I was born in Johor Bharu, but much of my life was spent in KL, specifically Taman Tun Dr Ismail. I vividly remember the housing area when we first moved there. I was two.
I can still visualize the winding road from Damansara Heights, passing through Taman Tan Sri Lee Lian Lian, to the small cowboy town (where Tropicana City Mall now stands) before reaching TTDI. Back then only the Zaaba area was completed, and only a handful of houses were occupied. Some days, aunties in floppy-cloth-batik designed hats would ting-tang our gate to sell detergent, cleaning liquids and the likes. Uncles selling tau-foo-fah passes through in the afternoons, and pakciks selling rojak and satay would cycle through in the evenings.
My brother, cousin-sister and I would spend our time lounging at the porch, and sometimes wander around to an open ground near our house. That open ground is now where Petronas, BHP, and Lim Tayar are today.
A much older cousin brother, who was then doing his degree at Universiti Malaya would sometimes treat us (all three of us, and yes we fit back then) on a motorcycle ride around the housing area, usually venturing around Openg area. That same motorcyle gave me the exhaust "birth mark" at the back on my leg, the result of playing near the vehicle while the exhaust pipe was still hot.
We also were given permission to go to the playground, which we could see from our house. But playground hours were only from 5pm - 630pm. Some days we stayed-in, depended on what was showing on TV that afternoon. Mind you, television programs back then only started at 5pm. If I more or less behaved that day, I'd get a spoonful of peanut butter, or a cup of Milo powder as a treat. If not, just watch TV. No treat.
In the evening, I would have to sit in-front of my Dad for Muqaddam recital. Somehow, though we know my Dad is quite strict, I always managed to giggle about something or other.
That was back then. When life was simpler.
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