The year was 1981; I was a primary six student in a neighbourhood school. Lessons were over and my chum, *Simon and I were strolling casually towards the canteen. Just then, we noticed three schoolmates kicking a football at the indoor assembly hall. Being avid footballers, we couldn’t stop watching them pass the ball with […]
The year was 1984. We were feeling anxious in view of the accounting test which was about to take place in my Secondary Three classroom. The teacher, Mr *Loke walked in with the test papers and a look of self-importance. Mr Loke was a no-nonsensical teacher who kept a distance from the students with his […]
In Redhill estate where I grew up during the ‘70s and ‘80s, soccer was the most popular pastime amongst the kids — where friendship was forged and lost in the hallowed ground. We were so obsessed with the game that we would somehow sneak our way to the basketball court for our daily routine. Homework, […]
Redhill Days is a fictitious story which chronicles the shenanigans of Sanjay and the “Wild Boys”. It begins when Sanjay first sets foot in Redhill estate as an impressionable 9-year old boy and delves into the survival skills and instincts he had to master in order to weather the rough neighbourhood. The nail-biting adventures include Sanjay’s […]
The year was 1988 – the kampong kids at Redhill estate would spend the whole day doing what they loved most – playing soccer! And sometimes such matches became ugly when the boys roughed up. More worrisome was when some amongst them took it personal and bore grudges. They had their ‘revenge’ in the ensuing […]
The television was broadcasting a beauty pageant. When it came to the question segment, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. My wife looked at me in bewilderment and teasingly shook her head. She must have wondered if I was captivated by the beauties… My thoughts raced back to more than 2 decades ago. It […]
Like most Singaporeans, I address those very much older with the utmost respect. I liberally dish out salutations like “Aunty” or “Uncle” without batting an eyelid. My own experience emboldened me that it’s a harmless expression and the right thing to say. Whenever I greet an elderly neighbour with “Good morning Auntie”, she reciprocates with […]