Fetching kids from school

I am sure, some of you might have been listening to stories of your friends/relatives/colleagues/bloggers or even experience it yourself, the 'adventure' of the kid's first day at school. Every year, the media, both TV and newspapers, will be carrying stories of first day of school, showing pictures of sobbing little boys and girls who have to be dragged to school, and interviews with little kids on what they like most about school, of which they replied: "Ada Chikadees!!"

Some parents have to rise as early as 5am to prepare the kids to school and to rush to work afterward. Some have to take leaves to attend to their kids and accompany them at school. Picking them back from school is also another problem. And the rush-hour traffic is not helping either. A colleague of mine, has to leave the office at 5pm sharp to pick her boy from his school located in one of the most difficult area in USJ. "And the worst is most of the parents want to pick their child up right in front of the school gate, causing a massive jam!" she complained. So what does she do? She parked about 1 km away from the school and walk to pick her son up. "But remember to bring an umbrella" she said, speaking from experience. During the last Thursday evening downpour, she and her son was drenched!

I remember I never needed my parents to send me to school. Staying near to the school, both primary and secondary, has it advantages. I remember after the kindy, my dad asked me "So, do you want to go to the malay primary school (national school) or to the chinese school in Klang?". I gave it a thought, and said "Malay school". Why? Because, one, it was near to our home, and two, I'll be seeing some of my kindy friends there. I was quite independent, and knows my way around the neighbourhood. So I never needed my parents to accompany me to school, with exception the first day for registration.

A different story with my younger brother though. My dad figured that since I am in a Malay school, so he sent my brother to a chinese school. In Klang. About 30 minutes on a bus ride. But sometime, if the bus was unavailable (due to some reasons), he has to send my brother to school. At that time, my dad rode a Vespa. A few hundred meters before he reach the school.....

Bro : Pa, drop me here lar.

Dad : No lar, I send you to the school compound.

Bro : No need lar, here can, later you late for work.

Dad : No lar, I send you.

Bro : It's ok, I can walk from here.

Dad : *stop Vespa about 200 meters from school*

Bro : Pa, you pick me up from here ah, I wait for you here.

Dad : I can pick you up from the gate mah?

Bro : No lar, I wait for you here..

My dad knows what my brother was thinking. Later we found out that he was actually embarassed if his friends saw his dad riding a Vespa in dirty working cloths . My other colleague has the same story. Her daughter asked her whether she could come and pick her up in her office attire, instead of t-shirt and slippers. "Malulah" she said.

In a few years, it will be our turn to send Yiyi to school and experience it for real. I hope Yiyi doesn't ask me to stop a couple of meters away so she could walk to school. :)

Chikadees : An extinct junk food from the late 70s and early 80s. A salty, heavily MSG-ed snack with a mascot bird named Charlie Chikadee. In the ads he sang "Saya Charlie Chikadee, Sungguh enak sekali, Marilah mari, Saya Charlie Chickadee". It was a very popular snack those days, and had become synonymous with junk food/snack, just like Maggi Mee to instant noodles. Ask ur mom or dad, they will know.