What cousin G related to me:
I feel totally Singaporean. Sri Lanka has no impact or significance to me. I feel nothing much. More curious about Jaffna, because of my roots and as part of history.
(About my eldest cousin M who is 27 years her senior) I didn’t get to talk to him much. I communicated and saw him in person only once or twice which is quite sad. I have hazy memories.
(About our grandmother) She was a typical grandmother. We didn’t use words to communicate, but more action and gestures. She was not at all strict and very friendly like my dad. Especially the smile.
I enjoyed my childhood especially hanging out with cousins. Back then I didn’t have to think about money, so there was less stress. After temple on Fridays we would visit Appachi (paternal grandma).
I didn’t like school, but my classmates are still with me now. They made a great impact on my life.
Teachers were abusive and beat us with a cane at the school for the Deaf.
I enjoyed playing truant. After school we would take a can of soft drink and shake it in the open field to see how high it would spurt out. I was at St Anthony’s at Bukit Batok for primary one and two which was a mixed school and moved to St Anthony’s convent in primary 3.
My thoughts: I’m grateful for her sharing. G has always been so candid and open and is one of the wittiest people I know. She can make anyone feel at ease. My partner is very fond of her too.
She maybe hearing impaired, but never once in my life did I feel she has a disability. I see her as my baby cousin who is just the brightest spark. She is open outgoing, a hip hop dancer, and one of the most daring adventurers I know. She even travelled to Inner Mongolia with -40 degrees celcius temperatures and almost got frost bite. She roughed it out too, camping and hiking, something I would find way too difficult to do.
I love living vicariously through her and she keeps me young.