reminiscing

I can't sleep.

Whenever I hear about volcanoes, my mind would wander to this one volcano that erupted somewhere in Indonesia in the 90s. Can't exactly pinpoint when, but I still remember about it because the eruption affected Malaysia too. I think. I remember that my Dad bought some face masks to wear to school because the air was too hazy and dusty. I also remember that the news showed the people who live(d) near the volcano refused to move to safety. The farthest they've moved was to the foot of the volcanic mountain. Sayang nak tinggal tanah kot. Macam-macam manusia ni.

I think I was still in primary school at that time. If I'm not mistaken. My memory is not what it used to be. Haih.

Or was the hazy state caused by the open burning of the forest in Indonesia? That happened quite a lot. But it did happen. The volcano that affected Malaysia I mean.

I really don't remember. I think it happened before the Wabak Hawar (I was in Standard 6. Speaking of Wabak Hawar, MBSA and DBKL offered to pay RM1 per rat back then too. MBSA, what a scrooge) and before the Greg tragedy in Keningau, Sabah (God I remember that one because it happened on Boxing Day, just like Tsunami).

IF my memory serves me right.

I've asked most of my friends who went to schools in Selangor whether they had to wear a tudung/selendang hitam for a week(?)/a month(?) when the Queen passed away and only one or two answered yes. I was 7 years old. I don't know whether their memories are as bad as mine when it comes to remembering important, historic matters like that or what, but come on, takkan tu pun tak ingat. I still remember that the girls had to wear tudung/selendang hitam (I wore a selendang because my Mom didn't own a single tudung hitam. Funny. Oh maybe I should tell you that my Mom liked flamboyant colours when she was younger. Actually, she still likes flamboyant colours) and the boys had to wear songkoks with white ribbons on the songkoks. I had my class photo taken during the mourning period, maybe that's why I still remember about it.

It strikes me as odd suddenly that when the King passed away, we didn't have to wear those things too during the mourning period. On second thoughts, maybe my former headmaster was a loyal servant that when the Queen died, he wanted everyone to feel his King's pain too. Or maybe he was just a bottom-licker. But I don't think so. Well, my heart votes for the former but my logic chooses the latter. Oh well.....

And I still remember his name. Cikgu Sharif. Maybe. I think so. Meh.

I feel so old all of a sudden.....

Anyway, yesterday I went to someone's house who works as a policeman/FRU. All I want to say is, the shields are awesome. And someone said that she hates me now just because I happened to take some photos with the shields.