Feb 24, 2009
I AM a 45-year-old Singaporean much in love with this country, which I am proud to call home. Over the years, I have visited a few other beautiful countries, but I cannot see myself living anywhere else but in Singapore.
However, as much as I call Singapore my home, there is almost nothing of it I can connect to when I try to look back in memory.
A few weeks ago, I decided to drive my parents around to revisit places to try to recapture the fond memories of our earlier years. There was almost no place familiar left to go. Almost everything has been eradicated. It was a sad morning.
I am sure, to the zealots of change and development, this means nothing at all, and others may say people like me are like a broken record (nostalgia) that gets stuck and plays the same thing over and over, but I feel it is very sad.
The little we have left is also about to go: the last kampung in Buangkok, the New Seventh Storey Hotel and so on. Who needs the kampung in Buangkok when there is the shiny plastic version in Geylang Serai, right? After all, it is clean, safe and pristine.
With reference to last Monday's letter by Ms Lisa Healey-Cunico, 'Let Singapore shape itself naturally', I fully agree that Singapore has lost much of its soul. It truly seems we have an unquenchable need to wipe out and develop anything and everything. Alternatively, if a place is deemed worthy of heritage, redevelopment sets in with the original tenants, who contributed to the colour of the place, removed because of high rent and commercialisation.
Maybe I am just getting old, but I would like to be able to visit some places in Singapore with nothing added but a few coats of paint over the years. I resort to flea markets for photocopy pictures sold at three for $10. I used these to share old stories with my parents and daughters. That is all there is. Needless to say, one of my favourite haunts is Sungei Road. I am certain it is already in someone's plans for eradication.
I appeal to whoever can make the difference, please leave some things as they are.
I love you, Singapore, but I fear I do not remember you.
Vincent Paul Carthigasu
------------------
online reply
------------------
Hi Vincent,
This is Ms Healey-Cunico who wrote to the forum last Monday. I really enjoyed reading your article. It was very eloquent and it is comforting to see that some Singaporeans are very apt to preserving what was once crucial to our identity. I realise that there are many people who take the offensive route of having a thug mentality rather then a gentleman's mentality of an opinion towards the plight that people like you and I see as an important one. I was once accused of being nostalgic - but I disagree. I think preservation of one's heritage, and to do it so eloquently like you have (and hopefully myself included) will lend itself to making others understand the importance of keeping some tradition in architecture.
I will refute anyone who tells me that I am old fashioned. I am 36 years old. Hardly old-fashioned.
Best Wishes,
Ms HC.
Posted by: snowqueenhibiscus at Tue Feb 24 13:07:43 SGT 2009
I AM a 45-year-old Singaporean much in love with this country, which I am proud to call home. Over the years, I have visited a few other beautiful countries, but I cannot see myself living anywhere else but in Singapore.
However, as much as I call Singapore my home, there is almost nothing of it I can connect to when I try to look back in memory.
A few weeks ago, I decided to drive my parents around to revisit places to try to recapture the fond memories of our earlier years. There was almost no place familiar left to go. Almost everything has been eradicated. It was a sad morning.
I am sure, to the zealots of change and development, this means nothing at all, and others may say people like me are like a broken record (nostalgia) that gets stuck and plays the same thing over and over, but I feel it is very sad.
The little we have left is also about to go: the last kampung in Buangkok, the New Seventh Storey Hotel and so on. Who needs the kampung in Buangkok when there is the shiny plastic version in Geylang Serai, right? After all, it is clean, safe and pristine.
With reference to last Monday's letter by Ms Lisa Healey-Cunico, 'Let Singapore shape itself naturally', I fully agree that Singapore has lost much of its soul. It truly seems we have an unquenchable need to wipe out and develop anything and everything. Alternatively, if a place is deemed worthy of heritage, redevelopment sets in with the original tenants, who contributed to the colour of the place, removed because of high rent and commercialisation.
Maybe I am just getting old, but I would like to be able to visit some places in Singapore with nothing added but a few coats of paint over the years. I resort to flea markets for photocopy pictures sold at three for $10. I used these to share old stories with my parents and daughters. That is all there is. Needless to say, one of my favourite haunts is Sungei Road. I am certain it is already in someone's plans for eradication.
I appeal to whoever can make the difference, please leave some things as they are.
I love you, Singapore, but I fear I do not remember you.
Vincent Paul Carthigasu
------------------
online reply
------------------
Hi Vincent,
This is Ms Healey-Cunico who wrote to the forum last Monday. I really enjoyed reading your article. It was very eloquent and it is comforting to see that some Singaporeans are very apt to preserving what was once crucial to our identity. I realise that there are many people who take the offensive route of having a thug mentality rather then a gentleman's mentality of an opinion towards the plight that people like you and I see as an important one. I was once accused of being nostalgic - but I disagree. I think preservation of one's heritage, and to do it so eloquently like you have (and hopefully myself included) will lend itself to making others understand the importance of keeping some tradition in architecture.
I will refute anyone who tells me that I am old fashioned. I am 36 years old. Hardly old-fashioned.
Best Wishes,
Ms HC.
Posted by: snowqueenhibiscus at Tue Feb 24 13:07:43 SGT 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment