Pandan - Where my Childhood Memories are..

Brought Tara to Mum's place this morning, as usual, I will meet Mum at the coffeeshop and as usual, I will order a bowl of kuey teow mee soup. But today, I didn't have the appetite so decided to take something light. I sat there for more than 10 mins, not knowing what to order. All the food there are either too oily or too heavy. Looked around and saw the pastry shop. Hey! The last time I ate their pastry curry puffs was years ago! Happily, I walked to the shop. After so many years.. the uncle looked older, and more skinny but still full of energy. The curry puffs selling at 60 cents only. 60 cents! Where else can I find nice and yummy pastry curry puffs at 60 cents? I wonder how the Uncle survived with the little bread he sold everyday. My heart ached for him. Hoping to help, I ask him how many puffs he makes everyday. I ordered 20 and he said I had to place order 2 days in advance. For 20? I can imagine how difficult it is for him to survive. I'm not sure if the money he makes a day or a month is enough for the rent. I arranged to collect the order on Thursday. Uncle did not even give me a receipt, guess there's no need for one, and just told me to remember to collect. I left the shop, promising myself I will try to come back if I should need pastries.

I still remember the Uncle had to help me take the puffs because I was too small then, to reach the rack. Now, the same girl has grown up and a mother of one already. The memories of my childhood came flooding back.

I lived at Pandan all my life. Mum said we've been staying there since I was less than one year old. They always say, how old I am means the number of years we've been living at Pandan. I grew up in a "concrete jungle". Alot of people told me about kampong life, how much fun it was staying at kampong, and some said how hard life was then. They said my life is good, I lived in flats, where water is just a turn of the tap, and heat is just the flick of a switch. I would reply them, how I was brought up, in what kind of environment, is not up to me to choose. Yes, even though I don't have the fun and "freedom" those kampong people have, I do have my own kind of fun and my own set of fond memories.

As I've mentioned, I lived in Pandan all my life, hence my memories revolved around this area. I still remember how I learnt cycling at the walkway down my block, my brother's friend, Gene, taught me. My brother and I would catch rats or other small insects in those small concrete drains. We even named one rat Suzy. I had dislocated my left elbow at the playground. Mum told me even Chinese sinsehs were not willing to treat me, because of my young age. Hence I was sent to the hospital, where the doctor cast it up. One month later, the cast was removed and my arm no longer look the same. I'm not sure if it's a "mistake" on the doctor's part? Did they fixed it back wrongly? It didn't affect my life as a whole, just that it's pretty obvious and lots of people ask me what happen. I had to repeat the story again and again. My dear hubby even call me a "boomerang", how cruel can that be? Years ago, I was attending a tutorial class on the bone structure of the human body. I asked the lecturer about my case and he told me most probably, the doctor could not fix the elbow back, that's why it looks like this now. I'm not convinced but what can I say.

I remember there was once, my brother and I went to the shops a few blocks away to buy some stuff, we were stopped by those Christian Evangelists. They spoke to us for more than an hour, trying to convince us to join their church. We were so young then, we didn't know what to do so we sat there and listen. When we finally reach home, Mum was waiting for us with a cane. She was worried sick when we didn't reach home earlier, of course, we got the caning.

Whenever Mum brought us to the coffeeshop, my brother would always order his "kek huey" (chrysanthemum) and I would order my "dao ni" (soya bean). I'm not sure if we particularly like the drink but it's one of the first hokkien I learnt to speak.

There was once, we were playing in a group, which include my cousin, my brother and my uncle (couple months younger than me, but higher in "rank"). We saw a suitcase at the void deck and playfully, we open it up. To our horror, a snake sprang up and stare at us! And it's a bloody cobra. We ran and hide, and I can't remember what happen later. Initially, I thought it was a dream but I verified with brother and my younger uncle and realised it actually did happen. How dangerous! We are a group of young, ignorant and defenseless kids facing a poisonous cobra. It was lucky that all of us got away unscathed.

The Pandan reservoir was a few minutes away from my flat. I ever went there for a run with my neighbours. Hell, it was such a tiring and endless jog. That was the first and last time I made a full round at the reservoir. I even did stupid stuff, being young and ignorant, I profess my undying love for a cute guy who's staying the next block. Together with Suyan and the other friends, we threw this love note into the "sea" (the reservior lah). Jian'an (cute guy) dived in to get the note, I jumped in too, trying to snatch it back. Someone shouted at us to get out of the water and we start running away, we thought he was trying to catch us.

I still remember my "playmates". Windy, Jane and Joy.. my neighbours. I used to sit at the steps of their house and talk to them. Sometimes when I'm lucky, Uncle will let me in to the house to play with them. They owned toys that I don't and I love to play with them. They have since shifted to a condominium when I was in Secondary, I think.

There's lots of other fond memories of staying at Pandan. Though it might not be as fun as the kampong people might say, but it's another kind of enjoyment that the kampong people will not understand. Every shop, every tree, every bench, everything.. has a special place in my heart. I'm no longer living there, shifted out after I got married. Years after I've shifted out, I still feel I'm part of the place. It's the place I grew up, it's the place I call "home"..