Goodbye Hurts. The pounding of aluminium shelves and untwisting of screws begin as soon as we approached Margaret Drive Hawker Centre. It was 1 March 2011. There were no mouthwatering hawker dishes awaiting us. Neither were there welcoming smiles from the stallholders who slogged their whole lives at the cramped, greasy and confined space. It was the day when stallholders returned their keys to the environment ministry. It was the day when Margaret Drive Hawker Centre became history.
The Lights were switched on - for a very different reason today
We were perfect strangers some 2 years ago. The hawker centre was a mere landscape of ordinary, where I had my breakfast and lunch after a visit to the library or a short shopping spree at the super market. I did not comprehend the blossoming civic life in Queesntown, lest start a blog which devoted half its content to the preservation of history and heritage. The shop keepers and hawkers were passerby in my life and I had no particular interest about them.
The lamp post (which uses tort wires)
The toilets (which were free at night)
The carpark which was full on Sundays
The dividers which I frequently knocked onto
We were strangers. Now we are friends. They thought that I was a weird young man with nothing better to do except for asking around for interviews. I guessed the hawker centre was one place I had visited most during these two "history indulgent" years. They began to open up and share secrets and stories about their lives, their families and their hobbies. I remembered fondly the way Mr. Poh Piah shook his head and wept quietly when he recalled his good old days. I remembered how Mr. Cha Kuay Teow would "clink clink clonk clonk" while preparing a "humful" plate of char kuay teow. Mdm Duck Noodle would ask me about my school work. Now, they were no longer around. All that was left was their mobile phone number and their lingering smiles in my memory.
Mdm Fishball Noodles
Mr. Wanton Mee Uncle
Mr. and Mrs Duck Noodle
I had to admit that there were many delicious food at the Margaret Drive. I liked Jin Dou Duck Noodle the most and I loved that tender taste of duck meat and drinking that bowl of herbal soup. The nice and cool cheng ting which followed was heavenly. If I were having lunch with a group of like-minded friends, the portion of duck meat will increase disproportionately and dim sum, poh piah and wanton noodle might see their appearance on the table. Well, I am a glutton.
Ladder for removing the lights and display boards
Gone were the cheng ting stall
Empty Hawker Centre
Pipes which were turned off
A second storey of broken wires and empty walkways
Shutters drawn
I'll remember every inch of the hawker centre in my heart. In the years to come, I may forget some of the faces and the locations of my favourite stall at the hawker centre. Perhaps I find the new development hip, modern and cool. No matter where I am, I'm grateful for the hawker centre - for opening the gateway to the rich history and heritage of the most wonderful estate. Nothing holds, except for the pieces of memories etched in my mind.
Up on the truck she goes
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14 comments:
Thank you for this blog. It really captures the major changes to the area. Tho most of it was lost long ago when most people moved out of Margaret Drive, I was thankful that small part of it eg. hawker center, wet market, ntuc, bowling alley, Blk 6C, 39A, 27A, etc...were still alive. Now, even these are going.
Anyway, keep up the good work.
Thanks for a brilliantly, beautifully written piece on what will be a sadly missed place. For some reason Margaret Drive FC has a hold on the heart like no other hawker centre has, it really does feel like an intrinsic part of life is now no longer within our reach.
And to the two women at the corner cheng tng stall....for all those wonderful bowls of cheng tng you've given us over the years, we truly, truly thank you.
Thanks for capturing the spirit of Margaret Dr FC! Where did these hawkers go to?Especially curious about the char kway teow stall and also the chi char stall. I miss them!!
Mr. Wanton Mee Uncle's Roast Duck is my fav, any idea where he's gone to?
I know Jin Dou duck couple have moved to Jurong East Blk 254, #01-27 near Yuhua Primary school.. i really missed their duck mee chilli and soup..
Gem@@ The char kuay teow is at Telok Blangah Crescent Blk 11 #01-102. For zhi cha stall, if you are referring to 福星居，then it is at Alexandra Village (one of 4 corners).
Lovely recollection of a place where I spent most of my childhood... Thank you for the memories.
Does anyone know where the fishball mee store (facing the carpark) has moved to?
The fish ball noodle moved to Mei Chin Hawker Centre and there you can find the Dumpling and Chicken Rice (former on the upper floor).
hi.. would you know where the western food stall on 1st floor moved to? tried once early this year and i thought its pretty good!
the western food stall on the 1st floor has moved to Newton Food Centre. Check their website: www.tastybarbecue.sg
Hi, does anybody know where the coffee stall situated last stall to the right of Jin Dou Duck Rice has moved to? I think the stall's name had a Tian 天, like Tianci 天赐 or something.
A good article. I too enjoyed many meals at this hawker centre and the Chicken Rice was the best I tasted in Singapore. See http://singaporesojourn.blogspot.com/search?q=queenstown.
Great blog and brings back many memories
the wanton mee uncle that also sells duck rice and char siew rice is now taking it slow and working for another stall along balestier to sell what he use to sell sadly. i miss queestown and those days that i help my grandparents wash cups and serve coffee at their stall
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