Chapter 1: Money and I
I was born in a popular town called Ipoh. Both my parents are teachers at that time. Due to family obligations, we moved to Bukit Mertajam, Penang, some 2 hours from Ipoh, to stay with my grandmother.
My father then became owner of a bookstore together with my uncle. My mother is still a teacher since then. My grandmother was the one who took care of me and my younger sister when my parents are at work.
If my memory serves me well, my first encounter with money was when I was in Standard One, primary school. That time, a plate of rice with minced char siew (barbecued pork) only cost RMO.4O at the school canteen. Surprisingly, soft drink back then is more expensive than that plate of rice! RMO.5O I remembered.
During Primary School
I still remember a few incidents where I got ripped off by my classmates.
I have purchased a piece of "Garfield" sticker that is a size of my left ear (for your information, both my ears are the same size) for RM0.50. My pocket money that time was only RM0.50, just enough for a plate of rice with minced char siew and RM0.l0 to save.
My mother was furious when she found out I had to starve for that piece of sticker. She said, "Why you so stupid? You got ripped off!" (Of course that weren't the exact words she used as it would be too tough for a 7-year old boy to understand. But you know what happened, ya?)
To me, money is just something that can exchange for things that I like at that time. Although that plate of rice is one of my favourite food during recess, I liked the "Garfield" sticker more as it was huge. Most of the stickers I had at home were as small as a RM0.l0 coin.
I also had an experience where my friend's mother actually came to school to ask me to give back the RMl.00 I borrowed from my friend a day before. I was going to give him back the next day but his mother took action first.
To me, back then, money seemed to be very important and I became very afraid of money, especially keeping it.
I was appointed as the treasurer for my class fund. We collect RM1.00 a month for miscellaneous expenditures such as photocopying extra worksheets, class year end party and such.
Every day I go to school with fear that I would lose the class fund. I bring it to school and lock it in the cabinet which only I had the key. I take it out and bring back home end of the day. I was very scared when the class fund got more and more every month.
I 'resigned' as the treasurer one day when the clas