Dated: 2 September 2003
The Media Development Authority (MDA) has commissioned an eight-part series which relives the common memories of familiar places that bind Singaporeans as a people. Entitled Retro Trek, each episode in this programme will feature a different area in Singapore and what Singaporeans remember of it from the time of the 1960s and 1970s.
This programme will be hosted by singer, composer and musician Mark Chan, and will feature the following places:
· Orchard Road
The earlier generation of Singaporeans who grew up in Orchard Road and what life was like for them then.
· Bras Basah
What school life was like in the 1960s and 1970s when Bras Basah was where the best schools used to be, where there were school rivalries and where hangouts included the National Library.
· High Street
The place to shop before Orchard Road became popular and where Singapore icons such as Metro and the original Polar Café were born.
· Katong
Its old world charm and the people who are trying to update and preserve it, from an architect preserving old homes for modern use to a nonya lady learning a lost Peranakan art - a beading technique that nonya ladies used in the past
· Geylang
The good food it is famous for, from the Malay kuehs at Geylang Serai to the beef kway teow at Lorong 9.
· Little India
Life of the Indian community in the 1960s and 1970s and other experiences Singaporeans can relate to, such as going to the old Tekka market or having a baby at Kandang Kerbau Hospital.
· Chinatown
Growing up in the crowded homes with migrant parents and grandparents, exploring Chinatown through the eyes of the Hindu community whose Sri Mariamman Temple is part of Chinatown.
· Raffles Place
The human side of Raffles Place including the shoe-shine boys, the Robinsons salesgirls and the couples who opted for mass weddings at the Neptune.
Retro Trek is produced by local production house The Right Angle Media, and will make its debut on MediaCorp TV's Channel 5 on Wednesday, 3 September 2003 at 7.30pm.
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