From Taiping with Love

Taiping and Stirling (in Scotland, where William Wallace fought the battle with the English), are my favourite towns. 

My earliest recollection of Taiping is when I was a little boy, brought by my parents to Taiping on its centenary celebration. I remember standing at the back seat (my kids nowadays don’t have that luxury, as Ayah won’t start the car, if anyone of you not sitting still or not wearing seatbelt, yeap you too Bibik) of my Ayah’s Austin Morris.

Playing the huge (back then) concrete slides at the Lake Garden was a treat. The greenery of lush flora and fauna consoles the heart. The glimpse of tree branches dipping the lake was (and still is) a wonderful sight. That, with a background song by Tok Pah and Broery’s Seiring dan Sejalan, makes me wanna jump in the bell bottom slacks and (while) bouncing my natural wavy hair.

Taiping is where I was born. Taiping was the place I met my girlfriend (may she marry a rich guy and have lots of healthy kids) one fine day after the rain subsided. Honestly, I could still breathe the fresh air after the rain, and still feel the stillness of the mood. It’s like, if you are somewhere in the land of the Geordie, breathing the spring air while opening your flat’s windowpane (this is recommended in late March or early April) OR if you are here, its like sucking the black Hacks sweets and drinking cold water. You get the feeling?

Taiping has many firsts in the country. Do you know that the first swimming pool, the first Magistrate Court, the first Railway Station, even the first Tamil Newspaper was in Taiping. The first English girl's school, Treacher Girls' School also in Taiping.

Talking about schools, I’m particularly fond of SERATAS. Yeap, my dear wife was one of its alumni. I remember giving so call speech to the Prefect Board on one of my school’s trip there. On that particular trip, our entourage spent the night at SERATAS sick bay. The next morning most of us did not care to shower as the water was too damn cold.

Yesterday it rained here in my abode, the ‘feels good’ feeling revisits. Donno why, donno how. Maybe it has been really long time ‘things are keeping still’ between the rains in Taiping and of yesterdays.

“... bless the rains down in Taiping ...”