Syyyyy......it's TokBabah & TokMama's special day

On this coming weekend, Sunday the 8th will be our grandpa and grandma's special day. Its their wedding anniversary.

Ohh dear.....they've been married some 42 years now. According to our Tok Babah, he first met Tok Mama a teacher in 1964 in Kuala Trengganu, while serving as a teacher in the east-coast state of Trengganu.

In 1963, just out of college he was posted by The Ministry Of Education to served in the interior of Ulu Trengganu. According to Tok Babah he was not happy with his posting, as he felt that he was being punish for being a radical student leader while in college. According to Tok Babah, the school building itself was no bigger than a tennis court and no better than a 'cow shed' ( kandang lembu). He felt being neglected and down trodden. The school main building, was a small wooden structure that house the HM's office and a Standard 6 Classroom. There was no teacher's quarters or canteen. The school was on an open and unfenced area as big as a football field. At any time some water buffaloes could be seen basking in the sun, in a muddy pools nearby, while shabilly dressed women (berketang dada) some younger than him drying padi on spread 'tikar mengkuang' less than 10 meters away from the 'cow shed' where he was teaching. Their sleepy eyes gazing and seizing him, as if he was an alien from the another planets. Later he was informed most of them are widows. They also warned him to ingore them, unless he planned to settle down in Kampung Tanggul for good.

Tok Babah took the posting as a challenge and quickly adjusted himself to working in Kampung Tanggul in the 'wildness of Ulu Trengganu' where at times the sightings of sumatran tigers and wild bears become the daily ongoing 'Breaking News Report' by the school children as well the locals.

Tok Babah stayed with his bachelor collegues in Kuala Trengganu, and commuted daily to Kampung Tanggul a distant of almost 30 miles deep in the Ulu.

He soon found his niche in Kuala Trengganu involving himself in NGO activities. He became popular with the locals, thanks to the support of some of his college seniors hailed from the East Coast. Collectively they became his ardent supproters. They campaign for him and voted him as The Chairman of The Trengganu Branch Unified Teaching Profession Union Malaysia, subsequently elected him as a founding Chairman of its Cooperative Society, besides being an honorary member of Kelab Darul Ihsan, founding member of PELITA (Persatuan Penulis Terengganu). He was also popular among the local literary figures, novelist Rashid Ngah, Moriffin SN, Yusoff Albakri, Shariff Putra, A.Rahman CM and others. He himself was a prolific creative writer, and a regular contributer to Radio Singapore, Utusan Melayu, Berita Harian & DBP.

It was then that he met Tok Mama.

Our Tok Babah and Tok Mama was initially introduced by a mutual friend while Tok Babah was auditioning for his stage production in 1964 entitled Memburu Bulan Sabit. The script was penned by him while a student in college. It won The Malaysian Drama Writing Competition Award organised by The Ministry Of Culture Singapore. The play was recorded and broadcast by Radio Singapore in 1962. Later it was published by Pustaka Pendidikan Kluang, Johore.

Love blossomed between Tok Babah and Tok Mama.

A year later in 1965 they tied the knot.

And the rest was an ever ending tales yet to be told.

That's all from me, Folks.

THIS BLOG posted by blogger Naeem on behaf of Aizad, Aifa, Nureen, Erfan, Ayshea, Nazeem and Aida for the attention of our Dads & Mamas.

Takde makan ke?