step back
wondering wad the hell i’m doing here? i’m on bloc leave til aug 19. but i need to go back for guard duty on thurs. bleargh sianz.
i paid a visit to baba peter wee today. he owns dis shophouse along east coast rd called katong antique house. walking into his shop, which also doubles as a home, u get alitttle disoriented. cos u’re like stepping back into the past. u suddenly find urself surrounded by peranakan antique furniture, portraits, memorabilia n wad not. its as if time had stood still.
its a welcome place of solace into the past, away from the noise n hussle of the street. the walls r drenched in history, the shophouse being a hand-me-down from peter wee’s maternal grandmother. every face, furniture n every object tells a story. harking back to a time when katong was a quiet suburb, a place of recluse from the city. within walking distance of the coastline.
his house realli is a treasure trove of the past. n it doesn’t haf the museum feel. it all feels very homely n cosy. the place has a spirit, a soul u usually don’t find in ‘old’ places these days.
sitting in a strategic corner n doing some sketches, i soaked in the atmosphere. peter wee n some of his guests n aunts were chatting away softly in baba malay. soft strains of peranakan folk music. complete wif all the eclectic furniture n old portraits staring down at u, its like living the past in the present. there’s a stillness in the place dats therapeutic, almost magical. almost fascinating. its realli an eye-opener.
i left wif memories, some new friends, sketches, photos n 2 boxes of pineapple tarts haha. after reluctant goodbyes, n stepping out back into the 21st century, i feel as though i lived 2 eras in one day. which made me feel dats its realli great to keep looking forward. but its also equally important to remember the past.
alvin ong dozed and watched the sawdust trampled night @ 12:24 AM
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