Growing up I spent my primary school years in a coed school. And my secondary school years in a boy school called St Xaviers Institution.
Going to a boy school was a bit of a culture shock to me. It was different. We did things that I never understood why. I still wonder today whether this was unique to St Xavier’s Institution or did it happen in every boy school. You tell me.
Here’s a list of the funny things we did.
1) We referred to each other by our father’s names.
I had a friend whose name was Eng San. Everybody called him Ah Seng though… not Ah San… Ah Seng. Puzzled at first I would ask my fellow classmates why they called him Ah Seng when neither Ah or Seng is in his name. Then they gleefully explained that Ah Seng was Eng San’s father’s name and they all called him by that.
This happens for almost everybody. Everybody calls each other by their fathers’ name and it’s confusing too. Because even though it happens so much, when someone calls you by your father’s name you’re supposed to be seriously offended. Seriously offended like someone just properly insulted you.
I never understood how or why this father’s name thing happened but it did. My Malay and Indian classmates had it the roughest because their father’s names were all in their ICs… since it’s part of their names (e.g. Prakesh a/l Raju). For the Chinese guys, it took more effort to… but everyone still eventually found out everyone elses’ father’s name.
2) Everything that was kick-able on the ground was a football.
Everything was a football and would immediately spark off a game of football with whatever object it was. It didn’t even have to be a round object. Bottles and cans would be kicked around all the time and once I dropped my handkerchief in school only to realize it was later being used as a football by some 10 other boys.
3) The birthday boy always gets drenched after school.
During the day word would get around that it was somebody’s birthday. Then the birthday boy would have to go through his school day constantly being reminded that when the school bell rang he was going to be drenched all the way into his underwear.
And it happened. By 10 minutes after the school bell goes off, the birthday boy would be chased all around the school by another 4-5 boys armed with their water bottles, ready to toss gallons of water on him.
I once saw a fire house being used for this too. Why it happens or who started it? I can never figure it out.
4) We have this weird thing about ganging up on a fellow classmate and taking off his shirt.
Whenever one teacher leaves the class in between periods, all hell breaks loose. Everyone in the classroom starts walking around and talking… even shouting. One thing that often happens in the chaos is that a few guys would hold down one guy and slowly unbutton and take off the shirt of that one guy. Only to hide it before the next teacher comes in.
The one guy they choose to undress varies. One day a guy could be part of the gang undressing someone else, and another day he could be a victim.
This is one thing I’m pretty sure doesn’t happen to coed schools but it happens in my boy school.
Truth is most of us often got caught doing stupid things like that and we got punished for it. Why we did it? I have no idea.
5) Gang fights are always planned for after school. They just never turn out the way you think they would.
It always happens like that. Somebody in school pisses somebody else off. Angry words are exchanged and threats are made. Then each person would call their “gangs” together who would all pledge to group together at a certain place after school and have a gang fight.
The news of the gang fight would spread around the school fast and by the time the final bell rang everyone would know about the gang fight happening. They would all group together at a spot and wait for the gangs to come.
Both gangs will arrive in Bollywood style fashion. Angry words that involved some bad words and the words “your mother” will be exchanged. Then two of the main people arguing will fight either pushing or punching each other.
As for the rest of the gang that came along…. instead of fighting each other like in the movies they would all pretend to be useful by holding the audience back. As if everyone else in the audience would could be in serious danger.
The fight would last about 10 seconds and then would break up with more angry words. The fighting duo would part still shouting profanities at each other and mostly with the words “You watch out!!!” in various different languages.
And that is how our fights were. Why they were like that….. I still don’t know.
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All in all I miss my boy school days. It was such good fun and St Xavier’s was a great school.
I’m still curious though… for those of you who went to a boy school? Was it like that in your school too?
Timothy Tiah – Co-Founder of Colony, Kuala Lumpur Co-Working Space