Lisa
Rouse
1979,1980,1981, 5K, 6K, 7W
Email: LisaRouse8@hotmail.com
Have just rediscovered this website after googling my name (how vain) and finding a blog by Caroline Miller (This girl is the reason I barrack for Carlton) and have since been annoying my partner by yelling out "come and have a look at my old classroom", "come and have a look at where we used to have our school swimming carnivals", "quick have a look at the hostel, there used to be the biggest crabs out the back at low tide" and "this is where I used to be the champion of hand ball" (weren't we all).
My mum and I went back to Penang together in 1994 (definitely due back again), and stayed at the Casuarina at Batu Ferringhi, which is where we stayed at the end of our posting - that is one hotel that has never changed so brought back a lot of memories. We used to live at 23 Road 3 Vale of Tempe Tanjong Bungah so when we went to visit we got dropped off at the hilltop hilton and went for a walk. Nice seeing the old house, only one problem the new owners of No 23 had pulled down the Frangipani Tree that I used to climb to get on to the garage roof (the smell of Frangipanis takes me right back). From there we walked to the RAAF school along the same route I would have taken all those years ago. Looked in at the gate but did't get too far as obviously changed hands judging by the guy in military uniform. When we were walking back from the school just around the corner there's a creek that has some type of piping running over top of it to the side of the bridge. It was all the rage for the kids to walk across it (bit of a drop down to the water)and I remember my parents telling me not to walk across it (as they would), but had great pleasure in pointing out as we walked past "I walked across those" (Bit braver now that I'm the same size as my mum).
Drove past the Hostel, again very changed but still has the frangipani trees, and for some unknown reason smells slightly like a hospital (funny how your mind takes you back). Each time I get injections I still think of them as Jabs. I think I saw 'Freaky Friday' about 10 times at the Hostel, is that a good memory or bad?
Also found a man that made Peanut Pancakes near the Top Top Bakery (had to catch two buses from the Casuarina but well worth it). After all those years it still tasted the same (you know how things are always bigger and better when you're young, these still lived up to the legend). Have managed to get a recipe for them which, if I practice a little, have all the signs of brilliant.
It was great going back, but this website also brings back just as many memories.
Good Memories:-
* Loved the athletics, was on my way to taking out all the big events in 1981 but got posted home just before so the Jones twins cleaned up (congrats Kelli and Hayley).
* Loved the food (LOVE the food)- my favourite (besides Peanut Pancakes) were the Rotis. We used to go to the Hilltop Hilton and before it was all built up, all the carts used to be under flourescent lights. One night I watched my roti maker flip the rotis, scratch and straighten his greasy wig then try to pull out all the dead bugs that got hooked up each time he flipped the roti. Got that roti home and picked off every black spot I could see, but that was the only time, it added to the flavour.
* Loved how everything came to your door, the comic man, the shoe man, the dressmaker, the book man, the grocery man, the man that used to sell linen/vases/ornaments and everything else that was lacking with the other men, even Santa drove down the street in a convertible at Christmas.
* Loved the sound from the Quarry each time it had an explosion (sorry that sounds wrong but you could just about set your clock to it).
* Aussie Lollies (first thing we asked for when people returned from Oz)
Bad Memories
* Having to come back to Oz
and that's about it, oh and the time my mum dragged me across the road to ask what song they had been playing, the song had finished by that time so she made me sing it. If that was not embarrassing enough the person I had to sing it to was a cool year 10 girl (I was grade 5), talk about mortifying. The song was Popcorn by the way, so had to stand there going "do do do do doodoo do"
Well I have rambled on, but have very good memories of Penang and RAAF School. I have not kept in touch with many of my friends (except Kelli Jones at Christmas time) but have very good memories of them all. I am sure when I return to Penang it will be just like going home.