On the 21st of February, 1944, after 8 months in prison, Dr Alfons Wachsmann, in Brandenburg prison in Berlin, Germany, wrote a letter to his sister Minka. It’s first line is “At three o-clock I must die.” Before his arrest and incarceration on 23rd June 1943, he had served for 15 years as parish priest …
By Celeste Choo Miss Lee had these black- framed-pointed-at-both-ends spectacles. She was slim, young. She had a face full of pimples. I do not think of her as particularly beautiful or attractive. I recall her as always attired in a white blouse with rolled up sleeves and a black skirt, whereas the other teachers dressed …
Most of us have seen the following words, often on placards at protests. Some of us know that a man called Martin Niemoller spoke them: First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a socialist.Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— …
William Newbrough was easy to mythicize. He was exceptionally tall with a wide stride, Lisztian hair and a bashful smile. From a distance, one could recognize him merely by his walking pace. We affectionately called him Dr. N. Whenever he sat at the piano, Dr. N brought musical notes to life with his physics-defying pianistic …
Sight-singing sign-up sheets are stuck to my studio door Read More »
The clothes I wore the first time I attended a service made me look like green veggie stuck in the sparkling teeth of a TV news reader. The church was packed with people in their Sunday best. The men wore suits and ties. The women were poles of elegance, topped by hats. I had on …
During my initial schooling years, I would only see my teachers in school, but eventually, there was a period in my schooling where I moved into a school and my teachers played a parental role for me. In my early teenage years, many would describe me as the quiet and shy person and the underdog. …
I first saw Mr Seet Chot Chit when he walked into the first-floor classroom where Form 4A was housed. I was in Sekolah Seri Perhentian, Pontian, in 1974. I was one of about 40 pupils in the class. Looking out the doors and windows on the left, we could see the sports/football field, and beyond …
Recently, I found myself in a place of life that I was in 3 years ago. A slew of events and circumstances which were disrupted by the pandemic left me in a place which caused me to question myself and clouded my identity. Am I perceived to be successful at my work, now that I …
I don’t think the sight of me has ever terrified anyone so. There’s only one explanation.
“A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths are a statistic” – Joseph Stalin I used to share slides with statistics of missing children in Malaysia, children sold into labour or for sexual exploitation. I have journeyed with a number of such children and adults in the Tenaganita Shelter for Trafficked survivors (2005-2011). The …
