When
a photograph of that cuddly teddy bear was posted on Facebook, dressed in an
outfit that resembled the Convent school uniform of a Blue box-pleated pinafore
matched with a short-sleeve White blouse, the feed in the Comments section
quickly filled up with responses like, “So cute,” “Is this for sale?” and “How
to buy this cutie?”
Posted
in the Facebook page for the Convent Johor Bahru 100th Year
Celebration, this photo garnered much interest probably because this outfit
triggered off pangs of nostalgia among alumni who fondly remembers the original
Convent school uniform.
Teddy bear dressed in the
Convent school uniform
In 1951, uniforms were introduced for Convent
students in the country, distinguished by a smart Blue box-pleated pinafore
worn with a White short-sleeve blouse and belted at the waist, teamed with
White canvas shoes and socks.
To the Chinese, students of the Convent of the
Holy Infant Jesus in Johor Bahru were simply known as, larm kwan, a Cantonese
phrase meaning, Blue skirts.
Speaking of skirts, we observed from vintage
photographs that the length of the belted uniform skirts ended somewhere at
calf-length. As years passed and fashion trends changed, the length of the
skirts reduced to knee-length. By the late 1960s, uniform skirt lengths further
reduced to match the prevailing trend of mini-skirts.
Convent students proudly donned their school
uniforms that were distinctly different from the school uniforms of the other
all-girls school in Johor Bahru, known as the Green skirts. To many – by
comparison – the Blue skirts were considered elite.
Then in 1971, the HIJ Convent identity in the
Blue uniform was replaced by the common pinafores introduced by the Ministry of
Education for Primary and Secondary schools. 
This teddy bear in Convent school
uniform was posted on Facebook
So the sight of this cute and cuddly teddy
bear wearing a version of the original school uniform, created quite a stir
among alumni who clearly missed their old uniform and had a string of curious
questions about how to get one of their own.
I learnt that among the items planned for the 100-Year
Anniversary celebration of the Convent school in Johor Bahru were a
fund-raising celebration dinner, the Convent Fun-Run, Centenary Celebration
T-Shirts with design versions for students as well as for adults/alumni and a
100-Year Anniversary Souvenir Book.
The sale of the tickets to this
grand dinner celebration, the Fun-Run, T-shirts and the Souvenir Book, all aim
to raise funds that will go towards the school’s maintenance projects.
I recall that fund-raising has
always been a tradition in the Johor Bahru Convent and the school was where I
learnt to “buy Raffle,” an activity which entailed buying a ticket as a form of
charitable fund-raising.
As Secondary school students
learned to cook and bake in Home Science classes, Upper-Secondary classes took
turns to host Food Sales and used to compete against each other to raise the
highest sums that would go towards the school fund.
The Convent school fund-raising
tradition continues to live on for the 100-Year Anniversary celebrations, in an
effort to raise funds that will go towards much-needed repairs and replacements
in the school’s old buildings, fixtures and fittings.
Then I found out that buying a
ticket for the Raffle – at the dinner event – will be another way to contribute
towards the school fund with a chance to win that cute teddy bear dressed in
the school uniform, in not one but two opportunities.
Raffle tickets, priced at RM5
each or RM50 per booklet of tickets, will be sold at the celebration dinner for
the alumni to win and take home these teddy bears.
But that was not all. In addition
to the top prizes of the two teddy bears wearing the original Convent school
uniform, there are more teddy bears to win.
But at this point, I must leave
you in suspense. Suffice to say that these teddy bear prizes will certainly
evoke nostalgia and pride in the timeless Convent spirit.
Recently,
when Sunita S Sothi and I met with the two former teachers who represent the
Convent Association of Past Pupils (CAPP) to let them review the mock-up version
of the 100-Year Anniversary Souvenir Book.
Presenting the mockup book to
Mrs O and Mrs A Y Lim for review
It was the first time that Mrs O
and Mrs A Y Lim saw the book, complete with its cover designed in solid Blue
and White colours that are reminiscent of the Blue and White uniforms
introduced in 1951 as a proud identity for Convent students in the country.
We explained that these classic
colours honour the memory and glory days when Convent students were proudly distinguished by
a smart Blue box-pleated pinafore worn with a White short-sleeve blouse and
belted at the waist, teamed with White canvas shoes and socks.
A series of class photos that run from the
front cover to the back that reflects a sense of
continuity, integrity, education and progress
The Convent school uniform has evolved over
the past 100 years, depicted in the series of vintage to modern class
photographs that run in a continuous band, flowing from front cover to the back
that reflects a sense of continuity, integrity, education and progress.
Simply titled, - Not just education, but a
proud legacy - this Souvenir Book to commemorate the 100-Year Anniversary
of the Infant Jesus Convent in Johor Bahru presents a glimpse into how the
school had impacted lives as alumni share personal anecdotes on how they were
shaped by the education they received and inspired by the Sisters, teachers and
school experiences.
As
this book was presented to the two teachers, page-by-page, we were pleased to
observe their receptive attitude and agreed that with more time, more could be
done. But with the limited time to get the book ready before the celebration
events planned for August, this was deemed a very good effort.
Before
the discussion moved on to the procedure to order and pay for the books, Mrs
Lim said that a date was fixed for a food-tasting lunch of the menu arranged
for the celebration dinner held at the Pekin Daiman 18 Restaurant and that we
were cordially invited to join the CAPP team for this..jpg)
Paper napkin at Pekin Restaurant
Pekin
Daiman 18, as its name suggests, is located within the Daiman Golf Club in
Taman Johor Jaya, not to be mistaken for the other Pekin Restaurant in Johor
Jaya.
We
were delighted to accept, so when Sunita and I headed there for the
food-tasting lunch, it was easy to see that Pekin Daiman 18 was located within
a fenced area and the restaurant was linked to the golf clubhouse.
Having
attended several events hosted here, I am familiar with the carparking
facilities located adjacent to the banquet hall and in anticipation of the
dinner event planned for August 30, I would encourage alumni to carpool. This
will free up more space in the carpark and save you (precious!) time that could
be better shared with former schoolmates.
It
was good to meet with members of the CAPP organizing committee at the
food-tasting lunch with an opportunity to discuss further details about the
dinner event. Except for former teachers, Mrs O, Mrs A Y Lim and Pn Emilda, I was
only familiar with our Book Team members present here. 
A serving of the Five Combination Cold Dish
In
the course of conversation, it was interesting to discover the many generations
of IJ Convent Johor Bahru alumni who were working together in this organizing committee
– former students with former teachers – with a shared history in the school.
Pekin
is an established Chinese banquet restaurant brand with outlets opened in
various locations in Johor Bahru while the Pekin Daiman 18 restaurant caters to
a wider clientele and serves a Muslim-friendly menu of Chinese dishes.
In
the tradition of Chinese banquets, the menu started with a serving of a Five-Combination
Cold Dish that comprised four warm items and one fresh salad. This
was followed by soup, a traditional broth made with (vegetarian) Japanese sharks' fins, best savoured with a splash of dark vinegar and a dash of white pepper.
A traditional broth made with
vegetarian sharks' fins
The
menu continued with servings of dishes for a whole fish, whole roasted chicken,
prawns, vegetables and flavoured Rice wrapped in Lotus Leaves. The meal ended
sweetly with refreshing dessert of chilled Lemon Jelly with Lychee fruits.
As
we enjoyed the food and fellowship over lunch, my thoughts strayed to that coming
evening on August 30 when the restaurant will replicate this menu for the
almost-100 banquet tables arranged for the school’s 100-Year Anniversary celebration
dinner.
In
addition to the Raffle draw where the cute teddy bears were the coveted prizes,
there will be live music and dance entertainment presented in an interesting
programme.
We
know that whenever former schoolmates meet again, there will be so much
chatting and catching-up with each other, that (I guess!) many may not pay much
attention to the menu that was being served. Considering all the exciting
activities being lined up, I can safely conclude that it will be an evening when,
“It’s not about the food but it will be all about the fellowship.”
In
fact, there will be a photo booth as well as a video booth for alumni to
capture special photos and create unique videos with their former schoolmates, teachers and friends.
Let's go Back-to-School!
Also
do come prepared with your e-wallets as cashless payments are encouraged for
the purchase of the Centenary Celebration T-shirts and the Limited Edition, 100-Year
Anniversary Souvenir Books.
While
many alumni will be coming from abroad as well as from outstation to join the
dinner celebration in Johor Bahru on the evening of August 30, there is no
better way to spend that morning than to have a walk-about together in the
school. Agree?
Discussions are on-going about the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for a safe and orderly Back-to-School visit on August 30 morning. So please WAIT for more details that will be shared closer to that date. Meanwhile, get your gang together for breakfast that morning with a plan to head over to the school for that proverbial, Walk Down Memory Lane. Happy 100th Anniversary IJ Convent Johor Bahru!
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