8.3.2010
Today is the 2nd anniversary of Malaysian political tsunami. Though this may be a historical date for me as a Malaysian, for someone who did his primary and secondary school education in the National language, did his undergraduate studies in a local varsity (instead of an overseas offer, for better or worse), did postgraduate studies with a state scholarship, served 7 public hospitals and is paying a sizable amount of taxes annually, why do I still remember these insignificant dates and numbers? How is it going to benefit mankind? Why do I remember the following numbers? Why???
6103 | Hutchings school registration number |
5.1.1970 | 1st day of school in Std 1 |
PD 8886 | Father’s first motorbike |
PJ 9535 | Father’s 2nd motorbike |
PM 1337 | Another of father’s bike |
PB 581 | The bike forever breaking down! |
BP 6162 | Good old faithful Austin that took us to KL |
PAF 2584 | My first bike |
PAG 4297 | Sheila / Lats’ bike |
9.7.1961 | The birth date (and death) of 1st born of Mr & Mrs Sham; stillbirth due to “slapped cheek disease”, caused by Parvovirus B15 characterized by hemolysis and heart failure. Mrs Sham had reason to believe that the fetus was slapped by Satan as she was crossing a cemetery to go to her work place at an European home in a hurry and for a long time was blaming her fate for her predicament till of late. |
4388 | The Shan’s phone number in Malacca as we used to call them once or twice a year after waiting for hours at the pay phone in Block A of RRF. |
PF 97 | The Shans came to Penang in a Fiat. |
886434 | The 1st phone number in Brown Garden. |
NE 4411 | Mama’s white Volvo 144. |
106, Templer Road,Seremban | Mama’s address in Seremban. |
39,Jalan Durian Daun, Malacca | The Shans address in Malacca. |
16150 | Postcode for Kubang Krian. |
43,Caunter Hall,Penang | My home address on my birth certificate. |
3417 | My first Post Office savings book number. |
3838 | Sheila’s Post Office savings book number. |
12.12.1970 | The date I got my stamp collection book, I wonder what happened to those stamps now. |
Things you learn at an impressionable age as a child tend to last a life time. This long term memory is difficult to erase from our hard drive. They are here to stay. And also a sign of senility, where long term memory supersedes short term memory and we try to hide our inefficiencies by recalling things of the past. Just like you cannot teach old dogs new tricks. Totally wrong, totally disagree!!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteDo you refer to your diary or just pops up...
Anyway just a small correction my bike no PAG 4197.
really admire your memory power. Any secret to share////
oh, my memory is failing me now... No, all from memory! secret: an idle mind is the devil's workshop, so always do something! sudoku or blog or anything but nothing.
ReplyDeletejust checked with Lats. It is 4297!
ReplyDelete