Joanne Campbell

This website has brought back so many memories. My first memory of Maylasia was getting of the plan in Butterworth in the middle of the night, being hit with the heat and being direted to the crowded room for alocation. We were put on a bus that had no windows and the smell was something we'd not encountered before. Now I remember all the immunization requiremnts we had before leaving, geez they made me sick.

We went to Penang to lived at 8 Jalan azyze. There where crowds of people waiting for us at the gate looking for work as an armar & gardener. We had a pet monkey called Chippies, the family up the road from us had a big white monkey called "Julie";. The house had wholes in the walls, snake charmers at the gate with endless entertainment. Through looking at the photos on the website I could so many of the photos that our family have. There's the same curtain back drop with a 70's pose. I played netball at the hostel, saw cobras on the boxing ring, sea snakes in the ocean, joine the brownies and kissed a boy in the play ground at the hostel. I don't quite remember his name, Danny rings a bell. (we were only 9 -10 yrs old).

The school buses went past our gate everyday and when the sports day were on, it was a continual chanting cheer down the road of Hercules, Irracoy, Mirage and I can remember the other one.

We enjoyed days at the beach's, monkey garden's and cheap shopping. 30 yrs on I still have the wooden chest and table in the lounge room that my parents purchased.

We left Penang to Melbourne where we stayed for the next 20 yrs or so. I live in Adelaide now and have 4 kids, next yr I will be the mother of an Adult child which is very scary. I have kept in touch with the Dempster family, so if anyone remembers them and wants to get in touch I can provide the link.

I so wish to go back to Penang for a trip down memory lane and show my family some of the areas where I grew up in.

Thanks for my update and sharing with me all the stories and memories of Penang.

Joanne Rugless
9 April 2005