down memory lane

Pernahkah anda mendengar lagu yang instantly reminds you of some place or certain time of your life? I have never written a diary throughout my youth (I wasn’t allowed to have one, beside if I wrote any, somehow some culprit manage to find and read it). Oleh itu, setiap kali mendengar lagu yang tertentu, it reminds me of that time and place of my life. Take a look at my memories.

1. Sentuhan kecundang by Ekamatra – The first song I can sing-along. I was 4. My sisters used to say ‘Ya’ know, we never knew any song when we were your age, you’re lucky you got us’. The backdrop - Pemandangan selepas hujan, and the sun shine through the rubber trees and there’s a rainbow.

2. Untukmu sayang by Febian – I was 5 and I went to school with my sisters and sit at standard 1 classroom just because there’s no one at home to babysit me. I thought the title of this song is ‘Keindahan Pelangi’ back then. The backdrop – Perjalanan pergi dan balik from school. Ada sejenis tumbuhan yang tumbuh meliar di tepi jalan ketika itu. Namanya ‘Rumput Malaysia’ (origin is unknown) dan angin bertiup sepoi-sepoi bahasa membuatkan tumbuhan tersebut turut bergoyang-goyang. Jalan raya tidak ber-aspal. (sampai sekarang pun takde, nak buat macam mana, wakil rakyat makan rasuah)

3. Bila kasih menyepi by Kejora – I was 7 years old, standard 3. Kejora is a rather famous group in 80’s. They became a well-known rock kapak group after joining the Gagasan War Rock in 1986. The backdrop – My other house. Di belakang rumah ada hutan which me and my mom used to find wild orchids and me and my sister used to find jambu batu yang tumbuh meliar and every other possibly edible wild fruits. Aku suka sangat lirik lagu ni dulu. Pernah datang ke pusat sumber sekolah semata-mata nak cari maksud perkataan ‘perawan setia’ dalam kamus.

4. Sejati by Wings – I was almost 9 years old and my elder sister babysits me and my one year older than me sister and 2 younger sisters. We used to go to school together. She was in form 5. The backdrop – Tidur berhimpit-himpit with my sisters. Tidur guna kelambu dan aku suka tidur kat tepi sebab takut terpijak sesiapa bila nak pergi ke tandas di tengah malam. My brother from the other room bagi teka-teki yang menyakitkan hati jawapannya. (Yes, you can hear someone yelling at you from the other room, ya’ know, that type of room)

5. Right here waiting by Richard Mark (along with his song Now in Forever) – My first English song. Courtesy of my brother. I was 6. The backdrop – Every scenery I can remember at that time. This song is timeless.

6. Paintings in My Mind by Tommy Page – I was 7 and my brother has his poster all over the wall of his room. I used to think Tommy is the most handsome guy on earth. The backdrop – Sungai di tengah hutan. Mandi sungai adalah perkara yang digemari. Perjalanan ke sungai akan melalui dusun buah-buahan jiran sekampung. Ada pokok langsat (ya, aku suka makan langsat) dan limau serta pokok mangga. Jadi, akan singgah untuk mengambilnya tanpa kebenaran. The fact that it was ‘stolen’ made the fruits even mouth-watering.

7. Cinta Azali by Nurul – Didn’t quite remember my age. Maybe it’s around 10 – 11 years old. The only thing I clearly remember is my sister’s statement ‘berani betul jamin akan bertemu semula di syurga’. Well, Nurul’s syurga with her husband ended after 10 years of marriage. The backdrop – The absence of my father and it makes everyone in a good mood and we’re sleeping in front of the TV (although there’s no TV or sofa). We’re having dinner earlier than usual and mula berkerumun di depan radio (the only entertainment equipment available in the house at that time).

8. I Swear by All-4-One – I was 12 and in Form 1. The backdrop - This song reminds me of the classroom. My sisters is my teachers, it makes me sick. I have a crush on someone but it lasted for 3 months after his sister (in form 3 at that time) threat me with ‘My lil’ bro has the highest score in Math in this school, don’t you dare disturb him studying’ I was like… Wow! I haven’t declared anything and yet the sister has noticed. Must be my unspoken persona. (ahem)

9. Wannabe by Spice Girls (as well as their song ‘Two Become One’) - I was 13. Form 2. I was the school’s prefect and even the school’s favorite sprinter. (Well, I mean… among). I have a crush on another guy, but the new teacher has a crush on him too. She’s 20 and the guy is 14. Omigawd. Cinta tak mengenal usia. The crush lasted until my last day at the school. What a favorite years. The backdrop – Hari sukan sekolah. My mother came not only to support me but to berniaga as well. My other sister who came to help her shouted my name and I caught the sight of her while still running. It makes me giggle. I can’t jump over the second hurdle and run through it. Anyway, the second song is a bit ‘dirty’ but the tune is so beautiful to me.

10. Barbie Girl by Aqua – No, really. I was 14. My first time living in hostel. I was the DJ when the school organizes an event sempena valentine’s day. This is the first song requested by a guy without name. Dedicated to all the girls in the school with a message ‘why can’t any of you date me?’ Aku gelak tak ingat dunia through the microphone. The whole school can hear it. I became famous for that nonetheless. Yay... what a year. The backdrop – The whole school. I can remember it clearly.

The group - Aqua

There go my 10 ‘reminder’ songs. What can I say, aku suka rock kapak. I have too many sisters I’m sick of them. Haha.