I am in Ho CHi Mihn City this week. No not for the APEC meeting! So while waiting for my flight back to Singapore, I posted this Part 11 for you guys. This part just tells you, as a prelude of our family growing up in Telok Anson. Many a stories there to tell later as we stayed 4 long years there. The longest that we ever stayed in one place. So here goes....
When we got back to Malaysia from UK, we stayed with our Grandma Tok Bi at their Wadi Hassan house in JB. It was cramped but comfortable. I am sure you remember the house that I mentioned earlier.
Meanwhile, before Bah got his new posting, he was attached temporarily at the Teachers’ College in JB. The following week Bah came back home with a new car. It was a Peugeot 403, quite a big and comfortable car. I loved that car because many years later, I took my driving test with it.
Bah put us i.e. my brother and I back to the same school, i.e. Ngee Heng Primary. It was a funny feeling coming back to the same school that I started with on my first year of schooling. Then everything looked huge or large. Now that we were that much older, i.e. Primary 6 & 5 respectively, everything looked small. The playing field that I thought then was so large, was no bigger than the garden at Bah’s Stulang Darat’s house. The primary 1 boys looked so small…..
Anyway, lessons were ok as the medium of instruction in those days were in English. When it came to the Malay language class, I was totally flabbergasted because I realised I couldn’t read Malay! When I was asked to read aloud, I was like an illiterate who had just started to learn to read. I had to spell it out in my mind as quickly as I could, literally word for word. Of course all that while, my classmates were snickering behind me. It took me many months later of intensive reading that at last I could read Malay without faltering.
Bah received his posting about a month later. It was to Telok Anson (now called Teluk Intan) in Perak. Bah went earlier himself to get settled and ready for us to come. After a couple of week, he came back and we had to start loading our stuffs into 2 or 3 train boxes. After that was done, we were ready to leave JB.
On the day we were to leave, very early in the morning, we had to load the car with whatever stuffs were had to bring. The boot was fully loaded to the brim, but Bah had installed a roof rack, and we stacked the rest of the stuff on top of the car, covered them with canvas in case it rained, and tied them down. When I stepped back to look, the car looked quite funny, more like a commercial lorry than a car.
Inside it was full. Bah was driving. Mum sat in front with Fuzi who was a year or two old by then. At the back was my brother, Fizah, Noni and myself. Being elder, my brother and I got seats by the window. I wasn’t keen on the journey as I was prone to motion sickness. In those days, such a journey lasted more than 8 hours. 6 hours to KL and another 2 to 3 to Telok Anson.
As a note, you would have noticed that Noni came with us. She had stayed back with Tok Bi and Mak Siti while we were in the UK. I guessed Bah and mum wanted the whole family to be together now.
The journey to Telok Anson was not memorable except that we stopped quite often along the way for toilet break and coffee, lunch and late tea. Also, I must confess, we had to stopped several times for me (I mentioned that I was prone to motion sickness right!).
When we arrived, it was already dark. Our house was a typical large government bungalow, with 2 main bedroom, large sitting hall, and huge dinning area with dinning table for 12. The kitchen was big and annexed to the house were 3 more rooms possibly for the maids.
Bah warned us before we started exploring that we were not to go onto the garden area, which was very huge. He said that this town was infested with cobra snakes and they are there even in our garden. I hate snakes!!!
The week was taken for us to settle in. Our train load of stuffs arrived. Of course during this time, mum was like a tough general, telling us what to do with the stuff, where to put them etc. It was very trying not to mention tiring.
Bah, mum and Fuzi had the master bedroom while my brother, Noni, Fizah and I had the room opposite them. Our room was like a dormitory, with 4 single beds lined up side by side.
School came next. My brother and I were enrolled in St. Anthony’s School (boys only) while Noni was enrolled at the HIJ Convent. These schools were directly opposite each other. Fizah was not of schooling age yet then during our first year there.
The routine was taking place. Bah took us to school in the morning and picked us up after. He found a piano teacher for me and a violin teacher for my brother and I. The violin teacher was actually my music and arts teacher in school.
So life continued in its own way for us, in a new place, new school and new friends………
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Growing Up Part X
I know it’s been a looooong time since I posted my next instalment of Growing Up. Better late than never…..
It was that time after 2 wonderful years in Wolverhampton, UK that we now had to head back home to Malaysia. It felt strange then because when we left for the UK, home was Malaya, and now we were headed home to what it’s called now, Malaysia. Guess you guys out there must be smirking at me telling my age!
About a month before we were to leave, my late Uncle Daud came to visit us because he was had to bring home our naval patrol boats. Uncle Daud was in the Navy. We had the opportunity go to the docks and visited his ship, and whilst inside, I saw a cabin door that was labelled “Magazine.” Being young and naïve, I smiled at Uncle Daud and asked why must all the “Playboy” magazines be kept in a locked cabinet? You probably guessed right that he laughed his head off.
Anyway, he sailed off the next day and we went back to our hotel in Southampton. What were we doing there? Well actually all of us were going back home by the cruise liner P&O. Can you imagine that!
My brother and shared a cabin whilst Bah and mom & Fizah in another. We were in the First Class. It was really luxury to the extreme. My Aunt had a berth in the economy class as Bah had to pay for her personally.
That night we went up on deck as the ship lifted its anchor and sailed out of the harbour. It was a sad feeling watching the country you stayed for sometime getting further and further away as the ship sailed away. I hadto wipe a tear away.
We slept nicely in our bunk beds but were rudely awakened with the ship’s rocking left to right & bow to stern. We were in the Bay of Biscay, the open sea out of the English Channel. It was terrible. I was sea-sick the whole time. I couldn’t understand why Bah and my brother didn't have a problem. It was infuriating but I didn’t have the energy to be angry with my brother, too sick to do that.
Everything became heavenly as soon as we nosed into the Mediterranean Sea. It was calm and the weather nice and warm. There were many things to do on board the ship. We could go swimming, watch movies, play table tennis and also made a few friend along the way.
What I liked about the trip home was that the ship stopped in many harbours. The first was Aden before we cross the Suez Canal. We were allowed go down and tour the towns too. Crossing the Suez Canal was an amzing experience. The ship was so slow that along the bank where we were watching from the deck, an Arab boy was cycling along with the ship. You know what, he was faster than we were!
As we got into the Arabian Sea, our next stop was Bombay. Bah was so excited about visiting Bombay. I didn’t know why at that time. When we got down into Bombay, Bah brought us along as if he knew the place. He was mentioning it was just like back home. He pointed out to the “kacang putih” seller (this is a person who sell different types of nuts). As the norm, he carried his goods on top of his head. Bah stopped him and he put down his tray. What surprised me was that Bah bought some speaking in Malay! What was more astonishing was that the Indian kacang putih man seemed to understand him! Nowadays, I frequent Bombay (now called Mumbai) a lot in my line of work, I do think of Bah at times especially when I see a kacang putih seller.
Colombo in Ceylon was the next port of call. After that, we crossedthe Indian Ocean and next port was Penang. Home at last!
Of course Bah had to bring us to meet some relatives in Penang. We even went to the Botanical Garden. Fizah had the worst experience in Penang. A monkey snatched the fruit from her hand and that frightened her a lot. Later, Bah bought bunch of rambutans. While we were eating them, Fizah suddenly started screaming her head off. We didn’t know what as wrong until she showed an ant crawling up her arm. Can you imaging that she had not seen an ant before!
Back on board, just one more night and we were to disembark in Singapore the next day. As it was the last day, I thought I might as swim at the pool while I could. My brother had beaten me to it. He had left earlier in the morning for the pool. As I was about to get into the swimming trunk, I noticed it wasn’t mine. It was my brother’s because the string that tightens the trunk was missing. OK, as it was the last day I didn’t want to spoil it. So I used it, a bit loose, but it was alright. Went to the pool and started swimming. Saw my brother there and gave me the dirtiest look I could. The pool was nice but crowded. I had to keep pulling up the trunk from time to time, but it was alright, until I step out of the pool, and a group of boys jumped in dragging in with them. I was caught by surprise. Not being the best of swimmers, my first priority was to get much needed air into my lungs. I kicked the bottom as hard as I could to surface and managed grabbed the side wall.
Coughing out water and gasping for air, I was oblivious to those around me. All I knew was that I had to hang for dear life onto the side of the pool. Until I started to hear laughter around me and my brother swimming frantically towards me. He said in a serious tone, that my trunk was covering my ankles……..
I will not comment any further on this issue nor tell you how I overcame that embarrassing situation nor the conclusion of it. I just like to say that life is not fair to the second born.
We harboured in Singapore. My Pak Long Dang (Bah's eldest sibling) was there to meet us with an entourage of family members. I can’t recall how all of us got into the small cars or where our large amount of baggage went. All I knew and wanted then was to cross the Causeway and back home, sweet home.
It was that time after 2 wonderful years in Wolverhampton, UK that we now had to head back home to Malaysia. It felt strange then because when we left for the UK, home was Malaya, and now we were headed home to what it’s called now, Malaysia. Guess you guys out there must be smirking at me telling my age!
About a month before we were to leave, my late Uncle Daud came to visit us because he was had to bring home our naval patrol boats. Uncle Daud was in the Navy. We had the opportunity go to the docks and visited his ship, and whilst inside, I saw a cabin door that was labelled “Magazine.” Being young and naïve, I smiled at Uncle Daud and asked why must all the “Playboy” magazines be kept in a locked cabinet? You probably guessed right that he laughed his head off.
Anyway, he sailed off the next day and we went back to our hotel in Southampton. What were we doing there? Well actually all of us were going back home by the cruise liner P&O. Can you imagine that!
My brother and shared a cabin whilst Bah and mom & Fizah in another. We were in the First Class. It was really luxury to the extreme. My Aunt had a berth in the economy class as Bah had to pay for her personally.
That night we went up on deck as the ship lifted its anchor and sailed out of the harbour. It was a sad feeling watching the country you stayed for sometime getting further and further away as the ship sailed away. I hadto wipe a tear away.
We slept nicely in our bunk beds but were rudely awakened with the ship’s rocking left to right & bow to stern. We were in the Bay of Biscay, the open sea out of the English Channel. It was terrible. I was sea-sick the whole time. I couldn’t understand why Bah and my brother didn't have a problem. It was infuriating but I didn’t have the energy to be angry with my brother, too sick to do that.
Everything became heavenly as soon as we nosed into the Mediterranean Sea. It was calm and the weather nice and warm. There were many things to do on board the ship. We could go swimming, watch movies, play table tennis and also made a few friend along the way.
What I liked about the trip home was that the ship stopped in many harbours. The first was Aden before we cross the Suez Canal. We were allowed go down and tour the towns too. Crossing the Suez Canal was an amzing experience. The ship was so slow that along the bank where we were watching from the deck, an Arab boy was cycling along with the ship. You know what, he was faster than we were!
As we got into the Arabian Sea, our next stop was Bombay. Bah was so excited about visiting Bombay. I didn’t know why at that time. When we got down into Bombay, Bah brought us along as if he knew the place. He was mentioning it was just like back home. He pointed out to the “kacang putih” seller (this is a person who sell different types of nuts). As the norm, he carried his goods on top of his head. Bah stopped him and he put down his tray. What surprised me was that Bah bought some speaking in Malay! What was more astonishing was that the Indian kacang putih man seemed to understand him! Nowadays, I frequent Bombay (now called Mumbai) a lot in my line of work, I do think of Bah at times especially when I see a kacang putih seller.
Colombo in Ceylon was the next port of call. After that, we crossedthe Indian Ocean and next port was Penang. Home at last!
Of course Bah had to bring us to meet some relatives in Penang. We even went to the Botanical Garden. Fizah had the worst experience in Penang. A monkey snatched the fruit from her hand and that frightened her a lot. Later, Bah bought bunch of rambutans. While we were eating them, Fizah suddenly started screaming her head off. We didn’t know what as wrong until she showed an ant crawling up her arm. Can you imaging that she had not seen an ant before!
Back on board, just one more night and we were to disembark in Singapore the next day. As it was the last day, I thought I might as swim at the pool while I could. My brother had beaten me to it. He had left earlier in the morning for the pool. As I was about to get into the swimming trunk, I noticed it wasn’t mine. It was my brother’s because the string that tightens the trunk was missing. OK, as it was the last day I didn’t want to spoil it. So I used it, a bit loose, but it was alright. Went to the pool and started swimming. Saw my brother there and gave me the dirtiest look I could. The pool was nice but crowded. I had to keep pulling up the trunk from time to time, but it was alright, until I step out of the pool, and a group of boys jumped in dragging in with them. I was caught by surprise. Not being the best of swimmers, my first priority was to get much needed air into my lungs. I kicked the bottom as hard as I could to surface and managed grabbed the side wall.
Coughing out water and gasping for air, I was oblivious to those around me. All I knew was that I had to hang for dear life onto the side of the pool. Until I started to hear laughter around me and my brother swimming frantically towards me. He said in a serious tone, that my trunk was covering my ankles……..
I will not comment any further on this issue nor tell you how I overcame that embarrassing situation nor the conclusion of it. I just like to say that life is not fair to the second born.
We harboured in Singapore. My Pak Long Dang (Bah's eldest sibling) was there to meet us with an entourage of family members. I can’t recall how all of us got into the small cars or where our large amount of baggage went. All I knew and wanted then was to cross the Causeway and back home, sweet home.
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