Old school kopitiam

How many of you have your coffee fix, well I am at my local coffee shop but never been to Tong Ah for my breakfast and coffee.  As you all have come to know that the said old school charm had been sold in July 2013 and by August the shutters fall.  The iconic building was built in 1939 and had been there from start till its last day around 75 years of history even before I was born.  I hope that the new owner will keep its original facade and maybe call it Tong Ah Hotel hahaha so Chinese.  One of these days I would take a trip down to their new shop to taste their coffee, kaya toast and half-boiled eggs.

Exterior Facade

Corner View

Jade Emperor alter

MBCC

Marina Bay Cruise Centre (MBCC) aka The International Cruise Terminal is at 61, Marina Coastal Drive just a stone throw away from Marina South Pier where we take our trips out to the Southern Island.  I remember is cost a cool S$ 500 million to construct in 2009.  The centre was completed in 2012 and business start right away.  It was operated by SATS Creuers Services...so welcome on board and set sail.

MBCC

Address

Customer Service

Arrival & Departure

Legend of the Sea

Clifford Pier

Clifford Pier was built in 1933 named after Sir Hugh Clifford, Governor of the Straits Settlements.  It was replacing then Johnston's Pier which was worn out also known as the Red lamp harbour referring to red beacons shone over the pier at night as a warning to ships plying there. Clifford Pier was later used as a terminal for tourist and who board small boats or ferries heading for the Southern Island.  During the annual pilgrimage season to Kusu Island.  It ceases operation in 2006 due to the construction of the Marina Barrage a dam was built and it turns it into a reservoir the place was later turned into retail, leisure, entertainment and a Hotel which included the former Custom Harbour Branch. For those heading to the southern island now use the Marina South Pier.

Clifford Pier view from MBS

Marina South Pier

Red Lantern

Red Lantern

The Oasis

View from the old National Stadium

The Oasis the most famous landmark around the Indoor Stadium and the old National Stadium.  Its is famous for its Taiwan Porridge, Night Club, KTV Seafood Restaurant.  In 2007 the construction of the Circle line commences and the digging begins. Business goes on as usual until the demolition of the National Stadium in 2010 that the building had to go for the new Sports Hub.  Come May 2014 when the Sports Hub open Oasis is already history.  The same Taiwan Porridge had moved to Toa Payoh Town Park after had been in business for about 40 years.  Taiwan Porridge anyone?

Floating Seafood Restaurant

Rocking, Rolling, Riding

Tiong Bahru Park is located between Henderson, Bukit Merah and Lower Delta Road, it was developed in 1967 and later combined with a nursery site in 1977.  In 2000 it begin upgraded to a new image.  The 3.9-hectare park is able to meet the requirement of the resident and non-resident recreational needs of different groups of park user.  Many children also have great enjoyment with the adventure playground equipped with a tilting train and an old-time favourite the merry go round.  Park user can also carry out workouts and even foot reflexology.

Merry go round

Missed but not forgotten

The Lion City Hotel at 15, Tanjong Katong Road was once the pride of the east side of Singapore. There Happy Restaurant, once house a Chinese emporium it was opened in 1968 and was demolished in 2011 after 43 years.

Then there is Hollywood Theatre which was opened 10 years early in 1958, it caters mainly to the Chinese speaking communities showing mandarin, Cantonese and Teochew movies later the premises were converted into a church-run by City Harvest and later on as a supermarket run by Sheng Siong.

Cinema-goers was able to catch a bite waiting for the shows to start at Hin Hollywood Canteen, some of the stallholders can be found at the nearby Haig Road market.  In its place will rise a new mall known as One KM and also 200 plus housing units tentatively call Katong Regency.

Gone with the wind

During the Fifty and Sixties Geylang Serai had a handful of cinema screening Hindustani Movies & Bollywood craze had hit Singapore  they are Garrick, Queens, Taj (later renamed Singapura by Shaw Brothers)

The other cinemas around the area are Roxy, Palace, Ocean, Odeon Katong found along East Coast Road and Siglap.

For us as a teenage we are always watching shows at Haig Road (where they called is Government Quarters),  Ten cents is all needed to attend the show such as Orang Minyak, Pontianak, and lots comedy shows starring P. Ramlee, Wahid Satay, Aziz Sater, Ahmad Daud, Jin Shamsudin..etc.  We were also able to catch a free movie at the Old Joo Chiat Police Station and our very own Joo Chiat Community Centre.  When my son told me that Singapura had been demolished I decided to walk and take a look and true enough everything was gone only a piling rig and some excavators are found at the site today (see image) Luckily for me I still have an only single picture of the old Singapura which was capture during Hari Raya way back in 2005