When holidays were simply fun

When holidays were simply fun
Sunday August 5, 2007
By Shahriza Hussein

THEN & NOW

VACATIONING is something everyone looks forward to. But the destinations of today’s holiday breaks would have been sheer fantasy 50 years ago.

There was no talk then of travelling to Thailand, China, Australia, Europe and the United States. A teenager living in Kuala Lumpur would be excited about going to Penang or Singapore or even the Cameron Highlands for a few days. In fact, just going anywhere out of town was a big deal.

Today, youngsters think nothing of venturing on their own, even overseas. All they need are an absent-minded nod from an indulgent parent, a valid passport, an air ticket, some cash, a credit card and like-minded companions.

Back then, things were very different. For instance, I did not leave Malaya until February 1963, when I was almost 20, and even then it was for further studies, not pleasure.

My first solo trip to Bangkok was when I was 30 and it involved a two-night journey by train.

Were youngsters a timid lot 50 years ago? I don’t think so. It’s the circumstances that have changed.

Urban families were less affluent then. The priority was putting food on the table and giving the children a good education. Kids also tended to be more mindful of parental authority and families were more closely knit.

My entire family vacationed together whenever that luxury presented itself, the pet cat joining in.

We were fortunate to have had a family car as far back as I can remember and so our out-of-town holidays were always by road.

And what an adventure it was! I was seven or eight when I first went to Singapore. The route was circuitous: KL to Malacca, then to Muar, Batu Pahat, Pontian and finally Johor Baru and the Causeway.

The journey took almost the entire day as the road was narrow and there were time-consuming ferry crossings at Muar and Batu Pahat.

I was not aware that there was a shorter inland route and so I did not ask why we didn’t take that. I learned the reason very much later, as an adult: communist terrorists were active around Kluang and Yong Peng.

But for a small boy, everything was enjoyable, even the long journey. And our hotel in Singapore – the Sun Sun on Middle Road – was luxury itself.

I was certainly not aware that there were more sumptuous lodgings like the Raffles and the Adelphi.

We drove to Penang the following year, this time taking the trunk road as Perak and Kedah had become quite safe for travellers. Still, the journey took almost eight hours as the car needed some servicing in Taiping.

The ferry crossing from Butterworth to Georgetown was a delight and so was the food along Campbell Road. And things were cheaper than in KL because Penang, like Singapore, was a free port.

I remember seeing many Thai citizens and numerous perfume shops had notices in the Thai language.

But those long trips were a rarity. More usual during school holidays would be a day’s outing or, if it was for a few days, somewhere nearby like Port Dickson or Fraser’s Hill or even the Cameron Highlands.

Those places were more relaxing then. The highland resorts were much cooler than now and we went around in sweaters. And there was more greenery.

As for Port Dickson, we could go out at night during the low tide, armed with torches and wire-tipped harpoons, and return with a bucketful of flower crabs.

At low tide during the day, we would sift the sand at the water’s edge and be rewarded with baby clams. Once, I even came across a horseshoe crab.

When my father was based in Malacca up to the mid-50s, we often went to Tanjong Bidara for a day’s picnic.

There was no Terendak Camp there then and we usually had the place to ourselves. I remember the boulder-strewn beach and the fresh water pool just a few feet (metres today) from the sea. I also remember the giant hermit crabs hiding in the roots of the large trees.

Today, such simple pleasures are regarded as passé. If it’s a short break, it’s Genting Highlands for the high rollers and carnival-addicted families. Or it’s a weekend in Hatyai, just 550km away on good roads.

If it’s an extended holiday, the destinations would be Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Sydney or the cities of Europe and the American west coast.

But all is not lost. I sometimes take a drive on Sunday to the fringes of KL, to the waterfalls and forest parks.

I see families enjoying the simple pleasures of the past, picnicking the way my family did. There would be laughter and easygoing banter, with no timetable to keep, no stress, no bills to pay.

Some of us may scoff and dismiss these folk as members of the lower income group, enjoying themselves on the cheap. But weren’t many, if not most, of us the same not all that long ago?

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# Shahriza Hussein loves reminiscing about the good old days. He is a Victoria Institution old-boy and was editor of ‘Auto International’ magazine for 30 years. He is currently publishing his novel in Singapore.