Mr. Bernard's 5 Best

Mr. Bernard was my Music teacher while growing up in school. He left us to work somewhere else, and I've tried quite unsuccessfully to get in touch with him. The problem is that no one knows his last name. We all knew him as Mr. Bernard. Mr. Bernard's Music period was most looked forward to, because he had the piano which he would play on, and the guitar which he'd hold while sitting on the piano chair, and play. We were meant to sit on the wooden floor, after having taken our shoes off outside. Obviously the moment class ended, it was a real quandary trying to make sure we all got our exact shoes back; we had to wear white shoes back then and almost everyone bought them at Bata. I also remember loving Mr. Bernard's cupboard. In that cupboard, he'd keep stacks of music lyrics wrapped safely with a rubber band and each lesson, we'd get one, paste it in our Music book, then sing along to it. For that reason, we were required to bring glue to class. I wasn't really allowed to bring glue, because my parents thought I was too messy with it and didn't know how to use glue. They were right. Other kids were just lazy, so when we were given these lyrics, we'd have to crowd around the person who did HAVE glue and wait in line to use it. Sooner or later, the glue bottle, which was quite cheap and had a very ineffective nozzle, would start to run and spurt an excess of glue which we would then have to equally spread on the sheet. Other kids used to run out to wash their hands; because I was cool, I used to rub my hands on the floor, or my skirt. Mr. Bernard also encouraged us to draw and colour in the pages where we had lyrics, all around it, in colours and shapes we'd love. And the following week, we'd show him what we had coloured and drawn. I think it says alot that I still remember some of the music from the time and that I associate all these songs with him and his class.

Mr. Bernard, I think of you often and wonder where you are. If anyone knows where he might be, do let me know. Music class was the best. Mr. Bernard is Australian, had a Grease-ish John Travolta hairstyle back, with medium brown curls and very lovely green (or were they blue?) eyes. He used to wear funky 90s shirt, because obviously we were in the 90s and was married at the time. He was the first Caucasian man I'd ever  met in my life. And I sound like I'm talking about a missing cat.

Here are the few songs I've pasted in my Music book and still remember.

1. Shoo Fly

I used to LOVE singing this.

2. Puff the Magic Dragon

For years I was convinced that this song was in fact called Puffy the Magic Dragon, and that it was by the Beatles. So much so I was pissed that nowhere could I find them singing it. Obviously I know now better.

3. Scarborough Fair

4. Lemon Tree

This, was extremely popular back then and we were ALL singing it. So it was only fair that Mr. Bernard get us to sing-along to it.

5. A Beatles song I don't remember, so I'm subsituting it with Cat Stevens.



I love this song. It's for the eternal optimist.

6. Oh My Darling Clementine



I loved loved loved this song. It was also a very bad habit of mine to look at other people singing in class the moment we got into the thick of songs. I loved seeing everyone come together in harmony to sing songs, all in one voice. Good times, I wish you were in the present, not just a shadow of the past.