TakeSix: My Childhood

On the way back home from a onerous session of training, I just started thinking about my childhood. So I guess I just share it.

My childhood was a pretty pleasant one. Funny memories, really. Since my birth, my dedicated grandmother has taken utmost care of me. In fact, most of my younger days were spent with her. I still remember that routine; weekdays are spent with her at Toa Payoh, Block 179, the 13th floor. I slept on a mattress which had a floral pattern and owned a pillow nearly as big as me. I still have that wonderful pillow, and I have enjoyed sleeping on it ever since. My most vivid memory however, was taking out a Lego container and placing it in front of the television. I would rush to get my food and place it on the container, and as I ate my food enjoyed what was my main form of entertainment then.

However, time spent in the vicinity was not forgotten either. I still can paint a vivid picture in my mind: Two towering blocks, both dull red, sheltered an often-crowded Kopitiam below. The Kopitiam faced a huge open pavement which had trees and benches uniformly placed about 6-8 metres apart from each other. I always loved that guy who would come out at night and place little go-karts in a corner and rent them out for $1 for 15 minutes. Hey; huge space, obstacles, go-karts -- heaven for a young one like me. Once in a while my grandmother would, reluctantly, pay that dollar and allow me to have the best fifteen minutes of the moment. Such occasions were rare though, as my grandmother is a frugal person.

Naturally, as my grandmother spoke in Teochew, my second language had emerged as such. Soon, with my newly found 'skill', I made a reputation for myself in Toa Payoh. I would cheekily go up to the Kopitiam frequents and say a phrase or two, or even better, converse with them. Thus I made a name for myself as the "Toa Payoh Kia" (Toa Payoh Kid )... Yes, you can go ahead and dismiss the above but they wouldn't really benefit me in anyway to lie.

Sadly, as I grew older and had to go to kindergarten, I left behind my childhood haven for my new home. Now, it is my grandmother comin' over instead of me. All those memories: Choking on a fish tail ( Why did I do that??), losing a few bouncy, rubber balls to the vicious urinal, making my grandmother mad with my rowdy behaviour and more. My biggest regret is the loss of my '2nd language'. My grandmother used to be so proud of the fact that I could speak Teochew at such a young age... Now I just use Chinese to speak with her. It seemed as though my transition back to my home was a brainwash. Every time I hear my grandmother talking about my childhood with her I guess I die a little inside.

But regrets aside, I 'm just grateful for the fact the fact that my childhood is so memorable.
(I'm glad I got all of that off my chest!)

Jong, signing out.