Last nite I attended the wedding reception for the son of a very old friend. Old because it goes back 41 years! I didn't know about it until the host's PA called to confirm my attendance and I did not even need to give it a thought before saying 'yes'. As always a gathering of the secolians as we branded ourselves is something not to be missed. There is always someone I had not met in a long time.
The Second Residential College of the UM was always a boys' domain. My batch was the first set of girls to be admitted in 1972 after two new blocks ( D & E ) were added to the existing ones. The dental course was about to start and they had to make more space closer to the dental/medical faculty.
Needless to say the boys were the most notorious hooligans of the Campus. They did a lot of unimaginable things to the girls in the 3rd and 4th Colleges - their prime target. With us being there they did not have to go far to turn their acts on. During the orientation weeks the boys were taught all the rugby songs that we girls were often serenaded with. Then they did what we only heard of - panty raids!! At breakfast we suddenly realised the dining hall and some of the corridors were already decorated with 'buntings' of all colours. The boys had a very strong sense of comradeship ( the dining hall staff were in it too ). Until today we are still not aware of who actually did them! And I do not think they'd be proud enough to admit it to their wives and kids, though I doubt if they have any feelings of remorse.!
At all meal times we had to pass the end of B Block of four floors if we were coming from our Blocks . As it happens the washrooms were situated there. In the mornings we'd hear lots of calls from the B toppers - we could just make out their bare tops through the slatted windows and it caused a lot of havoc every morning but soon enough we learned to ignore them. Despite all the 'mischievous' outlook they were really the best of people I've come to know. They were brotherly to us and have been helpful to this day. And their tough and robust exterior have carried them very far indeed. Some of them are still holding top posts in the corporate sector while many have retired from public service having served as diplomats, the Mayor of KL and senior government officers but last nite and at any time we meet we are just plain secolians.
