Memoirs Of A DJ: Life In Progress

• Memoirs Of A DJ: Life In Progress - Vernetta Lopez

Just finished reading the book by our own celebrity radio DJ, Vernetta Lopez and I have to say it was a good read. It was good in the sense that after reading the book, I got to know someone whom I have grown up with, albeit the fact that we have never met nor known each other.

Her book brought back a lot of memories for me:

• Zoo 101.6 FM
  
  "Zoo one-o-one point siiiiiiiiix!!"
  
  I still remember that jingle till this very day.
  
  It was a time when radio programs end at 12 midnight, with the national anthem signalling closing shop followed by a wall of static silence.
  
  Then came Zoo 101.6 FM from Batam who were playing all the latest hit songs and if I remembered correctly, they were the first to play 24/7. I remembered all the DJs have animal names like Andy Lion and Joe Monkey. It was a fun station to listen to.
  
  The only relatively happening (I stress the word "relatively") local station back then was Radio One which is today known as Gold 90.5 FM. My fondest memories of that station was Saturday Spin. The Burger King sponsored radio show was hosted by the very talented Roger Kool every Saturday from 12 to 1 pm, of which I tuned in to religiously.
  
  Then came JC2 when Perfect Ten 98.7 FM was launched to rival that and take all the young Singaporean listeners back to the island. Singapore island (Ubin, Sentosa, Tekong, Brani, Sudong included). Not Batam island.
  
  
  
• Black And White I
  
  Referring to the old colonial estates. They reminded me of two people.
  
  Sara. An old girlfriend of mine whom we are still in contact till this very day. In fact, we just whatsapped last week. You have to thank the tech gods for the internet. Really.
  
  I remembered fondly of her "Showers Of Blessing" which in actual fact was her wet spraying pffffttts... We were young and we didn't know much about being sanitary. :P
  
  I remembered being the guy with the nicest-smelling pencil pouch in the entire ACJC, courtesy of Beautiful by Estee Lauder. She has this tiny little sample bottle which she would put a drop from time to time into the pouch case. This girl had a strange way of showing her affection. :)
  
  I remembered her leaving to read her degree in Australia. It was a time of 25-cent aerogrammes and there was a cassette tape, in there somewhere, of me talking a lot of kok. It was the first ever podcast in the world.
  
  It was her birthday today. Happy birthday, Sara!
  
  
  
• Black And White II
  
  Victor. My secondary school classmate from Sec 2 to 4. He is a Filipino and again thanks to the internet (Facebook to be exact this time), we are still in touch too.
  
  I remembered us going to the record store one day in 1987 where he bought his first ever vinyl single. It was Looking For A New Love by Jody Watley.
  
  I remember coz I still have that vinyl with me.
  
  The strange thing back then coz he did not own a turntable and so it baffled me as far as the purchase was concerned.
  
  He bought it and insisted that I take it home with me so that I can record it into a cassette tape for him.
  
  If I may remind you, it was a single. Not an album. In other words, he paid SGD 13.00 (SGD 3,495 in today's money) for one song to be recorded into a cassette tape.
  
  Rich boy. This one.
  
  Well, I still have the vinyl in my storeroom back in Singapore. If we even meet up again (he is back in the Philippines), I would be happy to return it to its rightful owner.
  
  
  
• Turf Club @ Bukit Timah
  
  Once the turf club was relocated to Kranji, that huge carpark was the best make-out place on the island. That lasted for a while until the pesky second-hand car dealers moved in. :(
  
  I also recalled reading in the news that a horse broke out of the stables and went galloping along Eng Neo Avenue. That escapade was cut short when it ran into an oncoming BMW.
  
  I recalled people being more concerned about the damage done to the Beemer than the demise of the poor animal. *shrugs*

So anyway, the link above is the Kindle link to the book which I enjoyed very much. I finished it in one sitting. Go buy and read it if you know what Zoo 101.6, Roger Kool, vinyl singles, cassette tapes (auto-reverse ring a bell?) and aerogrammes are.


Image Credit: http://www.amazon.com

- Voxeros