Merry Go Round in Sungei Merah - one of the last ones left standing

Sibu as a small town did not offer much to children during my childhood. We grew up with minimal playground facilities. Even our schools were very limited in facilities because of the time and resources then.

I remember emotionally to say the least the small playground at the junction of Archer Road and Racecourse Road (where the Lands and Survey Department stands now). The other one still exists - in Sungei Merah - outside the Hua Hing Primary School.

In the photo above I am glad the Sungei Merah Playground  still remains the same in 2011 as it was in 1980's ...See the lovely shadows in the evening sun....they still evoke the same homely feeling as before ...Hopefully it will be kept as a display unit and would not be totally demolished for other kinds of development... So many people would have nice memories because of it!!

Memories of Sibu's  Archer Road Merry Go Round

One of my friends once mused when we were all sitting on the merry go round in the Archer Road Playground... "My friends...see who shall marry first?" We all laughed and answered "Nay......" Our laughter was loud and rang through the woods. 


 I supposed we all thought ourselves rather plain. We were all not so pretty and no boy had yet then came to push the merry go round for us if that was an indicator!!


It was true for in the evenings we would be just there laughing amongst girls. And it would become our habit  to vacate our places to  allow a courting couple to have their turn.


May be at that time I thought it would be better to keep my heart whole and not have a heart that was ripped apart. My friends went on to be academicians and women of substance. Some got married earlier while some did not marry at all...Some remained in Sibu and and are happily married to their chosen ones ....and now 40 or 50 years later...we still laugh and think of all those days in the playground....For many of us...no Sibu boy then did turn up to push the merry go round for us. 


Our life is still like a merry go round....we have to keep ourselves strong and be merry. We still go round and round...and don't have answers to our many questions...and I feel the same too about some things in life...there are certain things you cannot hold to your heart. There are fixed places like in the merry go round. If you jump off the merry go round at the wrong time you will hurt yourself. Be in resonance and be in sync......You can only make it go faster or slower...and keep your balance.


I have always loved looking at merry go rounds in playgrounds. And if I cannot find one I wonder why the authorities could possibly miss out such an important element for children to grow up with!! This merry go round is something memories are made of!!


And to all my friends...thanks for all the laughter in the playgrounds.....

What are your thoughts of merry go round?





circa 1930's USA

European Merry Go Round. with six open seats.

An American merry go round in a school yard.