When I was in kindergarten, there was an aquarium shop right next to my school. It quickly became one of the most captivating places of my early childhood. I would arrive at school by 7 am, walking past the shop before it opened for the day. The shop’s hours were a mystery to me, but it didn’t really matter. Every day, as soon as school ended, our group of friends would dash over, eager to catch a glimpse of the beautiful creatures floating in the water-filled glass tanks.
We often made excuses to visit the shop, delaying our return home, just to spend more time marveling at the aquariums as if they were our own. I vividly remember using my newly learned counting skills to tally as many fish as I could, or trying to identify their colors before the shopkeeper inevitably lost patience and shooed us away. I can’t recall how many aquariums there were, but each one was mesmerizing, holding my gaze with its vibrant display.
The variety of fish, the brightly colored air pump-operated toys, and the different tank sizes are memories that have stayed with me. Even today, I still cherish those early experiences and the sense of wonder they brought into my life.