Hi, my dear cousin,
Those were the happy kiddie days when you & I would meet often whenever I stayed over at grandma's place during the school holidays.
Your house was just right behind grandma's, divided by a small field. Because of the easy walking distance separating the two houses; for easy access, a footpath was crafted out by clearing a tidy stretch of wild grass in the field just right between the two doors of the houses. Over the years, with all the many frequent steps on that footpath; interestingly, no grass could have a chance to re-surface on that stretch of soil, ha ha ha ...
So easy & convenient was the accessibility that I did not have to worry about sometime having to stay up a little late at your place to finish watching a TV program together with all my other dear cousins (of course, I am referring to Pat, Victor & Sylvia). For the sake of my safety, you would stood by your back door to make sure that I have safely walked across the pitch-dark field back to grandma's house & shut my door behind me before you would shut yours. Thank you for that thoughtfulness - I appreciate that deep down in my heart.
I believe you will remember, one of our favourite past-times was to stroll the shopping area around the Hollywood Theatre along Tanjong Katong Road. That theatre was situated next to the Lion City Hotel. The site is now occupied by Sheng Shiong Supermarket. In those days, there wasn't any such hip places like those we can see along the Orchard Road belt now. Anyway, that was our hip during that time, ha ha ha.
We, the two cousins, would spend many afternoons window shopping in the Chinese Emporium & buy our favourite yummy snacks with our savings from school pocket money. Oh! I really miss the fragrant spicy chicken curry puffs. Hmmm ... those chunky chicken meat & not too mashy potatoes inside. That kind of flavour nowhere to be found these days. Not even the now famous Old Chang Kee has fight for it. I loved to bring back a piece for our grandma as well whenever we patronized the curry puff store. As a kid,I truly enjoyed watching her carefully sink her teeth into the yummy afternoon snack I brought back for her with my pocket money.
I am glad my recent day out with you to the Holland Shopping Centre was a fruitful one. Not only have you added to your wardrobe many pieces of cheery & comfortable tops but also we had time to enjoy our lunch at the newly opened Sushi Teh & also leisurely had our tea-break at the Holland Village Food Centre.
Although time has moved forward, but to me, you are still the same cousin I will always remember.
