My childhood

I was born on 9th March 1947 two years after Japanese occupation and surrender after two atomic bomb drop in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. As a tour leader I had the opportunity to visit these two atomic bomb cities and see how damaging an atomic bomb from old photos was as nothing was left except a build structure skeleton. The cities were flattened with nothing left. Currently the western countries still continue to do research on mass destruction weapons. Other countries like India, Pakistan already having atomic bomb and the latest North Korea and Iran are trying to do so. The calling to ban and not to use mass destruction weapons are just for lip services only. To me the real culprit was USA and other Western develops nations. If such western nations do invent and continue to do so other up coming nations would not have follow and try to develop such mass destruction weapon. The state was Perak in a village call Pengkalan Bharu where I could locate where it is on the map. Hopefully one day someone will let me know where is the place.

My early childhood start in RAUB Pahang age 4-6 staying at a government single story wooden house on tilts as my father a custom officer was transferred to Raub. It consist a row of such bungalows on high level land and behind was a jungle. Opposite was a vast empty piece of land like a valley with gentle slope. The slope was a wonderful playing ground for children using coconut leave trunk head and ride down the slope. By rotation children also pull the trunk with one sitting on it and it was real fun. Occasionally there are British soldiers entering the jungle for days and they always give children biscuits and chocolates. In addition there was amour vehicle coming to patrol on that are Malayan communists in the jungle. I still remember there was a year where they give nice chocolates with Queen If I am right the British High Commissioner was ambush and killed by the Malayan Communists somewhere in Raub. Queen Elizabeth picture printed on the metal box due to some celebration maybe her coronation or her birthday. At that times I have a bout ten such beautiful metal boxes in different shape some given by my brother and sister but it was a group British soldiers who gave me more. There are after in the jungle for days after coming out them like to rest in a big shady tree in from house. Sometimes they use our bath room outside the house surrounded just by zinc metal roof sheet with a well inside to wash and take a cold bath before the pick up truck come. In fact I enjoy taking bath as the well water very cooling and cold. Now a day I am quite sad my grand children are all taking hot shower bath it is not wonder it is easy for them to get cold as they are not that strong. I don’t remember children getting sick those days.
Sadly such metal chocolate boxes were gone forever. Hopeful maybe some one do have one left inherit from his parent!
There was no electricity or tap water and we use gas and kerosene lamps. The toilet was behind back of the house and night soil carrier come at night to empty the bucket.
There were those days in old Malaya famous circus performing at the vacant land and children like to visit the animals daily. A little bit of faith when our family stay in PJ old town the same circus perform there for a few time with one time right opposite right side of my house at Road 23 at a piece of vacant land border by road 38 and Othman and road 21and the other at the place currently the wet market and food court.

In 1952 we shifted to PJ old town section as my father rented a wooden house at road 15 right side of the national primary school. The school was facing road 10 and left side road 13 and the back road 6. I started schooling at 7 years old and my mother during recess time I come right to fence opposite my house where my mother will give my meals and drink. The headmaster was MS khoo and she is very fierce to us. I remember she gave me one tight slap on my face when I keep ending my answers with the words “yes lah, no lah, Ok lah etc. After this slap I stop using “lah” word again. The teaching was in English and all teachers are train in UK and school books all from UK (Longman or Cambridge or Oxford printing.
There was a Mandarin class in which I attended right up standard 6 three time per week. At that time most of the classes Chinese students attended Mandarin class there was also Malay and Indian as well. It was why I could speak Mandarin and read quite well. Those days I could write as well but not now due no practice at all. My Mandarin becomes very useful when I am in travel industry. Later part of life I met the headmaster a few time at a book store in section 2 that belong my best close friend. I use to follow and help to distribute new paper by bicycle during the weekend. I also met another teacher when I took my wife and daughter age 4 to visit the Ampang shopping complex at that time it the best only shopping complex in K.L. This teacher opens a jewelry shop call and it is very famous. The teacher was shock that I could recognize her.

I met another Mr Jalleh and his Chinese wife also from primary school. When they joined a tours covering Manila,Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand where I took my wife and 6 years daughter along. In the late 1970 to early 1980 all the tours Far East tours was at least 10, 12, 14, 16 days covering 3-4 nations. For China tour in 1980 due to must get special permit (RM 600-800) Home Ministry and the cost also include at 2 special branch officers for the tour. As such the tour cover at least 14 days -20 over days covering most of the major cities in China. My first tour to China was in 1986 covering Gaungzhou, Gulin, Xian, Shanghai and Beijing a total of 16 days. At the time there was no street light even in the major cities and completely dark at the country side. The public toilet was the worse no door plus dirty, smelly with no door at all I consider it is better than our public because the open concept blow away the terrible smell. Even at the old Shanghai airport the toilet condition was the same. The tour member was advised to use an umbrella to cover when using the toilet. Both was equally shock that I could still remember them and Mr. Jalleh at that time was the Head master of secondary school in Brick Field. After returning from the tours give me 2 books written in poetry for me. I hope I could find it some where in house with old books storing in boxes in store full of old things. I used to visit him at the school a few times when I am in brickfield area. I am sure he has retired by now.
I hope to be able to bounce into him again one day like I bounce into classmates, former customer and travel trade friends.