I went to the Ma’ema’e Elementary School in Honolulu, Hawaii after Dad got transferred from Calexico, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii when I was 6 years old. Dad was made an honorary citizen of Calexico (and given an honorary key) before we departed for Hawaii. I have some very sweet memories of living in both Calexico and Honolulu.
This was during the era where people will just take your word for it and will not ask for proof of identification. Therefore, my Dear mother decided to send me off to school earlier than I was supposed to. She did it so that I can start learning from an earlier age, but I told mom that this has actually affected the behavior aspects of my life. I’m always the youngest in the class (and at home), and I’m always the most immature one in the class, because… I’m not supposed to be in the class yet! π I’m an Aries, I was born a leader. But because of this, I end up becoming a follower in life…
My English name was actually “Mary”, and when mom decided to send me off to school earlier in Calexico, she changed my name to “Helen”, and reported my age older than my actual age. I actually think I prefer the name “Mary”, as “Helen” often gets mispronounced & misspelled as “Hellen”, “Ellen”, or “Halen”, etc. There was a phase when I got so annoyed about it, that when I went and ordered for food pickup, I’ll just give them a name that’s easy to pronounce and spell, such as “Susan”. I just had to remember that when they called “Susan”, that they’re actually calling me. If I had a choice though, I think I would prefer to be called “Cindy”, like the supermodel, “Cindy Crawford”. I just think that “Cindy” is a sweet name, and kind of suits my personality.
When we arrived in South Africa, it was early in the morning. My Dear father took my sister and I straight to our high school! π Since we started in the middle of the school year, I could be bumped up a year, or bumped down a year. They gave my sister and I some tests, e.g. Math test, to see where to place us. Guess what they chose for me? They bumped me up a year. Taiwan is about 2 years ahead of the US and other Western countries in terms of the Mathematics curriculum, and I remember the teacher was telling the entire class how good my Math is. So once again, I’m even more younger now than my classmates…
So, this is why I ended up starting dental school at the young age of 17, when my EQ was no where near the level of my IQ…
When the sun shines in the valley, O’er our school so cool and green,
underneath the shady monkeypod, happy children work and play.
In our hearts there’ll always be,
thoughts of dear old Ma’ema’e.
Picturesque you’ll always be,
a school so very dear to me.
Picturesque you’ll always be,
a school so very dear so me.
Loyal to our banner gay, green and yellow proudly wave.
Always forward, never backward, lead us each and every day.
In our hearts there’ll always be,
thoughts of dear old Ma’ema’e.
Picturesque you’ll always be,
a school so very dear to me.
Picturesque you’ll always be,
a school so very dear so me.