little by little, fragments of my physical environment are changing as we progress as a society as a means to better our life. I miss some of them especially when you have fond memories attached to it.
You see, Singapore 20 years ago and Singapore now, kids then vs now probably don’t share the same meaning of ‘fun’.
this favourite among 80s kids
Dragon Sand pit Playground – Courtesy of Remembering Singapore
This was my favourite when i was a kid!
– Courtesy of CNNgo
Has been replaced with this:
Courtesy – Singaporesnapshots
Well, the rationale was simple, hygiene. HFMD was waiting to unleash itself onto the young in the sand. but it was the same sand that i could build sandcastles of imagination without needing to head to the beach! i had scrapes from falls in the sand but that made me pick myself up, dust the sand off and carried on playing. That could be upbringing too, but never mind separate discussion.
However fast everything is quickly being replaced for better amenities, infrastructure etc, I still love the pasar malams (night markets) that bloom once every school holiday season. There’s something about how it makes however edgy a HDB estate look like home. Even though the stuff at these pasar malams dont hold the same standard as before, it just never fails to get me excited and wanting to visit one thought I know I’m going to walk out with nothing in my hand. Except maybe a chicken wing, taiwanese sausage, fish crackers, cotton candy, cup corn – yea nothing much.
It reminds me of meeting friends just to grab something from the pasar malam akin to going to a shopping centre. then the most important of it all. When pasar malam also meant funfairs. It was family time out together, maybe that would explain why I still love the oh-so sinful cotton candy – it meant me and my brother tearing of the soft cotton fighting for the last bit of sweet and licking the paper just cause. And the funfair games where stuff could be won. and silly rides with battery operated toy cars you could ride around otherwise only drool while running around in toys-r-us.
The simple life as I last remembered it to be pristine.
its not the same anymore for me as a grown up, i wonder whats it like for kids these days…
corrin nicole 