i learnt how to play chinese chess from an uncle @ the hospital today. he used to work as a coolie, but has since retired and spent his days at the hokkien clan association socializing and playing chess. when he first came to nanyang to work, he had to report a fake name because of communist riots sparked off by the chinese students. even though he studied till secondary school, he had to lie that he was uneducated, so that he could protect himself and gain entry to work in nanyang. as a coolie, he carried goods of all sorts, and even dead bodies of migrants who died on the ships that docked our shore. i never thought in my lifetime that i would meet a real coolie... but i did today. it was indeed, very special.