My oh my, I typed a nice long entry last night, but before I could click ‘submit’, my butter fingers touched another button, which erased everything…Argh! I wanna kick myself in the butt! I was so pissed with myself – for pressing that idiotic button; with Blogger – for not having an ‘undo’ button (mabbe there was, just that the clueless me didn’t know it existed). Anyways, I turned off my laptop and refused to look at it again. After a not-so-good rest, I’m more or less ready to face the world, and decided to try and recall as much as I can about that long entry I had planned to submit. Here goes:
I was sure in a nostalgic mood tonight. I had gone to the play at the DBS Arts Theatre to watch ‘Betrayal’, and was on my way home. As many out there would attest to, I’m by nature, an emotional and feeling-sorta person, ruled by the heart more than the head. And nostalgia hit on me when certain sure factors are present, like tonight. Some of the music and songs that I enjoy, on my mp3, the quiet night, and to top the icing, a long bus ride.
I was on bus service 176, which plies Pasir Panjang and heads back to Bukit Panjang via Bukit Batok. For those clueless, Bukit Panjang and Bukit Batok are roads in Singapore. That route brings back lots of memories, I must say. You see, my whole family ran a business when I was still a kid, and my dad and uncles had to go to the Pasir Panjang warehouses regularly, mostly on Saturday afternoons. My brother and I would tag along on some of these trips, and my dad would always use this route. I remembered the stretch of road along Jurong Town Hall, where there is a steep slope, and my dad would always drive a little faster so as to get the ticklish yet thrilling excitement in our tummies.
Following that, he would turn into Teban Road, going past where River Valley High School used to stand. On the right is some reservoir, but you can’t see it from the road. One can only see the benches in the park looking out to the waters. Being the emotional and feeling sort since young, I have always loved the beach and sea view, so you can imagine how much I wished to take in the view there. I had never been there, and I told myself that when I get older, I would go there on my own. Ironically, I still haven’t gone there, and it was only that day when I passed by that I recalled what I had promised myself some 12 years ago...ha!
But what got me really hyped up then was the anticipation of what’s gonna come a little further down the road, after River Valley High School. On the left hand side (heading towards Pasir Panjang) was and still is standing there, a kindergarten. It’s a one storey building, and the area it sits on is huge. What caught my attention was the garden; in addition to the usual playground, the play area also has a huge “train” model where kids can actually enter and play in it. Its colourful carriages were definitely an attraction to kids like me. I had wished that I could join in the fun and games inside the train in the afternoon sun.
These are just some memories dug from the depths of my mind from a spark of the moment. Of course, I wish I could turn back to those fun and worriless times (for other reasons too of course), but I guess, well....
Actually now that I have grown up, I realised that I was actually very fortunate. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but there was definitely a bronze one. I was ferried and chauffeured around in a car and never knew what public transport was; I could ask for what I wanted and get it. But apart from these superficial materials, I had enjoyed good family relationships, and these are getting better as time passes. I don’t mean just cordial or friendly relationships. We siblings, apart from enjoying each other’s company, are confidantes and tell each other almost everything (of course we leave some space for each other).
I have some friends and colleagues who find it weird when I told them I go shopping or go on holiday with my brother, or that my brother confides his girlfriend troubles to me, or when I told my sister about my blues whether it’s work, friends or anything. Of course, they are envious though to me it’s nothing strange. And because of that, I think that sometimes I take things for granted *heh*, but of course at the end of the day, I do treasure them.
I was sure in a nostalgic mood tonight. I had gone to the play at the DBS Arts Theatre to watch ‘Betrayal’, and was on my way home. As many out there would attest to, I’m by nature, an emotional and feeling-sorta person, ruled by the heart more than the head. And nostalgia hit on me when certain sure factors are present, like tonight. Some of the music and songs that I enjoy, on my mp3, the quiet night, and to top the icing, a long bus ride.
I was on bus service 176, which plies Pasir Panjang and heads back to Bukit Panjang via Bukit Batok. For those clueless, Bukit Panjang and Bukit Batok are roads in Singapore. That route brings back lots of memories, I must say. You see, my whole family ran a business when I was still a kid, and my dad and uncles had to go to the Pasir Panjang warehouses regularly, mostly on Saturday afternoons. My brother and I would tag along on some of these trips, and my dad would always use this route. I remembered the stretch of road along Jurong Town Hall, where there is a steep slope, and my dad would always drive a little faster so as to get the ticklish yet thrilling excitement in our tummies.
Following that, he would turn into Teban Road, going past where River Valley High School used to stand. On the right is some reservoir, but you can’t see it from the road. One can only see the benches in the park looking out to the waters. Being the emotional and feeling sort since young, I have always loved the beach and sea view, so you can imagine how much I wished to take in the view there. I had never been there, and I told myself that when I get older, I would go there on my own. Ironically, I still haven’t gone there, and it was only that day when I passed by that I recalled what I had promised myself some 12 years ago...ha!
But what got me really hyped up then was the anticipation of what’s gonna come a little further down the road, after River Valley High School. On the left hand side (heading towards Pasir Panjang) was and still is standing there, a kindergarten. It’s a one storey building, and the area it sits on is huge. What caught my attention was the garden; in addition to the usual playground, the play area also has a huge “train” model where kids can actually enter and play in it. Its colourful carriages were definitely an attraction to kids like me. I had wished that I could join in the fun and games inside the train in the afternoon sun.
These are just some memories dug from the depths of my mind from a spark of the moment. Of course, I wish I could turn back to those fun and worriless times (for other reasons too of course), but I guess, well....
Actually now that I have grown up, I realised that I was actually very fortunate. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but there was definitely a bronze one. I was ferried and chauffeured around in a car and never knew what public transport was; I could ask for what I wanted and get it. But apart from these superficial materials, I had enjoyed good family relationships, and these are getting better as time passes. I don’t mean just cordial or friendly relationships. We siblings, apart from enjoying each other’s company, are confidantes and tell each other almost everything (of course we leave some space for each other).
I have some friends and colleagues who find it weird when I told them I go shopping or go on holiday with my brother, or that my brother confides his girlfriend troubles to me, or when I told my sister about my blues whether it’s work, friends or anything. Of course, they are envious though to me it’s nothing strange. And because of that, I think that sometimes I take things for granted *heh*, but of course at the end of the day, I do treasure them.
