xmas'08

FRIENDS!
STAY HAPPY

Childhood

Today's topic is on things in my mind. Let's start the ball rowing...

 

Sitting in my student's uncle's car while he sends me to Kranji MRT, I was thinking about childhood; different generations have different kind of childhood.

 

Father, Mother, one generation earlier than mine would be playing marbles, go catch fish in drain? What about our grandparent? What they do in kampong? I am not too sure, feeling useless suddenly; I didn't have a good chat with my grandparents, probably because I am an introvert in front of family member? That’s not a good reason to run away from the fact that I do not talk to them often. Although I don't show, I do care for them, do love them.

 

I have this nickname, 'hilltop kid', since young in my mother's side relative mind because my dad's family used to stay in the hilltop so it's kind of wrong to call me that cause I don't lived in hilltop, never in my life except living in high level HDB flat.

 

My student's uncle's childhood entertainment was to go arcade and spend some money whacking the machine. I didn't expect that kind of childhood, or teenager life, would be at his generation. Or maybe I didn't study well in my Social Study last time.

 

My childhood was simple. I guess I am quite independent since young, maybe because my mother had to work night shift and my dad did not come home every day. I told my mum I do not need someone to accompany home as the kindergarten is just 3-4 blocks away and so, I go home on my own at the age of 5-6? I got the chance to buy my Mum Kopi or sometime, my lunch, at the coffee-shop opposite my house, 641, unit #08-824. By then, I am fancy over TV, and I got myself to make friend with glasses. So those photos I took in primary got my cute dinosaur glasses, I remember I have one pair of CIRCLE lens and one RECTANGLE lens. So, I have my glasses in my childhood.

 

I used to follow my father to his factory and helped him when I am very young, I think before primary school or during holidays. I would carry light things from one place to another or I will sleep in the car. Damn cute to see myself helping up when I was so young. Then I will get all the coins that my 3rd uncle had, and I saved up everything. I brought all my saving, about $60, out one day and I lost it before I can buy anything. I cried like shit of course.

The other incident I remembered clearly was that I was playing with the trolley with my sis outside my Dad's factory and I knocked onto a lorry's bumper, or should i call it step, when my sis let go the trolley. AH! I grew a yellow bean outside the soya bean factory! The brother over the factory was very helpful and fun! They always treat me buns and their buns are NICE!

 

Went to Hong Dao Primary, which is no longer there, for P1 and 2, and Woodlands Ring Primary, from P3-P6. I remembered that I used to go school with my eldest sis, S1, and my 2nd sis, P4, together when I am in P1. Kind of cute for my mother to see all her kids wear uniform together for the first time and leave home for schoooool. My 2nd sis guided me a lot in primary school, kind of like having a familiar person around the school, which I do not have after P2. I used to have the cuttlefish in my pocket and eat during class or outside the canteen my friends, wonder where are they and how had they been. My sis would bring me around the school with her friends and steal chalk from classroom, and of course run away from teacher!

 

My sis and I wet the kitchen floor one day and we put soap around. Then we slide around and play around. Of course, got scolded when my Mum returns home. My eldest sis got a scar at her chin when Chen Han Wei won something in the star award, and she was jumping around and BANG!

My 2nd sis got her arm dislocated or injured because of me when we were playing at a playground. The slide was covered, but I just climbed over the blockage and slide down, so did my 2nd sis and she miss-stepped or so and BANG! Worrying that my Mum would scold, she acts as if nothing happened but she couldn't stop the pain, and so happen that it was during the ghost festive month.

 

There are too many things to share in the childhood I had in AMK and Woodlands, and those above were just in AMK. Woodlands have a lot more cause I spent like 6 years there. Seem that I don't live in one location for long.

 

My mother managed a mixed rice stall near my Dad's factory to cater food for them. Though the business did not last, as filial children, my Sis and I actually went down helping in collecting plates, casher-ing, and taking orders. Pretty understanding for us, we are so young yet we know we should help up our Mum.

 

Actually, I owned a mobile phone at a pretty young age, which I do not know what to do about it when I was like 11 year old. My first mobile phone was V2088 then, N3300, N6210, N6510, N3650, N6680, and SE K800 now. Pretty many model I owned before, and I am eyeing a better one now, but NO MONEY. I lost the N3300 at a playground near my house only after 3 days of ownership. I cried and reported to police but they couldn't do anything at that time. This make me phone-less for like 1 year, which means I own the next phone at around 12 or 13 year old.

 

My childhood did not surround a lot on games, other than Digi-vice (version 4, 9 and 11), Gameboy Pocket (Pink, cause no more color left) and PS1. Unlike a lot kids, I bought all my games with my saving, other than PS1 which is a rewards for being 1st in class when I was P5. It's kind of successful for my Mum to bring a child who is not overly spoilt and because of her; I am who I am now. I LOVE MY MUM. Anyway, I am never fancy over game, not too into CS, Dota, or arcade. I prefer sports or real activities.

 

Many might wonders do I really wear glasses when I am young, cause I am not now. I also do not know why I manage to have my good eyesight back. I decided not to wear my glasses when I was sec 2, because I want to look nicer, and so, no more glasses yet I manage to see far. That’s when I say good bye to my childhood friend.

 

Kids in present days? In this developed country, SINGAPORE, all kids most probably were enrolled to a primary school at the age of 7? Other misfortunate kids, in other countries, wish to start studying at that age, while kids, who are able to study, would like to be those misfortunate ones? Kind of psychology thing steps in. Maybe due to the pressure and stress enforced by parents, kids still have to go school and study without knowing the meaning of studying. Why they should study English, Chinese, Mathematics, and Science? They do not know the reason, but they just follow the flow and eventually become one knowledgeable one that many third world country kids hope they can be. I am one of the 'followers' whom just follow the system blindly and here I am talking all the reason.

 

Never explained, never taught in school the reason of studying these subject. Most probably is because we are too young to accept the fact and reason. Studying language is to allow us to convey and express ourselves, studying Mathematics and Science are to make our life easier, and to explain the phenomenon of events happening around us. How should I explain this fact to my 7 and 8 year old student? All I can do is to use example around us, like fan, fridge, etc. Maybe by giving examples, they can understand better.

 

However, being a kid in Singapore does not surround by books, they are facing tons of electronic gadget, such as PSP, NDS, TV, computers, etc, and make them attracted to the screen more than the books. Though I am not into gaming, I still admit I am a fan to TV rather than the books, which does not move at all. Using the interest of the kids to encourage them to study is most probably the most efficient and workable way that many parents used. However, kids were not as dumb too; they will work the short-cut out of the way to reach the ANSWER to the question. It is good for them to work in their way in the shortest amount of time, and that’s the right way of studying. On the other hand, many children do not have the real solid foundation and reasoning on why they are allowed to use their method to solve a problem. Foundation is the hardest and most taxing part of learning, but once is built, reasoning, concluding, arguing shouldn't be a problem for them. Come to think, they are just 7-12 year old kids, we, as a grown up, should not put such a heavy burden in their life. They should be enjoying their CHILDHOOD like we did during our time, do not because we regretted, or we see education is important, we forget to give them the childhood they should have. Everyone only has one childhood, once it gone, there is no more returning and nothing can replace it.

 

In conclusion, every generation have their own FUN childhood, hope the later generation will not just lived in the cyber world, I wish they can really go to the nature, if there is any left by then, and feels how good is mother nature. This marks the end of my long post! Cheers

 

FRIENDS!

STAY HAPPY

zoukout

i really wonder how i had survived on 13th dec 2008; i, practically, didn't eat anything at all yet i don't feel hungry or wanting to eat. The few things I had were one can of coke, one packet of milo, one piece ahoy chip, one cup of fruit juice, one cup of 100+ (after cycling) and many slips of alcohol. With these, I manage to stay alive even after a one night partying.

zoukout? fun! but super tiring, cause it is kind of standing for the whole night partying. Come to thought, i can't believe i did something that i never do before. kind of daring too. i got really drunk for once, things i see were slow by one sec, but my mind is still operating as normal though, so i can remember everything i did. THANKS to Alan who gave me his support when i was HIGH. zhen feng also got himself drunk and went home alone after resting at one corner alone. (he stood us up, a bastard yea?)

get to know a lot of NP friend, (sorry. i only remember all your name at the end),  i don't think i will be able see them unless 'xun' ask us out. he is somehow the middle man.

quite a lucky day! someone came up to me and ask for my number. sorry that i didn't tell you my name, cause i am late and 'xun' is angry. so ya. =D

FRIENDS!
STAY HAPPY