Toa Payoh

After foot reflexology at TPY with CY today, I took the chance to walk the stretch of shops parallel to HDB Hub.

Many of the shops were tiny, being half the usual shop size. But big or small, they were all packed with goods, in the shop and outside just beyond the walkway. And the whole place was so crowded!

I was rather happy just roaming about. It reminded me of my childhood and teenage years - having KFC with my uncle's family when KFC still provided utensils, ML bringing us shopping one afternoon - and she got me my first lipstick! - and me bringing my little cousins out to get a school bag for them.

Later I would go there often because I worked nearby in Thomson. As there was no food in the evening at the canteen, I would head to TPY Macs for a meal + snack while using their wifi to work. And Yan and I used to enjoy snacks at the Macs in Braddell.

Just about a month ago, Sito and I were there. As we passed by TPY Town Park, I had a glimpse of the bridge made up of hexagonal stoney material. As a kid, I loved going there on Sunday mornings before we went to find Grams. I remember how I would want to sit on the hexagon but was scared about falling through the hole into the pond - perhaps cos I was warned that I could fall in? I cannot remember clearly - I was maybe five or younger.

But I know there is this photo taken of Mother carrying baby MZ in the park. In the background of that photo, I can be spotted rummaging through Mother's bag for snacks :p I will go look for that photo one day and scan it!

Back to today, on the way to Grams' place, I happened to look up and saw an old man looking out from the wall of his corridor on the eighth or ninth floor. I noticed how these old flats had these metal grills at the corners of the block. I could see some bicycles chained to some of these grills. As I walked past the playground full of screaming kids and saw two little girls playing at the stairs landing, I thought of how we used to play there when we were kids, how we used to play with our cousins when they were kids.

I realised that I really liked this neighbourhood :)