Pennie
Murray
1973-1975
Gr 4P, 5G, 6M
Email: mrsstraw@hotmail.com
My
memories of Penang are still strong and vivid even after all these years. The
heat that hit me when we first arrived in Penang felt like a blanket being wrapped
around me. I think this had a lasting effect on my life because I still crave
a warmer climate.
We lived in a huge house at 1G Jalan Bungah Hinai with
highly polished red floors - very practical! The Amahs, although wonderful, were
hard to get used to having around at first - as was the powdered milk we had to
drink!
I can remember our first trip out to a restaurant called "The
Eden". It was dark and cool inside and you were made to feel like visiting
royalty. Of course being only 9 I couldn't really appreciate the shark fin soup
on the menu - I think I ate my fair share of hot chips over those 3 years!
Being small and blonde I was also in easy reach of the beggars on the street
who just wanted to touch my hair for good luck, which was quite frightening at
the time.
I remember nights at the swimming club where we would swim while
the sun went down - and when brave enough, tackle the high board on the diving
block!
It was always amusing when you would be out shopping and the owner
of the shop would have an errand boy run off to get you a soft drink - these came
complete with the lids already off them - and you had to accept such generosity
without really thinking about where they had come from.
I remember that
the school seemed huge to me, as we had arrived there from a very small school
in NSW. I soon settled in though and enjoyed the best three years of my school
life.
My dad, Ivan Murray, taught woodwork and tech drawing in the high
school section of the school. I am so thankful that he took the posting and we
had the rare opportunity to become part of the "RAAF School Family".
We had some fantastic excursions over the years to temples and rubber
plantations. But my best experience was when I travelled with the girl guides
to Bankok for a week - can't believe mum let me out of her sight!
I
loved seeing the east coast once on a family holiday. And the big thrill of seeing
turtles on the beach by torch light laying their eggs in the sand.
Who
remembers the beautiful Cameron Highlands? What a magical spot that was!
We
left Penang in December 1975 and returned to Taree in NSW where I finished my
schooling. I met my future husband in 1984 and after marrying in 1985 we lived
in Sydney for a short while. We now live on the beautiful far south coast of NSW
and have two teenage children. I work as a teacher's aide for disabled children
and kids who are intellectually challenged (a good job for a blonde!)...
I have been very lucky to find Alison and Karen Dean through this web site and
we have enjoyed reliving our time in Malaysia and getting to know each other again.
I would still like to catch up with some of my other friends and would appreciate
hearing from anyone who knows these people: Sharon Wiseman, Megan Dickson,
Ann Gordon, Julie Mann, Greta Walsh, Stefan Gratton.