Continue from My Memoirs (Part 6)
Today is 14 May 2008. 39 years ago (yesterday), my memory lingers on.... especially for the following episode.
May 13th, Year 1969, the unrest came. It was the state of emergency and the darkest part in the history of Malaysia where many Malaysian would like to forget. I could still remember that Mom and Dad, whom had earlier went to an outstation trips to Kuala Lumpur had just managed to reach home a day earlier at Sungai Ujong Road,. They were in a state of panic and went into action buying up provisions and foodstuffs.
I was 12 years old then, and without a care in the world affair, when the radio announced that curfew would be enforced and school will be closed for a definite period. For the first time ever, everyone,(5 families and more than 32 tenants) stays in the house at Sungai Ujong Road, with the iron rail at front gate and windows pulled shut during the weekdays. The roads were deserted for a couple of days and nights and the Gurkhas were patrolling the streets. Those who defy the rules and ‘peep’ out onto the streets were responded with tear-gas fired by the Gurkhas. Our opposite neighbour was actually fired at with tear-gas, when they mischievously went onto the balcony.
I vividly remembered between one nights; our whole neighbor hood had a bad scare. Everybody is shouting ‘they are coming’. All able men in the household are ready on stand by for any eventualities. Dad armed with a thick bamboo stick together with Ah Hor’s father and many others stood guard outside the house on the five foot way. Many others men folks from the neighboring houses also came out in full force and stood guard. Fortunately, nothing untoward happened that night.
In between the non-curfew hours, the elders would run out to near by sundries shop to stock up the food stuffs while brother and I would seek over to Woh Hup Motor to enjoy our ‘swim’ in the bathtub. The curfew went on for a couple of days until the situation return back to normal and thus resuming school
To continue....
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
My Memoirs (Part 6)
Continue from My Memoirs (Part 5)
Another popular past time for us boys, is to cycle all the way to Macalister Road to buy comics at the many second hand book dealers, found scattered just in front of the present day Red Crescent Building. Of course favorites comics are the Beano and Dandy, DC & Marvel comics; Superman, man of steel and of course, Batman & Robin.
Reading comics those days helps improving our oral and written English. No, we do not have pre-school then. Those days, only the well-to-do families can afford. Elder brother and I only get to learn our ABC alphabet at Primary One
We teens have our fair of mischievous adventure altogether and it takes us one step further – disturbing girls, Yes, to the sweet young things (SYT) lived in the next door , unheard of in those conservative days. How? By singing the blues (one of Beatles famed song) in Cantonese version, to Mei Chan* and her siblings. Remember the lyrics; matchmaker, Sam-ku reports that ‘Ah Chan is already married to someone else’.
Come Chinese New Year, we would help the workshop gang workers (staying opposite at Woh Hup Motor) to build giant fire cracker or Looi Kong Pau, twice the size of the present day shuttle cork holder. The workshop gang worker would supply the normal size fire crackers in bundle, and we start to peel them off to recover the gun powder. Usually, two giant fire crackers would be made. One fire cracker is to light up for the 1st day of the Chinese New Year (Nien chor-yat), and another for the chap ghor-mei. Families with small babies are advised to cover their ears at specific time in the evening. The time is set. The main producer is usually given the honor to light the fuse. Well, if you ask me. Yes, the ground did really shake and the lemonade glass on the table did actually vibrate. This scenario lasted for a few years till our Government banned the fire cracker.
To continue.....
Another popular past time for us boys, is to cycle all the way to Macalister Road to buy comics at the many second hand book dealers, found scattered just in front of the present day Red Crescent Building. Of course favorites comics are the Beano and Dandy, DC & Marvel comics; Superman, man of steel and of course, Batman & Robin.
Reading comics those days helps improving our oral and written English. No, we do not have pre-school then. Those days, only the well-to-do families can afford. Elder brother and I only get to learn our ABC alphabet at Primary One
We teens have our fair of mischievous adventure altogether and it takes us one step further – disturbing girls, Yes, to the sweet young things (SYT) lived in the next door , unheard of in those conservative days. How? By singing the blues (one of Beatles famed song) in Cantonese version, to Mei Chan* and her siblings. Remember the lyrics; matchmaker, Sam-ku reports that ‘Ah Chan is already married to someone else’.
Come Chinese New Year, we would help the workshop gang workers (staying opposite at Woh Hup Motor) to build giant fire cracker or Looi Kong Pau, twice the size of the present day shuttle cork holder. The workshop gang worker would supply the normal size fire crackers in bundle, and we start to peel them off to recover the gun powder. Usually, two giant fire crackers would be made. One fire cracker is to light up for the 1st day of the Chinese New Year (Nien chor-yat), and another for the chap ghor-mei. Families with small babies are advised to cover their ears at specific time in the evening. The time is set. The main producer is usually given the honor to light the fuse. Well, if you ask me. Yes, the ground did really shake and the lemonade glass on the table did actually vibrate. This scenario lasted for a few years till our Government banned the fire cracker.
To continue.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
