Ponggal 2

Went to a Ponggal celebration off Jln Yeap Chor Ee.

Thousands watched the climb up the greasy pole for the prize at the top; there was dancing and the traditional taming of the bull when young man show how brave they are.

Some lucky hundreds saw the fun of the taming but we were unable to look over their heads so we have reproduced a photo from 'The First Post'. One of the bulls, angered by attempts to mount him, jumped over the fence and escaped with the prize money.

Ponggal

On the 14h January we came across a procession along Peel Avenue celebrating the Ponggal Festival, the only Indian festival to follow the solar calender. The first day celebrates a good harvest; the second day - Mattu Ponggal - is a worship of cows; on the 3rd day - Kanni Ponggal - maidens pray for a good husband.

In my polo days, I had a great mare called Lady Robyn, which gave me some wonderfull games. One day, a horse unlawfully broke into her stable. The result was a foal, born on January 15. I called him Ponggal Star.

Cucumbers & rambutans

The rambutan tree in our garden was cut down by the previous owner many years ago. The gardener next door said the fruit was excellent. He proved to be right. The tree came to life with new shoots and to our astonishment produced a few fruits now and then and were first class and bo lark k'ak.



The creepers on the fencing at the back of the house have produced pigmy cucumbers (top) which taste very bitter.

Anything Goes

I am gradually going through my collection (on cassettes) of the BBC request programme 'Anything Goes" to see if anything can be thrown away. The Oct 1988 "A G" was interesting because reception was clear; side A had Herbie Hancock with Tom Hubbard, the Maharajah of Megador, Tennyson's "Crossing the bar" (reproduced here) and Abdul the Bull Bull Amer. When I acted for Johnson Matthey the catalytic converter years ago they sang the Abdul song which, I said, proved their vintage. I was very flattered when they called me the Marshall of Hall of Malaya and even invited me to attend their do in Australia, which I politely declined.

Crossing the Bar
Tennyson

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea.

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home!

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For though from out our bourn of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.

Ismail Hasim

The shy and self-efacing Ismail Hashim had an exhibition at the Galeri Seni Mutiara or rather his friends put up this exhibition for him. Dato Sharom did him the honours of opening the show.

The photographs revealed Ismail be a wonderful camera man who sees the miraculous in the common place and the humour in the humdrum.

Dying Swan

Coming home 1 am one night, I got down from the Prado, turned to the left, forgot to use the stick, sank to ground in a gross imitation of Galina Ulanova's Dying Swan. stretched out my left 'wing" to break the fall. Nothing serious, just bad scratches and lots of blood on the shirt sleeve.

Happy New Year to all

The wining and dining delayed the publication of the January issue of The Penang File but squeezing in an hour here and an hour there I finally got it out on January 1, a day late. I was glad to come back to this blog to report that I noticed on my last visit to Pulau Tikus I saw that the row of terrace houses opposite the flat in which I lived until 2 years ago were now shops with signboards as SUN DECOR, STYCE, STAR STYLE STUDIO, SKINTOLOGISTS. Was I glad I got away from Pualu Tikus which is gradually being illegally converted into commercial from residential houses, and the City Council does not seem to enforce the zoning laws. Skintologists!!!