Carmel
Townley
1965
- 1968
Class 5/6, Form 1B, 2G
Email: ccaffery@bigpond.com.au
The adventure started
with our departure from Sale, the memories of being inundated with immunisations.
The horror of parting with favourite toys. The most prevailing memory was of the
hotel in Sydney, we were confined and even prohibited from gazing out the windows
as my brothers and sister and I laughed profusely at the ladies holding up the
sailors...Kings Cross.
It was so exciting when we arrived in Penang and the bus drove us to our home. I have fond memories of our first summer spent swimming with the King girls at the Penang swimming club. I had a week in which to master the length of the pool. I could barely swim when we arrived, friends make great motivators.
I started
into grade six in 1966 and have only vague memories of the first year, apart of
course for the lovely neighbours, The Bray's behind us, the Plumb's across the road.
It was such an adventure going to watch the diverse
religious festivals, even going to the Catholic church was an adventure of its
own.
If I find out who the silly kid was who thought our Quinine tablets were Smarties I'll kick them in the shins..the change from the sugar coating was awful. I objected to the discrimination...the scouts got to Thailand for Summer, we got Penang Hill..sure in an old mansion, but none the less.
It was great to have the expeditions to KL and bless the holidays in the Cameron Highlands. My children enjoy hearing about my mother picking up what she thought was a plastic snake.
I have found two things made this a smaller continent, the nurses with whom I worked and the school friends I made compliments of the RAAF. I was thrilled to meet Bernice Cook when we were both employed at Nepean Hospital in maternity 16 years ago.
I find that people who failed to experience the beauty and wonder of our life in Malaysia unable to envisage the monsoon as it appeared over the hills. Penang may look squalid in some of our photos and I remember some of the aromas but I felt tearful when recalling the joy of youth spent in Penang, breaking my ankle when I fell down the school stairs. I remember our arrogance when we had a bus for our street when we moved to "New Road off Jalan Bugha Pudek". We managed to find adventures while awaiting the bus in the morning.
I've been widowed for the past 13 years, having vowed never to wed a service man, he joined the Army and I reared another generation of gypsies, who love travel and adventure.
I have three adult children, a grand-daughter and a career nursing, currently in Neonatal Intensive Care in Melbourne. I had to keep my house in Queensland, because my feet still get itchy and I haven't decided to settle.