Walk Down Memory Lane | Primary School Days

As I recall my primary school and secondary school days,part of me is sad that most probably my children won't get to experience the independence and fun of walking "a mile" to school like we did in the "old days".
I realize that it's a different time in which we now live.Walking to school for us was the earliest form of a non-electronic social network for youth. It was "face time" instead of "Facebook" with your friends. It was "talking" instead of "texting." It was "real" life instead of "virtual" life. When you touch your laptop it clicks. When you touch your friends and family, you feel them.It is disappointing to me, but we live in a culture emphasizes every child kidnapping case that happens (creating a false sense of danger in our communities).

Image depict where i used to stay and the schools/routes
i have taken.

One of the best memory of walking to my primary school was the infamous "flat bukit chagar" - also known as city's most famous eyesore.I had to pass the infamous flats to reach my primary school which is just a stone away from the flats.

The Bukit Chagar flats were constructed by the Johor state government in 1980's to house the low-income group.There were total of four blocks , each 16 story high.Bukit Chagar is best remembered with its burst rooftop water tank in 1993.Now both the flats and the school are down to dust due to construction of ICQ which is completed and the proposed train station that will serve as an extension of Singapore's MRT line.

Demolition work on Bukit chagar flats (2008)

Now back to school days, I had lots of fond memories during my days with SK Ungku Abdul Aziz Majid(SKUAAM) from 1989-1994.I still see my primary school friends as the best friends i ever had even though i lost contact with majority of them.There was something magical about our years there ^^. 

Our School Badge

• I remember the "perhimpunan" which usually occurs on Monday mornings and how much i dreaded it.
• I remember when we used to Bunk Maths extra classes and lepak at Taman Riadah Bukit Chagar.
• I remember when nasi lemak used to cost only 20 cents per plate and a drink 10 cents( now it's a freaking Rm1.50, add egg RM 2.00)
• I remember stealing mangoes from mango tree in our school garden.(the taste of stolen mango was way sweeter than eating mangoes from your own backyard :P).
• I remember the punishments from teachers.some that i can recall..standing,standing on a chair or table,standing behind or outside classroom,carry chair/school bags/books above the head, and finally see the principal if all things don't work.
• I remember how we used compass and dividers to dig holes in our desk to play golf.
• I remember the various colours of chalks which is used to write on a blackboard.
• I remember the multi purpose duster.One is of course to erase the blackboard and another purpose is for the teacher to throw it at those naughty or sleeping students.
• I remember those chalk and duster marks left on the face once the duster hit your face.But back then , no parents seem to bother to complain and students also don't bother to tell their parents too.
• I remember walking home from school in the rain.
• I remember playing “Rubber” where we bring our own unique erasers( with country flags etc) and roll against each other.
• I remember making a long rubber band chain and that indirectly, there is a competition for who has the longest.
• I remember being introduced to “Ceper" (bottle caps).You need 5 bottle caps to play them.First use them to throw and catch with barehand and throw again to catch in forehand. Used to play an obstacle version of carom.
• I remember playing “Guli”(Literally means marbles) on a patch of earth.( i don't remember where all my marbles went but i do seriously wish to get some and keep them as memorabilia).
• I remember how excited we will be during Pendidikan Jasmani.But grumble during the end of it as we will be forced to find rubbish even though we have a fairly clean field.

These are memories you don't get to forget throughout.
Do you remember any of these moments?

"There is no happiness , they are only moments of happiness"