there goes the neighbourhood (joe walsh)

30-6-2009

6-00 PM
Maybe some of you do listen to joe walsh.That's the title to one of his album.Its not that it has anything to do with what I'm about to write. I want to write about my hometown, Johor Bahru.Well in my case its Kampong Mohd. Amin and Jalan Kolam Air.Not to distant from the city, about 10 minutes' drive.I was born and grew up here.My primary school was Sekolah Tambatan Rendah at jalan Sungai Chat ( from standard one till three ) and Sekolah Tambatan Tinggi at Jalan Nong Chik ( from standard four till six ). Its schooling for the less rich people in the old days. The richer folks' kids went to Sekolah Temenggung Abdul Rahman.Anyway my school was a decent school.I enjoyed the times I was there.My wife even came from the same school even though I didn't meet her then because she was 6 years younger than I was.We had thrree classrooms for the whole school.One for each class. A small school for those days.Most of the kids are from the area,Kampong Mohd. Amin, Kolam Air, Kampong Baru, Bukit Serene, Tarom and Mahmoodiah.Well most of us walked to school.I cannnot think of a kid who went to school in a car.I remember some of the teachers' name, the late cikgu jaafar, cikgu yusof,cikgu madon jidon.The ones that I still meet occasionally are cikgu sapiah, cikgu jamiah, cikgu jamil.There's also cikgu mat, whom I have never met since i left school but some say that he is living in taman sentosa.
My house was about 15 minutes' walk to school.Not really that far.I used to walk to school alone.Only when I reached school do I get the chance to meet my friends.I was not exactly a talkative kid. Quite reserved and shy.But I do get along well with the other kids at school.My late mother ( May Allah bless her soul ) used to send me nasi lemak on sundays during recess.We had fridays and saturdays off during those days.It was really a day which I was looking forward to because I only saw her on sundays because she was working in singapore and only came home on sundays.So my schooldays then was a very smooth sailing affair.I faired quite well in my studies and didn't had much trouble in the discipline areas.We had a very small stall as a canteen, managed by a makcik.It was 5 cents for a drink and 10 cents for a plate of nasi lemak, mee goreng or mee hoon goreng. I can only remember fun times during those days.When it rained heavily ,water will start to rise and caused flood.Good times then because we could swim and play games in the water.I hated it though because I had to bring my raincoat to school.It was that or the umbrella.Well, the raincoat was better because it wasn't bulky and I could chuck it in my school bag.I had to take off my shoes if it rained because I needed the shoes dry for the next day.Only had a pair to wear for the whole week of schooling.



Well that place i called kampong has changed quite a bit since then.We still have the basic roads only they are wider now.Traffic are heavy during peak hours.Kids don't walk to school anymore unless they live very near school.My school building has been demolished. Only the upper primary building is still being used as a maahad religous school.The little surau where my late grandfather used to be the noja has been upgraded to a masjid.