The 70's Rolls On

1977 - This year I read my first Gila-Gila (the popular humor magazine) that resembles the globally known Mad magazine. I becamed a loyalty fan of the magazine ever since. I most liked the cartoons by Imuda, Rejabhad, Long Jaafar & Ujang ( to name a few) Yeah, I supposed we needs some sense of humor for us to navigate in this so many tough events in this cruel life:).

Finally, I got my first chicken-pox. I didn't went to school for about 1 month. I went to the clinic of Dr. Morgan in Beach Street, Penang. Quite strange, areas around all that banking place got 1 old pre-war building that housed the clinic was nestled there. The doctor is an old Mat Salleh doctor. I guess, he is well on his retirement now or had already went back to see his Maker. Sometimes on few occasion, my parents got to call the doctor to attend to us at home. My parents were much of ifluential then.

Even when our dad want to belanja us the famed Hameediyah's Nasi Beriyani - he justs gave a call to the restaurant, got one of the mamaks to send the foods all the way by using bicycle from the restaurant in Campbell Street off Penang Road to our home in Dato Keramat. Got 1 mamak who doesn't know how to rode the bicycle so he took the bus instead - just to send us the foods. May God bless all of them. Fuhhh, full of memories..... Like Metallica song - The Memory Remains.

The first SEA Games that I remember, happened right here in KL. With track queen, Marina Chin & foootball legend Mokhtar Dahari fills the headline. Our football team are so strong then, that we can whipped Thailand so easily. Who can forget the ing-swinger corner kick from Abdullah Ali that often went straight into goal, the cool of Soh Chin Aun in the heart of defence & deadly touch of 'Super Mokh' in the penalty area.

The first song that I remember, frequently played on our radio waves - Musliha by Othman Hamzah & Rindu Bayangan by Carefree. The Carefree lead singer - Jay Jay was so young then but looks young now as well, what is his secret hahaha? Other great songs by them is the melodic vocals from Simon on "Belaian Jiwa" This powerful ballad was remake by Innuendo in the 90's. Another notable phenomenon on the music scene is from the Swedish pop group, ABBA - with their evergreen hits Dancing Queen, SOS & The Name of the Game. I'm still remember, I goes to the cinema to watch the ABBA movie - although I am having fever during that time. Other unforgetabble movies in the 70's was Jaws, King Kong, Earthquake & who can forget the Star Wars. I still can recall well - first time I watched the Star Wars movie. It was phenomenon then - with the final sequence of spaceship fights of the x-wings fighter go through the narrow curve of the Emperor command space ship (the scene that I will really feel it a few years later in the Disneyland) & light saber duel between Obi-Wan & Darth Vader. Wow, the latter name is very much famous until today especially in my current workplace. Sure, has it's own reasons hahaha.....

1978 - we had our first color TV. Delivered at night to our home. My father can request from the shop for us to test a few famous brands then first likes Toshiba, NEC, GEC & Setron without paying a single cents before decided to buy - hahaha very powerful indeed! We can watched The Roots (for me still the best TV series ever - the story of African slave being forced to America, sad to see that they originaly of Muslim faith; Starsky & Hutch and others. S.W.A.T & Hawaii Five 'O' have a very nice music theme.

I also remember watching my first World Cup on TV - Argentina '78. Still I can recall the final with the long legs of Mario Kempes dribbles past the hapless Dutch defends.

One of the VIPs (the deputy misnister of Federal Territorry) comes to our village (Kampong Makam) in Penang to open Dewan Orang Ramai (Multi Purpose Hall). I was asked to pegang bunga manggar (jadi pak pacak). I don't have the oppurtunity to salam that VIP then.... fyi that VIP is the current Malaysian Prime Minister.

1979 - Sweet Charity (The Legend of Rock Band) released their hit single - Teratai. I still plays the song until up to these days.

"Ohhh Teratai Bunga Indah
Kaulah Pujaan Hatiku

"Ohhh Tuhan Lindungilah ia
Agar aku dapat bersamanya lagi
Telah Lama ku Rindukan"

"Wahai Teratai Bunga Indah.........."

One of the great song ever. Nothing can beats that.

My eldest sister got her first job in the one of the MNC in the Bayan Lepas FTZ, after finishing her study in the UK. She gots to belanja the whole family every weekends especially in the famous Dawoood Restaurant in Queen Street. Nasi Tomato + the legendary Ayam Kari Kapitan fuhhhhhh yum yum

This also the year that I was transition to a real man - my "berkhatan" session hahaha. During "my big day" my mum cooked Pulut Kuning (in Penang we called that Nasi Kunyit) with Kari Daging + Ubi Kentang cooked in periuk tanah liat. We also have the bunga telur + all the stuffs. So grand back then for a small kid like me. The best ever.....I still missed that a lots. Thanks a lot to mum & dad. I missed the two of you.....