Saturday, January 1, 2011

BLACK AND WHITE ~ AND THEN SOME

When I was a child I looked at life in black and white. I wondered why people would choose to be nasty when they could be good. I wondered why adults could not understand children. I wondered why parents needed to fight and mess things up. I wondered and then some.

When I grew up....... I wondered no more. 


Because life threw me the same challenges. The challenges of making choices and of dealing with mistakes.  It was like life started all over again. But for different people.  Wouldn't it be good if we learnt from life's lessons? And then some?


hAPPY nEW yEAR!


Watch out for those curve balls! And then some...


                                           My grandparents with seven of their eight children and a grandson. My mother stands in the back row centre.


                                                                                          Dad


                                                                              Mom and I


Kitten moments ~ 

                                                                                    My illiterate years
                                           

             Secrets? Or just breathing into E's ear?

 
"Visiting our cousins at Monkey Garden. " said Dad


                                                                                           All set to party


                                                                         Grinning

Foodie moments ~

Mom grating coconut on a wooden stool grater. It looked like a little wooden animal with a sharp zig-zagged metal lip.... widely used before commercially scraped coconut meat were available. Fully ripened coconuts were bought whole and in bunches, cracked opened with a cleaver, its meat grated in its shell and then squeezed for its milk. It is a morning task in preparation for lunch ...obviously before our morning baths..



An antique coconut grater stool ~ what I would pay to have one.  Image taken from here.




The ultimate snack food ~ popping whole roasted peanuts with the shells on.


I helped make formula milk for my not-so-little-anymore sis in a glass jar with a metal plunger until it frothed and looked like a milk shake....poured it into a glass bottle and plopped it into her little starving mouth....my early motherly instincts at work. It looked yum.



School Days ~ 

My first year at school (I remember bawling quite enthusiastically). And my lovely first year teacher. I don't remember any names (I moved away a year later) but......if you see yourself....drop me an e-line :) I am seated first row, extreme left. This was taken at Penang Island Girl's School.




Where are you now Prema? ~ We had fun.




Happy New Year!


15 comments:

  1. Totally love this album post! You've just reminded me of my own black and whtie photos....

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is lovely, Zurin! What a wonderful peek into your childhood. Enjoyed the stories and your family photos. More, please. :)

    May your New Year be filled with love, laughter, peace and more wonderful memories.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh what a grand idea! I love looking at our old photos..now at the touch of your mouse..your history is there..Comforting I find..Happy New Year and well done..

    ReplyDelete
  4. how wonderful to see you share your family! wishing you a very happy new year~

    ReplyDelete
  5. BEAUTIFUL in every sense. gorgeous. love this!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lovely and a new blog too...:) Thanks for sharing, looking forward to more posts...

    ReplyDelete
  7. zurin, what beautiful photos n memories! you had a blessed childhood. i feel so good just looking at your family photos. there was so much love n fun. n again, your mom was hot :)) i bet it was she who kept the photos well. it's a great idea to upload them n tell the stories since you have so many grandkids.

    happy new year to you n family! you have a lively, sincere personality tt encourages ppl. i need a dose of zurin regularly:D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you everyone for the first visit. It is very much appreciated. this is a blog quite by impulse..as is everything i do..almost. so sit back and bear with me..because I dont quite know what to do with it .Yet... sort of.

    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  9. Zurin,

    Just a note to say that we were in the first grade at the same time, only, I was in the school next door. Do you remember Northam Road Girls' School?

    Also, I have to say that looking at your b/w pics reminded me so much of the pictures I have in my albums. I am now married and living in the US, so reading your blog brings home some lovely memories.

    Thanks for the memories, and Happy New Year!

    regards,
    Anna

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anna,

    How lovely to 'find' you!:)

    I was in a school next door ,I think, for about a week until my mother moved me to Island girls school. Heaven knows why.

    Im afraid i dont remmeber the name of the school nor do I rememebr Northam Road Girls school. But what i do remmeber is that the uniforms for the school in wh i was in for a week was a pleated pinafore of some purplish/reddish colour. Is that Northam Girls School?

    Not far from Island girls school was a boys school that my brother attended. I believe it was called Wellesly's boys school or something like that.

    what a small world this has become. thanks to the internet. amazing! Lovely to know you Anna.

    Happy new year :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Zurin,

    You're right. The uniform you've described did belong to the Northam Road Girls' School.

    Also, the nearby boys' school was Wellesley Boys' School.

    Yes, the Internet has certainly made it easier to connect with others around the world. In fact, it helped me connect with a long-lost friend after I saw a photo of her mum on Cyberkuali. Fabulous, isn't it?

    By the way, like you, I also spent the first day of school crying my eyes out until I met the girl who became my best friend in primary school.



    Anna

    ReplyDelete
  12. WoW! we could have seen each other! or cld have been in teh same class. lol

    this is truly amazing...connecting thru a blog..i wld never have thought.
    do keep in touch Anna.

    my daughter and her family will be returning to the US next week. they decided to stay on after her husband finished his phd. they came home for a little holiday. :) theyll be in new mexico cos thats where he works.

    take care and best wishes

    zurin

    ReplyDelete
  13. You're right. Our paths may have crossed in the distant past.

    I will keep in touch and pop by your blog every so often. In the meantime, enjoy your family and I hope to read more great recipes on your blog.

    regards,

    Anna

    ReplyDelete
  14. Zurin... Thanks for sharing your childhood with us. You are as beautiful as your Mom and Dad ...awesomely handsome :) Will visit here very often for I have become your ardent ' stalker ' LOL ! Happy 2011 to you and family.

    ReplyDelete
  15. So lovely! What a handsome family.

    ReplyDelete