Thanks to Horace Wee with his eidetic memory, and a heart to share his stories with me. It's one of 7 to 8 parts in a series. So, sit tight...
A child born in the turbulence of a World War and the Japanese invasion of South- East Asia, time may have dimmed many memories. Yet I still recall short vivid flashes of vision and sound from those early years. Rose syrup sunsets at Port Dickson when my father perched me on the veranda railings and my aunt rattling a bamboo pole to chase away a “musang” (wild cat). The rumbling sounds of British military vehicles on a road in Kuala Lumpur/Malaya after the Japanese surrender and the long hot trip by rail to Singapore.
Returning to the British Colonial administration of Singapore, streets were rather chaotic. Vendors with push carts, makeshift stalls or just baskets were everywhere. The music trends were still reminiscent of the pre-war era. Crooners such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Eddie Fisher, cowboy singers Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Rosemary Clooney, Patti Page, Doris Day, Patsy Kline, Loretta Lynn, the Andrew Sisters and many others were popular with songs like Cruising Down The River, Truly Truly Fair, Doggie in the Window.
The professional musicians who had joined the Japanese Syonan orchestra returned to playing at live entertainment venues. For cheap entertainment, the public flocked to amusement parks like The Great, Happy World and New World where one would find stalls selling everything from household goods, snacks, and simple games such as an air rifle shooting gallery. Occasional trade fairs offered more choices. At times, a female vocalist singing in Mandarin would permeate through the crowd noise.
On warm evenings, with the scent of the sea along the East Coast Road, many would head for the seaside at the end of Bedok. Rows of carts lit by hurricane and carbide lamps [image] would be serving local delicacies like “rojak” [image: local shrimp paste tossed salad] and toasted cuttlefish served with spicy sauces.
