Standard 4 is when the real action unfolded

Now in Standard 4, wow what a year! I remember my teacher being a real gem of a lady and it was a time when classmates had got to know each other so much better. That we were now in Upper Primary school, brought on such a feeling of seniority, my confidence received a great boost.

Like I said, we had a great teacher (I'm not mentioning any names to avoid identity issues) and I did better that year in school than I ever had. I was in the top 10 in class and earned my efforts a pair of roller-skates from dad. Having learnt how to roller-skate that year from a second pair my brother brought home from somewhere. I learnt to skate much quicker than him because I was 10 and he was 19. I learnt from the Beijing Olympics 2008 that motor-coordination skills change drastically after the age of 16, bringing truth to this childhood memory.

Anyway, as that great year in school drew to a close, a funny friend in class had come across a children's story called "The Unsmiling Princess". The tale was about a really morose princess who never smiled no matter how funny the situation presented. So her father the King invited subjects from all over the land to try to make his Princess smile. I don't recall if her hand was offered in marriage if anyone succeeded or if heads would roll if not.

So my funny friend was appointed Princess, and me and another girl as her hand-maids. Hand-maid's main duty was to powder Princess' face. I remember my mother making the blue dress I wore as hand-maid. I wore my hair long then, rolled up in curled locks.

It was a great little sketch, and I was beginning to get more comfortable on stage, and stage front too, at that.

Standard 3

For some strange reason I can't even remember what my class did for school concert in Standard 3. Nope, not even an inkling. But when I do remember something I'll be sure to include it.

Perhaps its because the only memories I have of that year are unpleasant ones due to my class teacher who was definitely in the wrong profession, misled herself into believing that she had the calling to shape young souls and minds.

Don't know why I missed out on this year...

The next year of school, for reasons I cannot recall, I didn't get involved in stage activities. For school concert, my class did a folk dance and I remember the few girls who were into ballet did various exam pieces of the ballet. Ballet for young girls was very popular in the seventies, and before that too I imagine. These were simpler times when there was less variety of activities for children to be involved in. For me, nothing beat roaming around the neighbourhood on my bicycle and occasionally exploring the wilderness of little thickets with my brothers in Greentown. In any case, my family couldn't spend precious resources on non-essential activities like dance.

I guess I so longed to be in my class stage production that the second best thing was to buy a photograph of it. The photograph I chose was one that had my first friend in school. We're still in touch, albeit not close friends.

The ballet dance I recall most of all was the "Birdcage" although I think there were some other dances as well. I was quite envious of the birdcage my classmates danced with in their performance.

A little bit of exposure began in Standard 1

Started me on a great adventure of stage life. I had my first taste of being on stage when I was in Standard 1 (first year of primary school) as it is known here in Malaysia. Although at the age of 7, I couldn't possibly be appointed emcee, I recollect my first stage exposure being really entertaining for me. Sadly I don't have any photographs of the sketch in which I was one of the reciters for the nursery rhyme "The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe". You know the rhyme

There was an old woman
Who lived in a shoe
She had so many children
She didn't know what to do.
She gave them some broth
Without any bread
And whipped them all soundly
And sent them to bed



I wonder if rhymes from my time are still being taught in schools? Any hoot, I still remember my teacher getting our help to build the "shoe-house" out of cardboard boxes. Memory is hazy, but there's the odd snippet still hiding in my mind. I remember my "motherly" friend being the Old Woman (cos she had the build for it; and another mischievous friend being the imp of the brood).

Anyway, I think I must have enjoyed the rush of being on stage because I was never shy of being hauled up for front of class stuff.