Money grow on trees

I love to tell this story. In my early teens, my father hardly ever gave me pocket money. When I asked him for some, he would simply say "There, on the trees". No amount of crying helped. So from an early age I had to learn to earn my own money.

Actually, money did grow on trees – banana trees, durian trees, rambutan, langsat, mangosteen trees and rubber trees. Although the fruit trees have their seasons, our banana plantation seems to be fruiting all year round. So with a bit of determination and sweat, I'd go up the hill behind our house and bring down a few tandans of bananas to sell them to the local towkay – who came on his bicycle or sometimes a motorbike – to buy my bananas or durians or whatever. So even as a teenager, I was pretty well off. That was in the early 50's.