Cynthia Matuschka
Email: cynthia.matuschka@bigpond.com
1968-1970 Forms 1B, 2C

At Melbourne RAAF School Reunion
May 2003

Standing on the hill, we pause
And in a trance we turn.
To recollect the hazy days
The simple joys of youth.

A tranquil peace accompanies
As though 'twere a play.
We shiver as we gaze upon
The world that we once knew.

The equatorial embrace of Malaysia has never left me. I love the people and the country. The above verses are poignant to me of the now long-ago days of my time at RAAF School and Penang. I stand here, nearly 40 years later, looking back with a mixture of pleasure and pain at what were the happiest days of my life. Penang has cast its spell and like a diaphanous mist it surrounds those who love it. To look back with nostalgia and realise that with the inevitability of time there can be no return, is enough to bring a tear to the eye. These lyrics to Jim Croce's song are poignant.

If I could save Time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
'Til Eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

I believe there is something of that in most of us who visit these pages. It is also there with those of us who troop to the reunions as often as they are on! We all have our memories and even back then at 13 years of age I remember saying to my mother that I was afraid that I'd never be as happy ever again, as I was at that time. Her wise words to me were that there would certainly be wonderful times to come that would be as happy if not happier. She was right in a sense, however there is always a particularly special place in my heart for those years of 1968-1970.

Particular favourite memories I have are of the Joeys dance nights at the RAAF Club. How great was the music back then! You can't beat it and they still haven't beaten it. For me the greatest and most heartstring-tugging song of the era was My Sentimental Friend by Hermans Hermits. Remember also others such as Dizzy (Tommy Roe), Sorry Suzanne (Hollies) and In My Room (Beach Boys). And what about the Bee Gees with "Words", Bobby Goldsborough's "Honey", The Archies' "Sugar Sugar", Fifth Dimension and Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In, The Move with "Blackberry Way". All these songs still transport me directly back to Penang whenever I hear them.

The movie nights at The RAAF Club were terrific too. I remember seeing The Fantastic Voyage, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Planet of the Apes, Oliver, Pink Panther and Jules Verne's "Journey to the Centre of the Earth". I remember going to see Little Patty in concert there too, with my sister.

And who could forget the Penang Swimming Club? What endless hours of fun we had there. I learnt to swim properly in that pool and I learnt to dive. The buoyant salt water made it very easy to float, but it put the Joeys Swim Club at a slight disadvantage against the Dolphins when we competed, as they trained in hard fresh water at their pool at Butterworth. I used to enjoy swimming at the Chinese Swimming Club as well occasionally.

I remember walking endlessly around Hillside and Mt Erskine Road after school and used to enjoy visiting the shops (once a shopper, always a shopper). I remember Teng Tek Tailor, Sheriff Stores, Cold Storage and Seng Store (where we bought our Nivico stereogram).

In 1973, dad received a second posting to Butterworth much to my delight. We first lived at Jalan Ahmad Bin Kasa at Hillside, Penang, and after a year we moved from there to Robina Park on the mainland. That was near the beach and I saw some spectacular tropical sunsets. See some photos..

Sunset 1 - Sunset 2 - Sunset 3 - Sunset 4

Beginning the website

2001
Working on the RAAF School website

This picture was taken when I was initially setting up this website, at my home in Brisbane. It's now May 2007, I've moved to Tasmania and the above is already looking like history, only 5 years later. What a journey of love it's been developing this site. That first year was a very busy one scanning all the school magazines so kindly loaned by ex RAAF-schoolers.

What I'm Doing Now

I have a small website business called BlackKat Web Design. I continue to develop my skills in that area and earn a small supplementary income.

I also work at a full-time day job and apart from working on this and other websites, I like to indulge in reading, paper crafts and card making, music (mainly flute), gardening and occasionally just taking time out to watch a video. I enjoy good movies and special favourites are While You Were Sleeping, Sleepless in Seattle, Notting Hill, and classics such as An Affair to Remember, Camelot, The Sound of Music, The King and I and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.

I also am very involved with the local Lutheran church and established and maintain that website at http://www.pastornet.net.au/stpeters/. Another site which may be of interest to some is on the Minden Barracks in Penang at http://www.mindenbarracks.com.

Love to all and do stay in touch.

Cynthia