Japan, Japanese.

 Mon 15th Feb 2021

Last week I caught Mayumi Itsuwa, the 70-yr old Japanese songstress, on the media because of the hauntingly lovely song "Ribaibaru" that I also caught Jamilah Abu Bakar singing at a wedding function.

I remember that very old Japanese song I used to repeat the title of, and humming the rest of the tune "Shina No Yoru" ("Chinese Night"). I located on youtube the late Misora Hibari singing it in her own operatic style, though there are many more "pop" versions around.

There was a photo of dad with his other Malay-teacher friends taken in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation '41-'43. Everyone was in uniform, with Japanese peak caps. The photo is lost now, but I remember seeing the same copy in Cikgu Derus' or Cikgu Taib's house. They all went together. There's a War time Japanese tune dad remembered. He used to sing a little bit of it when I was small. P.Ramlee also sang a bit of it in one of his Shaw Bros films.

In 1954 I saw the famous Japanese film, "Rashomon", directed by the great Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa, at the S.I.T.C. Tg. Malim, where every Saturday night was a film show night at the "dewan makan Kolej".  Being 9 then, and watching a Japanese language movie, it didn't register much at that time. But I caught a gist of it - the rape seen from 3 points of view. Later of course I learned what a great piece of work "Rashomon" was.  In 1957 I saw "Sayonara, Japanese Goodbye" starring Marlon Brando. I saw it in the cinema in KP I think. There was a song with that title in the movie.

The first car I tested was a Toyota. It was 1968. I was posted to Alor Gajah, and the Chinese salesman came all the way from Melaka town. I also saw the first "Honda" car in Alor Gajah, mini sized with the gear shift on the dash-board, a first for me. I bought a brand-new Austin Mini, instead (RM 5,300 !) - NC 8157. Of course in 1965 I bought a "Honda" motorcycle when at university (BN 3950). It  was a black  90 cc motor that stayed a total of 10 years at the University of Malaya - 3 for me, 1 for Padir, and 6 for  Din Pendek, both younger brothers. When more securely employed much later, I simultaneously bought a "Honda CBR 600 " 600 cc superbike (BDP 600), and a "Kawasaki Vulcan" 750 cc cruiser (WCR 6600), in 1991, but sold both off in 1996 when I became Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri, Kawasan Senaling, N.S.,  1995 - 1999. 

Dad bought his first and only car, a "Mazda 1.0" before he retired, and kept it after. Ajit took over when dad was gone. Now the Mazda is gone. Dad spoke some Japanese after that stint in Singapore. He knew a bit of "kan ji", the Japanese script. So much so, once he told us the Japanese letters next to the Toyota sign at that time were pronounced "chi-karo". The 2 upsweeps on the letters made Padir and me say, maybe it should be pronounced "chi-garu" ! Dad didn't laugh.

When I got my golf handicap I bought a set of brand-new clubs, "Honma" made in Japan - pro-blade & steel-shaft and all, from Barie Bluah, at that time the golf-pro at S.I.G.C. For you golf-beginners reading this, as the name suggests, only a low-handicap player uses  pro-blade clubs. Beginners are asked to stick to  those easier-to-hit cavity backs.  Today, only golf equipment (and balls) made in Japan and USA are considered reliable.  

No.3 Son was selected to do Mechanical Engineering in Japan after doing well at MRSM Jasin. But he had to pass his Japanese Language at the University of Malaya first. Apparently he missed all classes and flopped the exam. (But when I asked him  what "opai ga ipai" means,  he knew, he he !) Fortunately one of the lecturers suggested he (together with the lecturer's son) switch to accountancy. He made it. And after the 3-year accounting experience requirement, he got his  ACCA, thank God.

The family made a couple of overnight stopovers at Narita Airport when travelling to USA, once to visit No. 1 Son in Hawaii, and the second time for holidays in Orlando.

These last few days I've ben looking up Japanese songs on youtube. You remember the famous song "Sukiyaki" and the singer Kyu Sakamoto back in the 70's.  Referring to the song "Ribaibaru", Mayumi Itsuwa later made world famous the sad song "Kokoro No Tomo". I think this was recorded in the US in the 80's. I suggest you listen to the other songs  by Mayumi - "Home Again","Dakishimete", "Amayadori", and "Atsui Sayonara". There are other singers, but I suggest Mayumi, because of her voice. Some are her own compositions, but all the compositions themselves are hauntingly good. I listened with the lights lowered in the quiet of my computer room. It's something, I tell you.

All this Japan, and all this Japanese stuff. 

Mata ai masho ! (Till we meet again lah !)

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2021

 Sun Feb 14, 2021

I've been delayed in this first 2021 entry for so many reasons. Things came up, and this followed that, and before you know it, it's February.

The Movement Controls keep our , well, movements controlled. Among others, even my golf has been pushed aside (until yesterday, SIGC has reopened its gates). Members can now play again, and Dato' Sulaiman was quick to get me to register for our first game this Tuesday. I don't know if I can hit the ball; it's been that long.

2021 is going to be filled with anniversaries.

This is my 77th. year, can you believe it ?  December 3 would be our 50th. wedding anniversary. We'll have to celebrate that. February is the anniversary of the Movement Control Order also. Covid 19 has consumed the nation in no small measure. Our 2020 politics  match other countries' politics in not slowing down, pandemic notwithstanding. This past month also saw some physical changes to the house because of the growing family.

There's a plaque taken from my father's grave, after some concreting that had to get it removed. I had it done in Jawi, and it says "Haji Muhammad Yunus bin Musa, Sabtu, 6 January 1979, 6 Safar 1399". That makes it exactly 42 years ago. Dad would have been exactly 100. Mom died on 10th. September, 2008, which was also 10th Ramadan, 1429, actually aged 87. Her i.c. says " 261117 - 05 - 5044", making her 84, but in fact she was 3 years older. You know the registeration in those days. So she would also have been 100, can you believe it, although she outlived dad by 29 years.

I got married on 3rd December, 1971. That means I was exactly 27 then. Dad and mom knew Cikgu Ujang and Makcik Bonun very well and  for a long time. They were more than happy to see me getting hitched to their daughter, 5 years my junior. I have 9 siblings, she had 11,  but 5 have died.

There are 11 grandchildren now, but hopefully another one is expected this year from Dekna, to make it an even dozen. When everyone is around, say during Hari Raya, the whole house is turned upside down.

February is also the anniversary of the "PKP" for Malaysia. The enforcement couldn't have been total, thus the spread of the virus was unstoppable. As in the US, Malaysians are not 100% in acceptance of the reality of the pandemic and the clinical controls devised. The death figures  worldwide are too big not to give  that chilling impact.  Let's face it. The death is real. WW2 caused 75 million deaths over a 4-year period. That's about 3% of the world population. Covid 19 deaths worldwide now account for 2.2% of those afflicted. For great, modern USA, it's 1.8%. For us, it's 0.4%. Much better for now, but will it hold ? 

Going back to the grandchildren, to make the house more grandchild-proof, whatever that means, Idah, No. 3 Son and Dekna "pakat" and added a new room. It measures 15' x 15' x 8'.  I chipped in 3K for deepening the drain that goes around Dekna's room out to the outside brick wall. You won't believe the amount of stuff that had to be moved from my old computer room, to make it the new No.3 Son's room. (By the way, he tested it this week. I asked how is it, without a/c ? I think it's ok, because he fell asleep and forgot to switch-off the light). 

Idah moved 8 book-cases and 800 books from the tv room to the new room. Alone. In one day.

I moved 2 large dress cabinets, 2 steel filing cabinets, 1 large writing table,  1 large swivel chair, 1 book case , 2 book cabinets,  200 books, 7 large laundry boxes and baskets, 1 computer table, 1 pc with CPU and printer, and endless electrical wiring and plugs. And 10 years of  various golf magazines.  Alone. But it's not finished yet.

The whole exercise threw up a nice surprise, though. Sifting through the rubble, I managed to sort out a few things.

The 1,000 odd books are from some really early collections.  "Hikayat Abdullah"  and "Kesah Pelayaran Abdullah" printed by Malaya Publishing House, Singapore, 1947, were both given to me by dad in 1958.  I was 14, and already an avid reader, if I may say so myself.  Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir Munshi wrote his books about 1852. There is also "Pantun Melayu" but written by 2 orang putihs - Wilkinson and Winstedt in 1955 and published in Singapore by the same publishers. 100 plus books are on golf. The oldest one is "The Complete Golfer" by Harry Vardon, 1905 - that's 116 years ago!  But the oldest golf book I bought is "How to Play Your Best Golf All The Time" by Tommy Armour (1954), in 1985, the year before I got my handicap in 1986, aged 43. Was it good ? The book is "old school", but I went down to handicap 9 in July, 2002, at the ripe age of 59 (before 60 lah!), so it's not bad. By the way I went down to handicap 6 later. These days 15 is a comfortable handicap to carry.

There are hundreds of "old style" photographs that I managed to sort and so far have put them into 2 large bags for further action. In the mean time I've put together those containing people who have left us. A few are really old photos that needed some cleaning up. Those of the children growing up, and travelling the world, all bring warm memories to me.

There are also some old notes that the children made. They never thought these would still be around, I'm sure.

Politics were something unavoidable for 2020. The "Sheraton Move" back home still reverberates through the ranks today.  What's legitimate is no longer clear. High-ranking convicted UMNO leaders still strut around with no shame, when a Japanese counterpart would resign simply over unproven public comments. The US Presidential Elections 2020 have produced stunning images and lay bare the clearly flawed American claim to a high standard of behaviour to a watching world audience.

These are  my opening remarks for 2021.

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