Detoxification My Way - Day 4 : An Old Memory

Today is the fourth day of my detox and so far until now, I have consumed 20 heap teaspoons of this vile tasting powder :

This is Herbal Klenz Powder and it contains psyllium husk and apple pectin. Besides these two ingredients, it also contains Butcher's Broom, Bentonite Clay and Cellulose. This cleansing powder is mixed with water, apple cider vinegar and honey and consumed immediately. It basically absorbs water and expands, becoming a thick gel.  As it moves down your digestive system it sticks to the intestinal walls. Any encrustations along the walls will stick to this gel and as the gel moves downwards it drags all the dirt along with it.

I must say that I can feel it working as I feel movements in my abdominal area from time to time. This Herbal Klenz is also used for constipation. This powder really gets your piping cleaned as it "scrubs" the intestinal walls, so expect to pinch your nose when you go to the toilet because the old stuff that comes out smells very bad. I know I am getting a good clean out because when I broke wind yesterday evening, suffice to say my partner almost fainted.

I forgot about this Hibiscus. It is small and looks like a pom-pom.

During detox, a phenomena known as healing reaction occurs such as general discomfort, weakness, headaches, nausea, mouth ulcers, cough, fever, mucus discharge etc. When I did a detox for the first time, I had ulcers all over my mouth. That indicated that I had quiet a significant amount of toxins in my body. I also experienced symptoms from old injuries. I also read that even old unpleasant memories can come back and upset you. I am very fortunate that I did not experience any of these symptoms except for slight tiredness on the second day. I slept very well last night and woke up feeling refreshed. 

After all this, I want Korean food next weekend!

Speaking of old memories, I remember my days at a residential school in Kuala Terengganu. Reading about how Arthur picks up his daughter Melissa from her school in Selangau on Fridays and then sends her back again on Sundays sure brings back memories of my days at Sekolah Sultan Mahmud. 

I went to that school for a local university matriculation program. Up until then, I have always lived at home. My family was living in Petaling Jaya at that time. After Form 5, I was enrolled at La Salle, the brother school of Assunta, Petaling Jaya. La Salle is an all boys school but they admit girls for Form 6. I have no issues with boys, having studied at co-ed schools from kindergarten (ah! I have got stories from there too!) until Form 3.

This item on the menu looks good!

Some of my classmates from Assunta, having been to an all girls school since primary school days, were all hyped up when they stepped into La Salle. Boys! I really rolled my eyes behind my 60's style thick glasses observing their antics. OK, OK, the boys never paid attention to me because I already looked like an auntie at that time. 

I was filled with trepidation and relief when I got news that I would enroll in the one year matriculation with a view to study medicine. Trepidation because I had to leave home and relief because I was unhappy at La Salle. The girls didn't want to talk to me because they were all fighting to get the boys' attention and the boys totally ignored me.

Embers ready to BBQ.

After all the preparations were made, I flew to Kuala Terengganu and my grandparents would see to it that I was taken to the school and properly settled in. On registration day, my grandparents drove me to the school. There was a heavy cloud hanging above my head, I was nervous, I was worried, I felt that that was the worst day of my life (how wrong I was. I have faced many more "worst day of my life" after that). 

We arrived very early at Sekolah Sultan Mahmud. There were a few students already there with their parents and some had come on their own. And it was the fasting month at the time. I got to know a tall long haired girl from Trolak, Lid, who would become my dorm mate. After the registration was done, we were told to go and choose our dormitory. There were 6 dorms for the female matriculation students. There were two blocks of dorms, one for the boys and one for the girls.

Marinated beef on the grill.

My dorm was the last one (closest to the toilets) at the end of the block. If I remember correctly it was called Dorm Kenanga 6. We were housed on the ground floor and the upper floors housed students from Forms 1 to 5. The youngsters were very fascinated by us old girls and we were referred to as Kak Matrik (Matriculation Older Sisters). Some of the Kak Matrik were ex-students of the school and of course they felt right at home.

Once I was settled in, my grandparents left. I felt rather sad. That first day, we were left to our own devices, getting to know each other. There were 12 of us in that dorm and 6 double decker beds. There was no fan as the school is situated by the beach and we get a very cool breeze from the sea. It gets quite chilly at night. I was the only Chinese in the matriculation group and my dorm mates were very warm and made me feel very much at home. I blended in quite well as I was a Terengganu girl and very much at home with the Malays.

Marinated ribs.

As it was the fasting month, I broke fast with the whole school at the dining hall (dewan makan). It was my first time ever experiencing dinner with such a big crowd. All the food trays have been placed on the long benches but we have to bring our own utensils. The food was standard stuff, rice, fried fish, some gravy and vegetables. And some kuih for dessert. Edible food, and I am no fussy pot.

One thing we were told to bring along with us before we enrolled in the school was mosquito nets. Mosquito net was something I vaguely remembered from my childhood. My grandparents had one when we lived in the old hospital quarters. What I can tell you is that, those of us who were uninitiated did not put up our mosquito nets that first night. Once the lights were off, you could hear them coming at you. Bzzzzz......bzzzzzz......I swear I was attacked by thousands of mosquitoes. I did not sleep the whole night. 

Ready to serve.

The next morning, we had to go to class for our orientation. There were 81 of us in total broken into two classes. The other non-Malay was an eccentric and brilliant Indian guy from Klang, Samy. Samy was in the other class and he was an object of wonder to the girls (I had a lot of respect for Samy, but I wasn't all gaga over him) as he was the only Indian guy at the school.

Since I did not sleep the whole night, I kept nodding off in class. You cannot imagine the torture of trying to keep awake when you are so, so, sleepy. When the day ended, we all went back to our dorm. I did not know that the canteen stayed open and there was food specially prepared for the non-Muslim students and teachers. I went without breakfast and lunch that day but drank lots of water from the water cooler. 

Yummy side dishes.

In the following days, I wised up and had my meals at the canteen. Life in a residential school is very regimented. The bell rings at certain times of the day which signals an activity is about to begin. First bell goes off at 6:oo am (wake up!), then 7:00am (breakfast!), 7:20am (go to class!) and then hourly for classes, then 1:00pm (lunch!), 3:00pm (sports! Luckily matriculation students were exempted. I hate sports), 7:00pm (dinner!), 8:00pm (prep! We had to go to our classroom to do our homework etc), 10:00pm (go back to the dorms!) and finally 11:00pm (bedtime!).

Kimchi. No thanks, next dish please!

Every evening at 10:45pm (except Thursday and Friday evenings) all of us had to gather at the guest hall in groups according to our dorms. The dorm leader had to do a head count to make sure everyone is accounted for before we march back to our dorms. It is lights out at 11:00pm and if you wanted to study, you had to do that in the study room. I never did that, I went straight to bed. This for someone who had always gone to bed at 8:00pm or 9:00pm every night was very hard. I got used to it eventually.

Tuck in!

On Fridays (our weekend), every dorm would have to take turns each week to clean the toilet on their floor. It was quite an experience for me. When our turn came, my dorm mate Maznah (she occupied the upper bunk of my doubel decker bed) would announce the night before "Esok jangan berak sebab kita orang nak basuh toilet!" (Tomorrow don't do your "big business" because we are cleaning the toilet!). In addition to toilet duty, we had to clean our dorms. At 11:00am, the three wardens would walk in for the inspection. We had to stand to attention beside our beds while they cast their eagle eye over every surface of the room, even running their fingers over the window pane.

This I love. 

Fridays were also our laundry day. We took turns to use the laundry room, handwashing our clothes and bedsheets and pillow cases. My grandparents visited me every Thursday afternoon and Friday mornings. I was actually very embarrassed that they came twice every week. I also experienced a lot of sadness when they had to leave which was why I would have preferred for them not to visit. Eventually I requested that they came only on Thursdays. My grandpa wanted to take my laundry back home to wash but I told him no. I wanted to do my chores just like everyone else at the school.

This salad is very tasty.

We were allowed to go home once a month and go out to town twice a month. Each of us were given a green card and if you wanted to go home or go for an outing during the weekend, you had to submit your card to the warden two weeks prior. I was always overjoyed on the day I went home to my grandparents. I would eagerly wait for them to pick me up after class on Thursday and as we pass the guardhouse (where I have to submit my green card), I feel a heavy weight being lifted from my shoulders. Merdeka! (Freedom!) Well, at least for the weekend. That is when I get to enjoy my grandma's cooking and watch TV. Come Saturday, a heavy cloud would build up over my head. I don't even have appetite to eat lunch. As we drive back to the school, I feel a sense of doom. Sigh.....But somehow, one I get to my dorm and see my friend, that feeling would subside and I would feel happy again.

Very tasty meat patties.

Sometimes, I would feel depressed and in my mind would plot a scheme to run away for the weekend. I would fantasize lying down on the backseat floor covered in my bedsheet as my grandparents smuggled me out of the school. They could smuggle me back in similar fashion on Saturday afternoon.

I had a friend, Rubi, who lives within walking distance from the school. Every Friday after class, there will always be students going home and they would walk past the guardhouse to submit their green cards. Rubi would dress in her regular clothes and follow these kids. While the guard was busy checking the cards, she would take a detour behind the guardhouse and make her way to the gate. Somehow, the guards will mistake her for a visitor or maybe those guys already knew of Rubi's capers and chose to turn a blind eye.

The Sultan Mahmud Airport is very near the school. Somedays, I would look out the window and imagine taking a flight home. And the late John Denver's song "I'm leaving on a jetplane, don't know when I'll be back again..." would play in my head.

I went through a short spell of depression during my first semester. I missed home. I also put a lot of pressure on myself to do well in my exams. There were days when an image of an exploding gun would go off in my head. But I managed to get over it.

Cucumber Kimchi. I like it.

I spent one year at the school and when it was time leave, I did feel sad to go as I had gotten accustomed to my life there with my very kind friends. It was a good experience though as it was there that I found myself. Away on my own, I developed a sense of self and from then on I gained self-confidence.

But all in all, I am very glad that those days are over. I mean, as an adult in my present life, I have never been happier. I don't miss my childhood and I don't miss my teenage years. I am happy now right here where I am. I can tell that I will have no problems growing old :)

Very refreshing dessert.

Tomorrow is my last day of detox. Till then, I leave you with these pretty flowers.