Saturday 31 March 2012

Tan Tin Tun

In the early 1980's, a local humour magazine called Gila-Gila was a huge best-seller. I was a regular customer and used to keep so many old copies of it. Among the popular cartoon series in that magazine was one done by the late Rejabhad called Tan Tin Tun. I cannot now recall what the story was about but it had to do with three characters carrying that names.

At that time, I believed that such names could only be found in a fictional creation... until one day, someone told me of a true-life example.

At my first workplace, I had a colleague named Atan. He married a pretty clerk who worked in the same organization called Zaiton. I was part of the groom's entourage for the wedding ceremony at the bride's kampung, somewhere in Kota Tinggi.

Some time after they were married, Zaiton became pregnant and later gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. The name they gave their daughter was Fatin (actually a long name of Fatin something or other, sorry can't remember). At first I didn't realise it and I'm sure my friend Atan had not either... but the happy family inadvertently became a complete set. Tan, Tin, Tun... for Atan, Fatin and Eton. True story.

13 comments:

koolmokcikZ said...

Gila Gila was my favourite read too and I had a huge collection which I lost to kak Ti recently.

And yes, Tan Tin Tun was among the many favourites. I particularly love one by a Terengganu cartonist [forgot his name lah ..Fatah ke apa] about one young man obsessed with his scooter and he has a gf called Jenab.

Those were the days ...

Wan Sharif said...

Used to know Allahyarham Rejabhad who sometime visited our surau... To me he was a rather serious guy.. Only when cartoons subjects were brought up he became a jovial guy..
Alfatihah for his soul..

Anonymous said...

Gila - Gila was my favourite too . Cartoons by Zainal Buang Hessein was especially splendid . Gila - Gila reminds me of ny teenage years too . Today at 47 , you can imagine the many long years of memories left behind . Penuh nostalgia !

zafi said...

Oh it has been ages! I ve misplaced the book!

Nurie said...

Your post reminds me of a story my uncle once told me about a family.

Nama pakcik tu Saat, Wife dia Cik Jam and anak they all nama Minit.
hehehe...

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of a joke which someone had told me quite awhile ago. There was this lady in Japan who died at the age of 100. She was never married and appeared to have no friends at all. The undertaker who was tasked with her burial arrangements gasped when he was told by the doc doing the autopsy that this woman was a virgin. The undertaker and the Doc wondered aloud how anyone could stay a virgin for so long esp in this day and age. It was only after they found her birth certificate that they understood. Her name was Takasi Masok.

Fadhil said...

Koolmokcik,

The Trengganu cartoonist is A. Fatah whose character with that Vespa is called A. Mamud. Yeah, those were the days.

Fadhil said...

Ayoh Wang,

Alfatihah for the soul of allahyarham Rjabhad.

Fadhil said...

Anon of 03.04.12,

I guess we grew up at a time of great artwork and satire. Thanks for dropping by and commenting.

Fadhil said...

Zafi, I guess most of us have lost or disposed off old copies of the magazine and the books. Can't be keeping too much of the old stuff... although you'd be surprised of some of the things I still have from my student days :-)

Fadhil said...

Noorsha,

Hahaha! That's funny... a family of complete timekeepers, heheh...

I used to have a senior at school named Jamhari. Our English teacher called him Dayclock :-)

Fadhil said...

Hahaha Cara! You are wicked!

Papa-NtiQ said...

Gila-Gila reminds me of Mat Romeo. I bought the magz mainly just to read that section.