As for the temple the last time that I watched one of their operas was when I was a small kid and my dad would let me sit on his shoulders. Reading this post makes me feel that I should make it a point to watch one again. The operas occur only about twice a year so it’s hard to catch. The temple has been renovated and expanded in 2016, it now features fairy lights at night and a magnificent statue of the patron deity for whom the road was named after.

Perhaps a more recent tradition worth mentioning about Jalan Lim Tai See is the ice cream man who has been making his rounds of the area since 2005. My friends and I would pause our mini-soccer matches and buy ice cream from him. 12 years later, I still make it a point to buy his ice cream. As his COE has expired recently, every weekend I am unsure if that would be the last time I am seeing him.

Now, Singaporean Chinese is speaking Mandarin and forgot about dialects altogether, except for the older generation. When I called my mom on the phone it’s natural for me to talk with her in Hokkien as the way I grew up. But, somehow my mom would go into into speaking Mandarin. I felt so weird speaking Mandarin with my mom. When I was growing up in Singapore before the government started to make the Chinese speak Mandarin, my mom didn’t know how to speak or understand Mandarin.

I guess time has changed. I’m glad that Siong Leng Music Association and others like it are making the effort to present our Chinese ancient culture and train the next generation to pass down our heritage.

I will be sure to bookmark your blog and definitely will come back
later on. I want to encourage that you continue your great writing, have
a nice morning!