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The Victoria Institution has lived on since 1893 and now straddles three centuries, the 1800's, the whole of the 1900's, and now steps grandly into the 2000's, having attained on 1st January 2001 the age of 107 years 4 months 18 days.

Taking an average of 4 classes each year of 40 students in each class, it has produced 200 students per year or in 107 years, it has a citizenship of 21,400.

The history and heritage of the Victoria Institution and Victorians is the history of the city of Kuala Lumpur, the country Malaysia, the world. Victorians have lived through British times, Japanese occupation, Merdeka, seen the Wright brothers' flight, first and second world wars, nuclear invention, man landing on the moon, invention of the bikini, to the building of the world's tallest building in Kuala Lumpur.

The scrapbook of any Victorian from 1893 will contain this history to 2001.

This, is the collective consciousness of Victorians.

It is for the current and future Victorians to add to this consciousness, and the challenge to past Victorians to document and preserve this heritage, this consciousness, from memories and oral history, to pen to paper, from bytes to cyberspace.

This is the challenge to all of us, and to the Victorian Times.

The Victorian in Form One on 1st January 2001 is not likely to be around when 1st January 2101 rolls around. Statistically, the Victorian in Form One on 1st January 2034 stands the most chance. He will be born in 2021, twenty one years from now. The point of this paragraph is, if you are a 50 year old Victorian this year, statistically you can still father a son or daughter who will be a Victorian when 1st January 2101 comes around. The assumption is the current school going age continues and secondary school system continues for another century.

What would you put into a time capsule for the Victorian who will be at the turn of the next century?

Will there be a Seladang newsletter, an annual Victorian magazine, the Victorian Times, an Interactive Community for the 2101 Victorian?

Will there be a 2101 Victorian?

Will the Victoria Institution straddle another turn of the century?

Happy New Millenium!

Yes - this is the new millenium! As the start of the new year of the new millenium, there will be new features as well this year.

This also marks the 21st issue of this Victorian Times, which means we have been publishing for the past 21 weeks, the first issue being dated 14th August 2000.

Did we say 21st issue? Happy 21st birth issue ! The Victorian Times has come of age, then.

The Victorian Times thanks all contributors and readers for it having survived so far, and apologises for any shortcomings. Please continue to give us feedback to improve it for everyone's enjoyment.

For this issue, we have an article on the song Auld Lang Syne, generously contributed by our Anon Nimous, with another belch of wisdom and knowledge from him to start the New Millenium with! Thanks, Anon Nimous!

www.physlink.com - Great science site, focussing on Physics and Astronomy, for ages 12 to 140.

Bette Davis - I`d marry again if I could find a man who had US$15m and would sign half of it over to me before the wedding and guarantee he`d be dead within a year.

Groucho Marx - I never forget a face to a name, but for you, my friend, I will do you a favour.

...have you ever wondered about learning sign language for communicating with those who are hearing-impaired? You can buy a pocketbook, Sign the Deaf Way, produced by the KL YMCA deaf community at RM15. Order by email - sign@pd.jaring.my or fax at 03-227 40559.

Mount your soapbox, write a feature article on something you want to say, share a web site with others, or something inspirational or good with others. Email us your articles, news, jokes, photos, etc for feature in future Victorian Times.

Photo credit: Above photo of the school taken by Mr Chung Chee Min (Year of 1959) in December 2000.

It is you, whose deeds have made what the Victoria Institution was, and what a Victorian is.

Each and every Victorian has made his/her contributions to what the Victoria Institution is, and what others perceive a Victorian to be. Perceptions of others have a certain blunt truth than all that one can pronounce about oneself, and so it is too with what the Victoria Institution is and what a Victorian represents. Therefore, in recognition of what each and every Victorian has done, the Victorian Times recognises each and every Victorian to be the VICTORIAN OF THE CENTURY.

Happy almost New Year! When the clock strikes twelve , refrain of Auld Lang Syne

would be heard all over the English- speaking world. Most of us know this tune ( but

not necessarily all the words) from our youth. In my ignorance I first thought it was a

toast to a Chinese maiden named Ms Auld! Later I even heard a comment about it

being Latin . Balderdash!

On the threshold of the third millennium this writer attempts to set the record

straight.Firstly, Burns did not write all the words. He added a couple more verses to

an older song and the tune is also a synthesis of earlier efforts.

Why do we love to sing this tune? In " Burns: A study of Poems and Songs", Crawford

suggest the following reasons: It is a drinking song that celebrates the past. Shared

memories (like us fellow Victorians) reinforce a certain camaraderie.

It is a tribute to friendship, a toast of mutual goodwill and hospitality. Familiarity may

breed contempt and once a year it stirs emotions that make the heart grow fonder.

So what does Auld Lang Syne mean? It is written in Gaelic/Old English.

...commencing January 2001, we will have, for reach month, the following categories for a monthly award:

- Victorian Event of the month: Any event that strikes you as definitive for that month. It can be a reported news event, a happening around you - any event.

- Victorian Person of the month: Any person you feel should be given this award. It can be anyone, someone you know, or reported in the papers - any one, human or otherwise.

- Victorian of the month: This will be selected from the above two categories, ie it can be an event, or a person - if person, it need not be an old boy/girl of VI.

Criteria for nomination: None, except it should be in good taste.

Method: eg for January 2001, email us your nomination(s). Nnominations close on Friday of the first week of February 2001. All nominations will be posted on a poll page for voting. Voting closes on Friday of the second week of February. The winners will be announced on the third Monday of February.

All monthly winners in each category will then qualify as nominees for the Voted Victorian Event of the Year and Voted Victorian Person of the Year and Voted Victorian of the Year categories, and presented for voting. The nominee receiving the most votes in each category will be the winner, by popular vote. This is by popular vote.

However, there will be a Victorian Event of the Year, a Victorian Person of the Year, and a Victorian of the Year, which are not voted but solely at the discretion of the Victorian Times. The voted winners will be considered for these non voted categories as well.

Well, this is the current mode, all suggestions and ideas are welcome and if there are more suitable ideas, the above mode can be changed. Give your feedback at the Victorian Interactive Community.

Onward into the new century then, fellow Victorians!