Yesterday I was reading through Egghead and Twinsmom‘s blog about school life. It was like finding a key that unlocked my own memory of those old school days. So I’m going to be a copycat and write something about my own school life in a small humble town, Teluk Intan in Perak.
Warning… this is going to be a long 唠叨 post!!
How many schools did I go to?
1) Kindergartens – San Min Kindergarten (三民幼稚园) 5 year old
A semi concrete, semi wooden hut that shares the same compound as the
primary school I attended later. The hut was partitioned into 2 classes. Mum
was teaching at the front class and me attending class next door. What I
learned? Can’t remember.
Tadika Rasa Sayang (启蒙幼儿园) 6 year old
Classes were conducted in English unlike the one I attended earlier. Only
remember having a lot of dance practices.
2) Primary School – SRJK (C) San Min No 2 (三民小学第二校)
The year I attended primary 1, was the year when the ministry introduced the new syllabus, changing all text from traditional chinese to simplified chinese. Subjects were changed too, Stadard 5 exam (5 年级统考) was replaced by Standard 6 UPSR. We were the first batch of guinea pig students to this new syllabus. At our school, students were put into classes not based on their performances, but rather of family background. Those offsprings of well knowned teacher’s, offsprings of local wellknowned (地方名人), son of established businessman (老字号), kids of civil servants were put into the first class and we sticked to the same class throughout the whole 6 years regardless of exam result and we got the best teachers. I was in that class, because my aunt teaches in the same school. For 6 years, my marks for each subjects and each exams were range from 96 – 100, but I’ve never been able to escape the fate of being No 2, second best, there was this girl who always got higher scores than me. I was class monitor and treasurer from standard 3 to 6. And also represent the class for story telling and singing competitions. ( I have never won though). I wasn’t really outstanding and well-rounded, as I never excel in sport and was truly a bookworm. I was very self-consioused, although arrogant outside, but the fact is I was very inferior with my look and physical movements. ( I was the first to wear glasses in my class in year 4, alot of people make fun of the way I walk and run ..etc etc)
School building was very old. Like the kindergarten hut, it was half concrete half wooden.Although there were 2 newly built blocks but the olden part of the school were the same as when my parents attendend primary school there then. All the class rooms has got no fan and every alternate years we have to swap with another school that shares the same premise to be in the afternoon session. Didn’t know how we survive those hot stuffy afternoon. The top floor flooring were made of wood plank with gaps, when students upstairs were pounding and running about, there were always dust and sand pouring down to the ground floor like rain.
Toilet! It was as bad as those found in China, or maybe worst. The cubicles were narrow and elevated leading by steep narrow steps. (squat type) You can’t imagine a 5/6 yr old pre-schoolers that share the same toilet to climb up to the cubicle and squat and with no option to hold the wall for balancing (it’s just too dirty to put your hands there). So they always does their business on the floor. Big or small.. even walls were painted with finger prints of POO!! Worst still, the toilet is HAUNTED!! During Japanese Occupation, our school compound was the commanding ground for the Japanese Troops. The toilet location used to be a mortuary/burial ground of the victims. It gave a super eery feeling whenever one is in there, and I never figured out why there were a few cubicles that were always locked and never allowed to be used, there were always rumours that something is in there. I tried to avoid toilet as often as I could, or begged any of my friends to go with me. There were times that I got food poisoning , and really need the toilet badly and no one can be excused to go with me in the middle of a lesson, I had to rush and close my eyes and pray, I would leave as fast as possible. I dared not look into the mirror facing the cubicles. Whenever I was alone there, I always felt something lingering around the air looking upon me. It was always relieve if I met someone on the way to toilet when I was on my way there alone, and I will try to finish off fast before them so I won’t be left alone. Even now thinking back, it still gives me the shiver and goosebump that I experienced before. There was also another part of the school, which we were not allowed to use. One of the stairwell at the corner. It’s dark and eery and no one evers passes there.
I loves recess. Canteen food was lousy, but I got my own little treat. I spent all my recesses for that 6 years at my mum’s kindergarten eating in front of all the pre-schoolers. Little aunt was assistant teacher at the kindy then, so every night little aunt would telephoned and asked what I want for breaksfast next morning, she would stopped by at the market to get my treat before heading to the school. Everyday, except those days I brought in my mum’s home baked cake, I would have 黄姜饭,糯米饭,咸煎絣,猪肠粉 and other delicacies for recess. Our favourite games before class and during recess were throwing pebbles ( the 5 pebbles game), skipping rope ( very long rope made of rubber bands, and you need at least 3 people to play, 2 to hold, and 1 to jump over at different heights) and 踢踺子 and again I’ve not really mastered these games like my friends.
My transport to school were no mean by my mum’s car. We had 4 chinese primary schools in Teluk Intan. But everyone in my neighbourhood just seems to be in the same school in town as me which is about 7 mins drive from home, other kids that stayed the same block as us would car pool with us. It was like packed sardine in a small 2nd hand Datsun. I will fight with the fatty boy (my classmate who lives opposite my house) to get the front passenger seat, needless to say, I never won, because it’s just too cramp to have a fat boy sits at the back with 6 other children. Our signal in the morning to leave house before we were late, was the steamer train “TUT TUT” sound every morning at 7.10am and the “glong glong glong” sound of the train running on the track.The track was about 3 km away from home, but still the sound is quite loud.
Another vivid impression of school was FLOOD!! Our school was located in town and is very near to the river bank (Sungai Perak). The 3 years when I was in morning session , we couldnt escaped to be caught by the flood every so often. If we knew before hand the next day going to be flooded, we would wear slippers to school but classes carry on. I didn’t know why we find these flood quite fun, to think back now, the water is the most contaminated, as you know it comes from the toilet I have just mentioned above.
2) Secondary School – SMK Sultan Abdul Aziz
Father wanted me to attend a more prestigious school (SM Convent) rather than the one I attended. However my transfer was a bit complicated. First, Convent’s principle wouldn’t want to accept me into Form 1 without an official approval letter from the ministry in order for me to skip Remove Class. (I scored straight As – 7As in my UPSR and that time, being the guinea pig batch it was not confirmed whether straight As student can skip a year). I spent 2 – 3 months in Remove Class in SAA, passing my days in daze. Finally when I was allowed to move up to Form 1, I was already seriously lacking behind. Moreover my Malay is never good, I really suffered alot. Some more they allocated me to a very back seat in the class of about 30 , with my serious short sightness and also no text books (it took about another week for book loan to be approved), I really don’t know what the hell was happening in class.
School then wasn’t fun. Dad was strict, never been allowed to go for movies with friends, never has enough pocket money to share whatever my classmates were into. My classmates/the one I mingled with were never been accepted by my parents. Eventually my classmates just left me alone. I was just weird and an odd man out, never able to blend in with my peers.
I went to school by car pooling with my classmate that lives behind my house. I never spoken to him once throughout the 2 years we went to school together. His mum would drive us to school. When I was in Form 3, mum allows me to cycle to school.I managed to scrap through SRP. No more straight As but still with As but mostly C3. From a top scorer in primary school, I became a nobody. It crushed my confindent and no one able to understand my problem.Needless to say, dad was furious. He then decided I should be transfered to the school that he was teaching.
SM Seri Perak (Form 4 & Form 5)
After Form 3, I was transfered to Seri Perak. Supposingly to be another prestigious school for upper secondary for Science stream students. We, Science students has got our own designated block right at the far end of the school compound. Dad happens to teach in the same block, he teaches Form 6 further maths. Every so often I would bumped into him. We go to school together on my dad’s motorbike. Everyday I have got stares from everyone. “Ooh..Ini Mr.Lee punya daughter!” And everyone was eyeing on me, all KPC on my perfomances because my dad is a reputated teacher in town. Yucks..I hate that. Hell!! I was under alot of pressure during my schooldays and to tell the truth, it was NO NO FUN to grow up in a teaching family, especially for someone who is not very bright and lazy like ME! The best part of being at this school is that I have met good friends , which our friendship still lasted until now.
Before that I have no true friend, during primary, I was very arrogant, lower secondary, I was a loner.
I managed again to pass my SPM exam, but again it was not a result of flying colours. I was then doing Canadian Matrix at Taylor’s college when the result was out, but I was dissapointed by my result and decided to resit. So I stayed home for a year, homestudied and managed to get a better SPM result. Still not straight As.
These goes the 6 years of my secondary school life. A good at nothing, 文不能,武不行, 糊里糊涂, 懵懵查查, 不三不四度过了6年中学生涯. Looking back now, these 6 years were the darkest and lowest point of my life, where I don’t know what I want to achieve and was under tremendous pressure. I was frustrated, felt left out and unworthy and I had a lot of disagreements with my parents at that time for being strict and not understandable and unreasonable. I was very very rebellious at that time. I must be a pain in the ass to my parents and I must have really hurt them very very much.
3) Tertiary studies
Canadian Matriculation Programme (Taylor’s College)
I was there for three months. I was lost, no idea of what I wanted to do in the future and maybe made a mistake of choosing the subjects, moreover dissapointed by my SPM result, I’ve decided to give this a quit.
Western Australian Matriculation (Sunway College)
Manage to go through the 1 year course , with so so result. My best subject was Chinese. This was also the year I started “pak toh” with my 1st ex. I had great freedom that I have yearned for during the past 6 years, leaving the small town and be on myself and somehow I lost control of the freedom my parents entrusted in me.
Edith Cowen Uni (Perth)
Did my first year of computer science studies there. But after one year, I’ve decided to come back. I really don’t know what on earth was in my mind last time. How I forgo all the chances to excel and improve myself. I seems to underlook what’s the priority in my life. What a waste!
Systematic College (Petaling Street)
Did my NCC Higher Diploma. I got the best results in this course compare to all the exams that I have sat over the past 8 years. Parents moved from Teluk Intan to PJ. No more separated, but still I got more freedom now as compared to secondary school days, less curfews. This is where I aquainted my 2nd Ex.
Sunway College
Did graduate diploma. Again in the same college as my dad. Meet a few nice friends, YC, Renee, WL.
Was I the studious nerd, or the last minute hero?
Primary: A studious nerd, bookworm. Mum will do revision with me every night. (倍读)
Secondary: Last minute burning midnight oil, and can’t memorize a single thing because I just simply don’t understand. My Malay comprehension was really very poor and I hated the subject.
Was I the torn in teacher’s eyes or the teachers’ pet?
Primary: Teacher’s pet
Secondary: I don’t think I’ve left any significant impression to any of the teachers during first half of my secondary school life. I was simply just not outstanding.No one pays attention to me. Upper secondary, teachers got to watch out for me as a favour to my dad. So I was neither a pet or a torn at that time.
What was the biggest rule I broke in school?
Primary: NIL. As a goody goody student and role model, you cant be possibily breaking any school rules. If there was, perhaps it was time that I sneaked in to use the teacher’s toilet.
Secondary: 出猫. Cheating during school exams.
There hasn’t been much chances for me to break rules as there is always someone watching behind my back and 打小抱告 (reporting to my parents). Never once I ponteng during my primary and secondary school days. Even when I was so sick with flu, asthma attack and can hardly even breath, I would still have to go to school because my parents just didn’t believe I was really that sick and we hardly visit the doctor when we were sick. Pure suffer!!
Three subjects I enjoyed
Primary:
1) Music: I have been learning piano since age 7. So this is the best and easiest subject
2) Art and craft: I like drawing and I have to beg my class teacher to let me join her art class during weekend. I got what I wish through the “back door” way. I’m proud of making lanterns.
3) English: The most easiet subject. School doesn’t start teaching this subject until Standard 3, but it was still the best and easiest.
Secondary:
I just hated class, hated everything taught in Malay. I only enjoy English.
We had so little time on mandarin classes, lack of teacher and they were not well trained, so I have lost passion of it.
Teacher that impressed me.
1) 王昭霞老师 – My class teacher from standard4 -6. She’s very good at chinese calligraphy and drawing. Regretted that I have not taken up chinese calligraphy class from her. She’s very strict and fierce and will not hesistate to cane her students (wonder why those years, no parents complaint about teacher beating/caning their children) , but she’s a very good and responsible teacher.
2) Mr Oh Teik Bin – Never really taught me in school, but my chemistry and 1119 tuition teacher. He’s just brilliant.
Things I did beside normal school hours
Primary: No tuition for the first 5 years. Only took BM tuition when I was in Standard 6. Had piano lesson, drawing lesson and girl guide. Was I stress free during these 6 years with so few activities? NO. I have been constanly compared with my cousins ( 1 the same year as me, another, 2 years younger) Dad had a lot of expectation on me especially that I was in Chinese school and being looked down by my uncle and aunties (who were teachers also). They would say “dak teng lang che wu ha mit ho, English jin jia cha” ( Not good for attending chinese school as English standard is very low), “wasting one year in remove class” blah blah blah. So I have to really really put on a hard work to proof them wrong and to save my father’s face. Hey! I’m proud that I know how to read and write Mandarin.
Secondary: Skipped whatever activities happen in school after class.别人说母校怎么怎么好,我对母校一点感情也没有.
Had many tuitions. Science and Maths by my uncle from form 1-3, BM tuition.
Form4-6: Physics, Chemistry, 1119 English tuition. BM tuition, what else?? Couldn’t remember.
Something I really looked forward to was Saturday night Youth activities at local buddhist association, I was a librarian there too. Once a year there would be a holiday camp that I look forward to.
I spent most of my secondary school days writing diaries ( because no one hears me out!! because I was a loner! because I can’t communicate with my parents!) , writing letters to pen-pal (my hobby since standard 6 – the joy of receiving a bundle of coulourful envelops in your letter box is just undescribeable) and reading 棽凯伦 love stories and day dream of my prince charming.
Wow…I have gone so far down to memory lane….Looking back now, I really don’t have a very joyful school life. How sad.
Parents!! Please don’t put so much stress on your children, please listen to them and stop comparing them to your relative’s kids or your collegues’s kid. You will only inflict more inferior in them rather than making them excel!! I have to be more cautious not to repeat my parents mistake over my kids. And guess what, parents that are in teaching profession are really a bunch of KIASU people.
JS’s 2nd birthday. A visit to the zoo. Wearing baby and nursing baby
JS learns to wear her baby, just like what mummy does all the time.
You can wear your toddler too. Mum carrying JS in the sarong sling.
Posted by dragonmummy 
Posted by dragonmummy 
