Kor kor @Balestier

I grew up in Balestier….spent a good part of my life there. This long stretch of road is interesting. It is the only road in Singapore with the most number of freaking traffic lights. In the past, there used to be lots of lar sup bars. I remember the old Hoover, President and Ruby cinemas. There was this Oriental emporium where the present Shaw Plaza is. President cinema was home to restricted movies. I recall many ah peks were hanging around there all the time. Hoover was first a movie cinema, live theater, church, Hindi movie cinema and eventually got pulled down.

Balestier is the place for bak kut teh, lighting shops, tau sar piahs, visiting the squeaky newly retrofitted Sun Yat Sun villa, Tua Pek Kong and Kuan Yin temples. Of late, budget hotels are springing up in quick succession. There can only be two ways. For lodging or a quickie.

I see this change revolving, shops selling bathroom fixtures are fast replacing the lighting shops over there. There are also the two great chicken rice shops in Boon Tong Kee and Loy Kee. I love the noodle stall at Jalan Datoh. That stall is the best institution of its kind. There is also this terrific hardware shop, Yiap Heng Cheong. For durian lovers, the line of stalls near Tua Pek Kong temple. To all bird lovers, there's the gold-haired owner of this corner bird shop near the former Pegu dental clinic. Talking about birds...there's the Golden Roast & 933 duck shops.

Back in late 86, I was playing football with my friends in the empty space behind Hoover theatre. It was in the late afternoon and guess who ran over and join us for the kickabout. It was kor kor, Leslie Cheung. He was there for a series of concerts for his then new album, Stand Up. Boy, were we surprised. I remember he was puffing away with his cigarettes after the short kickabout. How time flies…this Hong Kong superstar pop idol leapt to his death on 1 April 2003.

That football moment….with kor kor would be etched in my memories forever.