Hello there . . . could you guess the place I showed in my previous post? From the look of the comments received, I can guess members of my family were aroused by the fond memories of the PADANG NYIRU. Click to yesterday's Comments to read what small sis, Alang, had to say. Also youngest bro, Shau, the little 'king' in the red toot-toot. The first picture was taken in 1958 and the next, some time in early sixties if I'm not mistaken.
Yes, once upon a time, the PADANG NYIRU was THE place for us children living in its vicinities. It was the focul point of the town, its main thoroughfare, its main street. In the first picture, you can see in the background, a row of low-roofed shop-houses catering for the various needs of the populace - a tailor's shop, a hair-dresser and beauty shop, and Restoran Pak Ji Suleiman, (the one furthest to the left in the picture) with the unforgetable Pak Hussein's yummy-yummy 'mee odong'. On the right end of the row of shops, underneath some huge, shady cherry trees were several open-air barber stalls including one of Pak Sudin's. In front of the shops was a large open space. This was where I learnt to ride the bicycle rented from the bicycle repair shop across the road. Oh how many times I fell off the small bike and not until the end of its handle bar almost pierced my left ear, did I finally master riding it.
And then there was another large open field across from the PADANG, right in the centre of Malacca town. It was a recreation park for the young and old. There was a children's playground equipped with swings, see-saws, a slide (see pic), metal maypole, a merry-go-round and a giant climbing metal structure (where I fell off many a times). Yes Alang, I was the 'gang leader' remember? We used to rush for the right of using the swings and the maypole and against the Chinese boys too. Usually we won after lots of name-callings and spitting on the swing's wooden seats. Hmmm . . naughty, naughty . . Then at the other end of the field, there was a cherry tree where below it, an old Chinese barber would tend to his also old customer ending with digging the ears service. There were also a couple of benches nearby where another yet old Chinese man would read the Chinese local paper to his attentive audience (yes, guess correctly, also old!) This would be in the cool evenings. Also there was the Indian snake-charmer, scaring us children to death and the travelling magician with his noisy entourage selling medicines. The PADANG too was a place for rallies by political orgaizations and the Salvation Army. Sometimes a roving movie van would show propaganda films on the open screen to attract audiences. I remember one of Aman Belon - Ram Ram Siti Ram. The Padang witnessed a lot of activities which colour our lives then. Oh, happy days . . .
The children's playground, my father's shop cum-our-home, the batter trading shop next door and our neighbour, the Custom Living Quarters were all pulled down some time in the mid-60's. A long row of low-cost shops occupied the space. Then fairly recently, these too were pulled down and now you have a spacious parking area in its place. See recent photo above.
On one side of the PADANG NYIRU triangle still stands this row of buildings which used to house the famous, popular, textile shop of Manji Rana. Now it's an Indian Restaurant selling capati, roti canai, tosey and the like. Nostalgia . . . . nostalgia . . .
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