Memories of Thomson Plaza

I was at Thomson Plaza today, the first time in at least a decade. I had forgotten how many memories were associated with it until I walked in. And then, it all came flooding back, and I felt so nostalgic! Here are some sweet memories I remember. Do correct me if I make some errors, as it has been years!

1. 1992 or 1993. Enling and Weizhen bought me a silver necklace with a fish pendant from the Yaohan that used to be at the plaza after I mentioned that it was nice.

2. 1993 or 1994. Enling and Weizhen (or was it just Weizhen?) bought me a silver ring with intertwined blue hearts, also from Yaohan.

3. 1994. Weizhen and I went to Thomsom Plaza to shop for Enling’s birthday present. We got her a mini vanity set that was blue in colour and which had mini feather boas because we thought it reminded us of Enling. :P That was the same birthday of Enling’s which we pretended to forget until we couldn’t bear Enling’s dejected look any further and gave her the present ahead of planned schedule!

4. 1995. Ground floor, walking past the food-court with Yinwei. There was a jukebox playing 张信哲 ‘s “不要对他说”. That was the very first time I heard that song.

5. 1995. Ivy, Beatrice, Yinwei and I were at Burger King. Yinwei suddenly pipes up, “Beatrice, do you want to go to the toilet with me?” I offered to accompany her. Yinwei gave me a funny look and said,“No, I only want Beatrice to go with me.” A few minutes later, Yinwei and Beatrice walk through the door of BK with a cake that had lighted candles on it. And they all sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me right there! I was so embarrassed, but also so happy. Will never forget that!

6. 1994 or 1995. Again it was Ivy, Beatrice, Yinwei and me at Burger King. Someone was commenting about how Enling would call out ‘Girls!’ in a ‘teacher tone’ to get people’s attention when she had an announcement to make. I wondered aloud,”How else can she get people’s attention? By saying, ‘Excuse me’?” Now, it just so happened that I turned away from our table when I said ‘excuse me‘, and I happened to face the table right next to us which just happened to be occupied by two teenaged love-birds in the middle of exchanging sweet-nothings. My sudden, ‘excuse me’ startled the love-birds and they looked like deer caught in headlights. I apologized profusely for interrupting them. And of course my three unsympathetic friends could barely stay in their seats while laughing their heads off at my embarrasing predicament.

7. 1995. I was with Jean, Sher Rene and Yinwei at the Swenson’s for a ‘family bonding’ makan session. (I was the proclaimed mother, Yinwei my eldest ‘daughter,’ Sher Rene my ‘son’, and Jean my youngest ‘daughter’.) The waitress was taking very long to come and take our orders. So Jean says to Sher Rene,“Kor! Quick, use your charm and go flirt with the waitress so she’ll come and take our order!”

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Thomson Plaza looks very different today. But I can still remember how it looked like all those years ago, and where these incidents took place. There used to be a used book store there too, where I would get Archies and other reading materials. And a cards and gift shop where I would browse and get little cards and stuff for my friends.

Those are gone now. Burger King has moved. Yaohan is a distant memory. But those recollections I have are as vivid as ever. I hope they never fade. :)