One late evening as we were driving on Jalan Sultan Iskandar, formerly Hugh Low Street, I noticed some activities going on behind the bus stop. It was an empty lot between the shop houses. I couldn't see clearly as it was getting dark, it looked like some renovation or painting work was going on there.
Few days later my ex-colleagues and I had a breakfast date. We are four retirees, appreciating and enjoying our thirty over years of friendship.
As we were driving through Hugh Low Street to the old town, I remembered what I saw few evenings earlier. Wanting to satisfy my curiosity, I slowed down and pulled my car over to the road side near the bus stop to have a look. We saw some paintings on the wall.
Being Ipohites, these four retirees (my friends and I) have not seen all the wall murals even though many tourists from far and near, have visited our city, to see and take photographs, both in new and old town of Ipoh. Since we had a parking lot for my car just beside the bus stop, we might as well take this opportunity to see and snap some photos of these wall murals.
This is the first painting that greeted us. This and some others were painted on the 14 December 2014 (Sunday)! So this was what attracted my attention on that particular evening. Walking down memory lane, yes, that was how we felt as we strolled down the back lane between Jalan Sultan Iskandar (formerly Hugh Low Street) and Jalan Masjid.
Looking at these paintings reminded us of our childhood days. This painting with the animals brought back memories of the time when my mom used to rear pigs, ducks, chickens and I had a pet dog and a cat. I also had a big tank of colourful fishes which my brother-in-law bought for me.
Besides us, there were two or three people taking photos. They must have heard us relaying our stories of the good old days as we moved from painting to painting, clicking pictures with our mobile phones.
A game of hide and seek to keep us kids out of trouble. Those days, we do not have smart phones, computers or play station games, but we do have many friends and wonderful time playing together.
In our younger days, we were allowed to play with our friends without any adult having to keep a watchful over us. Those were safer days when we could be out of the house playing somewhere without our parents worrying about us.
As we reminisced our childhood days, we recalled the games we used to play. There were no restrictions, boys and girls of all races playing together, enjoying ourselves.
Blowing soap bubbles was one of the games. Who can blow the biggest bubble?
We also played this game. Our version: "Mother hen protecting its chicks from the predator."
Another game that we loved to play - we were able to jump in unison and we could do it so well, counting to the hundreds to beat our opponents!
These colourful fishes are "fighting fishes". I too kept these fishes as pets. This fishes have to be kept separately, one in each bottle, to protect from one another, that's why they are called "fighting fishes". We would place the glass bottle side by side and when the fishes see their opponents, they would spread open their fins and tails, ready to attack. Sometimes, they would be placed in the same bottle for the real fight to take place. The one with the least wounds on its body is the champion. When my sons were small boys, they too have fighting fishes as pets.
How wonderful to feel young again, reliving our childhood days, carefree and innocent without a care in the world like these little children. Everyone has their own childhood stories to tell.
Hurray to my dear friend! I would love to join her to play this hopscotch game but I need to catch this meaningful and memorable moment with my camera! Well done and thank you, my sporting friend for these beautiful photos.
Looking back, I am grateful and thankful, that in spite of all the hardship, I had a "rich" childhood, able to enjoy all these games with my childhood friends. Together, we played marbles, flied kites, climbed up fruit trees, catching spiders, dragonflies, fishes, gathering termite nests and earthworms to feed ducklings and chicks. We have gone into rubber estates to collect dried branches and carried them home on bicycles that were bigger and heavier than us.
These are just a few of my childhood experiences. Indeed, it was a very rich and meaningful childhood, filled with bitter, sweet memories which contributed to what I am today. All the more to praise and give glory to our LORD for my life's journey.
DURIANS! Oh, I love durian fruits, can never have enough of these irresistible, enticing, exotic durians. For durian haters, the smell is overpowering and revolting.
Here, I would like to thank all the artists that contributed to the wall murals for reviving our childhood memories.
Sunday, 14 December 2014, 10 am at Jalan masjid - Launching of "Mural Art's Lane" by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Perak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall; but those
who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 40:30-31, New International Version-NIV)
