This is a picture of a little ad-hoc reunion held by my collegemates from the A Level days, at the Pelita restaurant in Jalan Ampang during lunchtime yesterday. It was supposed to be a candid picture took just after I went out of the toilet. They were not supposed to notice this shot. But the coming of the flash from my camera alerted them. So they have time to turn around and smile.
Normally, regardless of the time of the day, little lighting and such I don't use flash. Even when taking pictures in the dark, I'd rather allow whatever little amount of lighting to built up inside the camera screen enough to differentiate the main objects to be taken against the background for a snap. So I always have the camera set with no flash.
However when this picture was taken, I didn't realise that my camera was in automatic mode meaning it would turn on the flash if it considers there is not enough lighting. Yet, this was in stark day-time... there should be more than enough light to make the subject clear enough. Still the flash was turned on and the rest was history.
The picture I intended to take should look like this - minus the people smiling and looking straight at the camera of course as it was supposed to be a candid shot. Anyway, this is how it looks like without flash. But the previous snap with flash has already alerted them to my attempt, so here we are, everybody posing for posterity except one. Hmm...OK. Let me try to get the names right... or rather their nicknames in college ya. From furthest left going anti-clockwise or to the right is Johan Aris @ John followed by Din which I still remember as Din ... (the three dots refers to a familiar name which is not relevant anymore now. I only made the reference as that was always the way I have remembered Din, sorry ya bro!), Maisharul I think (he was the only one I couldn't put a face to in the gathering. I only knew who he is after looking at the exchange last night in our Yahoo group), Kawi, Iwe (which I remembered the face but only got the name when someone else called him out. Not from our batch but a senior very chummy with some of us). From right going to the left, the only girl in this little reunion was Rafidah Harun @ Fifi (I always remember her as a pleasant person, one who has tolerated my antics very well), Zahid Taib @ Apek (one of my room-mates at 51C), Tajul Aznam (apa ha lu punya nickname? Ada ka?) and finally the only person who decided to maintain a candid composure by staying put, Mumbra (your real name is Khairul ka?). Later came Raja Azlan from Batch 6 if I remember his name correctly. So he's not in the picture.
Unfortunately I didn't have much time to talk to many of them. They came for lunch and have to resume working after a time. While most have arrived by 12.30 pm, I only reached the restaurant sometime after 1.30 pm. What happened was my bike was making noises and it sounded like coming out from the gearbox. So I have to get it fixed first before joining the guys (and gal).
Anyway I feel so grateful to Allah SWT for having seen them yesterday. There are guys which I haven't seen since we left college 20 years ago, so I must admit there's plenty of nostalgic feeling welling inside me as I chomped down my food while listening to their banterings and such. And I am also grateful that a previous meeting with Kawi just a few days earlier after having not met for 20 years or so (I don't think we've bumped in England and after, correct me if I am wrong) led to the discovery on my part that our batch's Yahoo group have been very active in the last few months. That is how I started getting back into contact with them and that is how the lunchtime ad-hoc reunion was made to happen.
While we are still on the subject of reunion, let me put the link to a reunion me and my room-mates at 51C held last year. Here it is... Reunion bilik 51C "A"Level Batch 7 (tahun 1988).... And let me just display again the links to a series of articles written about the A Level days ya.
To Din, regarding our later meeting at Decanters when you asked what happened to me all this while, the last article linked here should succintly explain it all (except for the spiritual part and matters regarding royalty I told you about). Cheers! :]
Remembering the "A" level college days some 20 years ago! Just to get the juices flowing...
Remembering the "A" Level college days. How I got the nickname Fly!
