kindergarten

Tadika St. Jude. the ages of 5 and 6. that was 15 years ago. 1993. the world wide web had just been introduced into the world then. time flies.

2 years of memories, but all that remains is a handful of distinct memories. where did the rest go? i wish i could revisit those years. i love the smell of nostalgia (in the morning).

i remember the first two days at kindy. was crying all day long. mum was there looking through the window. she asked my classmate to take care of me. i can't remember him. i wonder where he is now.

i remember playing football. all of us rushing for the ball and just kicking it around. no goalposts. it was possible to count the number of times i touched the ball. three. i was so happy.

i remember holding hands and walking in a line, two by two, to the toilet with zinc roofing at the edge of the forest. the smell of the toilet was, at times, barely tolerable.

i remember brushing-our-teeth-by-the-longkang sessions which were held occasionally.

i remember losing my two front teeth after tripping and knocking them on the floor when running back to class after a teeth brushing session. always thought i tripped over a pothole on the floor until recently when Bren Lo told me i tripped over his leg. he said i even accused him of tripping me but i cannot remember.

i remember telling the headmaster through a bloody mouth, my home contact number. ended up writing it on a piece of paper if memory serves.

i remember the dentist yanking my teeth out with a pair of plier-like instrument. twist and yank. ouch! couldn't smile for the wedding pageboy photos with two missing front teeth.

i remember walking pass the little shop that sold odds and bits, on my way to the kindy gates after class had ended. frequently ended up with a packet of Ding-Dang or Tora, those little boxes with chocs and toys in them.


i remember Cikgu Doris and Miss Irene from 1st year of kindy. Cikgu Doris was strict and Miss Irene was kind. i wonder where are they now?

i remember having a soft spot for Miss Irene.

i remember her showing me a pen flicking trick using her fingers. assuming she was 21 when she taught us, she'd be 36 now. i wonder what has happened to her in the past 15 years?

i remember taking the class photo at the museum gardens. i don't know where the photo is anymore.

i remember holding a grudge against a classmate for reasons i cannot remember.

i remember sitting with the girls as punishment for doing something wrong. the tables in our class were combined to form two long rows on each side of the classroom. one for girls and one for boys. i was so embarassed, i think.

i remember kindergarten through sepia tinted glasses. a time where life was so much simpler. carefree and without worries. the innocence of childhood.