My Home Town

Port Dickson, Malaysia — A nostalgic connection.

I have lived in many places during my childhood and adult life. The one place I will always call my hometown is Port Dickson in Malaysia. Port Dickson (PD for short) was where I completed my high school studies. It is a coastal town south of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, that still exudes its small-town charm. In 1963 my father was transferred by Shell Oil from Singapore to PD and it became my home during my high school years and beyond.

Since I had four other siblings, Shell Oil had to locate a large enough home for the family. My father was provided with a bungalow right on the beach. At high tide, we could step out of the house onto the seawall and dive into the water. We also had a couple of canoes that we often used. At low tide, we could walk to the little island or play cricket right on the beach. My siblings and I had a wonderful and active childhood in this home. It was a memorable home to grow up in.

When I returned to PD a few years ago I noticed how the beach that was once just a step from the house is now reclaimed land almost all the way to the little island. The old home has been grandly renovated. It is not the home I once knew but it will offer different and just as important memories to those who now live in it.

After I left school and moved away to work in Kuala Lumpur, I returned to PD on the weekends. When I was working overseas in the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, the USA, Jordan, and Japan, we returned to Malaysia and PD at least once every other year for a holiday. Now, retired in the USA, a trip back to Malaysia, whenever possible, always includes a visit to PD.

School was of course an important part of my life in PD. Although we graduated in 1966, many of my former classmates are still around. Over the past few years with the help of the class connector Hon Leong, many of us have reconnected in person and on social media.

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