the write to be wrong

Friday, January 29, 2010

i just got back from a trip to mom's hometown (Bangka Island). it's a small town where everyone knows everyone and everywhere we went mom seemed to bump into one of her childhood friends. and then she would tell me stories of her childhood, which i quite enjoy.

mom came from a relatively well-to-do family. not rich, not poor. but because my grandparents had lots of children (12!!) food were rationed, she recalled. each child would receive a certain no of fish balls, bananas ("sometimes only half!") or oranges. every chinese new year, she would get 4 new tops and 4 bottoms and a pair of sandals/shoes. she'd say "back in the old days, we didnt buy our clothes at shops and malls, we bought fabric and got our clothes made at the tailor". and i found it cute when she told me with the slightest hint of envy that she had a friend who had had lots of new clothes because she was the daughter of the tailor. her dad would make her extra clothes out of leftover fabrics that customers never bothered to take back.

my uncle also told me they felt really special on their birthdays, cos they'd get two eggs "out of the whole year!".

mom always said even though she didnt come from a poor family, like my dad did, she was raised as if she did. i guess she insinuated she was taught to be appreciative of things and not be wasteful

i find these stories charming. and okay, a bit sad.. but charming still.

it's amazing how much things change in such little time. that 30 odd years ago an afro, upturned collar and bell-bottoms were cool. 40 years ago divorces and homosexuals were considered taboo. and three generations ago chinese girls had to have their feet bound. eek!

and so the mind boggles...

|9:58 PM|