Early Years

Dad was transferred to Tapah and I had my primary education there at the then Government English School. Early days in Tapah was typical of early childhood in the forties. We stayed in Baldwin Hill where most of the govt. quarters were located. School was within walking distance and we walked to school everyday.
We looked forward to the after school activities, playing soldiers games in school, shooting birds and whatever fruits that grew on trees. Tapah is the famous River Corner where we learnt how to swim. Elder brother was the one who taught me how to swim here. Of course every time mum caught us we were given a good caning because she feared that we might get into trouble swimming in the dangerous river. It was great fun diving from the rock surface and trying to test our strength by swimming against the current.
Those days swimming pools were unheard of and the only place you could swim was in the river. You have to take your chances of course and learn which part of the river was safe and where you should not go. These were survival skills which we learnt at a very young age.