Things I Picked Up From The Movies.
I PICKED UP A THING OR TWO ABOUT LIFE AND WOMEN, from the movies I watched at Panggung Happy. They've tore down the movie-house long time ago but they can't get it out of my life because in my mind, Panggung Happy was the best classroom there is in the whole wide world. In there I learn to say 'Let's go!' just like the hero. I learn to smoke like James Bond, drink whiskey like the cowboy in the saloon before he fights off the bad guys, on behalf of the women with flowers in their hair sauntering up the stairs to a room above. I learn about getting into a fight and forget about what's gonna happen to you after the first punch starts to fly. I learn that the hero doesn't have a family and all he does is ride into one town after another, leaving behind the woman he's slept with last night still in bed. I learn about interesting jobs reserved exclusively for men to do because he's born to take care of dangerous things like petroleum fire or horses stampeding out of a corral. I learn to love guns. I learn to love bows and arrows. I learn to love horses. I learn to love nice clothes and nice shoes. I learn how to behave when you walk into a fancy restaurant or a casino. I learn to smoke in bed. I learn to light two cigarettes with a single match and give one to the woman lying next to you. I learn to kiss. I learn to hold a woman close to my chest. I learn things that would have taken me a life time to do them right the first time. I watch the movies with eyes wide open when the hero kisses a girl for a long long time as if he doesn't care if the world comes to an end. I learn to promise myself to marry someone who looks like Elizabeth Taylor or never to marry at all.
I learn English from the movies. I memorize the phrases. I memorize the words. I use them in essays but the teacher doesn't get what I mean because the words don't spell too good. I learn that the world, just like the movies, works in Simple Present Tense. It is just sad that none of the movies has ever taught me how to take care of the woman I used to love with everything I hold sacred...
Note: The image above is an old movie ticket of King's Theatre, Singapore. The word 'Panggung Happy Dungun' was added using Photoshop CS3.
posted by Bergen at
10:05 AM
30 Comments:
i like this part:
"I learn to hold a woman close to my chest"
tender! :)
anyways, good to know about the first day of spring equals 21st march. that'd be a date to remember *winks*
Nice blog-Congratulations!!
Tuan Bergen, ingatkan panggung happy sungguh tiketnya, zaman awang panggung happy doh jadi bangunan usang, lepah tu kene rongbok doh...hehehe...
hmm..
you know what, dear sir,
the story of your life does deserve an academy award.
because it's for real.
because it's colorful.
because the hero is YOU.
Salam bergen,
Banyak saya tak dapat belajar dari panggung ni kerana hanya setahun sekali je dapat tengok wayang...walaupun tiketnya 40 sen je dan boleh dudk kongsi berdua satu kerusi...hahaha......
Salam Bergen
Just when I thought that you had kept the ticket all the while!!! Tertipu rupanya seperti bagaimana kita juga tertipu bila menonton wayang gambar, yes?
Dee3: How have you been, ma'am?
Jb: Thank you, ma'am.
Awang: It was like KLCC in its heyday, sir. No, it was like Las Vegas. he he
Azudesu: You say nice things, ma'am. Thanks you.
Zabs: I grew up in the movie theater because I was free to go there after dark, unlike my friends who had to stay home because their father wouldn't let them out of the house that time of day.
Fauziah Ismail: Yes, when the credit rolls up and the curtain comes down, when the lights come back on and the exit doors are open, it's just a movie.
Dear Sir,
I just hope that all the 'wayang' in Malaysia would stop. Even from Khartoum I could feel the 'heat'! Anyway, Khartoum is getting hotter by the day, only cool in the morning. Au revoir!
Ina: I think I know what's going on here in Malaysia. People are trying to get PKR politicians to quit and gain the majority. It's a game anyone can see but I don't think this is the right thing to do because did we vote in the last general election. Does any of that count?
It's business, ma'am. Demand and supply. Who's really in charge of running this country to make it great? I don't know.
Sir, this is about the 'bad boy' attitute that I admire. But I like bad boy with an owl. Just imagine, you see them taking their majestic owl to watch movie etc, very sexy. Don't you think so?
You learned how to kiss from the movies? hahaha
Dah jumpa belum the Elizabeth Taylor look-alike? Kalau belum come to mama! hahaha
An-Nimr? Jangan boohoo boohoo ye? I nak catch him for you lah!
Bergen - Sadly, I hv no memory of Panggung Happy because my opah & tok ayah forbid me from jejak kaki dlm panggung wayang.Because of this, saya never develop an interest in tengok wayang.
Ah yes the panggung wayang when we were young. I managed to slip into the theatre once for the 3 o'clock showing of the Ten Gladiators immediately after coming out of the 1 o'clock show of the same movie.
Then there was Cheap Matinee. At Cathay BM the tickets were 40 sens and 65 sens and RM1.00 for reserve seats while at Cheok Sah BM it was 20 sen 40 and 65 sen.
Later I befriended the son of the Cheok Sah theatre owner and I could go for free.
Loved the cowboys then but later learnt that they are the actual scums.
Salam Sir...
How I wish I could R & D and watching movie now....*Sigh*
*R & D = Rehat and Duduk..
Have a nice day Sir,
Regards
Cik_kembang
Entry ni mengingatkan saya kepada Toto di dlaam Cinema Paradiso. One of the best films ever made.
Thinking of watching it again tonite.
Tuan Bergen,
Lama dok jjupa. Apa khabar?
Yes, old cinemas bring back many happy memories. I remember panggung Mat Ming (Sultana) and Capitol in KT. Their posters always had Malay subtitles written in beautiful Jawi. Romance was translated 'cerita asyik' and Richard Widmark looked like our Mamat Ppala Kerah (tobat pong, ni bukang nnawok). Each time we left the cinema we walked home with a different gait, but not quite Jong Weng (John Wayne).
if u sir, learn by movie...but for a girl like me..i learn from reading a good book...a very good book...
and i like your blog too..
Oh,
Can you light one up for me? After?
This comment has been removed by the author.
Oh,
Bergen. BTW...you know why movies didn't teach you the last part?
Well, because life ISN'T a movie. Life stinks. Reality stinks. And movies stink it up all the more, with all these false illusions and scenes of how life should be.
When it just isn't.
Movies are just delusions. They create false expectations and romanticism.
And this, my dear...makes us all deluded, being bombarded everyday with these images.
Kapische?
Bergeng, Ya Allah kena tipu hidup2 rupanya. Baru nak salute kata betapa cermatnya bergeng tiket panggung happy zamang dulu pung dia ada simpan. Tapi dok ape kurang2nya itu mengingatkan kepada kita zaman2 cerita Bobby. Rama orang lalu depang umah kiter kang sebab nok tengok cerita Bobby dan jugok cerita gajah tu. Dok ingat nama cerita hindustan tu.
Satu lagi nak khabor, SMSO (DESS) akan adakan ekspo sempena 50 tahun penubuhan sekolah pada 24 hingga 27Februari 2009 ni di smso.
Things I picked up from the movies : John Cuszack, Pierce Brosnan and Sean Conary doesn't exist in real life. Labu, Labi and Sudin - Yes........:)
-ms.lambchop-
Yeah,
I heard Sean Connery and John Cusack and Angelina Jolie fart too!
Wow!
And they also get sembelit, burp and actually go to the toilet, pick their nose and all the other real things people do!
AND them Sultans and Agungs too!
Wow!
But they have it worse...they can't afford to fart in public like us.
Ahhh...such freedom from pretentions us regular folks.
And we can enjoy saggy tits without having to suffer surgery because we know we're all gonna die and decay anyway...so why waste money lah! It's just em movie stars who are have to live in movies 24/7.
This comment has been removed by the author.
tumpang lalu berg..
Tata..
expo tu saya dokleh gi (walaupun amat teringing).. tapi yg gathering 6/6 tu insyaallah..
nama felem tu hetti mere sathi.. saya sentiasa ingat sebab that was the very first hindustani film i ever watched (tahun 1971 masa balik cuti skoloh, kat ipoh)
pesat amender criter? kalu anything, text me nah?
tumpang lalu begeng,
Yes kak put3, nama citer tu hatte merre sathee. zamang famous dulu penuh panggung happy tu. rasanyer orang dungun dok panggil panggung happy tapi pangung mekek(mgkn dari perkataan market) sebab panggung tu dekat pasar dungun. betul ke fakta ni bergeng.
PESAT macam biasa, nanti TATA mintak En Sudin call kat kak put3 jika ada program sebab mungkin awal mac ada program balik tranung.
Salam Bergen.
This posting reminded me of my hostel days.I was a movie freak. Almost every Saturday after the morning prep, me and a friend(and most of the time alone) would rush to cinemas(yes cinemas) across Aloq Staq. For 'cerita orang puteh' its usually Cathay(the most glamourous cinema in AS then). My my main staple had always been kungfu films from Shaw Bro. There Fu Sheng,Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai,David Chiang,Yuen Wah are always waiting for me.Later it would be Jacky Chan.
I would sweat lining up at the ticket booth squeezed between Fu Sheng look-alikes and them talking and shouting loudly into your ears, some jumping Qs and some 'forcing' someone infront of you to buy their tickets that by the time you get to the ticket window you get the front most seat and you know you will suffer neckache later.
Sometimes it can be 2 movies in a row.
I learned kungfu from these cinemas.
wayang pertama sy tgok kat panggung, masa darjah 1..menanti hari esok. p dgn ayah n bro. ingat lagi masa tu my bro nangis sambil ngadu pening pening...actually dia mabuk darah ;p
love your entries..make me come for more.
Just the other day, my auntie asked kenapa beli ticket mahal and tak beli seat yg bawah. Her daughter later explained the ticket price is now RM 11 for all seats.
She nodded and said dulu ticket was only RM 1 for first class and 50 cents on seat bawah.
Bijou: A guy with an owl. Long John Silver can't beat that out. he he
Mamasita: I hear you, ma'am.
Kama-At-Tarawis: It would be very odd if you were seen at the cinema, ma'am. Masa tu the women went in groups. You don't even get to see newly weds there.
Kata Tak Nak: LOL, you met the real cowboys?
Cik_Kembang: You have a nice day too, ma'am.
Muteaudio: I think most of us have a movie that we remember for a long time. Enjoy it, sir.
Awang Goneng: Richard Widmark look-alike, mengikut pendapat saya lah, macam feature typical orang Terengganu. Di Ddungun ada sorang, he he, iaitu Uncle. Rambut dia macang Des O'Connors tapi feature dia lek lek macam Richard Widmark.
PKP Is Me: I should be reading as much as you do, ma'am.
An-Nimr: LOL, no ma'am. I've given up smoking long time ago, almost 20 years. Hmm, I have to disagree with you about life as you see it. I find life full of fun and it doesn't stink at all, ma'am. As a matter of fact I enjoy it very much knowing that one day it will be taken away from me. I'm more worried about the life after this one.
Tata: Masa tu bila petang2 suka tengok 'orang bujang' jjujuk berarok atas teksi menuju ke kedai belakang panggung.
Yang panggung Mekek tu dekat stesen injeng api, belakang sekolah Arab. Panggung ini dibuat dari kayu, bila tengok wayang siang cahaya luar masuk ikut celoh dinding. Kipas angin ada 3 butir, panas macam dalang injing kapal arang batu. he he
Ms Lambchop: Good movies, Labu Labi is. he he
Tokasid: Memang tepat sekali. Kung Fu movies memang best. I like Chee Kuan Thye, ganas dan muka bengis macam Charles Bronson.
MekNa: Mabuk darah?
Justmeyatie: Thank you for visiting and it's very nice to have you here.
To everyone who dropped by this way, thank you.
The original entry had the work 'carrel' which is not the right word. I meant corral. This is been changed. It is my mistake not to check the spelling. Won't do it again (This is for Miss Low Bee Lia - my English teacher, Remove D)
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home