Flatmates Simon Wong and Desmond Chiong.
I recall Simon came from Binatang.
Paul Chee is a Roman Catholic Priest.
My Uncle John Chan Kok Fei came to visit New Zealand. Many ex Sacred Heart students knew him as Master Kok Fei. He taught Sacred Heart Primary school, but he was very supportive of the whole school's sports. Even those who joined the school in Sacred Heart Secondary School at various stages knew him as Master Kok Fei. I was told he trained some of them and was present during the sports meet. When he came to New Zealand, ex students in Wellington and Auckland came to entertain. The bulk of the Sibu students were in Christchurch, and it was a pity he didn't go there.
In the 1960s, the crème de la crème of the Sarawak students were given Colombo plans scholarships to study in Canada, Australia, New Zealand. One of my neighbours went to Canada and became a doctor. I really wanted to go to Canada, but when I grew up, they changed the systems, and there was no more Colombo Plan scholarship, and I wasn't crème de la crème, so I don't think I would get the scholarship.
In the next decade, a group of self financing students went abroad. Initially on what we dubbed as our parents' scholarship. They worked very hard, most of them worked in the summer holidays, and some of them worked in the weekends.
I was one of them, and here were photos of my friends and flat mates in 1979. I have not seen many of them since they graduated. Some went back to Sibu, and then to other countries. Paul, is a priest and posts on Facebook a lot.
http://sundayscans.blogspot.com/
6 comments:
What a lovely group of students! So these were the best and the brightest? And yet, look at yourself. You were not in this group, but now you are kind of famous and helping others. You are probably now more well known than any of them.
so did you and the students go to NZ? Is that how you came here. Nice pictures
So much fun to go through old photos and try to remember as much as possible. Old photos, old memories - renewed joys!!
Hi..so many of us did not know that we could go overseas and be self financed..if we knew what we know now..our fates would have been so different....Counselling teachers must be courageous enough to do more!!But then Mrs. Thatcher changed world education drastically....
There are some great memories here! If it's not written down, I can never remember who is in my old photos.
Thank you! I have been called many names; but never realized that I was a [crème de la crème]
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