Curious Childhoods

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  sweetgem

  9 years ago

  Shared my stories before on previous topics, but I'll share one of them again here :) I grew up in a third world country. My parents were divorced when I was a little child. So, life was tough and extremely challenging for us all after dad left, especially for my mother! Hence, my siblings and I had to start working with mum as young as 8 years old (me that is) just to survive and to hold our heads high from all the judgments + criticism that we copped from the community we lived in. As an Asian kid, I was tiny at the age of 8! So, one afternoon, when I got on a bicycle that was bigger than me, I attracted a big hit from a speeding motorcycle, while on my way to pick up my youngest sibling from school, which crashed into one of my ankles and sent me flying off my bike, which had me paralysed in one foot for months! Fortunately, it didn't break my bones nor did I have a head or back injury! But I have been living with one weak ankle since then, as it is a permanent damage, and I came to Australia too late to save it. However, an accident like that still didn't kill my confidence in traffic at all. So I guess I can say that what didn't kill me back then, had made me stronger and couraging now :) and that's just one of my many growing up stories :) Sorry Soft, it is not a happy and fun memory, but it is definitely a positive and significant one, as the whole incident has become a reminder of what I had gone through and survived in life! Hence, when I feel weak nowadays, I remember what strengths I have to pick myself up again! :) - Posted from rhpmobile

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  RHP User

  9 years ago

  Who was 18 years older than me raced cars. He an old MG then a Morris Minor and Triumph that he did Hill Climbs in .My whole family would go to watch him.I remember the smell of the petrol and oil from all the cars..It was quite overwhelming. He also had a motorbike with a sidecar that my father made. I loved going for rides with him in that, Q

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  Tall74nHard9

  9 years ago

  Could probably fill a page here, but will whittle it down to a few. At primary school, there was a reasonably diverse range of national backgrounds, myself included. Due to this, a number of us 'wogs' would get things to bring for playlunch or lunch that were quite out of the ordinary. One of my favourites was being able to bring Dutch licorice to school. As kids do, they always expected to share around with some of their friends. I tried in vain many times to stop the kids trying to sample the licorice (Dutch licorice is salted, either 'single' or 'double'). It was always fun to watch the others reactions when they insisted on a sample, and then seeing them nearly gag and quickly spit it out again, thinking they'd been possibly poisoned or similar. They never learned ! Another was during puberty when I was at high school, in 2nd form. Believe it or not, but I was always one of the shorter kids at school, so was frequently subjected to bullying. One thing in my favour was that I was a skinny kid, and had a fantastic turn of speed. Just after I turned 13, the family went on a long holiday back to Holland (5 months). Not too long after we arrived, I started my growth spurt - and did it come with a vengeance. During my time away I grew 4 inches, and my clothes didn't fit by the end of the holiday. My growing continued thereafter, 15 inches all up in 18 months. Needless to say I outgrew my tormentors and gained some 'respect'. A bit further along the track, in my late 20's to late 30's, I worked for a Commonwealth Government department. The particular one allowed me access to all sorts of things most people don't know exist, yet alone get to see. We worked along with mainly Defence Department, so I got to many places, such as Munitions depots belonging to the Navy and Air Force, Victoria Barracks (the main army depot in Sydney), Richmond Air Force base, Garden Island (main Navy base in Sydney Harbour), Holsworthy Army base, and much, much more. Really eye opening in instances. Plenty more for other times. Tall

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  RHP User

  9 years ago

  Thanks for sharing your stories wow!!! On a lighter note, we were the only Asians in small country towns and usually top of the class. I guess...we all wanted to get out of there into the buzzing lights of the city and go to Uni of QLD. My brothers 6 and 9 yrs older used to do all sorts of things, go catch pigeons in the silos, go yabbying in the creek, other things they never told me. But my eldest brother was topof the class in Chem and teacher's pet and made touch powder to prank his friends at school. One day when he went to take the family car to school, he carefully walked out with one of those takeaway containers and I ran out to watch him and it went BANG! I jumped... and he laughed hahahaha the stories they tell me are so funny hahahah It's not fun if you're not a bit rebellious in life ;) I think that's what I learnt, fear not the crazy, because it might just be the best fun you ever have!! Within reason of course ;D - Posted from rhpmobile

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  RHP User

  9 years ago

  Grateful for what I have as an adult though Mrs LAL - Posted from rhpmobile

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  RHP User

  9 years ago

  Dad took me to the drive-ins...IT confused me because part of the way through the movie, he transferred me to mum.... then she carried me around for nine months...I didn't know shit then... now, I understand it..

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  Grouse33

  9 years ago

  I'm sure it would nowadays see me sent away to child protection, but my friends and I had a thing for flashing browneyes. Not moons, mind you; we'd separate our arse cheeks wide and proud. A favourite spot of ours was a little concrete box in the ground next to the railway line to Geelong. It was about a metre from the tracks and the passing freight trains were deafening, with the ground rumbling and wind whipping past. When the passenger trains came through, we'd drop our dacks and flash 'em, hoping that somebody on the train would catch sight of us naked primary school aged children. On reflection, it's not so much curious as downright friggin' weird.

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  RHP User

  9 years ago

  I hated being a child but I had some great times and have some bittersweet memories. A favourite includes the arrival of a parcel that used to come from overseas at Christmas time with delicious biscuits in it we couldn't get here. I am so happy to have found some of those in the last few years. And in the last couple of years, I think I found the specific brand. Peachy

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  RHP User

  9 years ago

  Where I grew up in Melbs it was bush one way suburbia the other, best of both worlds, fishing for eels and raiding orchards to traveling the train network and 100 mile bike rides. Weirdest thing was my mums Christian crowd, writhing on the floor and speaking in tongues. Also 4 week car holidays traveling the country when country towns were active vibrant places. Wedge tailed eagles everywhere, drovers and tramps and hitch hiking was de rigour. Oh, and the Stevens sisters 😍😜😝

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  RHP User

  9 years ago

  My earliest memories...and they're hazy, broken ones...are of walking on an exposed reef at low tide. In New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, it was just off the beach and the village I was living in.I was looking for sea urchins, crayfish, crabs, molluscs and anything interesting I could find with the intent to eat.I still remember the salty taste of the sea urchin roe when it was cooked...and the round, spiny shells would turn bright red( like crabs do ) when roasted in a fire.

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  RHP User

  9 years ago

  Those shiny pieces of coloured glass they call fairy stones these days are what my foster-father used to coat beer bottles with to use for lamps, to create atmosphere. And our bathroom was painted glossy black so the whole surface acted as a mirror. We had an underground, aboveground pool that would be outlawed these days. It was surrounded by corrugated iron walls to hold the sand back so there was a space between the pool and the walls for the unwary. I used to ride in the back of the ute too and learn songs like, "Roll me Over in the Clover" (that's on youtube) and "Down in the Valley" (I posted a thread asking about the lyrics in the past. :-D). http://redhotpie.com.au/Adult-Forums/Dirty-Ditty-request-23285 Peachy

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  RHP User

  9 years ago

  That ditty was too dirty for RHP in early 2009 and they wouldn't post the end, so I had to get it via PM. Peachy

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