CHIJ Food Carnival 2014

I found out about the carnival in the facebook while searching for anything of my old alma mater - Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus. My old friend had a reunion of the 1978 batch. It evoked nostalgic feelings of the old, happy, innocent and naive school days. We did not know what were heartaches, disappointments, betrayals, broken promises, frustrations ... what we knew was the worth and value of friends.

I found the page of SMK Infant Jesus Convent and read that they were busy preparing for this food carnival. I had not returned to school since the last reunion dinner back in 1990 with Maureen and my cliques of friends. Since I would be in Malacca on the 1st June, I thought it would be fun to to go and see what had happened to the old school that shaped and made me into what I am now. I was in that school for 13 years - from Form 1 until Form 6. I had been taught and educated by the Irish nuns whom were kind, warm-hearted but very firm and disciplined. Thus, I contacted Nooraini who also happened that she would be back to Melaka that Sunday. We tried others but they had other commitments.

On the said day, I went to pick Nooraini up at her mother's house and proceeded to our old school. Traffic was congested and we were directed to park at our primary school just across the road. Once we stepped out at the familiar but so different primary school, we felt so much at home. We started to wander into the school grounds and recalled our classes, the summer house which was no more, the walls of the Standard One class that protected us from the sea....it's now reclaimed land....the big tree was chopped down... we walked towards the old hall. Our Standard 6 class. The dental clinic was still there. The chapel was still there but it was repainted white and grey instead of the brownish brick colour. We asked permission from the security guard if we could take a peek. She was kind enough to let us take our nostalgic walk through the school grounds. We went to see the statue of Mary and Jesus which was still preserved at the back of the school. It felt like "coming home" due to the old buildings and although it was much developed with new blocks, better landscaping ... the feeling of being there from 1968 to 1973 ... I supposed we were just feeling nostalgic. We even wore the old Convent uniform with the box pleats. It had to be starched and ironed. We had to learn to sit without making any creases or wrinkles on our uniform. We were glad when we had to change to the present primary school uniform in Standard Five, I think. It was 41 years ago since we left this school. We recalled the religious class at the back of the school near Mary's statue. There were so few Malays then. All of us from Standard 1 to 6 had classes together. I missed the sisters who helped into disciplining us and taught us English, courtesy, compassion .... and most of all the spirit of volunteerism.

CHIJ Primary School - this block leads to the sea - there was a flight of stairs leading to the beach which is now reclaimed land as can be seen of the tall building behind it.

The old hall where we used to have our assembly. Across it was a small playground and a very large tree where I used to wait for my father who would come during recess to bring my food

The dentist - put the fear in most of us ....:-))

After that we crossed over to our secondary school It was 34 years ago (we left the school in 1980 after Form 6)  1974 - when we walked into this school as Form 1 students. The old bridge which joined the two schools was no more. I used to do prefect's duty on that bridge. We were greeted by the sound of the school band which was welcoming Sister Agnes to officiate the Heritage room. Nooraini, who was a band girl, recalled the years she was in the band under the guidance of Sister Alexis, a very motherly nun. Of course almost all the sisters had departed. God bless their souls. Sister Alexis used to teach Homescience aka sewing, cooking and personal hygiene. We used to go to her cookery room and prepared sandwiches for the poor students during recess. We learned how to make sardine rolls and scones. Then in Form Four when we moved from Homescience to Pure Science class (Nooraini) and me in Literature class, we spent less time in her cookery room. I recalled the hospital visits during Christmas as a volunteer. Of course we recalled the teachers and other sisters who put the fear of discipline in us .... ;-0))))  

The old hall which was well-maintained. The hall witnessed a lot of talent time shows, Teachers' Day shows, orientation for Form Sixes, assemblies, competitions ..... :-}

The welcoming reception of the school band. Where the uniform used to be white, skirt shorter and socks longer - their uniforms now are skirts longer and socks shorter and red in colour - Nooraini reminisced  

One of the very few remaining nuns - Sister Agnes - who officiated the opening of Heritage Room - it used to be the office

We walked around the school amidst the crowd - walking down memory lane along the corridor of our classes, the incidents there ... the school was totally different now although the old blocks of buildings were still retained. They had built a new double storey block  which now blocked the view of Malacca High School. Half of the old field which stretched towards Bukit China was taken over by developers. All you could see was the roofs of houses. It was much smaller with more buildings and closed up view. We entered the Heritage Room when there was less crowd. It used to be the office and next to it was our Co-op where we sold chocolates, sweets and stationery. It was here that we finally met some of our batch. It was especially heartwarming when the 1978 Head Girl, Chua Seoh Eng, could still recall who Nooraini was. They were the band girls. She could recall her name and the instrument she played. We talked for a while but finally got out of the room as the crowd swelled.

Part of the field at the end of the school from the second floor. One can see part of Malacca Haigh School ...

Our Form 4 and 5 block - it used to be Form 5A1 (Literature) and the Form 5 Science classes and the round floor were the Form 4s

The new block built with fund-raising money which blocked the clear view of Malacca High School

The crowd at the Food Carnival - it was a success...

We finally left about noon. We carried and lived up to the school's motto - "Simple in Virtue, Strong in my Duty" - whoever we had become now was shaped by the love, discipline, caring and virtue of the nuns, teachers, friends, school mates .... I hope the new generation of IJC, as it is now known, will carry the good name of the school into their personal and professional lives.