The year 2024 is coming to an end.
Before we start celebrating the countdown to 2025, I just want to put on record a list of things which have disappeared or are likely to become extinct.
These should be self-explanatory for most Singaporeans. Here’s the list of things which are part of our disappearing heritage:
1. Fruit seller
2. Kaka stall
3. Toto booth
4. F & B staff who can speak dialect
5. Younger Singaporeans who know who Ong Pang Boon is
6. Friendly and homely shopping centres like Queensway shopping centre, Tay Buan Guan, Peace Centre, the old Funan centre, Katong shopping centre.
7. Kiam chye tee huang
8. Lok kai yoke
9. Midnight Teochew porridge
10. Rediffusion
11. Boomers, pioneers
12. Extensive accessible seafront for ordinary non-club Singaporeans to lepak
13. Cheap holiday chalets
14. Bumboats
15. Stray dogs
16. Trishaws
17. Large nightclubs or discos
18. Dialect-speaking comedians
19. Erudite MPs or political leaders
20. Larger-than-life show personalities like Anita Sarawak
21. Eurasians
22. Cheap Johor Bahru goods and services
23. Great rousing Fullerton rally speeches
24. Physical passports
25. Singaporeans who do not wear spectacles or contact lenses
26. Trishaws
27. Writers, journalists
28. Bus fare tickets
29. Book stores
30. Turf club
31. Hotel lobby piano lounges
32. Malaysia Cup matches
With that, I wish all a Happy New Year.
Tan Bah Bah is a former senior leader writer with The Straits Times. He was also managing editor of a magazine publishing company
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)