If those kids could travel back in time to relive the harsh living condition when the Japanese invaded Malaya and see the hardship of the way their grandparents has to go through in childhood and adolescence, then they have gratitude towards their parents for all that they've done for them. If not, then know that they will never appreciate what the parents do for them.
During the olden days, their parents are not so well educated .Sorry if the words that I use that might be inappropriate but it's a true fact. Although they are poor, still they had many children. Not three or four but at least 10 children. I'm pretty sure the word 'family planning' did not exist in the vocabulary back then.
The elder children sometimes have to help their parents to work and take care of their sibling. Normally the younger or youngest will have more privilege.
My mother has 11 siblings that consists of six brothers and five sisters. Not including a adopted sister to make the number even.
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| And that's not even all a complete photo, one more sister yet to come |
So some of the stories I heard from my aunties and mum are ....
Back in the old days. ... Life is hard. For instance, we take our water for granted.
In the past, there is no water source in the home. Mum at a tender age had to walk for miles to get clean water.
She had to carry two buckets, suspend one bucket from each end balancing them on the end of a long pole.This water are pump from a public utilities hand pump.
Unlike now where you just turn on your taps and you expect water to flow out.
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| This is how people used to carry water |
There is no such thing as gas stove in those days. Before mum start cooking she need to start a fire at wood burning stove by using wood for fuel.A wood-burning stove is not as simple to use as it seems .
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| Traditional way: A stove using firewood on display at the Gopeng Gopeng Heritage House |
You need to use hollow tube to blow extra oxygen into the stove until a flame is created.
Wood smoke can cause coughs, headaches, eye, and throat irritation, no to mention black face, black hands and arms, black clothes.
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| Remember to exhale, Not Inhale! |
You can't just go out and buy fire wood at grocery store as you can go and cut your own firewood. It's free in a nearby forest. One of my aunt is given the task to bring home the firewood. There are times the dry woods are found on high cliff. It was much easier going up a cliff than going down. Sometimes she has to sit on the gunny sack to slide down the cliff slowly.
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| That's one heavy load |
Nowadays is just simply turn the burner knob to adjust your desired flame size. The best thing that come from it is have you ever wonder why using fire wood as fuel for cooking taste so much better than gas?
Maybe wood has a certain delicious smoke flavor that gives off savory aroma that makes the food taste better. It's like why when firewood were used to roast the Kenny Rogers' chicken which makes it tastier compared to KFC.
Sundry shops or convenience shop were not found within her village. When mom was about 5 years old, she was asked to buy grocery by her mother. Not the walking distance to grocery shop or 7 eleven but she required to take a bus and to memorised a few words like 'garam'(salt) or 'minyak api'(kerosene). She has still not even attend school yet.
There is not enough money to send all the children to school. Boys will be the preference choice when it come to schooling even if he is not interested in studies. In those times, teachers were fierce and there was a teacher in my aunt's school who lost her mind after having a failed relationship.
There are many times my auntie would get a knock on the head or strike with a rotan/cane on her back. Sometimes the school children will all run out from classroom, this further agitate the aggressive teacher to say, 'If you all don't come back to class, I will kill all of you', scary eh?
Don't even try to inform to your parents ,to seek words of comfort or getting a bear hug. You are likely to replied with punishment as they trusted the teacher more.
If the same thing happened today I think the teacher is considered lucky just to get only a "black eyes".
Sometimes there is not enough food to save for leftovers. That's not a problem for her. Just add a packet of roasted peanuts and pour into hot porridge ,that will do.
My mother have to help out with house chores after school. Those chores is not a simple thing like sweeping the floor. Those days most of the family would keep livestock for income and food.Worms are commonly used as poultry feed.So where they get their worm from? These would be the manure you probably get from livestock farms.
Cowshed will have plenty of worms to brought home for chicken and duck feeding , as for the pigs banana stems are chopped into small pieces before feeding. Nowadays there is no more such things and most of poultry is fed by pellets,no more natural organic feed.
Maybe that's why I find food say 30 or 40 years ago more tastier compared to present day.Today's food has a long list of artificial ingredient such as artificial flavors, preservatives, and colourings. Just like eating fake food.
One good example is the Jacob's Cream Crackers in the late 60's and early 70's. Once you remove the cover you can smell the biscuit fragrant. I can still remember the smell so vividly.
Time has changed - these days the children are so pampered to the extent that the parents even had to force, bribe ,coax or beg the child to eat. In the past, children do not have enough to eat.
My brother in law almost blow his top just coaxing my niece to eat. What for? Just let her go hungry if she wont eat the breakfast,lunch or dinner. She will eventually eat when she gets hungry.
A really pain in the ass..opps!
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| Are you a spoiled brat? |
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| Banana stem is peel off the outer layer and chop into fine pieces |
Mum cannot be so picky over food as a child. There is only a few occasions when she will see chicken on the table. To experience the pain of hunger she will know how precious food is.That's why, she always nag me if I ever waste food.
Mom is a obedient child. She will not complaint nor bear a grudges against her mother or grandmother even if she is treated unfairly.
Today's children are spoilt brats, maybe it is just because when parents today is not having many children, they put all their eggs in one basket as a matter of speaking.
When my sister were raising less children, I knew that she would likely spoilt them. You're likely to raise a child who is rude, uncoperative, and disrespectful.Not all kids who are spoiled are brats.
Those were the days mum remember she had a hard childhood.What you don't have before time will let you to appreciate what you had today.
I guess people really do care about each other those days, these days people hardly talk to each other. Even while on the dinner table, each family member will be busy with their phone or ipad, there is little communication interact with each member.
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| Weak Bonding Family Day Out |
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| For some odd reason my sister with a mischievous look on her face |
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| I'm Not Born Yet. This photo is the only one found my dad carrying my sister. Gosh, I miss my dad |
Dad used to take mom and us kids on a picnic trip occasionally on weekends, even though we have to travel by bus to reach there, I cherish every moment spent with my parents.
With today's kids, there is no such thing as Quality Family Time. There are other times the kids choose not to spend time together when they could give ridiculous excuse.
I think it's good if we get together once in a while or we plan a family trip to somewhere to strengthen family ties. Have a wonderful time to bond and connect with your kids. Reach out to your children and build a strong, positive relationship with your child's right from the start.
When your children have grown up, it's hard to change your child's attitude. Like a Malay proverbs, "Lentur buluh biar dari rebungnya" translated 'its easy to curve bamboo shoots when they are young'.
Meaning if you want to change your child's attitude, it must done while they're still young. It's hard to change their way once the children have grown up.
Nevertheless I think the children are much happier even in hard times as life is much more simple and not so much stress in studies. Those were the good old days!
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| Good old days children were much more happier than today's kid |
