tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post4607768969481625521..comments2023-11-02T16:01:28.095+08:00Comments on Ibi Benefici Locus Est: Those funny, familiar, forgotten places.~CovertOperations78~http://www.blogger.com/profile/05533605886607468773noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-32382567570511602952010-02-22T13:16:08.403+08:002010-02-22T13:16:08.403+08:00Dear Pak Mat,
Thank you for coming by! I didn'...Dear <b>Pak Mat</b>,<br /><br />Thank you for coming by! I didn't realise I was so susceptible to nostalgia until now! Now I have different types of adventures, but nothing beats the ones you have when you're 4 feet tall, no?~CovertOperations78~https://www.blogger.com/profile/05533605886607468773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-33090110084024450612010-02-22T13:14:40.362+08:002010-02-22T13:14:40.362+08:00Dear Naga,
I think you lived in the last row, wit...Dear <b>Naga</b>,<br /><br />I think you lived in the last row, with the railway lines at the back! Do you remember the 'back padang' with the cool monsoon drain that you could race paper boats in? If you went along your street in the direction of Kg. Rajah, you would come to the abbatoir with the stinky river behind it, wouldn't you? There was a house in your row that looked like a regular house out front but if you went down a series of steps in their backyard, it opens up into a fishball factory. The people used to keep a lot of fierce scruffy dogs to keep intruders out. Those were probably the dogs that chased you. We called them the Fishball Dogs. The fishball factory was relocated around 1995 - 1996. <br /><br />Memories!~CovertOperations78~https://www.blogger.com/profile/05533605886607468773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-28920189543000470242010-02-22T11:12:28.960+08:002010-02-22T11:12:28.960+08:00.hi, co78..not given to nostalgia..? after that wr....hi, co78..not given to nostalgia..? after that writeup about your early years and seeing rawang thro your preteen eyes, I dont't mind your non-nostalgic moments..:) ..great blog, this old man enjoyed reading it..cheers..Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18068291687504013148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-46605136442461928862010-02-22T10:15:15.486+08:002010-02-22T10:15:15.486+08:00Dear CO78,
Well to go to my house, you need to g...Dear CO78, <br /><br />Well to go to my house, you need to go all the way down Waterfall Road, and then turn right into the street and then go all the way till you reach the corner. Lets say the entrance to New Green Park is on the lower left corner, my house was on upper right corner. And yea I think the railway track was quite close, coz we could hear the trains every now and then, but there was a line a wooden houses in between the tracks and the back of the houses in that street.<br /><br />And for some reason pic no 5 (from top) looks oddly familiar. It looks like the corner near my house. If I am right then my house should be 4 or 5 houses to the left of thus house in picture. <br /><br />I went to Sinaran Budi, Std 1 in 1991. But yea I left Rawang in 1994 to go to Sg Choh, which is now Bukit Beruntung I think.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07900085014583836516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-58323177640665385302010-02-22T03:24:45.924+08:002010-02-22T03:24:45.924+08:00Dear Naga,
What a surprise! And such serendipity!...Dear <b>Naga</b>,<br /><br />What a surprise! And such serendipity! You went to Mrs. Balendran's kindergarten too, but our paths never crossed because in 1993 I was 15 years old. <br /><br />I'm trying to guess which street you lived on. If all the way down Old Waterfall Road, was the back of your house facing the railroad tracks? Did you go to Sinaran Budi or SK Rawang? I was in Sinaran Budi from 1985 - 1990. <br /><br />As for the provision shop, yes, there used to be another in the same row, Pasar Mini Yin Choon, and the two shops had a major vendetta going on and finally Yin Choon moved down the street. There was another shop at Old Waterfall Road, a Chinese shop, that had the most awesome tikam boards ever. You could get firecrackers on their tikam boards any month of the year. I was always pretty lucky at tikam and once I won a Rambo gun (with Rambo headband! And plastic dog tag on a black cotton cord! Wow!). Lost all the bullets to the gun within 24 hours.<br /><br />:D Thanks for sharing my memories! I will try to take more photos! <br />Do come again!~CovertOperations78~https://www.blogger.com/profile/05533605886607468773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-72607804910347918522010-02-21T15:08:26.847+08:002010-02-21T15:08:26.847+08:00Dear CO78,
This is my first time reading your bl...Dear CO78, <br /><br />This is my first time reading your blog and I was in for a surprise! <br /><br />I stayed in New Green Park roughly from 1989 to 1993 (I think).. well I was 9 years old in 1993 la ;)<br /><br />Anyways I remember where I lived - Enter the Park using Old Waterfall Road, go all the way down that road and turn right, and then go all the way to the end. That was where I lived, but yea I don't remember my house number or the street number. It was single story though. <br /><br />I ALSO went to Mrs Balendran's kindergarten, and tuition for my Std 1,2 and 3. I jokingly tell my parents that if it wasn't for Mrs Balendran's English, I don't think I would be ever proficient in English. <br /><br />It was during my time that she bought the second house. And I still remember how we have to read Peter and Jane series, recite nursery rhymes on solo, and oh how can I ever forget the Spelling tests.. My knuckles still hurt! ;) And I still remember the morning meals - nasi lemak on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Mee Hoon on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Biscuits and Milk on Fridays. See, I can remember food but I can't remember where I lived lol!<br /><br />I remember that provision shop (I think there was a few more on that row?) coz it was where my mum bought my first mechanical pencil (is that what they still call it nowadays?) for my first day of school. And its also the same shop where my mum buys me all the jeruks and the buah masams.<br /><br />And coming to the slope, that's exactly where I used to slide down with my friends! And that's the playground where I learnt how to ride a bicycle with my dad.. <br /><br />I still remember the street where I was chased by a dog (it was the street parallel to Waterfall Road).. wait coming to think of it I guess I was chased by dogs all over New Green Park! <br /><br />Oh thank you for this article, it brought back such nice memories! Please post more pictures if you have them, perhaps I would be able to pinpoint exactly where my house was. <br /><br />Cheers!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07900085014583836516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-46842894260488974802010-02-21T03:00:59.640+08:002010-02-21T03:00:59.640+08:00Thank you for coming by, dear Keats! Yes, please d...Thank you for coming by, dear <b>Keats</b>! Yes, please do write about your halycon days in Taiping! That would be fun. I wonder at what point in the history of Malaysia did cycling stop becoming a necessity and start becoming a luxury. Nowadays I see mountain biking groups not using bikes as a mode of conveyance, but just something they do on weekends and then clean up the bike and hang it up on hooks like a slab of meat.~CovertOperations78~https://www.blogger.com/profile/05533605886607468773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-42375798419104449142010-02-20T17:58:39.172+08:002010-02-20T17:58:39.172+08:00Your account makes us want to add to yours too. T...Your account makes us want to add to yours too. This holiday I was back in Taiping and there's always the laid back atmosphere to enjoy. Folks have moved to greener pastures and when a major holiday comes along, folks flock back and flood the town - serenity temporarliy displaced! Those were the bike days to roam the streets till dark! Everywhere seemed reacheable by bike!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17272333503136774741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-43405584674962783032010-02-19T15:10:07.593+08:002010-02-19T15:10:07.593+08:00Dear Kitties In Sydney,
Bless her heart, your Mam...Dear <b>Kitties In Sydney</b>,<br /><br />Bless her heart, your Mama is so kind! The dog is up there in doggie heaven now, thanking your Mama for sparing her life. There's no such thing as a bad dog or cat, Kitties, only bad owners (correct term is guardian/caregiver now). <br /><br />Games! Oooh let's see... besides long-distance running, cycling, swimming and reading too much (ruined my eyes), I didn't play that many of those traditional games. We played a lot of badminton over the house gate during the Thomas Cup season. And we played Galah Panjang, Konda Kondi, dodgeball, marbles, bottle caps, rubber bands, rubber band guns and congkak. We also played bicycle polo. To play bicycle polo, you need bicycles, a tennis ball and hockey sticks. If you have no hockey sticks, you can use umbrellas. The ones with wooden handles are best. Just don't let your parents catch you at it. When your parents find their best umbrella totalled... Head for the BACK DOOR!~CovertOperations78~https://www.blogger.com/profile/05533605886607468773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-5121104028377991442010-02-19T14:54:17.596+08:002010-02-19T14:54:17.596+08:00CO78,
My Mama's memory includes being bitten b...CO78,<br />My Mama's memory includes being bitten by a bitch in heat! Serious! The dog bit her thigh and calf...must be yummylicious even then. And then some ppl wanted to put the dog down and my Mama said "no, don't kill it. It's not her fault, I was the one playing in its territory." The dog lived to spawn, had many puppies and died in old age. <br />What games did you play as a child? My Mama's list would include not just rounders, but also galah panjang, nenek kebayan, konda kondi, police and thief, pukul berapa datuk harimau, a.e.i.o.u., cop-cop tiang, skipping...waaaahhh...so long the list lor, plus a few more. Kids nowadays know any of those? purrr....meow!Cat-from-Sydneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04316678270023647758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-48300803886672892932010-02-18T19:21:06.327+08:002010-02-18T19:21:06.327+08:00Thank you, dear Kitties-In-Sydney! I was hoping yo...Thank you, dear <b>Kitties-In-Sydney</b>! I was hoping you would drop by! <br /><br />Rounders! Now that brings back memories too -- of broken windows, smashed spectacales, bruised children, big strong planks being removed from school desks to use as bats since no-one in my circle could afford a proper one! <br /><br />You are a very young kitty, by anyone's standards. Chloe is 6 and Pixie is 4.~CovertOperations78~https://www.blogger.com/profile/05533605886607468773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-25620720308316600972010-02-18T19:10:58.690+08:002010-02-18T19:10:58.690+08:00CO78,
Ahh....your memory of 20 years past seems an...CO78,<br />Ahh....your memory of 20 years past seems ancient compared to my lifetime of only 3+ years. My Mama would always tell us stories from her childhood, growing up in an estate, cycling and playing rounders with her friends. Said she had more feline friends as well then, with even a pet cemetery under a mango tree... must have been a riot. purrr....meow!Cat-from-Sydneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04316678270023647758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-89100081797749384942010-02-18T16:34:06.881+08:002010-02-18T16:34:06.881+08:00Dear Louis,
Thank you so much for dropping by, an...Dear <b>Louis</b>,<br /><br />Thank you so much for dropping by, and for enjoying my narrative. I enjoyed writing it more than I realised I would! All those memories came flooding back like an old friend.<br /><br />I agree, time is relative. 20 years may not seem long to my pensioner friends who I go out drinking with, but it's a good two-thirds of my life. And how things change within a decade! Nature has reclaimed so many of the dirt paths and tracks we used to rely on!<br /><br />Thank you for coming on my bike ride with me!~CovertOperations78~https://www.blogger.com/profile/05533605886607468773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-65650024718694488772010-02-18T16:11:17.109+08:002010-02-18T16:11:17.109+08:00Hi Co'78
By the time I got to your powerful i...Hi Co'78<br /><br />By the time I got to your powerful image of the old buildings and places of your childhood being "muscled out" by development I already knew that I was about to enjoy another finely crafted narrative by you. But at that point it was time to push back my chair, forget multi-tasking until I got to the end and have a thoroughly delightful time as you evoked your idyllic days at your old home.<br /><br />That those recollections paralleled mine at many points was of course a plus, although when you mentioned dates like 1982 and 1984 as long past, such recent years from my perspective, I was a bit puzzled that anyone could consider that a long past time :). But then there was that hill that looked so much less formidable to you now, the very same thought that occurred to me when I revisited a similar hill of childhood awe and adventure after 30 plus years and I realized that time is all relative, no?louishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02724442924909561263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-32872908761530062622010-02-18T12:40:51.185+08:002010-02-18T12:40:51.185+08:00That's exactly it, Pat! I'm teasing you be...That's exactly it, <b>Pat</b>! I'm teasing you because you can't ride a bike!~CovertOperations78~https://www.blogger.com/profile/05533605886607468773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-92187867030026228482010-02-18T11:54:26.766+08:002010-02-18T11:54:26.766+08:00Ai-yoh-yoh! You'll always win in the 'more...Ai-yoh-yoh! You'll <i>always</i> win in the 'more fun' department! Summore ah, I don't know how to ride a bike :(<br /><br />Yennyways, me and my sister, we <i>drove</i> past our old house and couldn't believe how smmmmall it was! How did we all fit in???!<br /><br />And our old school. Ahh, Peel Road Convent... Well, it didn't look very convent-y to us.<br /><br />And the whole neighbourhood looked so alien and unfriendly. No more pleasant memories there for me. I'll have to re-visit inside my head, nex-time :)Pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10795820209657289652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-44700389368014701762010-02-18T11:34:59.054+08:002010-02-18T11:34:59.054+08:00Thanks for coming by, Pat! Ah-ha! You did a walkab...Thanks for coming by, <b>Pat</b>! Ah-ha! You did a walkabout of your old hometown too! Now you have an obligation to write about it!<br /><br />Okay, I'll provoke you a bit here. You couldn't have had as much fun as I did, because I rode a bike, nah-nah-nah-nah-naaah!~CovertOperations78~https://www.blogger.com/profile/05533605886607468773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4037275061245964811.post-11965127628976399952010-02-18T11:07:19.677+08:002010-02-18T11:07:19.677+08:00Thank you for the walkabout of the old neighbourho...Thank you for the walkabout of the old neighbourhood where you grew up :)<br /><br />It brings back memories of my youth.<br /><br />A couple of years ago, one of my sisters and I revisted our old house, and school. It's been almost 30 years, and nothing looks the same. To say things have been transformed would be putting it mildly!!!<br /><br />You must have had a good time over the holidays. I'm glad. Have a wonderful Tiger year, my dear friend.Pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10795820209657289652noreply@blogger.com