My Schooling Years Part 1

My schooling years is very varied

I started my kindergarden in Sunshine Kndergarten. It was situated in a shophouse where Heeren is at now. Do you remember a shop that sold swimwear. the Kindergarden was next to it.

My memories of my kindergarden days is crying for my parents when they were dropping me off school. Sleeping lessons (yes, we had lessons on how to sleep) - must be why I like to sleep now.
My grandmother who lived at Emerald Hill, will pick me up after school. She was a typical Nonya lady that always cooked nonya biscuit like kueh bulu and kueh bangkit. My favourite but nothing like hers. we always will miss her biscuits.

My grandmother really dotted on my cousin who was 5 years older than me and she came to visit him whith all the Chinese new year goodies for him till he was 12 years ol!!

I remember going to the Singapore Chinese Girls' School tuckshop to buy lunch after school.

I was a bored boy waiting for my dad to fetch me home at about 5pm everyday. Sometimes I get my head stuck in the wooden poles at the base of the window of the typical Nonya house then.

I truly miss those days now as the house was always very cool no matter how hot the days were.
When my granmother died in the '70s. They sold off the house for peanuts then. No one could have known the value it could accumulate in the '90s when such houses were in demand.

I then was staying at Thomson Road just 2 minutes from Essex Road - St Michael's School. (Now it is call SJI jr.) Personally I am against this change as it just killed off the old school. Even if they say it is the same - who will remember St Michael's school for the next 50 years if the name has changed. Policies can change but name are very significant. Well that is my opinion.

The six years at St Michael's School to me was just fun - playing soccer before , at recess, and after school. There was this rule at the school that immediately at the end of the recess period, a bell will ring and all boys were to freeze. Yes, we were to keep still of whatever we were doing. We naughty boys especially when we were in the upper primary level. whill pose in funny position like lying on the field, pretending to be flying or jumping. Once, we even pretending to be fighting. Reminiscing, this must be the funniest time of my days in St Mike's.

Also, when it rains heavily, the entrance of the school will be flooded. Once, my good friend Eddie, and I were wlking home and suddenly he disappeared. I look for him and to my horror he fell into one of the drain. Luckily nothing happen to him just feeling very wet and embarassed.

Once, during assemblym my classmate - who is now a doctor- Named Jean - recited the Singapore pledge: He said: "We the citizens of pigs, we lived in dirty pig stys, regadless of our big bums, regardless of our breath.......". He would say this loudly for many days. Then one day, the Discipline Master called for him and asked to recite it to the whole school. Must be frightening for him then, but it always gives a good laugh now when I think of this.

I remember playing games like - "Bottle-cap fighting", marbles, throwing the coin to the line, buying planes cards to see who has the best specs. Also, eating at the school had funny items like put chilli at your koropok. Prawn Haeko - the black paste you put at your rojak - with sugar at the biggest slice of your bangkwang.

Fortunately, many of my classmates are friends till now as many of us studied together till Sec 4 - wow ten years together. That is why I always have this circle of friends - even if we don't see each other we always will call each other when we see one in the streets.

Next I will mentioned my days at St Joseph's Institution. Till then ................