The original script is written by one of my colleagues' friend M. Jaykas. I did a little bit of editing and added some of my own experiences.
It's about how life was while we were growing up as little boys around the age of 7 to 12 years old during the late 1950's to early 1960's.
Rose Chan was our favorite performer (in name only as we were not allowed to watch her shows).
Wong Peng Soon was our favorite badminton player.
Because we reared Siamese fighting fishes, the seller was our idol.
Driving license renewal was by pasting an additional slip at the back of a small red booklet.
Susu lembu was house delivered by our big friendly and strong Bahiii... on his bicycle in a stainless steel container. The container cap served as a funnel.
Kacang putih man came a-peddling or walking and balancing on his head 6 compartments of different type of murukus... and we barter our old exercise books for a paper cone of kacang putih.
F&N orange was served in wooden crates and displayed on table during Chinese New Year.
M&M's were called Treets.
Eating chicken was a treat that happened only once on Chinese New Year and once on "Chap Goh Meh".
We always carried in our pocket a packet of fire crackers during the Chinese New Year.
We always carry a one dollar note at night in case we are stopped by mata mata for not having tail lights on our bicycles or riding 2 abreast.
One noodle 'chai kway teow' cost 30 cents (Queen Elizabeth portrait on one side of the coin) and we bring our own egg.
One 'roti canai' cost 15 cents and one banana for 5 cents.
We bought bangkali bread from the Indian roti man who paddled his bicycle around the neighbourhood with the familiar ringing sound.
Sometimes we bought Cold Storage bread wrapped in wax paper (it's a luxury item then). Spread the bread with real butter and kaya, wrap them with the wax paper and take them to school for recess time.
Crop crew-cut hair-cut by the travelling Indian or Hockchew barber; 30 cents a haircut; all the way to the top. Reason - easy to dry when curi swimming.
During weekends went swimming in the river, no swimming trucks, only birthday suit. No one laugh at you whether your "kuku" is small, crooked, etc.
On Sunday morning listen to Kee Huat Radio's "Facts and Fancies" and Saturday night "Top of the Pops". DJ was Patrick Teoh known as "The Voice of Malaysia".
On weekdays afternoon listen to Cantonese storyteller Lee Dai Sor's drama of Wong Fei Hun.
Saturday go for cheap matinee - usually cowboy shows or Greek mythology like Hercules.
Father gave 70 cents for cheap matinee screening at 10.30am on Saturday/Sunday; 50 cents for ticket, 20 cents for return bus fare. Nobody pays 1 dollar for the 'reserve seat'. (At Lido in Taiping, the 3rd class seats were only 15 cents, 2nd class seats cost 40 cents and reserve seats 65 cents.
5 cents for kacang putih and 10 cents for ice "angtau" or red beans. Sometimes ice ball only 5 cents "pau angtau" and coated half with red sugar the other half with black sugar or sarsee.
Never, never, never talk or mixed with girls until Form 5.
Learned the waltz, cha-cha, rhumba, foxtrot and offbeat cha cha from a classmate sister.
First time dancing with a girl nearly "freezed"; heart went "botobom, botobom...".
We survived with mothers who had no maids. They cooked /cleaned while taking care of us at the same time.
We took aspirin, candy floss, fizzy drinks, shaved ice with syrups and diabetes were rare. Salt added to Pepsi or Coke was remedy for fever. Tonic water was taken at the first hint of malaria.
As children, we would ride with our parents on bicycles/ motorcycles for 2 or 3. Richer ones in cars with no seat belts, no air-con or air bags.
The first time I used a modern toilet I squatted on it for I only know the bucket toilet. Our children will not know the danger of visiting the outdoor toilet at night nor jumping in fright when the man collect the bucket when you are doing your business.
Toilet paper is torn up newspaper and hung on a hook. You have to crumble it first to soften it before you use it. White toilet paper is an unknown luxury until I left home.
Riding in the back of a taxi or in a "becha" is a special treat.
We went to the jungle to catch spiders without worries of Aedes mosquitoes.
The worst disease you could get as a child is 'lock jaw' which every kid knows is caused by rusty nails.
With mere 7 pebbles (stones) we would play an endless game. With a ball (tennis ball best) we boys would run like crazy for hours.
We caught guppies in drains or canals and when it rained, we swam there.
We ate salty, very sweet & oily food, candies, bread and real butter and drank condensed milk coffee/ tea, ice kacang, but we weren't overweight because we ran and cycled all day.
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and we still continued the stunts.
We never had birthdays parties till we were 21.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and just yelled for them!
We don't know what is "Bumiputra".
When parents found out that we were caned in school, it's certain we would get another round. Parents always sided with the teachers.
We fly kites with mum's sewing thread coated with pounded glass powder from light bulbs and cow/horse glue and we cut our hands on the string. Happiness is winning a kite fight with a local samseng. I forgot, we also have to make our own kites to suit our 'fighting style'.
We are the last generation to know how to use logarithm tables and slide rulers.
AND I believe this generation produces the best parents because we remember the hard times.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the government 'regulated' our lives for good !!
And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
Listen to popular songs of the 60's HERE.