Changes (Saturday, September 26, 2009 / 12:16 AM)
Singapore changes at lightning speed. You would see buildings sprouting out in a split second. Like that day when I was walking along Keong Saik Road, I suddenly realise that there's a building rising up.
That's the Duxton HDB flat. Looking good.
It's great that Singapore is advancing. But I sometimes think... there's just no space for reminiscing, for nostalgia.... Not even my dear NYGH. It moved to a new campus shortly after I graduated. So even when I wanna 回母校, the new campus is just a stranger to me. :(
Sometimes, I'm very grateful that Malaysia, on the other hand, has the "luxury" of space for nostalgia. Every time I go back to Malacca, I'm just glad that all my favourite food places are exactly as they were since I was young.
Last weekend, I suddenly remembered a kopitiam that I used to visit a lot when I was a kid. So I brought Diya and Jiaqi there for breakfast. And I was so glad to find it as it was. The drink seller is still the same guy with a towel wrapped around his neck... (din get a picture)
The 粿條仔 uncle looks exactly the same with the same quiet frown! (he doesn't even seem to have aged.)
The 瓦煲飯 uncle looks a little older with a little less hair, but flipping the claypots with a thick table cloth in the exact same enthusiasm and precision.
Ooohh.. and our favourite 咖哩面 auntie sporting the same hairdo (since we started eating there about 19 years ago). She's still screaming at her staff with the same loudness and angst. I'm so scared of her. I never dared to order from her. But that day, I had to order cos I was the only who has eaten there before ma! aahhh...
kowaii~ (scared)
The funny thing is... I noticed something new.. the yellow papers on the pillar (refer to last pic of curry noodle auntie)... it says...
"Price subject to changes according to customer's attitude."
and the piece below says..
"If you are arrogant, grouchy, irritable or just a pain in the ass, there will be a RM10 charge for putting up with your shit."
HAHAHAHAHHA!!! And I thought the auntie was grouchy. hmm.. That pool of money should be pretty full. Woo! I wonder who put the notice up and why. I'm sure there's at least 3 juicy stories behind those 2 yellow papers.
Ok, back to my point... about the non-change. When I went back to the kopitiam, I was just so impressed that everything is the same! And I wonder, what makes these 3 stall owners stay at the same spot, doing the same things, for about 20 years. Wow!
Everyone has a place in this world. And their place is here at a kopitiam in Tmn Sri Tebrau. If they are not happy or not doing well, I'm sure they will move somewhere else or do something else. But no, they are here. And I thought that this is probably their destiny. Destiny does not have to be HUGE! Destiny could be selling claypot rice. 行行出狀元，就是這個意思吧。All 3 stalls are famous one hor... dun prey prey.
But of course there were changes for the better too. Like the tables and chairs are newer and nicer. The place looks cleaner. The claypot guy has more staffs and they were all in neat polo T uniform. He had a new nice logo with new menu.
lardidar~
aaahh... I love to enjoy these little things in life. It makes me happy! and think "Isn't life beautiful?" Well, at least for that moment.... haha.
Labels: thoughts
