Those were the days. . .
I’m thinking of entering a series of blogs to recollect my childhood or things that trigger my memory to way back when. Perhaps it’s nostalgia but it might be that I am middle age now so things start getting sentimental on me now!
My mind harkens back to Holland Road HDB estates. It’s now quite a high priced area since its proximity is to Holland Village – a hip hangout for locals as well as foreigners. When I was a kid, the whole area was just a huge cemetery primarily belonging to the Hakka clan. I remember going with my elder brother Fred and 3 neighbors to that area when graves were being exhumed. We played hide-&-seek! It didn’t occur to us kids as creepy to be playing there at all. Of course our mothers didn’t know either!
One day, the newspapers reported a coffin was unearthed and intact (referring to the coffin itself). In the olden days, Chinese coffins were made of hard wood such as teak. They last for many years and afforded by the wealthy folks. It would have been fun to see it person. Later the place was being constructed into HDB blocks. Today, there is still a plot of cemetery in Holland area. Much smaller no doubt.
During the construction of these blocks, my brother, Fred, and neighbors Ah Lek; Ah Leng and Ah Hui, often go there to try to catch “longkang fish” and not very successful I must say. One day, we walk along a big drain (actually canal) and being a rainy season that time, we wandered into the deeper end not being careful to note that the mud and slush had gone into that drain. As we tread further and deeper, the whole place began to feel like quicksand pit. We panicked but nobody was around to help us out. Thankfully Fred maintained his calm and saw a wooden pole that was lying not too far away. With this pole he helped all of us out of that situation; I still think that we could have died that day. my neighbors blamed my brother for bringing them into danger. Amusingly they like to tag along and when things turn back, my brother always get the blame. Reminds me of the children of Israel blaming Moses at the first sign of trouble!
Holland Village was not that fancy then. A pet store selling birds and accessories was at one corner (now occupied by Cold Storage), Sandwin sports shop, and a whole host of shops that are long gone and now occupied by fast foods and upscale shops. Like now, those shops catered more to expatriate (including British armies and families staying at nearby Chip Bee Gdn). The shopping center wasn’t build yet. At the back was the open air cinema that showed older movies at 50 cents a ticket. It was a treat to be able to afford entrance fee. I think I only saw one or two movies there.
There was an old bicycle shop that was running down – an old man that fixes bikes and only a handful of bicycles there. At least he owns his own business and property. We frequented there when Fred found a discarded bike body and then saved money to buy wheels and other peripherals to make it into a full bike. We had lots of fun and scary moments then. Those were happy times for that was when Fred was around most of the time during his seconday days. He had a fall and then was soon hospitalized for quite a while. After that, we never did spent so much time anymore. I missed that.
Chip Bee Garden. That was where many of the British soldiers and the their families lived. I remember well that these folks had lots of big dogs that they probably brought over from UK when they were posted here. All I could remember was every time we walk along that road, we have to be prepared to run for our lives because these dogs would dash out of its front gates. I remembered being so scared as a 5-6 yr old boy that I wouldn’t walk even when my sister or brother tells me to do so. It was too scary then.
Speaking of dogs. Once my brother and our good ol neighbors walked along Holland Road and went into the driveway of one of those big houses. At that time, it appeared nobody was home since no car was seen at the porch. So we walk and chattered away when suddenly a dog came running out and barking. Man alive! It was running fast! We all ran and I being the smallest and youngest of all was –also the slowest of all. I yelled as I ran and then jumped over a drain like everybody else. Didn’t really make it over totally; I just made it barely – and the dog stopped right next to me. Thankfully it didn’t bite me. Otherwise, I’d been a basket case that day.
Holland Road area holds many fond memories of childhood for me. I don’t live there, I just trek there ever so often in those days. Even when I drive past it sometimes, I will recall those good’ ol days. That place has changed so much over the years and now. It’s probably a hip and snobberish place where the snooty felooty folks hang out. Sigh . . .
