From: Rene - 7
Date: 7/10/00
Time: 12:02:54 AM
Grand Father
Most of us (my generation) probably remember
Ah Koong as a rather austere person with a very feudalistic outlook. He can also
be quite authoritarian and frightening. Many stories can be written about him in
those veins. However, I like to tell some stories of lighter moments with him.
Drumming with the knuckles
I remember Grand Father entertaining my
brothers and sisters and I by drumming on the table with his knuckles – he
turns his wrists and rolls his knuckles against the table top and by doing so
generates what I used to think as rather intricate rhythmic patterns. Most
people would tap out rhythms using their fingers or palms of their hands. I used
to be very fascinated by it all and often would practice by myself after one of
his sessions. I have periodically drummed with my knuckles to Mei, Richard and
now Robert. What I have not done so far is to tell them from whom I learnt the
trick. Will correct this at the next opportunity.
Arm-pit farts
Another trick which Grand Father used to do
to our great amusement was to place the flat of his left palm against his right
arm-pit and by rapidly moving his right arm away and towards his body would
produce loud farting sounds. I remember rolling around and squealing with
laughter whenever he did this trick. The final bit of the trick is to put his by
then sweaty left palm against our faces. We would all run away from the sweaty
smell in mock terror amidst even more laughter. (I can do this trick as well.)
Finding the pea
On other occasions – much more rarely,
Grand Father would do his conjuring trick that was bound to intrigue and mystify
us. He would over turn three Chinese teacups and place a pea under one of them.
He moved the cups around and we had to identify the cup which had the pea. I
remember pleading with him to repeat the trick over and over again in order to
try to find the pea - but was never ever to find it. This is the sort of trick
that one sees around street corners nowadays using three playing cards and
getting people to bet on the ace card. Maybe Grand Father in his youth had been
a ‘card sharp’. I must confess that this is one trick that I have never
mastered!
Blowing the horn