I can recall a lot of my days in Pekan Pedas and am now trying to recall some from Seremban. Sigh...memory is eluding me day on day. Good news is I am growing older slowly, not so good news is I am ageing 'gracefully'. Here are things I used to do:
School activities = I was very active in school. During primary school, I represented my school for Badminton (doubles) and table tennis, it was called ping pong back then. Perhaps, there weren't many sport-girls around, so I shined....well, who cares! I had a ball! Used to train & competed in competitions for Badminton at the NSCRC hall. Glad that the building is still in existence today. It should be retained as a heritage site....left a lot of sweat there. Hehehehe...
~ In Secondary school, I represented my school in Hockey & Basketball. WHAT??? Basketball? Yes, I did....yayaya...I know I am short but I am darn competitive and I played center OK? Go figure.... oddly, I can't recall the other basketball players....too self-centred, I guess. Right!
~We used to train for Hockey at the NS Padang just across our school. Training starts around 4pm, I think....it never occurred to us of the hot scorching sun...all it mattered was hockey! We also had a fantastic cheering team & had our very own cheer-leading songs!!! We were state champions in many competitions and were a mighty team to be reckoned with. OOoooo....those glorious days, basking in the limelight & travelling by bus to compete in schools within the state.
~ By the way, apart from sports, I was also active in dramas...perhaps, that's why my blogs are so dramatic and personally, I can also be melodramatic !!! Hehehehe....
~ Incidentally, apart from my active lifestyle in sports, apparently I was also notorious in school for practical jokes (which I've no recollection but my former schoolmates insisted I was as they happened to be my victims!!!). One of them related at our recent reunion that they would be searching high and low for their schoolbags after recess as I would hide their them in several places or placed them on other schoolmates seats. Naughty naughty. Back then, I was cute, bubbly and friendly so I guessed I got away easily.
~ Ahem! I was also the cutest and shortest prefect in primary school as well as lower secondary. Unfortunately, I can't post the picture as I have no consent from my former schoolmates but I can assure you I was really cute! Really! :)
School = Unfortunately, my alma mater did not survive the onslaught of development. Notice that I didn't write as former alma mater? It is and will always be a BIG part of my life, my developmental life that is. Originally, the plan was to tear down my old school for a mall. Due to strange happenings, it it's now a huge pool of water and nothing more can be done. There is a write-up on it in a local daily if you want to know more. My only contention is that at least my daughter spent a year in the school before the tragic & painful news. When we recently raised the subject at the reunion, everyone was saddened by what happened. All we have is memories and it will eventually be forgotten & erased when we all passed on...I feel really sad just thinking about it now.. :(
This just came in as I was about to publish my blog. There is an on going petition to : "Renaming Dataran Seremban to Dataran Convent". Initiated by Sharen Seneviratne. Please log on to FB to sign in your petition. Photo credits : Sharen Seneviratne.
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| My alma mater...BEFORE |
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| What it is now....... A sorry sight. |
Camping = Went camping in Port Dickson. It rained and the sulfur powder we placed surrounding the tent dissolved into the sands and guess who came visiting? Mr Centipede came hiding inside meeeee!!! In panic, I shocked Mr Centipede and he wasn't too happy, so he bit me!! I was feverish and in pain the entire night. Only went to see the doctor the following morning as the bus service doesn't operate at night. With meds and a jab, I continued with my stay. Such persistence, young mah!!! Small sacrifice if you know how to have fun. After that, I was pampered by camper friends....so nice.
House parties = We held house parties before Disco was introduced to Malaysians. We played music from vinyls, then to big black cassette tapes (akin to video tapes) and then 'graduated' to smaller transparent cassettes. Sometimes it is so odd, one minute you are dancing frantically to the fast beat and suddenly the song turned into a ballad and we had to quickly move to waltz or go back to our seats if our partner didn't want to dance anymore....hahhaha...I can really imagine the sudden switch. Not digital edge mah...so had to go with the flow i.e. what was pre-recorded.
To add glamour, we 'innovative-ly' wrap the ceiling lights with colored transparent paper to add hue & ambiance....ooohhh so romantic. And we had home cooked buffets...no catering ya...poor moms... had to slave in the kitchen and when the party starts, they have to 'disappear' from sight. Lest the boys are too shy to ask 'wall flowers' to dance. Frankly, most times, the pretty/ slimmer ones are quickly snapped up for dancing even though they may have two left feet. So unfair. And some good dancers but not so good looking are left behind to 'decorate the wall'. Sigh....guess that's why first impression is such a big thing! Mind you, I am not lamenting but merely stating facts of life.
Bowling = the ONLY bowling alley in Seremban for years and now defunct. I think per game cost us about RM1.40 It was also a good way for girl meet guy venue...I think many dates were sealed just from bowling :) Not me! Too tom-boyish to get a date :) I had my fair share of bowling.
Skating = roller skates!!! Boy, did I skate & skate. The local municipal council built a skating rink in the lake gardens and I would go there regularly with my two skater friends (sisters) and we would try all sorts of style. Back then, no protective gears but it didn't deter us from falling and getting up to try and try again. Such sheer will to perfect a style. Guess that is why my butt is so versatile now ^^
Open houses = we visited our friends during festive seasons. Many a times, we would spent two days visiting one house to another during Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmans & Hari Raya. It was so much fun despite having to take buses and subsequently, the richer ones brought us in their parents vehicles. Mind you, we travelled in packs!! Easily 6 to a dozen at a time. Oooh, how I cherish those carefree days....sadly now a dying trend amongst school children.
| First fast food restaurant in Seremban. Photo credit : Wikipedia |
A&W = opened its doors in Seremban in 1980s, it was THE meeting point! So happening back then. Strategically located at the Seremban Lake Gardens, it is still operating in its original site, thankfully. A lot of buildings has been torn in the name of development, luckily this wasn't one of it. Sadly, my school was slated for development. My kids grew up with A&W before Mc Donald's emergence in Seremban then it was McD all the way :) We used to frequent A&W when we had our weekly jogging session at the lake gardens. It was family time to chill, relax as well as to grab a bite. My kids also attended a few friends' birthday parties there too...(ahem, you should know this happened AFTER I got married and NOT during my adolescent years....I couldn't resists sharing how A&W was apart of my life 20 odd years ago)
Well, I hope you enjoyed reading my adolescent years. I know I have brought back fresh memories to my schoolmates, i.e. those reading this. Do feel free to drop a line or two on your memories of your adolescent years or Seremban per se. I look forward to hearing from you.
Until the next blog. Ciao, CARPE DIEM!!!
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