A Story of Myself

I was born on the third day in the month of April, on the year of the snake,1965. I'm the fourth child in the family of 7 children that consist of 4 male and 3 female. I don't remember much during the early years of my infant life as I never heard nor asked about it from my parents, and I also doesn't have prove of it because there doesn't any pieces of prove that I will be proud of, as a history of my infancy life.

The first and foremost important picture of my early chilhood that still exist till now in my sub-concious mind is how one day my father brought me along to the paddy field on his broad and strong shoulder, as I'm a young king. The second picture of my early childhood history, that somehow still influences me, sometime, that happen during one of the many festival that we have to celebrate according to our custom, is how I fell sick, and was given a special care by the many guest that came to our house for the celebration that my parents held. On this special occassion, I was freely roaming around sitting on a big laddel made of woods, as I was ridding a motocycle, with a sound of an engine running, yet I don't know nor have seen any motocycle yet.

The few picture that still live quite strong in my mind till now is a celebration that every male when they have reach their puberty age, and as a custom in our culture till today, that they have to undergo for a circumcision. As for myself, I went through my circumcision in a modern way, done by a Christian evenglist, a priest from Scotland, by the name of Canon Eric Scott, a domination of Anglican. The celebration for circumcision starts early in the morning, where a boy have to soak himself in the cold river for about one hour, as early as 4.00 am in the morning. After that, the boy have to be brought home by carrying him on the back of an adult, because it is stated that the boy should not work on the ground before the circumcision starts. Reason, I also don't know.

The circumcision is done outside the the house, at the berandah or we call " pantey ", a big open space built infront of the kitchen, usually used as a place to dry paddy or other things. The boy have to be seated on the banana trunk, and the circumcision is done by the specialist, who have the know how. After the circumcision is done, the boy have to lie down wearing a sarong, and the sarong is tied to a ceiling with a string, taking a shape of a mosquito net right in the middle of the sitting room. For about seven days, the boy have to undergo a rigid food intake regulation after circumcision.

During this seven days period, there will be a lot of guest coming to congratulate the boy. After the seven days period is over, then the parents of the boy will have to celebrate for the boy, as from that time onwards, the boy is seen as matured person, although his age is still 12 or 13 years old. For the celebration, a big pig and dozen of chicken have to be kill, depend on the capabilities of the family concern, usually to feed the many guest that have been invited for the celebration.

To me, I didn't have the chance to feel this experience because my circumcision is done in a modern ways, where after circumcision we are able to roam freely without any taboo's or strict food regulation. My two older brother is luckier because that have the experience of it.

In the month of January, 1973, it is the year when I began to have a deep memories that I can still clearly remember until now. It is the year when I started my schooling days at a small primary school which was built and started by the christian evangelical since 1800 something. The school name is " Holy Name Primary School ", which still exist until today. This school consist of 4 rooms. 3 rooms for classroom, and another room for the teachers. During my time at the primary school, the intake is alternately, once in two years.

I started my formal learning not in my mother tongue language, nor in our national language, but purely in English. I started to pronounce alphabeth, words and numbers in English. In primary school, I some how create a bit of history, that is since primary one untill primary six, I behold to the number One when ever we have our school exam. The sad thing is, as far as I remember, my parents never seem to have acknowledge my good achivement. As to me, this achivement also mean nothing more than just a routine in school, that mean I don't care and bother much to it. Asked me now , I don't have an answer to it.

It's a hard time during my primary school days. Everday I have to walks about two miles to school, on a gravel road, as early as 6.00 am in the morning, and return home around two or three in the afternoon. The funny things is, I never have my lunch box to school, although in the morning I'll only have a cup of coffee. Shoes, I never dream of it, because my parents can only afford a simple rubber slippers, and when the slippers torn apart, that mean I have to be bare footed to school. Belt, nice to have one, but the reality I never have. The only belt that I know to tighten my school shorts is a plastic string. School beg, unfortunately I don't have the knowledge about it too. I always put my school books in a plastic beg, tug inside at the backside of my school white shirt and tied the end parts of my school shirt tightly, off I go.

That the reality of my primary school life. I don't regret it, because I now know that I am always grateful for what I have and I treasured it most. I learned alot from this simple way of acquiring a formal education. I will never blamed my parents for what I have experience, because I know that the best they can give me. I am grateful to them because they are the one to give me the chance to live in this beautiful world. creation of the Almighty God.