Introduction and babyhood.

To those who come across this blog, I hope that whatever I write here is interesting. Please comment, ask questions and I will try to respond as quickly and accurately as I possibly can. Why not list me as one of your Favourites and follow my story as I continue into my life. Thanks for visiting.

This blog will be devoted to my life so far. Most of what I write about my chilshood will be from my own vague memories and a great part from what my parents and grandparents have told me. It is my aim to be as accurate as memory allows. I have no intention to discriminate against anyone within my family circle, friends or neighbours. There will be much I will miss out, either through lack of accurate knowledge of events, or just plain and simple forgetfulness. There will also be much I will not write about as I would not like to cause embarrassment or hurt. Mostly this blog will be a recollection of happy memories and people whom I have crossed path with. It is also my intention to show how some family members and also friends have help changed the course of my life. I will, where possible write about those who have helped me, gave me happiness, encouraged me at times of need and all those who have in some way or other helped me to arrived at where I am today.

I was born on the 16th day of November in the year 1944, in a small town in northern part of Johore, Malaysia. Our country was called the Federated States of Malaya then, a colony of the British Empire; although in 1944 we were occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army. The British had been defeated by the Japanese Army as soon as the war started and was long gone.

I have no memories of my infant days. Whatever I know are from stories related to me by my late mother and maternal grandparents. My father came from Swatow Province in the southern part of mainland China. I do not know anything about my father before he married my mother, only that he was educated and was a teacher in China before he traveled to Malaya to seek his fortune. I remember some vague stories about my father as a young man fresh from China, starting his grocery business in Batu Pahat, another small town 50 miles to the west of Segamat. I have no idea why he left Batu Pahat to settle in Segamat where he met and married my mother. Before leaving China, my father had already taken a wife. His first wife now lives in Segamat. I call her my Elder Mother (EM). I visit her regularly and get on well with her. I shall come back to EM later on in my blog.

Life was hard during the years of Japanese occupation of Malaya. Just three months before I was born my maternal grandmother gave birth to my youngest aunty Soon Chen. Milk powder or fresh dairy milk was hard to come by and newborns had to rely heavily on breast feeding. Unfortunately my mother did not have ample breast milk for me and I have been told that I was partly breast fed by my grandmother. Maybe it was that that made me the most loved by my maternal grandmother.

After me came three younger brothers and a sister. My siblings and I grew up on the first floor of a shop house on one of five main streets of our small hometown Segamat. In comparison with our extended family, neighbours and friends, we were quite well off. My father’s grocery business was doing relatively well. Growing up in Segamat with our extended family all within stone throws from each other gave us a sense of security. We grew up not having to care about whatever else were happening in the world around us.

I feel I am going a little too fast into my childhood. In my next post I will have to rewind and write more about the days when I was a baby. Most of my next post will be based on stories my parents and grandparents have related to me.