To Sir, With Love

I love oldies. I have been having this oldies-music syndrome lately, listening to songs of yesteryears and allowing my soul to saunter down memory lane to those good ol’ childhood years long gone by which I’d give anything to relive. Sadly, bygones will always be bygones and all I’m left with are nostalgias.

I remember vividly Dad had this brown gramophone player and a three-piece radio, cassette player-recorder-equalizer to his ownership in which he would put to play the tons of vinyl records and cassettes that he and Mom owned in the likes of Johnny Mathis, Elvis Presley, Engelbert Humperdinck, Cliff Richard, Andy Williams, Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash, ABBA… you name it, they had got it. Mom would then sing along whenever familiarity seeped in. She taught me “Annie’s Song”, sis taught me “All Kinds of Everything” and Godfather taught me “Seven Lonely Days”. That was how my love for music was sown; and that, too, was what got sis and me to piano lessons - well, only partly, as Mom also could not put up with my round-the-clock banging on my toy piano.

However much most songs remind me of my childhood and family, there are also songs which I associate with, among others, some friends and teachers. One particular song that I could relate to the latter is Lulu’s “To Sir, With Love”.

I had, on April 16 2011, learnt of a retired high school science teacher who had lost his battle with cancer. My heart sank. My mouth tasted bitter. For that fraction of a minute, I had wanted to cry but I held back tears.

I might not have known him as well as I wished I had, but for that good one year that he was my science teacher in Form 3 and good two years as my choir and tennis teacher were all it took for me to realize that he was indeed a very comical person. After all, he was the one from whom I picked up the phrase “Bell sudah loceng”.

Sis remembers him as a teacher fondly known as “Ninja Turtle”. Dad remembers him as an acquaintance in some tennis club they both were in. For me, he will always be remembered as a teacher who exuded an aura of warmth and who never failed to bring contagious laughter to his classes.

May the Lord grant eternal peace unto him and may perpetual light shine upon him. R.I.P Mr. Vincent Soo.

To Sir, With Love

Those schoolgirl days, of telling tales and biting nails are gone,
But in my mind,
I know they will still live on and on,

But how do you thank someone, who has taken you from crayons to perfume?
It isn't easy, but I'll try,

If you wanted the sky I would write across the sky in letters,
That would soar a thousand feet high,
To Sir, with Love

The time has come,
For closing books and long last looks must end,

And as I leave,
I know that I am leaving my best friend,
A friend who taught me right from wrong,
And weak from strong,
That's a lot to learn,
What, what can I give you in return?

If you wanted the moon I would try to make a start,
But I, would rather you let me give my heart,
To Sir, with Love