Most of us, my secondary school friends, did. But recently I met a girl that remembers place as well as I will.
This girl I knew used to hang out at the 'paramount' after school. She would often eat the 'char kway teow' at the coffeeshop near the place... or go to the old records stall at the end of the street. And whenever she had the time and cash, she would try to catch the latest movies with her friends at the cinema. She misses that place... I can tell from her story she told me recently. I felt the same way too.
I too experienced the same thing... I would hang out at the 'paramount' to play arcade games after school. X-men, KOF, Metal Slug or Street Fighter. You name it, they had it. And every once in a while, we would wait for the occasional chance to play pool or billiards when there was a free table. And I remembered having to run away once because the uncle suspected we were underage.
Like the girl... I grew up there with my best mates from Saint Gabriels. That 'girl' was my mother, a 'gardens kid'. Although I never stayed at gardens before... I am also a 'garden kid'... someone who spent most of his/her time at gardens after school... to engaged in activities that can only be 'lived' when we were young.
Even though my mum and I hang out there in different eras... we both felt attached to the place. As old as we are... when I look back at the photos I do remember myself as a teenager again; living among my memories in the photograph. It feels at the moment... magical... because time stops and you get a chance to see your teenage life again.
I miss the building and its 'places of meaning'. I believe many of you do as well.
Where 'Fun world' used to be.I can still hear the 'hardoken' or the sound of billard balls hitting one another
Stairway of escape.I remembered running down this flight of stairs to get away from the uncle at the billiard centre.
Surgery of 'Paramount'I managed to capture the beginning of the destruction to this memoriable place my mother and I shared.
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