7 Uniquely Malaysian Memories From Your Childhood You Confirm Can Relate To
Jom, let's reminisce with these #throwback memories :D
Published for McDonald's Malaysia, 20 Aug 2021, 01:01 PM
With Hari Kebangsaan coming up, it's important for us to remember what we appreciate most about our country <3
Growing up in such a diverse and vibrant country, we have experienced such an interesting and enriching childhood that we might not have gotten elsewhere. The things that shaped us as we grew up in Malaysia are what makes us who we are today, giving us such fond memories to look back on :)
In collaboration with McDonald's, we asked Malaysians to share their most memorable childhood stories that are uniquely... Malaysian!
1. "It has to be all those times when we used to balik kampung, especially during Raya"
"My kampung is in the outskirts of Kg Tenang, Labis, and it's where my oyang used to stay. We'd all head over a day before Eid, and almost immediately our mothers and aunties got to work preparing all the food for the next day.
"As kids, we'd play the usual games, like tarik upih pinang, meriam buluh, and lawan layang-layang with each other. And at the end of the day, we'd gather all the toto and pillows and everyone would sleep together."
- Firdaus, 28
2. "I'll never forget what it was like to ride the bus back every evening after school"
"The way we had to race after the bell rings to reach the bus was sooo intense. On the other hand, if the bus was late, we quickly made a detour to the ice cream man and got ourselves some aiskrim Malaysia for the road! We were always warned by the pak cik not to cause a mess with our snacks.
"I remember it used to smell so strongly of everyone's sweat along with the bus exhaust fumes. I usually distracted myself by talking with my friends the entire way home. And on those days when the traffic jam was super teruk, we even played games to pass the time."
- Parvita, 27
3. "I feel like having a birthday party at Mekdi is a super Malaysian thing, hehehe!"
"Growing up, Mekdi birthday parties were THE cool thing man. Everyone wanna come if you having a party there, haha, you'd be like the cool kid at school. I had my 10th birthday at the McD outlet in Subang Parade, and it was soooo much fun!
"We played at the mini playground, feasted on Happy Meals (nuggets ftw! <3), and the Hamburgler came to layan us. Also, I had a Pikachu cake that year and it was THE BEST THING EVERRRR!"
- Gowri, 29
4. "My biggest struggle as a child was to choose between having breakfast with my parents or watching Superman on TV"
"It was a real struggle because I loved both! I remember Superman aired at 8am and I always hoped that my parents would wake up late so that we could go out to eat breakfast after the 30-minute show was over. But it never happened.
"Most of the time, I was seduced into joining them because I loved the hawker stall aunty's nasi lemak and the kopitiam's half-boiled eggs. Sometimes, I stayed at home to watch Superman. The food tabao-ed back was never as good as eating it hot-hot there. I always regretted not joining them."
- Wan Xiang, 28
5. "Compared to getting my PMR or SPM results, waiting for UPSR results was a memory I'll never forget, because it was so nerve-wracking"
"All the Standard 6 students were ushered into a room with a few teachers. This happened after the performances we did in front of the school (though I can't remember why we had to perform in the first place). Anyway, the room went completely silent when the guru besar came in, holding a stack of UPSR result slips.
"Everyone waited with bated breath as she made her way to the front. And to our complete horror, she began announcing everyone's results out loud! As if the whole ordeal wasn't stressful enough, haihh. I remember squeezing my friend's hand tightly as the principal went through everyone's results. Finally my name was called, and I held my breath. She announced '4A's!' and I was so happy, because it meant I was going to get a kitten as a reward, hehehe."
- Shiffa, 27
6. "We didn't have Astro, so we were always excited to watch TV when we visited our cousins"
"We still got to watch some shows and movies on TV3, but I always felt jelly when my friends kept talking about the 'cooler' shows on Astro. So, you can bet the TV was the first place my siblings and I headed for when we went over to my cousins' place for family gatherings."
- Shafiq, 24
7. "I miss playing 'tiang' every morning in primary school"
"As soon as I got to school, I'd run to the canteen 'cause I knew my friends would already be playing there. We'd play until it was time to go to class, and then continue playing during rehat. Sometimes, there'd be another group of friends hogging the poles and we'd get annoyed, hahaha. I think every Malaysian kid confirm has played 'tiang'!
- Shannon, 23
Awww, it truly is heartwarming to look back on our nostalgic memories, kan? :')
From balik kampung and celebrating birthday parties, to enjoying our local delicacies, it's the little things that make us appreciate being Malaysian.
As we draw closer to tanggal 31 August, McDonald's Drive-Thru Carnival has many exciting promotions in store for you, and you can enjoy them by flaunting your Malaysian pride! :D
Hari Kebangsaan is about to get a lot more exciting, as the final week of the Drive-Thru Carnival is filled with giveaways and freebies just for you.
Azmir Jaafar, the Managing Director and Local Operating Partner of McDonald's Malaysia, says they are proud to have the trust of Malaysians, while being the most accessible and reliable drive-thru in Malaysia.
"This Merdeka month, we are embracing our Jiwa Mekdi to celebrate the festivity throughout the nation, spurring the Merdeka spirit and excitement while providing a safe and convenient option for customers, all from the comfort of their car," he added.
If you wanna win your share of 20,000 McDonald's gift cards, keep an eye out to see if you have two special numbers on your car plate!
From 27 to 30 August, head over to McDonald's social media pages, as they will announce two numbers for four consecutive days. If those numbers are on your car plate (in the right sequence), you will win a gift card when you make a purchase at your nearest McD Drive Thru, yayy!
Here's the catch though, you need to show your patriotic pride by shouting 'MERDEKA' at the Drive-Thru counter. So, if you wanna get your hands on these exclusive gift cards, dun be shy, okay? :P Show your love for Malaysia by being the first 100 customers per outlet to participate in the Merdeka Car Plate campaign, hehe.
Plus, on 31 August itself, McDonald's will be giving away 60,000 McChicken burgers. For. Free. :O
Who wouldn't want a free burger, amiright? All you gotta do is drape the Jalur Gemilang on your car, and chant 'MERDEKA' at least three times to claim your free McChicken burger. Feel free to chant up to seven times like Tunku Abdul Rahman did, if you're feeling super semangat. :P
Remember, this promo is limited to the first 300 cars per Drive-Thru outlet, so siapa cepat dia dapat!
Hurry, head over to your nearest McDonald's Drive Thru to enjoy these Hari Kebangsaan deals and promos before August ends! Find out more at McDonald's website.
