. By the time Chao Wee was in University he had grown considerably from his ‘wee’ self to over 6 feet tall. He continued to see his old school mates and took sweet revenge on Sumardi, beating him regularly (Chao Wee still reminisces the moments with an 'evil' laugh'). Such are the Memories!
We eventually left the school and crossed the road to check out the apartment complex where Chao Wee had lived with his Aunt, Uncle and family. The complex is nearly abandoned - there were notices on the doors advising tenants to leave as the
buildings are slated to be torn down – so our 
timing was right for one last mosey around the area. We rode the elevator to the floor the family lived on, an experience in itself since the elevator doesn’t stop on all floors. Living away from home with relatives was not a completely rosy experience as his Aunt viewd him as more of a burden. Fortunately, his Uncle was a real sweetheartand the two of them got along famously. 
Chao Wee spent as much time as he could outdoors at the complex and school playing basketball and badminton, riding his bike or just hanging out with friends. Again, not much had changed in the are
a. The basketba
ll courts were the same, the old tables under cover were still there and the local market still existed, although many of the vendors have since moved on. T
hat being said, the ‘hawker’, Kai Kee, who sold the best Won Ton Noodles when Chao Wee lived at the apartment, was still there plying his trade. Some things never change.For the last 1 1/2 years of Secondary School, Chao Wee and his cousin, Sk
y Wu, moved to a converted army officer barrack’s housing complex. The army lived here until sometime in the late 1960’s/1970
’s when it was turned over to the city. We visited this lovely area and I was impressed with it all. It seems fairly upscale and a quick peek into some of the apartment windows confirmed my overall impression – very homey and welcoming. Chao Wee’s youngest Uncle owned 2 different suites in this area. Chao Wee first lived in the ground floor suite with his cousin while in Secondary School. He then moved away while still in Junior College and eventually came back and rented a room from some local people during his 1st year in University.
suite on the top floor of a Barrack.Our walk to this ‘Barrack’ area took us
past the Temasek Country Club, where his Uncle was a member. Chao Wee was allowed to use the swimming pool and remembers it was here that he learned to be a competent and able
swimmer. Other sites in the neighborhood were the local Mosque which, after all these years, still has an active following (the call to prayer began as we were leaving), the rail
way tracks (I seem to recall hearing a train), the Banyon Trees and our ‘fight’ with the red berries (who hasn’t resisted the temptation to tossing a few berries while mindlessly strolling along a path).Once we had found the actual barrack’s where Chao Wee had lived, he was on a mission to find Colbar. I couldn’t quite understand what Colbar was, what the significance of it was and why Chao Wee couldn’t find this place. And then we just sort of stum
bled upon the building. Once I read the history of Colbar that was posted, I began to comprehend. Initially, Colbar was a mess hall/social centre, serving up food to the British Army and expatriats who remained after the British withdrawal in 1968. Eventually the establishment was opened to the public and is now a recommended restaurant, if not for the food than the décor and furnishings which are the original from the 1950’s. As Chao Wee tells it, he spent many hours here – a home away from home. When Chao Wee lived with his Uncle, he and his cousins were often sent to 
Colbar to pick-up take out since his Aunt rarely cooked. Chao Wee came to know the owners quite well - the wife quite amicable, perhaps tolerating her husband who was more grouchy and rarely spoke. Chao Wee’s sister even lived with the couple for a short period of time when she began studying in Singapore. The arrangement was short lived as the couple often argued. When Chao Wee lived in the Barrack’s area he continued to patronize the establishment – it offered cheap eats for a starving student and a social atmosphere to boot. So with this new understanding of Colbar we were hoping to find the place open. Did the same couple still run the place? 
Had the menu stayed the same or had it changed? At a minimum we wanted the chance to critique the food. It was not to be as we were there on a Monday and so the place was closed. So why such difficulty in finding this favourite haunt? Colbar has been moved 300 yards from its original site to make way for roadway development. Our mission complete, we headed to a local coffee shop so we could rest our weary feet and continue to reminisce.
Our last stop with Chao Wee was visiting the University he attended. We were joined by Adeline, a former classmate of Chao Wee’s at Birkhhall Elementary School. They lost contact in their early teens and by fluke, bumped into each other at Nanyang Techn
ological University (NTU) – at this identical spot on the walkway. As expected, there have been significant upg
rades, additions and changes since Chao Wee attended classe
s here. However, the original dorm that Chao Wee lived in is still there – complete with laundry drying on the balconies, shoes on racks outside the room doors (slipper policy t
o keep the rooms clean) and the remnants of the old telephone lines that are no longer needed with the advent of technology and the cell phone. At one time, each floor in the building was equipped with only one phone. Phone calls were permitted in but using the phones were set up so dialing out was not possible. However, students are always clever and found a way to by-pass the system in order to dial out. When the phone rang, a student would pick it up and yell out the name of who is to receive the call. Hopefully you heard your ‘calling’ and then quickly finished business as it was an unwritten rule that hogging the phone was frowned upon. We noticed an upgrade to the buildings – new windows which provide better ventilation.A must stop for Chao Wee was the sports complex.
We found the original building where Chao Wee womped a few opponents in badminton. The site is well worn and well used, with a friendly, but competitive mixed doubles game in progress when we were there. However, it was the tennis courts that really drew Chao Wee’s attention. 
This is where it all began as he spent hours on the courts perfecting his game. The tennis courts are well maintained, albeit devoid of any players but the swimming pool and track and field were busy.We continued our day with a quick peek on a lecture in progress,
a stop nearby a fountain where graduates gather for their convocation pic
ture and ate lunch at the cafeteria. I passed up t
he opportunity to eat a ‘real’ Canadian pizza, while Chao Wee savored his drink of rose petal.Over visit into Chao Wee’s past is over, at least for now. But our memories will last forever.
For more pictures check out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisfick/sets/72157625864614214/
