It's really really quite weird that I remember these things in such detail when I can probably barely tell you what I ate for lunch yesterday. But I suppose these little simple joy-filled moments tend to stick. To put it into perspective, I graduated from Pei Chun Public School in 2008. (Thats a decade ago)
Of course, who didn't look forward to recess? I can barely remember the days where each single period lasted only 30 minutes. I desperately long for those times as I sit in a 3-hours seminar on a Saturday morning.
Anyway, to promote healthier lifestyles, canteen vendors were not allowed sell fried food except on Wednesday. And honestly, what kid is not crazy about fried food? I can no longer quite remember the store names but instead the iconic food that they sold.
There's really much to talk about recess in my primary school days and honestly I have a lot of fun doing so but the store with purple bowls – though I cant quite remember what food they used to sell – nonetheless deserves a mention: the go-to store on fried food wednesdays.
There would be this large box/tray lined with an assortment of fried food: from fried fishballs to nuggets, to fish fillets, chicken patties and the most popular of all - the seaweed chicken. Back then we didn't have much pocket money. I had a dollar a day. Some of my friends had $1.50. Which was sufficient to get me a bowl of noodles plus a little add on but I was a lot thriftier back then. (Grown-up shannon, please do some reflection)
The fishballs went at 20c each. The nuggets and seaweed chicken at 40c each and the fillets and patties at 60c each. (premium!) And since most of us didn't have that much money, we would queue at the crowded stall just to get a single nugget or seaweed chicken, which the auntie promptly stabs and hands it to you on a single toothpick. We stare on enviously at the ones who bag 3 or 4 but honestly, in the retrospect Im pretty proud of myself for being rather practical then, knowing that a bowl of noodles and a seaweed chicken would fill me up better than 4 pieces of seaweed chicken. Horrifyingly, I wonder to myself if the me today would make as wise a decision. The stress of university life constantly instils me with an intense craving for whatever's deep fried and sinful.
Fried food Wednesdays also bring with it another couple of sinful options – fried chicken patty burger and..stall 6 curry maggie.
But thats another story, for another post. Goodnight, while I attempt to sleep away the hunger pangs!