Innocence (a post written in 2007 yet to be published)
Sunday, the day I get to spent time with my mum and dad. I remembered my parents would always bring me and my brother to the Ang Mo Kio Central's KFC to eat. My favorite was zinger burger but later was replaced by 2 pcs crispy chicken. Sometimes, we would go to Macdonald instead. My favorite was Mac-chicken meal but as I grew older it was replaced by filet-O-fish meal. After eating, I would go to the playground located inside the Macdonald to play. I remember there is a slope which I loved to climb up there and slide down sitting on the Macdonald's promotion paper which used to placed on top of the tray. Later then we would be shopping and hanging around AMK Central. I think the first shopping centre I went was the Oriental. Otherwise we would go catch a movie at the Crown Palace, or Eng Wah cineplex. The first movie I watched was "Wong Fei Hong"by Jet Li I guessed so. At that period of time, movies by Jacky Chan, Bruce Lee, Jet Li and zombies related movies was kinda hot. I remember everytime after watching action-pack movies, I would go home wrestle with my brother. Imitating all the Kung-Fu stunts I saw in the movie. Lolx! Everytime before we go home, dad would go buy the curry puffs from the kopitiam located near AMK central's Jubilee. It's the most tasty curry puffs I ever ate till now better than OCK. Recently I saw from news that their business had expanded overseas. Other than that, sometimes my parents would bring me to the Yio Chu Kang swimming pool, Bishan Park or Marina parade beach. My dad was the one who taught me swimming, cycling and fishing. I started learning swimming with a float, it was easy until dad want me to swim without it during the process I drank quite alot of water. Everytime after swimming, I would feel hungry, dad would buy me fishballs from the canteen at the swimming complex. As for cycling, started learning by riding a fi-cycle. A bicycle with two smalls wheels supporting the back. After that proceed to bicycle. I gotta learn about balancing. After lots of tries and falls, I finally mastered cycling and it became my hobby. I got my first bicycle from a shop at AMK Central. Its was purple colour. The route from my block to bishan park is a straight path, but lots of humps and slope in between the journey. We would always cycle together there, remembered we would passby my primary school then st nicholas girls school and than all the way down slope. When I was well familar with the bicycle trail at Bishan Park, I begin cycling alone and exploring the park while dad is fishing prawns. I started learning fishing at a reservoir. Occasionally, dad and his friends would drive to seletar to fish though its illegal. I remember there's lots of greyish monkey down there. The monkeys ain't afraid of humans, you can see them walking about on the roadside. I remembered the pathway into the jungle was divided by a river, and whether we walk inside, the monkeys on the opposite side of us would come out from the bushes and stare at us. There was once when we were walking into the reservoir and I saw a monkey hanging on the tree above of us. Out of mischief, I shouted at it and the monkey jump down and freaked me out. Lolx! Never again I dared to disture them. The scenry there was beautiful. I remember my first catch I got on bait was a turtle. At first, I wanted to keep it but dad told me if I release it, it would make my family members healthy, so I freed it. The bait we used that time was raw prawn bought from FairPrice. Dad and his friends always caught a kinda fish which got a block circle mark on its tail. I think its called trout. The first beach I went with my family was at Marina Parade. The first time I get a taste of salt water and fine sands compared to those at the playground though beach was known to be dirty that time. I got a native thots that by just stepping into the water I could catch fishes with my barehands. Lolx! I remember seeing a black water snake at that beach too. When I'm at the beach, I don't do much swimming. Instead I would be playing sands, building sands castle, digging hole to lay my body inside and covered with sands. Its was kinda cooling inside. Hmm.. Sounds digging a grave. I remember dad brought me to a rocky area to catch mini-crabs and pick sea-shells, clamps. I bought them back but ended dead also. Mum was the person who brought me to library, The first library I went was at AMK central. At that time, I loved to read non-fictionbooks, like zoology, animal-related, astronomy, outer-space related books and comic like tin-tin. As I grew older, I would go to library with my bro by ourself. After borrowing books, I would cross the overhead bridge to the small cafe opposite the library to eat curry mee. The curry mee was great though it was just plain curry maggi with egg which I realised it later. Maybe it taste so good becuase I get to pay and order my own food with my own pocket money for the first time give me the satisfaction of independent. I remember that there was once I was very sick, my mum piggyback me to the Blk 607 clinic for consultation accompany by my grandmum. That was as touching. I remember after I got home, grandmum bought me a toy. Its was so sweet and it cheered me up. It was a motorbike with a yellow biker on it. There used to be alot of stray cats wandering around my block and corridor. I remember that there was one evening, a brown spotted cat came to my doorstep. I played with it and fed it with fried fish and milk. I decided to keep it as a pet but my parents don't allow. I secretly hide it in the shoe rack outside my house. I remember it was rainning that time, so I put newpapers on the floor and covered a old clothes on its body to keep it warm. But I did'nt get to kept it for long, the next day my parents chased it away. That was my first pet, followed by guppies bought from the wet market at 628 than mini turtle at that age. Special occasion like mother's day, my whole family would go eat zi char. My favorite was sar po tofu, chilli crab, tou meow, fried onion frog leg, hong shao bai gu, many more. As for lantern festival, my parents would bring me to park carry paper lantern, but when I grew older lantern festival is about playing candles, sparks and fire. Lolx! For the ghost festival, grandmum would bring me go watch chinese wayang. I remember I was first introduce to muah chee that time. Yummy! The muah chee is very chewy and the peanut smells so good.
