JOHOR BHARU

Johor Bharu, the capital of Johor is rated the 'most unlivable' city some years ago - bad town management, dirty streets, congested roads, high crime rate and the ever smelly river that runs through the city, emiting its foul stench. Touted 'the gateway to Singapore', JB is not a touristy place, although Singaporeans loved to flock there for the comparatively 'cheap food', the bars, the cheaper sundry goods and of course, the 'cheap' petrol. There's a joke that if you hear the words : 'cheap, cheap, cheap' it's inevitably a Singaporean!

My impressions of JB are the bright street lights as one whizzed through enroute to Singapore. We never stop over in JB - just at the Customs and Immigration. When I was in Form 4, our school choir team ( made up exclusively from our class ) took part in an inter-school choir competition, held in Convent of HIJ, JB. We lost to them, made some enemies -"they were sooo snooty - we could have won - the judges were bias !!" - the ever common cries of the losing team. My 2nd vist to JB was after Form 6. Choy Min, Bee Lian and I hitched-hiked to JB to attend our interviews for university scholarship. On arrival, we searched for the 'cheapest hotel' available and finally found one at some back alley. It was within walking distance to the govt. building where the interview was to take place. For the next 2 days, we trouped in and out of the motel - oblivious to the stares of the men at the reception counter. On the 3rd day, Choy Min's parents came to pick us and we went to Singapore together. How horrified he was to see us at the dingy motel and he scolded us roundly for boarding there. It turned out that this cheap back-alley motel was actually in a red light district and frequented by 'you-know-who'!! Such was the innocence of youth. There was a 3rd visit , after I graduated - to attend a course at the Temenggong Ibrahim's Teachers' Training College - but that'll be another story.

I shall be going to JB again next week to attend a budget meeting. This time of course, I will not board at the back-alley motel (smile) . Wonder how much has changed since then.