I was told that already at my birth I caused arguments among my older siblings. My parents and their 4 kids lived in Atambua, Timor in 1950. (see map below)
From what I know the time they lived there was most enjoyable to them. My father was with the police force and his first assignment immidiately after WW2 was a transfer to the island of Timor and his objective was to prepare the natives for the Indonesian government to take over from the Dutch. I believe that Kupang was the first 'town' they settled, then moved to Kefa (Kefamenanu) then to Atambua, where I was born.

Indonesian history tells us that it was first colonized by the Dutch, then the Portugees, the British and at the end again under Dutch rule.

The 4 kids were:
my brother Ron and sisters, Yvon, Nan and Metan. So when I was born they all hoped it would be a boy; and yes I was. The story goes that single handedly I caused arguments among my brother and sisters.

I do wondering if over the years and well into my life now, I am still causing friction among them?
Who knows!

They fought over "who should carry me FIRST! and who could look after me FIRST!" So much 'LOVE' and so much 'JELOUSY' (lol)
I love the attention!

I remember having dinner (hot meals were taken in the afternoon) with my 3 older sisters under supervision of mom on the back porch; and when we are sitting around the diningroom table, the 4 of us would sell each other parts of our food, much to our parents dislike.

One day my dad started to build a boat. (there is a picture somewhere!) A boat, he said will take us all the way to the island of Java to visit the family and pickup oma Poel and opa Jan. My mom's parents.

I still remember my first crush for this chinese girl. Oh how sweet she was!(I think!) And my Oom and tante Bali. He was dad's collegue. They could not have children and were very fond of me, to the point of wanting to adopt me when they went back to the island of Bali, their home. Anything I wanted was mine. I was told that they bought and gave me the finest foods and clothing, perhaps even toys. To tell you the truth, all I remember was that one day they came to visit us and brought with them fresh fruit and food, specially for me. While in another basket there was food for the other members of the family. Difference was that mine was fresh and theirs wasn't!

I remember building a fortress with the other kids in the neighborhood. The fortress was build in the ditch in front of our house, using sticks and grass clippings??? Don't ask, it worked! We had our fortress and then suddenly a thunderstorm and gone was the fortress.

Memories of going to the sea. On weekends I think. Using the inner tube of a tire, cause we couldn't swim. My brother was a 'water rat' Then going on trips to Malino, somewhere in the mountains not far from Makasar. Very chilly place, but what a time I had. Must have cause I still remember it.

In 1955/56 we moved to the main Island, Java. We stayed in Jakarta with my grandmother for awhile then moved to Bandung. We would stay there for another 5 years, then went to Holland in 1961.