Yesteryears

My earliest recollection of my childhood streches way back to 1966 when I was then almost 7 years old . Now I always remember it as the year England won the World Cup.
Guessed what, I was still drinking from the milk bottle before I was embarrassed into giving it up before I started primary school. Kindergarden then were for the rich as none of any of us, siblings started with them.
I recalled sitting near the window of our new 1 room, 611-C, Blk 5 unit overlooking Bukit Ho Swee Road when we first moved there. There were many lorries carrying soil and gravel along the road leading towards Jalan Klinik, just a stone throw away where the building of the flats continued. There were lorries painted red, blue, green and assorted colours.
The block of flat opposite our block had lift and we were fascinated by how my neighbour , Ah Chew disappear into it and comes down from the staircase later. We all thought he was very brave.
A bowl of prawn noodle then was 25 cents for the big bowl bought from the hardworking tick-tock man. He will bring the bowls of hot noodle to our house when you placed the order with him when he walks pass your flat with his tick-tock sticks.
At night, a mee-goreng man pushes his cart along Bukit Ho Swee Road calling out "Mee-Goreng, Mee-Goreng".
Hawkers were common behind our block of the flats and we ususally bought breakfast there.
I remember one of dad's friend who was a sailor. When he came to visit us once, he brought many colourful birds and parrots in two cages for us. He also help us paint the house with white wash.
I also remember the swill collector who came every morning to collect the food that we threw away - the 'Pia Poon' person as we call him/her will till 2 big tin containers on/his stick and will pick up the swill from house to house; the swill are for the pigs in the farm - come Chinese New Year, he would thank us by giving us a live stock or sometimes 24 eggs from his farm. Hee, Hee, what a deal then - today, the farm are professionally managed and eat only genetically modified food I guessed...but those were the days.