I have been really busy. Apart from my work, my assignments were due last week and examinations are just hiding around corner. Sometimes it feels like being rope-dragged in 4 directions by 4 horses running in different directions. There is a Chinese phrase that describes that kind of agony, but I’ve forgotten the hanyu pinyin spelling. Today is a Saturday yet I just spent my whole afternoon studying, its really nb sian.

Anyway, allow me to digress towards the direction of my meaningful title.

I think it was part of Mediacorp’s futile attempt to boast users for their online MOBTV service. On the Monday 2 weeks ago, I so happened to watch a re-run episode of a 1980’s Chinese drama series called “Mi Li Ye”. You probably won’t remember this, but the theme song is friggin eerie but nice.

Theme Song - Mi Li Ye

[Download]

Cheesy plot paired with decent acting. However, the highlight was that everything in it represents 80’s Singapore. It was a throwback for my diminishing memory during primary school years. I got so interested just watching the backdrop of the 80’s architecture, layouts and buildings.

I couldnt take it. There were a few buildings/places in the show that I have never seen before in my 23 years of Singapore life. So, I went to research here and there.

Before durian esplanade, did you know we actually had a National Theatre? And before the vibrant and expensive Sentosa underwater world, did you also not know we had an aquarium near town?

Both are true. The National Theatre used to stand near the junction of River Valley Road and Clemenceau Avenue, while Van Kleef Aquarium was located near the foot of fort Canning. Both were unfortunately X-ed out by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in mid 1980’s, long before I had any chance to know about it, let alone see it.

Somehow, there seems to be an increasing number of missing pieces of Singapore history for our younger generation. I deduced from the pragmatic and non-preserving stance (remember our ex-national library) of our very own gov development boards, that our older generations should reminisce and play a role to tell tales of early Singapore.

Anyway, you could check out from your older siblings or parents, especially those born before 1980. They would probably be familiar with this 2 places, apparently it was quite a excursion hot-spot for student and - lovers.

To be continued…

1. National Theatre

2. Van Kleef Aquarium