While sorting out the mass of books in the box just now, I found this faded, yellowish 4" x 6 1/2" little book - The Post Office Savings Banks book. It has about 30 pages and interesting to note, on the front cover the notification was written in 4 languages - English, Malay. Chinese and Tamil. I smiled - it was my savings account book with the Post Office - No. 27679. Upon opening it, I realized that my first deposit of $10.00 was dated 23/12/52 (oh, that was the year I ended my Kindergarten education at the Sacred Heart Convent, Malacca - 6 years old!)
So you see, I started saving from a very young age. I must thank the Kindergarten teacher then and also the Malacca Post Office for initiating this savings program. Every morning, each child would buy a 10 cents stamp and affix it to a special Post Office card. When the stamps amounted to $10.00, we would go to the Post Office, hand the card over and have the amount stamped in our Savings Book. I remember as children, we were very enthusiastic and liked the idea of pasting stamps on our card and return it to the Post Office and at the same time, having our very own Savings Account book.
That was how it all started. Since that moment in 1952, I never stopped saving (and withdrawing :-) too). But it was a good habit initiated from young, don't you think so?
Full layout of the savings book when opened.
So you see, I started saving from a very young age. I must thank the Kindergarten teacher then and also the Malacca Post Office for initiating this savings program. Every morning, each child would buy a 10 cents stamp and affix it to a special Post Office card. When the stamps amounted to $10.00, we would go to the Post Office, hand the card over and have the amount stamped in our Savings Book. I remember as children, we were very enthusiastic and liked the idea of pasting stamps on our card and return it to the Post Office and at the same time, having our very own Savings Account book.
That was how it all started. Since that moment in 1952, I never stopped saving (and withdrawing :-) too). But it was a good habit initiated from young, don't you think so?
Full layout of the savings book when opened.
2 comments:
We had the same system in Trinidad too. I wonder if that was a common one in British colonies. Your narrative, with its keen recollection of the stamps and even the yellowed pages, took me back to what was once an almost magical childhood experience.
Hi Loius,
I guess it could be the same system used in all British colonies. Even the songs taught in schools had the Englishy (?) themes e.g. Loch Lomond, Auld Lang Syne, The Ash Grove, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean just to name a few. also the Nursery Rhymes like Goosie goosie Gander, Old Mother Goose, Jack and Jill. Did you have the same? And the scout songs. Well . . And during Physical Education, we did folk dancing like The Barn Dance, Scottish Relay, can't remember the names. I must blog about this one of these days.
Thanks for visiting, Louis.
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