I ventured into a route that had been familiar when young but very much bypassed as newer roads served my needs. Canberra Road used to be the only way to get from Sembawang to Woodlands via Admiralty Road West. I recall the long bus rides after mass to get to the old Woodlands Town Centre where there was a large hawker centre, lots of retail shops, and an Oriental Emporium. In those days we still had non-airconditioned buses and I could enjoy the cold evening air at my favourite window seat as the bus sped along the almost deserted expanse of Admiralty, at one point the air would be punctuated by the strong scent of Kikkoman soy sauce.
Canberra Road would have been a familiar path for my father as he used to cycle daily to get to work at the Naval Base, which later became Sembawang Shipyard. It's amazing looking back at how he did it for at least 20 years (my guess) under rain or shine. Unfortunately I never picked up cycling as I had a poor sense of balance.
I recall one time he fell off the bike and landed in a drain but that didn't bring him down a bit. He continued to work for many years after the offical retirement age of 55. Looking back, he's actually rather resilient. He suffered a fall after missing a stair step at a much older age and recovered well, he got into hospital twice for pneumonia and recovered. He continued to have a calm and stable mind, and consumed all foods without having to resort to tube-feeding even in his last days at a nursing home.
His work life and social circles seemed rich; this is a part of him that I could only get glimpses of when he bumps into ex-colleagues and business contacts (he used to be a purchasing clerk). I could see he was well liked and respected. It speaks volumes despite his introversion at home.
I'm grateful that there are some things left untouched by the relentless pace of urbanization. Man seeks changes thinking life can be made better, but life is already good enough if we care to observe and appreciate.
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