Recently I was in Myanmar for a business trip. On my way back to the airport, I shared the hotel car with a Japanese visitor. During our conversation, I remarked that Yangon was very much like Singapore during the time when I was a kid. Many of the old British style buildings resemble those in Singapore.
He was surprised and said that Singapore must have changed a lot during the past few decades. Yes, and too fast, I replied.
It occurred to me that life in Singapore, the physical landscape especially, has changed a lot during our lifetime. There are very few spots that have not changed during the past 30 years.
I have therefore started this blog to share my memories of life back in the 60' s and 70's when we were kids. If you are my age group, I am sure you too have a lot to share. Whenever, my old and friends and relatives get together, we like to reminisce about the good old days.
Hope you like the articles I put up here.
Incidentally, the title of my blog is inspired by the opening lines of Paul Anka's classic, Times of Your Life:
“Good morning, yesterday.
You wake up and time has slipped away.
And suddenly it's hard to find
The memories you left behind.
Remember; do you remember,
The times of your life?"
Lam Chun See
15 Sep 2005
8 comments:
I presume you like the song "Yesterday Once More" too.
Not really. Can't explain why I prefer Paul Anka's song.
Maybe it has to do with this one incident that happened back in 1970-something when I was undergoing army training in Taiwan. One day, we were walking (patrolling is the correct word) along a dried up river bed near our camp in Heng Chun (it was summer) when I heard this song from a house nearby. It made me feel very homesick.
The song also reminds me of the Kodak advertisement where Paul Anka sanged this song with headphones on, in a recording studio. Have you seen it before? Last year, I actually sent an email to Kodak, suggesting that they run this advertisement again. No need to explain. Just run the same advert with scratches and all and the audience will get the message. But they rejected my idea.
Anyway, I like the lyrics very much. Paul Anka's voice also has a certain sadness and longing in it, and it makes you feel nostalgic.
Hi, learnt about your blog from folks at SG Heritage group. You're the first Singaporean blogger that I know who's over 50. Congrats, and welcome to the Blogosphere. Have subscribed to your blog and will be interested in what else you have to say. Cheers.
Found out about your blog via Tomorrow. What a great idea for you to document all these old memories from the common folks. I still missed the old Singapore that I grew up in the 60's & 70's even though we were poor. We used to live in Kampong Eunos near Changi Road & Still Road. The outhouse, one common tap for all the people in the Kampong to get their water & all the kids to play & run around with in the lalangs and climb the rambutan trees with! I was born in the late '50's & I certainly remembered Paul Anka's Times of your life Kodak commercial well, & is one of my favorite songs of all times. Excellent choice to call your blog that.
Hey, now that you mentioned the old Kodak advertisement, I do have a vague memory of it although I must have been just a little kid then. I've always loved that Paul Anka song; it's got a tinge of sadness but that's the beauty of the song.
Like your idea. Actually I started writing down about my life in Singapore during the early day. The reason for that was to preserve a piece of Singapore past for my kids... I did not get it printed in my own blog through. Maybe would do that, then we could create a link...
Hello Mr Lam, :)
Did Kodak give you a reason why they rejected your idea to run that tv advert? My other half grew up in UK and have not seen this advert. What a shame.
On the topic of tv advert, I fondly remember 2 classic tv adverts - Ribenia [boy under the tree sipping Ribenia] and Baygon [Roaches saying in Hokkien, "bi di chu lai boh ta chi"] :D
Perhaps one day, MediaCorp might be interested to do variety show where audience gets to vote the best classic advert. ;)
- Kastlekonfusion -
Hi there. No, Kodak did not give any reason. I guess they receive tons of suggestions each year. Anyway, I have speculated elsewhere that there might be some copyright issues involved.
As for the 2 ads you mentioned, yes I remember the Ribena one; including the line .."Yes, but not too much." I cannot remember the Baygon one.
Post a Comment