Pre-school! Lovely, interesting, learning was fun, friends, the games we played, the activities, the cuteness of it all... I miss it.
I was enrolled in Children's House 1 in Damansara Heights. When I got in, Fariz was already in Standard One. I was four. The kindergarten was a bungalow, red and white and usually compared physically to Strawberry Hill, although we were a hell lot better than them. Anytime. Strawberry Hill. Ahahahahahahahahahahaha..! What a name. Our other rivals were Villa Maria. They sucked, too. They had this white and navy blue uniforms and since they had too many students, operated like a school.
Children's House is rather classy and high-end. We were the second most expensive at RM300 a month (average of my time, it peaked at RM 400). The most expensive being Zaikarim, a fucked up school where they fine you for everything. My cousin Dina was there and she actually got fined RM10 for farting during class! She was also fined for bringing a 2-in-1 shampoo and soap for swimming. The rule stated you MUST bring a shampoo and soap for bathing. What the fuck? The owner made a fortune with branches in Bangsar, Johor Baru and SINGAPORE. No wonder...
Back to MY place... The teachers were nice. All women, though. We were to address them as Auntie this and Auntie that. We had high-end playthings, unlimited Buncho Poster Colours and Luna colour pencils (they sharpened them for us!) and graet activities. We painted, did gymnastics, learned Malay (only half an hour a week, the rest was E N G L I S H), we had the playground with the monkey bars and the see-saws and slides. My favourite toy was thid world map jigsaw puzzle. The six continents and countries cracked up and I had to fix it. The meals rocked! I can remember pizza and chicken rice (freshly cooked!).
I was transferred to Children's House 3 in Bangsar. Just for a short while. I remember doing this kinda snowflake thingy for Christmas. Fold paper thrice and cut out small shapes and unfold it and voila! I liked the place as it had a fire exit. A long slide and a cute little staircase. Several of us were deemed 'too advanced' and were promptly sent back to CH1. Closer to home.
Throughout my years there, I made several friends (duh!). I can recall being closest to Ayman. Others I knew were Amirin, Hoong Kit, Emir, Farah and Priyanka.
All went to SKBD except for Farah, who went off to the United Kingdom. I remember she had to tell the class about visiting the UK. I thought it was some kinda museum people visit. Yet I imagined it in a European setting, with her whole family clad in trenchcoats and winterwear. Wrong...but right?
Priyanka defected. She became Hana's friend.
The others were my age except for Emir. We were close as we were cousins. But we thought him a tad bit peculiar. He'd go around telling everyone and anyone that "we're cousins" and all conversations would rotate around that. And he was a year older.
During the final year there, I had to do a lot. We had to care for the juniors (they pissed in their pants and all). We learned things advanced even for Standard One (multiplication for example). Then there was the Farewell.
For the final three months we learned baking, fire-fighting, choir singing (the 'Negaraku', as it was held days before Merdeka), we had no flag pole so we erected a gigantic Jalur Gemilang (which I painted!), and then there was the play.
The Shoemaker and the Elves. Who be the Shoemaker? Yours Truly. Ahahahah! I was That Damn Good back then. A Chinese girl was my character's wife and Farah was the daughter. On the big day, we put up a good show. We sang Negaraku and several other good-bye songs, and Auld Lang Syne, too. The parents ate their meals with cookies we baked, we had them in our Farewell packs, too. It was a little green pack with our handicrafts, an elephant pencil holder (An elephant never forgets), a cookie and several other items. We got certificates, too.
I miss those days. Still miss those days. Will always miss those days...
I was enrolled in Children's House 1 in Damansara Heights. When I got in, Fariz was already in Standard One. I was four. The kindergarten was a bungalow, red and white and usually compared physically to Strawberry Hill, although we were a hell lot better than them. Anytime. Strawberry Hill. Ahahahahahahahahahahaha..! What a name. Our other rivals were Villa Maria. They sucked, too. They had this white and navy blue uniforms and since they had too many students, operated like a school.
Children's House is rather classy and high-end. We were the second most expensive at RM300 a month (average of my time, it peaked at RM 400). The most expensive being Zaikarim, a fucked up school where they fine you for everything. My cousin Dina was there and she actually got fined RM10 for farting during class! She was also fined for bringing a 2-in-1 shampoo and soap for swimming. The rule stated you MUST bring a shampoo and soap for bathing. What the fuck? The owner made a fortune with branches in Bangsar, Johor Baru and SINGAPORE. No wonder...
Back to MY place... The teachers were nice. All women, though. We were to address them as Auntie this and Auntie that. We had high-end playthings, unlimited Buncho Poster Colours and Luna colour pencils (they sharpened them for us!) and graet activities. We painted, did gymnastics, learned Malay (only half an hour a week, the rest was E N G L I S H), we had the playground with the monkey bars and the see-saws and slides. My favourite toy was thid world map jigsaw puzzle. The six continents and countries cracked up and I had to fix it. The meals rocked! I can remember pizza and chicken rice (freshly cooked!).
I was transferred to Children's House 3 in Bangsar. Just for a short while. I remember doing this kinda snowflake thingy for Christmas. Fold paper thrice and cut out small shapes and unfold it and voila! I liked the place as it had a fire exit. A long slide and a cute little staircase. Several of us were deemed 'too advanced' and were promptly sent back to CH1. Closer to home.
Throughout my years there, I made several friends (duh!). I can recall being closest to Ayman. Others I knew were Amirin, Hoong Kit, Emir, Farah and Priyanka.
All went to SKBD except for Farah, who went off to the United Kingdom. I remember she had to tell the class about visiting the UK. I thought it was some kinda museum people visit. Yet I imagined it in a European setting, with her whole family clad in trenchcoats and winterwear. Wrong...but right?
Priyanka defected. She became Hana's friend.
The others were my age except for Emir. We were close as we were cousins. But we thought him a tad bit peculiar. He'd go around telling everyone and anyone that "we're cousins" and all conversations would rotate around that. And he was a year older.
During the final year there, I had to do a lot. We had to care for the juniors (they pissed in their pants and all). We learned things advanced even for Standard One (multiplication for example). Then there was the Farewell.
For the final three months we learned baking, fire-fighting, choir singing (the 'Negaraku', as it was held days before Merdeka), we had no flag pole so we erected a gigantic Jalur Gemilang (which I painted!), and then there was the play.
The Shoemaker and the Elves. Who be the Shoemaker? Yours Truly. Ahahahah! I was That Damn Good back then. A Chinese girl was my character's wife and Farah was the daughter. On the big day, we put up a good show. We sang Negaraku and several other good-bye songs, and Auld Lang Syne, too. The parents ate their meals with cookies we baked, we had them in our Farewell packs, too. It was a little green pack with our handicrafts, an elephant pencil holder (An elephant never forgets), a cookie and several other items. We got certificates, too.
I miss those days. Still miss those days. Will always miss those days...
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