As part of our 70th Anniversary celebrations, Alumna Moyra Mesbah (Class of 1976) took some time to reminisce and share some of her experiences as part of the GIS community.
Moyra, could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was the daughter of an oil engineer and my father had been given the opportunity to work in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Because of that, I had the privilege of spending three and a half lovely years growing up in Malaysia, loving every minute of it, learning about the culture and language all at the same time, and embracing all of it. And that’s where my story begins.
Moyra, could you walk us through your time at GIS?
My time at GIS was most certainly memorable. It was spent making lots of friends from all backgrounds and cultures, learning from my classmates about their culture and celebrating what made us different. At the time we were studying all about Malaysian history and geography.
Moyra, how was the school back in the 70s?
When I started, the school was known as the Garden House Secondary School before the name change in early 1976. The school back then was certainly not as it is today: it was comparatively small compared to how it looks now. We had open air windows, and fans blowing all the time. Our desks were old wooden ones, and we sat in school chairs made of rattan and bamboo. We wrote all our lessons on old notebooks, and the teachers gave us lessons writing on old chalk boards.
There was no lunchroom or cafeteria to speak of, but what we had was a lovely lady with a bright smile that every day at lunchtime used to make us fragrant smelling curry puffs, cooking them outside.I still remember watching her making them with a smile. The school was very small back then- we had very few classrooms or buildings surrounding it. Back then, the school was surrounded by lots of trees, with beautiful gardens, and a badminton court on the grass in front of our building where I learnt how to play badminton for the first time with my classmates. That was all new for me; it was all memorable and a new adventure.
Would you like to share any special moments that you experience at GIS?
Yes, my special moment with the GIS was when I performed in a school play that was organized at the time with Mrs. Mary Arshad, Head Principal. I was to perform centre stage in the play called Dial M for Murder by Alfred Hitchcock. I performed to a sellout crowd of over 200 people at City Hall in K.L, with my parents sitting in the centre row. Working alongside my classmates and having fun, I still remember it now and the great time I had.
One thing that you are always proud of GIS
The one thing that I am always proud of with the GIS is the ongoing high level of education that you get when you attend, and the support that is given. The school has always been able to blend good education, keeping in mind the awareness of its multicultural students and understanding every level. GIS will still keep growing, for many years to come, as it has from the very beginning.
Wishes to GIS for marking the milestone of 70 years
I just want to say the following to all of the students, and to the ones just starting out and beginning a long road ahead: ‘Always be open to what comes your way. Never say no to any opportunity that comes to you.’ And for the students embarking on their future goals and dreams in life and chosen career paths: ‘Be prepared to take many twists and turns in your life, as it’ s all just a journey, and take all the opportunities that come along the way, embrace it all, keep an open mind, as I have experienced many changes in my career path since I moved back from Malaysia to my new home in Vancouver, Canada. I have taken many roads and paths throughout the years. But I always believe that my time at GIS served me well. It set me for what my future is today.’
My best of luck to all of you, and so much faith and happiness in your life. My blessing towards
your future. Good luck, and take care.
A huge ‘Thank You’ to Moyra Mesbah for taking us back to the 70s with her fond memories of GIS. It has been great to reconnect with you, and we wish you and your family all the best.
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