Sunday, July 02, 2006

Gorilla Alert

Che Mad the gorilla (left one laaa.. not the right one, Ustaz Rock's Volvo in the background)

Gorilla Alert!

After 12 years, finally we managed to track down Saudara Ahmad Nizam Jembari. Well technically that was incorrect, as he "volunteered" to turn himself in after all these years, rather than traced and get caught. Che Mad officially registered to the batch's database and Male-ing List last week.

The last time I was in contact with Che Mad was some time in 2000 - I was still in London and he had already settled down in Michigan by then (or Chicago, I can't remember). From what I recalled, he was working with Ford or GM Motors, married with kids - so I did not expect that he would come back to Malaysia soon.

The conversation revolved around the last political crises the country went through - and our characters back in koleq rarely betrayed what we would grow up to become, for just as he was like-minded with me (as far as political orientation was) in koleq, he was also like-minded in many national issues in 2000. So it was very comforting to know that your old buddy did not change much.

Afterwards I came back and we lost contact. I did attempt to track him down for the 10-Year Reunion in 2004, but to no avail. In our minds, Che Mad will be in the US for a very long time.

The Male-ing List will be full of reminiscence especially from the Cagers next week. Che Mad was their captain from day one after all. Those who remember the first few Cagers' training, must have wondered how a baby-gorilla-like (whose at first glance couldn't have jumped higher than 3 inches) was made a captain, when naturally it should have been Syed Moto (the rest, is history ha ha ha). Anyway, they were a good bunchof people and Che Mad did stamp his mark on our lives as a batch in many ways. If my memory serves me correctly, Che Mad was also one of the KPKM Excos in 1994 (most probably looking after Welfare portfolio).

To Che Mad - welcome back and please don't flash American accent with us ha ha ha...

I came across a few batch photos (from the junior batches) and it strikes me that we were one of the very few batches whose batch photo did not feature anyone in a blazer. Everyone was in white long sleeve shirts and ties.

I can't remember whether we deliberately banned blazers, or whether it was by co-incidence. But I don't discount it was a result of our ("my" is more accurate) obsession with making sure everyone was equal and no one would stand above the other, since I was the one who arranged the photo shoot for Koleq Mag. I remember it was after inspection one Saturday morning (duuhh! takkan Monday kot) and Zahadin couldn't make it because his family was around.

When we arranged for the photo shoot, I was aware that the batch photo would become a lasting image of us as a batch. It was important to remind everyone (then and now) that regardless of who we were in koleq, or what we grow up to become - at least once we were of equal stature, accorded the same rights and had the same opportunities - for that we should be treated as equals, with those in KPKM, Prefects Board etc. exercising their positions as "first among equals".

I wonder whether the same feeling still has a footing in MCKK, especially with too much emphasis on the roles and influence of AJK Batch, Prep School & New Hostel prefects (self-styled "custodians"), even the wardens. I wonder whether a Joe Blog in a batch in MCKK now would have equal claim to the MCKK memory as the "stars" from his batch?

* The rambling is a result of physical pain and exhaustion I suffered when Fazurin dragged me kicking and screaming for a one-hour walking session up and down Bukit Antarabangsa, to prove to me that even fat people can do something about their obesity.

He was telling the story (while we were walking) of an obese in the US who could not even walk, who started out her exercise regime just by clapping, before moving on to standing, then aerobic - one year later she managed to bring down her weight to a healthy level.

I smiled and pretended to be convinced, although in my heart I was considering taking MC on Monday!

22 comments:

  1. ah kesian ein. sebnarnya ein la kapitan cagers. asalnya mmg che mad chicago, tapi aku tak ingat kenapa, semua orang quit basketball sometime masa f2 or f3 kecuali seorang, ein. tapi kitorang nyesal & kembali semula ke court dan respect ein as a captain. btul ke citer ni? mcm citer return of the king je. cagers lain sila comment. aku kadang2 ada amnesia+dejavu at the same time. haha

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  2. apa ke nama cikgu yg suro che mad potong kote pastu masuk tkc sbb che mad tanak join rugby?

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  3. awi - bunyinya macam munizam aje...

    btw, aku paling ingat che mad masa f5 kut, wak tu training basketball, dia malas nak turun... bila ska pegi cari dia (skodeng dari atas kiub), nampak dia tgh sembunyi bawah katil (walaupun tak muat)... bila ska tanya, "che mad, apasal sembunyi bawah katil tu?"... dgn selamba che mad menjawab," aku tgh cari kad giro aku laa".... masa aku dgr citer tu, terus aku tergolek2 gelak... daripada banyak2 alasan yang ada, kad giro jugak jadi mangsa... ada cerita selanjutnya... tapi tak boleh di panjang2kan.... baik aku update blog aku macam ni...

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  4. Anonymous3:13 AM

    Mpro... FYI, that was F4. Dah le tu cerita GIRO ni, I've paid my debt to society by 'bertaubat' and winning the PHT cup that year, OK? And the teacher was MI. I'll cut off his di** and put him in TKC if I crossed path with him today - good for him I'm still in the US. As the events unfold, bersyukur aku tak gi main rugby. Dapat gak aku merasa main in 3 PHT championship.

    And yes Awie, Ein was (and still is, to me anyways) the Captain... At first, Zahadin and myself was the co-captains, then Zahadin left the team to play soccer kalau aku tak silap, and then I left at F2 when our senior coach yelled at us one morning because we didn't wake up to go 'sloping'. That's when Ein was elected Captain. Then I rejoined, but I don't really recall when everyone else left the team. As far as I know, I was the only one who left.

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  5. Anonymous8:16 AM

    Yo Che Mad,
    which part of the US are u in now ?

    I am in Phoenix, Arizona.
    Ada chance nak jumpa tak ?

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  6. Anonymous8:37 AM

    Fadli... are you 9005394? Just a guess from looking at our batch database. Sorry if I got it wrong, but please let me know anyways...

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  7. i stand corrected.

    sudah - mampus aku, ein ni jenis saman2 libel orang ke? patut kena ada disclaimer laa absolving any responsibilities, dulu old website and terms and conditions ha ha

    waaaa discovery, zadin played basketball too?

    i guess the same comment from MI could have applied too - potong konek and pi join tkc. masa tu aku quite close to zadin, dia bagi excuse mak dia tak kasi main rugby sebb takut patut leher....

    how come no teachers berebut aku or suruh aku potong konek?

    (* gedebe did make a wager kalau aku tak dpt A1 SPM sejarah dia bersunat sekali lagi. Aku dapat C3 and dia still hutang sunat ngan aku)

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  8. Anonymous10:34 AM

    Not only that he was in the team, Zahadin was a pretty damn good player too... And Rough, if I'm not mistaken, before Awie developed his mad 'globe-trotter' dribbling skills, you were our point guard. And to think, Butcher & Noradli were the first ones among all of us that could dribble the ball...

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  9. Anonymous11:47 AM

    yooooooo...che mat...

    salamssss...

    lagi satu phrase glamer MI...."...old boy mana main bola baling..." (baca dengan nada paling cynical one could muster)...juga ditujukan kepada zahadin...

    lagi satu, Ajiz aka Mr Omegaman was known then as Arqam by MI sebab pakai Track bottom waktu training...

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  10. Anonymous1:00 PM

    Epit... 'alaikumsalam brother.

    Left a message at your blog page a few months ago, did you get it? Just wondering. Anyway, congrats (really overdue ones) on your wedding and child... keep in touch!

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  11. cayalah che mad.. lama tak dengar apa2 citer dari ko.. welkam back.. teringat fire drill pukul 3 pagi masa first week masuk koleq.. heheheh..

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  12. Anonymous2:23 PM

    yeap, aku main basketball kejap before Faz dtg suruh pegi join bola, and i did suruh my family hantar surat to MI cakap aku ada sakit buah pinggang takleh main rugby.. Haha, pastu MI ada datang waktu dinner F1, terus tanya sapa dari tgganu family hantar surat cakap takleh main rugby atas sebab kesihatan, pastu panggil nama aku, terus tanya betul ke awak ada penyakit buah pinggang, and aku yang cuak, gelabah terus deny everything... in the end, MI tak layan dah aku.. hmm.. it did work, takyah gi training rugby dah after that.. btw Che Mad, nice to hear from u again, Sukantara US still got ke?

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  13. che mad...
    pekabor? lama tak dgr citer...
    ko kena maintain blog la...baru tau update sket..

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  14. haha...masa aku baca "I'll cut off his di** and put him in TKC" aku terbaca potong konek letak kat kfc...hahaha..ok..mpro nak letak citer giro tu, bukan aku ye mad..jgn salahkan aku lak.

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  15. Anonymous12:03 AM

    many thanks...

    congrats juga kat hang for all ur successes...grad,kerja,kahwin,wife,anak,grad school...

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  16. Anonymous11:28 AM

    Zadin... aku dah lama tak gi midwest games, sekarang ni aku student long distance je... last one that I went to was in 2002. Itu pun aku tak main, setakat gi tengok je.

    Pyan... good to hear from you. Aku tak reti sangat la blog2 ni, macam banyak kerja je. Maybe once I'm done studying I'll have more time. We'll keep in touch in the batch's emails...

    Rifdi... good to hear from you too. Fire drill? Yang kena serbu dengan Gedebe (or some warden) dulu tu ke?

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  17. ye ah yg kantoi ngan warden.. samhong tak silap aku.. nanti aku bukak citer kat blog citerbell.. heheh..

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  18. Anonymous4:27 PM

    Assalamualaikum...

    Lama tak dengaq cita hang che mad. Anyway, mcm mana hang skang mad? Hope hang ngan family sihat walafiat, idup aman damai...Any plan nak balik mesia?

    Duty Partner hang 94
    Mesia...

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  19. hi che mad. sorry to disturb u. aku kawan lama hang. kalau ingat la.. kat sekolah rendah batu arang dulu...kalau ingat kat aku email kat aku wlw253@yahoo.com. nama aku hamdan bin ali. ingat ainal rabihah?? ingat aku.... kalau tak silap.. hang ni ahmad nizam bin jembari. lama dah cari hang ni.. ok .

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  20. che mat... boleh add aku dalam facebook. hamdan bin ali

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    ReplyDelete