In one of many exchanges with Victor, I told him that MAN are sentimental fools. We are always reminiscing about the good old days, holding on to our past and memories and attaching much TLC (Tender Loving Care) to our prized possessions - the first model plane we assembled, our first walkman, the trophies we got from the track and field championship, and perhaps the love letters from our girlfriends (who might or might not have become the Significant Other). In one hilarious scene from "Meet the Fockers", the mum of the male-lead proudly showed off the foreskin of her dear son like a family heirloom to her prospective in-law-to-be on their first meeting. Of course that was reel-life; but you got my drift...
One of my most treasured possessions is a watch that my Dad bought me when I was just a kid. It was a reward for having passed my PSLE. For a family that used to live from hands to mouths, Dad, a former forklift driver, must have loved me a lot to buy me a watch with his meager salary.
It was a PAGOL watch with a luminous brown face. What I like most about the watch is that it's fully automatic. As I grew into adulthood and started working, I started pampering myself with other watches that caught my fancy. No, not those time-pieces that only the rich and high-society folks could afford (What? $1m for that timepiece? Are you nuts?). But there was a time when I was head over heels with SWATCH watches. I own about 10 of them, some of which were purchased while on holiday in Australia. The sad part about having these battery-operated watches is that I never got round to changing the batteries once the watches stop "ticking". That makes my PAGOL watch the more endearing, 'cause I never have the need to worry about changing batteries since it's fully automatic.
Though it looks kinda outdated (I much prefer to use the term "retro-looking"), my timeless piece of treasure is still pretty much alive and kicking. Like a faithful spouse, it has stayed with me for the past 29 years, never once let me down and is always truthful when it comes to time.
Yes, men can be such sentimental fools, but how could any man not be, unless he's totally devoid of feeling? Ever wonder why we enjoy listening to old songs from Class 95 and Gold 90? A familiar old song always bring back sweet (and sometimes not so sweet) memories. Like a time machine, it transports us back to our yesteryears - our childhood, courtship, when we were just "a bacholer boy", our first time, first love, NS stint, the wedding, honeymoon, fatherhood and the list goes on... An old song has the power of evocation. Till today, when I hear the song "Stand By Me", it evokes memories of my courtship days with the Slim Lady. That was also the title of our first movie date.
4 comments:
I still have my slide rule from my U days. One day, I am going to write a blog on it.
Did you know that I found several websites on the slide rule - something that has been around for hundreds of years and then became obsolete over-night with the arrival of the digital calculator.
Can you guess what Frannxis said when he first visited my website:
"Good that you have kept the old photos. Unfortunately I threw away many old photos and old chinese movie flyers, posters and magazines."
Oh Pagol (椰树唛). Some 30 years ago, my elder brother gave me a hand-me-down Titoni (梅花唛) or 'plum blossom' brand, same flower as those falling down across your blogsite). The watch is also an automatic but now it always stops after running for a few minutes. I guess such mechanical watches need to be serviced and oiled every now and then.
I heard that it is recommended that Rolex watches should be serviced every year with each service costing more than $100. Since I don't own one, I can't verify if this is true. Like you, I also think that it does not make sense to spend more than $100 to service a brand name watch when that amount of money could buy you a decent watch of other ordinary brands. So if I couldn't afford even the servicing, how could I afford the watch?
But I am still keeping the Titoni, never mind if it is second-hand and defective or even if you call me a sentimental fool. The reason? It was sincere gift from my brother and hence I treasure it more than a Rolex.
Oh man... I replied to so many comments until I lost track of which one to replied to...Heee
Ya Victor, sometimes, even if the stuff is torn or conked, we still hold them dear, all for sentimental value and reason. This reminds my of my personal experience. The Slim Lady sewed a cross-stitch of a pair of cute Precious Moments bride and groom months before we got married. She even had our names sewn on it. We had it hung on the wall by our bed, you know, where most people have their wedding photo instead. Then a few years back, we moved to our new place. One day, on my way home from work, I spotted the cross-stitch in my corridor, along with other garbage and junk, clearly meant for the HDB cleaner. I picked up the cross-stitch, went back into the house and asked the Slim Lady why she threw THAT away. She said the glass of the frame has cracked and so, time to throw! I couldn't believe my ears! Aren't women supposed to be more sentimental then we men?
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