TO ALL THE GIRLS I LOVED BEFORE

Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson, To all the girls I've loved

[via FoxyTunes / Willie Nelson & Julio Iglesias]

Not sure my wife would mind this post...hehehe Happy Valentine's Day Wifey!
Through my nearly 50 years of my life - there have been many women (well they were still girls during my school days lah).
First crush? Hairan or was it Zarina Kushi. Maybe Norashikin. Hmmmm. Primary school can be tough when there's so many cute gals.
In secondary school, the girls in my life were basically from two places - Assunta Secondary school and from Kampung Tunku area. As I walk from my school (LSPJ) every afternoon, I have to walk past Assunta in Jalan Chantek. That's when my friends and I try to give our very best smiles to the girls of our dreams.
There was one particular girl I fancied when I was in Form 4 - her name was Umi Kalsom. She had a Farah Fawcett kinda hairstyle. Went out with her once or twice, along with her friends - Tengku Intan, Doriah and some others I can't remember. But I guess they were more interested in older men (Form 6 lah).
Anyway, me and my gang (yes you know who you all are) hooked up with this group of gals from Assunta during Form 5. We called ourselves the MAFIA (Malaysian Association For Intelligent Adults). The girls were our Molls. I'll give you their first name initials (just in case their husbands don't like their names exposed) - S, N, N, H.
There was the other girls around that time too - Shida, Oda, Emma, Ombak, Junai, Atun and a few others. I dated some Chinese girls too (non Assuntarians) - and the one I remember was Ruth. When we broke up I was Ruth-less (Heheheh). Wonder where Ruth is now?
Hahaha...but my so called serious relationship began when I was in form 6 - this girl with the intials A.S. I met her at a friend's party. She was standing quietly in the corner with this red and white skirt (best described as huge red and white ties sewn together to form a skirt), white blouse and a curly head of hair. She had this one of a kind nose that I would never forget. Anyway, we danced and actually hit it off. She happened to be Elita's best friend. The unfortunate thing is that she comes from a well-to-do family (soon to be anak Dato) - who inevitably didn't approve of me. We went out together until she entered University and I started working at NST. She was in Penang USM and I in KL. Long distance romances don't really work those days - especially without internet access.
In NST, I didn't date anyone. Seriously! I had such wonderful female friends that going that extra mile might actually screw up friendships. But I did have a crush with one lady - don't think she knew I existed. This sweet young thing's name was Sue Ann (English version of her Chinese name that is actually pronounced the same way). And I wasn't the only one. I think half of the male staff in NST had the hots for her.
It was when I took a sabbatical to pursue my Degree at ITM Mass Comm that I started dating more. Hehehe...who were they? There's Za, there's Zuleika (a Brooke Shields look alike), Linda (from Jalan Othman branch), Hayati, Marina, Rozita, Umi and jeez so many lah. There was also a girl named Elin. We didn't hit it off because according to her, I made such a big fuss that the date (the only one we had) was my mom's idea...and that I was forced into it. Hahaha...yeah right. Intekma was a cauldron of young hormones about to burst at the seams.
In fact, I first met my wife, Puteh, there. She was my super senior in college. She was a top student studying Public Relations. I was in Journalism class. I remember her quite well, but she doesn't remember me much. We actually only began dating after we both graduated and were pursuing our own careers.
After graduation, I went back to continue working as an entertainment journalist and film critic with NST. She had then joined Cathay Organisation as their PR manager. Fate had us meeting each other again during one of the previews of a movie in Cathay - which at the end of it I was hoping to preview her instead.
We dated off and on for about a year. One night we had a nice candle lit dinner at this nice restaurant in Bukit Bintang called the Kancil (in her version we were had dinner at Castell's in PJ. I sent her home, and at her front gate in the car, I proposed to her (I know I know..it's not a very romantic place to propose to someone ok) but lucky for me she said yes. We were married soon after. That was in 1983 (Gee, I hope I got the year right!!!).
Anyway, a special valentine day's wish to my lovely wife Puteh (both of us pictured above when we were in Tehran early last year). Thanks for the 25 years together and for the four lovely kids.
To all the other girls I knew before? A Valentine's Days wish to you gals wherever you are.
Oh yes a Happy Birthday wish to a dear friend too - Sofia Jane, my favourite Pinocchio.