Kampong Memory.

Before I write of this story, let me talk about how I had this sentimental memory out of the blue. It was yesterday that after the kick about, it was a soft ground we played on and our boots was stark with those mud dirt, in which we went to wash up at the nearby toilet after the game. I was so engross in my washing, suddenly my kaki took a pail of water and splash it at me and mind you it's not a pail of clean water, it's the mud water after his washing of his boot, wa kaoz, I so lucky get the mud bath.

After the shower and clean up, walking out of the toilet, lighting up a cigarette watching toward the beach where there is peoples playing happyly by the shore and some swimming. My mind stroll back to my childhood day living in the kampong, wa lao, think back, how time fly, it already about 30 years gone.

That time we stayed at Changi area together with my 2nd aunty, it's about 15 mins drive, 35 mins walk (short cut) and 20 mins cycle (also short cut) to the beach. During then, we use to go to the beach every weekend, sometime Saturday and Sunday for beach activities or family day, funny we never get tire of the beach, no doubt there is rubbish, oily patch and funny things floating around, we still enjoy ourself, you know lah kampong life is they go everywhere in a big group. My uncle was a lorry driver, oh yes he's is our "Ahmad" every weekend, those adults (during my childhood) will bring along CARD, yes CARD and straw map to enjoy the seaview, most important is the gambling, oh yes almost the whole kampong peoples know how to gamble (that's why I'm a big time gambler at one stage, number la, horse la, card la, mahjong and even sports).

After few years as my dad was transfer to his company HQ, my mum was also thinking that it's time to change environment and we shifted to stay with my 4th aunty at Eunos area, my grandpa and grandma also stay there, it's a kampong also but very far far away from the beach, a house that catered for many family living under one roof, I'm not so familiar with that area in the beginning, so I use to cycle out to recce for fun spot and where to play, but to find a beach, well shit luck, it's very far.

During the kampong day we have to store water for cooking, washing, bathing, etc. cause we don't know when the landlord will stop supply, every month there is at least 2-3 times and it took 1 and a half day to resume. That time we (me and my kampong kaki) found a big pond (about the swimming pool size or bigger abit) not far away, so we have more fun then and that's where I learned the proper way how to swim, my time the swimming term we called it, Fish style (free style), frog style (breathe stroke), back stroke and butterfly. The pond is not like the current swimming pool standard in 50 X 25, it's irregular shape and not like 1.2 to 1.8, I really do not know how cheam the pond is and is muddy below, don't have a lifeguard, no handgrid on the four side of the pool, it's grassy and mud. Well, no complaint at least we got a private pool (so claimed).

Every time we went for a swim, we came back half dry half wet, the top dry bottom wet, on the road when we cycle on the bicycle, the water dripping bring lots of attention from the pedestrian, pointing finger la, shaking head la and laughing those kind of things. Well, we're not wetting our pant, it's the pond water and a kind of drainage (you know the longkang) smell sometimes, yak, it's kind of stink. Thinking back, how the hell we tolerate that, search me, I don't understand also.

After a while, 10 mins or so I guess, my kicking kaki finished washing called me and we all walk off to go for a drink at East point (NTUC resort) food court. They asked me what was I thinking watching the beach, got swee cha bor in bikini is it, how come never tell them to share share the view, I told them no la, just thinking of childhood times as most of them (my age group)also living in kampond before but not those younger one and we share the story of our memory with the young one.

Well peoples, this is some small part of my life living in the kampongs, thinking back feel good and kind of weird cause alot of times, things we do and done drive up happy moment and don't worry of the situation, up till now I still don't really understand why we do such things in our childhood, never worry of the danger or illnesses that will strike us and we are still very healthy that time, is this so call the "Tu Shen Tu Yang" I don't know, beats me.

Ok, will try some recalling of my memory again and my oversea stay and blog some fun. Anyway I stayed in 3 kampongs during my childhood times, now getting old liao and memory lost replacing with the new generation upgrading and technologies, tough leh.