Hakuna Matata

Innocence ( a post written back in 2007 yet to be published)

Flashing back the period before I entered Primary school, life was simple and carefree. Can't remember any memories during my kindergarden's days. During that point of time, I remember grandmum was the person who took care of me most of the time. I was staying at Ang Mo Kio Blk Ave 6 Blk 606 06-2751. Every weekdays morning, grandmum would bring me to the mini-mart at Blk 608 to buy groceries. I remember that there is this aunt in her mid 40s always offering me sweets whenever she see me. Think she's probably the owner of the mini-mart. After we bought the groceries, we would go to the kopitiam at Blk 608 to have breakfast. My fav food was wanton mee, Laska mee without "hump" and Roti prata with sugar on the side. When I eat wanton mee, I would finish it like slurping spagetti with one mouth. After breakfast, grandmum would bring me to the nearest playground, kids called it see-saw that time. Love to play the swing and the sands. Remember everytime I would play till my foot full of sands which granny dislike. While I'm playing, grandmum would sit at a corner to watch me. After play's time is over,I would be sitting down under the void deck with grandmum while she chit-chat with her friends. I would be sitting quietly beside her trying to figure out what they are talking about. This is the time where I learnt "hokkien". We would always be back home before lunchtime. Grandmum would prepare lunch for me. Standard dishes like congee with pinicked veg, fried tofu and fried fishcake. Not that delicious but no choice , if I don't eat, i will receive canning. Everytime i would drained away the water in the congee before I eat. After lunch, grandmum would ask me go take a nap till 3.30, then sit in the living room and watch TV with her. At around 5, while grandmum is cooking dinner, I would be sitting in front of the metal door gate, looking out from inside like a caged bird. Gazing at the sky till sunset, and neighbours passing by. When dinner is ready, grandmum would ask me go pom pom before eating. Dinner is always delicious, my fav dishes are fried chicken wings, fried shrimp or sambal prawn, to eat with white rice. After dinner continued to watch TV till 10 than I sleep. I was sharing the same room with my grandmum. Life was easy and no worries all day long. As for weekends, grandmum would bring me to the wet market at Blk 628. It's a 15min walk from my house. Remember everytime on the way to the wet market. I would stop at the middle of the route cause there's a see-saw located there. This see-saw have got merry-go-round and a playhouse. If there's other kids around I would join them to play crocodile. I would always climb up to the roof of the playhouse so noone could catch me. If grandmum will to see that, she would be screaming at me. Haa!! remember she slways called me "si gina", "pua mee yao siew". Sometimes I would play till don't wanna leave, but whenever I see grandmum walking away, I would ran after her. hAa!! At Blk 628, there's lots of food stalls. My fav were Ipoh horfun, Lor-mee, Yong tau foo, beancurd, tau suan and many more. Grandmum would always order kopi-O in the morning. Black black de, looks awful to me. I was curious why grandmum love to drink it everyday. So one day, out of curiousity, I took up the courage and have a sip. It was bitter, yuckiess. I still preferred cold soya bean from my dad's friends stall, but most of the time I only get to have the warm one, because grandmum don't let me drink cold stuff in the morning. After breakfast, grandmum would go to the wet market, it smells.. Remember grandmum had a friends who working as a fishmonger. She would always go there chit-chat with her. Actually is not just plain chatting granny always ask her help to gamble "chup di ki" which I discovered when I grew older. While they are having their conversion, I would be playing with the dead fishes, by poking it with my fingers. After that, granny would go find her best friend (toilet ah pek) who is the toilet in charge of that market to chit-chat. His job is to collect 10cents from people who wants to used the toilet, if want toilet paper its 20 cents. He also have to maintain the cleanliness of the toilet. While she chatting with her friends, I would go explore around. Sometimes, I would ask money from grandmum to buy tibits or used it on vending machine for dragon ball or street fighter cards. Remember there is this black packet which have a question mark printed on it, I would always buy. Lots of surprises inside the packets, sometime if you're lucky, I got an 1 dollar note. I still remember the 1st toy grandmum got for me was a orange plastic sword. At noon, she would bring me to the void deck which old people hang out. As for usual, she would sit down there and chit-chat. I remember that there is this 92 yrs old lady which looked pitiful to me and a lady which always walked her two bulldogs at that block. that was the place where I got chase by dog the first time, can't remember what I did that cause the dogs to chase me. These crazy hounds chase me down the slope and I freaked me out. I remember I ran to the toilet and hide. Tea time, grandmum would either bring me go temple to watch chinese wayang or go eat dessert like Ice kacang and qin teng. Occasionally, we would eat carrot cake or fried fish mee hoon. As for Dinner, we would eat Duck rice, Chap chai peng or Sting ray with plain rice. After dinner, grandmum would wait for the evening newspaper to come before heading home. Guess what? my grandmum buy the newspaper to check 4D only. Lolx! Sunday would be usually spent with my parents, if they ain't free, grandmum would bring me to AMK central as she always tailored her clothes there. We would walk around there till late noon than grandmum would settle at one place to chit-chat with her friends as usual. I remember grandmum bought me cupcakes which come in different colours and to dipped with orange sugar. Its been years since I ate it again..

posted by Unknown @ 4:02 PM