I was walking through the special places of my childhood – the Jurong Stadium that is filled with kids wearing PE shorts , balloons, banners in  4  distinct colors – Red, Blue, Green, Yellow. Why do schools usually use these 4 colors I wonder..I can still feel the rowdy cheers, the loud hailer broadcasting the event, people cheering , the competition, the smell of rubber in the hot sun, the red tracks..me behind the running line…gun shot, me at the finishing line and the glory of my trophy. It’s good to have that winning feeling!

After the glory, the very path shadowered by big, old angsana trees leading to the stadium when i turn right, and to the left leading to the swimming pool my dad will bring me to for weekends ( where the best part is drinking kopi  after swimming – in my mind till today they serve the best kopi ) . In fact, i do not really swim coz i can’t even do a full lap before but only really picked it up and hone up swimming during my flying days ). My first lap happened in Korea? So what did I do when dad is teaching us all swimming and my siblings practicing swimming?  At least I learn to float..yes I recall I was holding the sides and gradually moving to deeper ends. I hold the sides so damn tight and never will I let my hands leave the drainage edges.

Ok, back to this very path leading to the swimming, walking past the pool,  I will be reaching the factory my mum works in – the famous chili brand bee hoon . Yes, my mums work there and I walk through this path with my dad almost every evening, sometimes with my brother, to bring my mum’s dinner in a mass tin. She usually cooks in the afternoon and I will heat up and bring her dinner for her. Yes, mum is a very thrifty woman.

The 60 stalls kopi shop opposite my house …..to be continued