I went to school in Sela rang Barracks. It's such a long time ago and I've forgotten how to spell it, anyhow I went to primary school there, there were red ants in the playground at the far end.
I think the film maker for 'Virgin Soldiers' made his film not far from my school, I recognized bit of it here and there.
Not far from the Barracks was a village called Changi Village and I used to go there to check out the shops, they were great, I remember the jewelery shops in fact I still have the gold ear rings my Dad bought me for my birthday which he had engraved especially, I even watched the Chinese man doing it, I thought that was special and have never forgotten that wonderful day.
I remember walking with my Dad through the streets with the smelly monsoon drains and the women washing their dishes outside using just bowls and noticed that they never put their dishes into the soapy water but washed them one by one then rinsed them out onto the pavement always with fresh clean water, never mixing dirty with clean if you know what I mean. I have always remembered that so I have always copied them to this day. Even now that I have a dish washer I always rinse the plates and cups first.... can't clean stuff with dirty water !
They had tons of cheap stuff to buy and I used to have a great time buying bangles and rings then going home by trishaw which was such a treat and I always appreciated how hard it was for the poor guy who had to do all the peddling.
When my Dad came back from where ever they sent him He used to spoil me a little but I don't think too much.
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
TRAVELING TRAVELING
Traveling all my life including my teenage years, which is another story and a half, but for another time.
I've been a bit of a Globe Trotter you might say. I think I have learned a number of lessons in the process, Good ! Bad ! and Ugly ! I don't regret most of the things I have gone through. One or two things I really should have known better and ignorance has possibly helped me now to get over the bad or should I say stupid things I let happen. I do forgive me and stay well away from those that harmed me in my past ( you have to stay well away from them )
Life is wonderful .. I make it .. I choose now .. I listen to my kind thoughts .. I copy the good people around me .. I make my world safe and fun, full of laughter . Every second is a new one.
I am very happy when I remember these things ( smiley face ). I was just, a child.
I've been a bit of a Globe Trotter you might say. I think I have learned a number of lessons in the process, Good ! Bad ! and Ugly ! I don't regret most of the things I have gone through. One or two things I really should have known better and ignorance has possibly helped me now to get over the bad or should I say stupid things I let happen. I do forgive me and stay well away from those that harmed me in my past ( you have to stay well away from them )
Life is wonderful .. I make it .. I choose now .. I listen to my kind thoughts .. I copy the good people around me .. I make my world safe and fun, full of laughter . Every second is a new one.
I am very happy when I remember these things ( smiley face ). I was just, a child.
Sunday, 31 January 2010
SINGAPORE
One day, like many other days I would walk on the bumpy road, dry and dusty and with my red flip-flops on, stroll past the turkey Lady's' house that looked more like an old shed and while passing make a gobble, gobble sound so that the turkeys would answer me and they did every time, 'gobble gobble'. little things always made me happy!
There halfway and to my amazement there was our taxi man with very long needle like poles sticking into his skin all over his back and face, with colourful stuff on the top of the whole thing. I can't explain how I felt except why did he do that and that it must of been really painful.
His name was Victor and he was Indian ( I think ) I was very worried about him and asked around why?
I was told by someone that he had run over a little girl who was seven years of age and it was his way of punishing himself for taking a life, even though it was an accident. So once a year on the day she was killed for seven years, he would stick these long pins into his body and walk up and down the street to show how very sorry he was. It gave him holes in his face. I don't know for sure if the story was true but I learned that if you do something you know is wrong, you must pay for it in some way. I'm glad Victor doesn't have to do that anymore. May peace be with you Victor ( hug ) thank you for taking us to the swimming pool safely.
There halfway and to my amazement there was our taxi man with very long needle like poles sticking into his skin all over his back and face, with colourful stuff on the top of the whole thing. I can't explain how I felt except why did he do that and that it must of been really painful.
His name was Victor and he was Indian ( I think ) I was very worried about him and asked around why?
I was told by someone that he had run over a little girl who was seven years of age and it was his way of punishing himself for taking a life, even though it was an accident. So once a year on the day she was killed for seven years, he would stick these long pins into his body and walk up and down the street to show how very sorry he was. It gave him holes in his face. I don't know for sure if the story was true but I learned that if you do something you know is wrong, you must pay for it in some way. I'm glad Victor doesn't have to do that anymore. May peace be with you Victor ( hug ) thank you for taking us to the swimming pool safely.
Monday, 4 January 2010
BAD MONKEY
I played with Chinese kids, one of my best friends was Florance she had a twin brother.... well I think they were twins. They invited me to come stay with them for the night at their place which was had long stilts. They had a chimp that used to jump on me and break my plastic hair band every time I went there to play.. it nearly knocked me over a few times, it could be a bit vicious now and then, I was lucky it didn't rip my earrings out. I like monkeys though.
I slept on a rush mat which was on wooden floorboards, and we all slept together but with our own beautiful Chinese teeny tiny patch worked quilt and I slept very soundly.. in the morning we had a bowl of shark fin soup and then climbed the ladder and walked to the far end of the house that smelled of joss sticks and boiled rice. There in a smallish room were my friends Mum and Dad chanting a prayer to a picture of the elephant God that I had seen before in shops. I was given a joss stick (that made me happy) and I copied them and tried to mime the prayer as well, didn't do very well with that but I had always been told to respect others ways. Then after getting yet another of my hairbands snapped in half by bad monkey, went on my way home again to tell my Mum it wasn't me honest. Every thing started to get peaceful again ......there was so much to see and do and so many friends to make and I wondered if it was time to watch the black and white Chinese movie on TV ! they were fantastic! The sun was still there and the world was still turning.
I slept on a rush mat which was on wooden floorboards, and we all slept together but with our own beautiful Chinese teeny tiny patch worked quilt and I slept very soundly.. in the morning we had a bowl of shark fin soup and then climbed the ladder and walked to the far end of the house that smelled of joss sticks and boiled rice. There in a smallish room were my friends Mum and Dad chanting a prayer to a picture of the elephant God that I had seen before in shops. I was given a joss stick (that made me happy) and I copied them and tried to mime the prayer as well, didn't do very well with that but I had always been told to respect others ways. Then after getting yet another of my hairbands snapped in half by bad monkey, went on my way home again to tell my Mum it wasn't me honest. Every thing started to get peaceful again ......there was so much to see and do and so many friends to make and I wondered if it was time to watch the black and white Chinese movie on TV ! they were fantastic! The sun was still there and the world was still turning.
THE BUMPY ROAD
There were no kids playing. Everything was quiet. My Mum said. ' It's a curfew ......don't go out ! a little later.... ' Where's Mum ? ' Where's John ? My mind went blank. everything was very quiet, you could hear a pin drop. I thought I heard mum in the living room ..'.it's ok. everything is fine.'....
I had a look out the window and the sky was blue, still no one outside, no tri-Shaw's, no bells ringing, I heard , (and it was all of a sudden) a lengthy crackling noise, just like Chinese red fire crackers. It sounded not too far away to where I lived . One of my favourite things in Singapore was watching the fire crackers jumping all over the place and people (the Chinese) laughing and jumping out of the way (that wouldn't happen these days). For some reason I thought everything was fine and people were having fun up at the top of the bumpy road, there was always something happening there, always something interesting to watch, like puppet shows , huge elephants , precession's especially funerals, they were so very interesting and exciting and so very dramatic with loud whaling sounds coming from the cryer women who walked with what looked like sacking with string tying it all together and waving their arms about. A new law forbid them to carry the corps on the chair in full view so instead they would put a big picture of the deceased on the chair and his or her slippers or shoes where the feet would be.
The top of the bumpy road was where I bought my second hand Bunty (comic) which alot of the time was tattered and torn , not that it bothered me. I found myself outside and walking up towards the top of the bumpy road...it looked fine, no problem it was ok. I just got near to the top. and I remember a branch with loads of leaves had been bent and out of place and was in my way so I took hold of it and moved it away...and there it was, a typical old bus all windows wide open, but with slumped bodies of people and two upside down ones with red blood everywhere, they looked like they had fallen out the door and holes in the metal all the way along from one side to the other. And I stood there and looked and looked, it didn't seem right, they were not moving, it was like looking through an alive picture, but they were not moving.
I ran...... I ran....... I ran away back to my home. I didn't tell my mum in case she was angry with me. I didn't think about that day for about thirty years. I feel blank about it. Quiet. I know there are thousands upon thousands of children who like me have memories they are all over the world. PEACE and KINDNESS is what it's all about as we have no right to spoil that. I'm sorry for anyones pain.
I had a look out the window and the sky was blue, still no one outside, no tri-Shaw's, no bells ringing, I heard , (and it was all of a sudden) a lengthy crackling noise, just like Chinese red fire crackers. It sounded not too far away to where I lived . One of my favourite things in Singapore was watching the fire crackers jumping all over the place and people (the Chinese) laughing and jumping out of the way (that wouldn't happen these days). For some reason I thought everything was fine and people were having fun up at the top of the bumpy road, there was always something happening there, always something interesting to watch, like puppet shows , huge elephants , precession's especially funerals, they were so very interesting and exciting and so very dramatic with loud whaling sounds coming from the cryer women who walked with what looked like sacking with string tying it all together and waving their arms about. A new law forbid them to carry the corps on the chair in full view so instead they would put a big picture of the deceased on the chair and his or her slippers or shoes where the feet would be.
The top of the bumpy road was where I bought my second hand Bunty (comic) which alot of the time was tattered and torn , not that it bothered me. I found myself outside and walking up towards the top of the bumpy road...it looked fine, no problem it was ok. I just got near to the top. and I remember a branch with loads of leaves had been bent and out of place and was in my way so I took hold of it and moved it away...and there it was, a typical old bus all windows wide open, but with slumped bodies of people and two upside down ones with red blood everywhere, they looked like they had fallen out the door and holes in the metal all the way along from one side to the other. And I stood there and looked and looked, it didn't seem right, they were not moving, it was like looking through an alive picture, but they were not moving.
I ran...... I ran....... I ran away back to my home. I didn't tell my mum in case she was angry with me. I didn't think about that day for about thirty years. I feel blank about it. Quiet. I know there are thousands upon thousands of children who like me have memories they are all over the world. PEACE and KINDNESS is what it's all about as we have no right to spoil that. I'm sorry for anyones pain.
HE WAS A SOLDER..... MY DAD
My Dad kept his rifle in the kitchen, it stood in the corner. We would never ever dream of touching it. Even my big brother who was a teenager used to hang out with his gang, he was known as a ring leader ( they had loads of gangs then) He would never ever go near it. I don't know if we were taught at a very early age, not to touch it, or if we knew instinctively that it was a no go area ? My Dad never ever hit us or man handled us in any way..... my Mum did. Usually a quick swipe across the bum and a very angry look! that would be enough for us to stop, it took a lot to irritate Her, but we did now and then. My Brother and I were never good friends and anyway he was a lot older than me. I could be very PC and say we didn't deserve the clouts we got, but you know what looking back, if She hadn't sorted us out there was a good chance with us being naturally rebellious that we might have been worse off now. We were brought up knowing what was going on what was right and what was wrong, what went on in the world, how could it be any different and crucially, reality checks in Singapore saw to that.
My Dad disappeared again only this time we knew where he had gone to as it was no secret. It was Borneo. At first little things started to change ... no going to town to Changi Village and no going to the swimming pool and the doors were kept shut even though it was hot and days off of school.
It was also around the same time as water shortages and that's when we had to fill everything we could find to have enough water. So no baths, just a damp flannel now and then. The water was boild and put into the fridge it sometimes looked brownish. But when your that thirsty, you drink !
My Dad disappeared again only this time we knew where he had gone to as it was no secret. It was Borneo. At first little things started to change ... no going to town to Changi Village and no going to the swimming pool and the doors were kept shut even though it was hot and days off of school.
It was also around the same time as water shortages and that's when we had to fill everything we could find to have enough water. So no baths, just a damp flannel now and then. The water was boild and put into the fridge it sometimes looked brownish. But when your that thirsty, you drink !
TIGER BALM GARDENS
My parents took my brother and me to ' Tiger Balm Gardens '. I think I'm about nine years old by this time. We had to go through a large gate I think, what ever it was I remember it being bright and colourful, .... reds ..... gold .... black, with Chinese characters painted on it. Every where I looked there were little clay life like models of Chinese men usually, made from clay in brightly coloured Chinese peasant clothes being dragged by the hair the legs and being tortured in God knows how many ways... bowls gouged out while still alive and although there were no sounds, I could hear the screams and see the pain these poor people went through..... finger nails being pulled out and being burned alive, boiling water thrown over them. A must see tourist attraction...bring your Granny !!!!
Luckily I didn't experience any night mares that night but then my Dad did keep telling me that they were not real only clay and that kind of torture was not done anymore, especially not to little girls. I became very worried about my big Brothers' safety, but he wouldn't let me hold his hand to protect his life ! We then went into an even more colourful fair ground..bright lights in the evening and wonderful smells from loads of BBQ's . That's where I tried my first sweet meat, was it rat? dog? I didn't care. I was so hungry after all that torture, blood and guts. I just love Chinese food !!
Then off home again but I must have been asleep because I don't remember anything after that but had a lot to talk about to my friends the next day while beating them at marbles ... I learned how to play, by the best , a chinese boy who was about my age , we became the best of friends even though he always won every game we played.
Luckily I didn't experience any night mares that night but then my Dad did keep telling me that they were not real only clay and that kind of torture was not done anymore, especially not to little girls. I became very worried about my big Brothers' safety, but he wouldn't let me hold his hand to protect his life ! We then went into an even more colourful fair ground..bright lights in the evening and wonderful smells from loads of BBQ's . That's where I tried my first sweet meat, was it rat? dog? I didn't care. I was so hungry after all that torture, blood and guts. I just love Chinese food !!
Then off home again but I must have been asleep because I don't remember anything after that but had a lot to talk about to my friends the next day while beating them at marbles ... I learned how to play, by the best , a chinese boy who was about my age , we became the best of friends even though he always won every game we played.
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