Over the last few years, I realise I tend to look back upon the past more frequently than ever. I think it’s because I miss the days when life was carefree and I had more time to enjoy the simple things in life.

Recently, my dad randomly asked if I remember the first movie he brought me to. Of course I do! I remember I was so excited when he told me he was bringing me to the cinema to watch Casper the friendly ghost. To me, it was a big deal! It was my first time to the cinema and I thought it was amazing to be able to watch cartoon on such a big screen and over a packet of kacang puteh. These days, many of these old cinemas have been refurbished with modern facilities and the technology’s so advanced that we won’t settle for anything less that IMAX, 3D or Gold Class. But truth be told, even though all these facilities didn’t exist when I caught my first movie, I still went home feeling extremely satisfied and happy. Today, this remains as one of the fondest memories that I share with my dad.

Also, back at the neighbourhood where I used to stay, there were provision shops under the HDB blocks and every day, it was a treat to be able to buy a candy or a cold drink while my mother had random conversations with the aunty who owns the shop. Sometimes, the neighbours would also gather around the void deck during the evening after dinner. These days, there are lesser and lesser provision shops. We get our groceries from NTUC and modern convenient stores such as 7-eleven. Sure, it’s more comfortable shopping at these places but gone are the friendly and daily chatters we used to share with the store owners and neighbours.  

One of my favourite childhood activities was heading to the playground. Back then, playgrounds meant see-saw, swings and sand. I would bring my toy sand digger and make sand castles, sit on the swing for hours on end, play hide and seek with the neighbours until my mum had to drag me home. These days, playgrounds with sand are rare and few and I think kids prefer playing with their iPhones and computers these days than get dirty.

These memories mean a lot to me because it reminds me of why I call this place home. The sad thing is, much of my childhood have become merely memories. Most of the places I grew up at are either gone or refurbished beyond recognition. Sometimes, I fear that I will forget these warm moments in life as I grow older. Thankfully, while I was visiting the places for our Smart Report in the August issue, many of these happy memories came flooding back. Armed with nothing but a camera and a list of places to explore, it was a joy just reminiscing the good old days and learning more about the country I grew up in. So if you haven’t made plans for the weekend, why not take a walk down memory lane? We have put together a list of 47 places that are familiar but might-soon-to-be-gone (on page 121 of CLEO August issue). You will be surprise at how much fun you can have just thinking about the good old days.