Shutters are down in Block 106

Walked past the neighbourhood shops as usual on my way to catch a cab to work this morning, and was so sad to see the doors pulled shut at our little market in Block 106. The shopkeepers in that block have opted to retire on the compensation that the government has offered if they don't want to continue. Business is not very good in the little enclave; I guess our few blocks in Sunset Way are not enough to sustain a living. But I'll miss them. Having lived here for more than five years now, I've become pretty familiar with the shopowners. I really liked nodding good morning to each and every one on my way to work in the mornings, even if I haven't had the time to patronise them much recently.

Funny to think how it doesn't seem at all long ago that this was our new home and we were getting to know the shops around us. Now we've lived here long enough that my memories of them are tinged with nostalgia. When the kids were little and we were at a loss for things to do, we would walk down to the animal clinics to check out the dogs and cats there, and then stop at the fish shop to admire the tanks and tanks of ornamental fish and frogs. Then we would stop at Balmoral Bakery to buy donuts covered with sugar sprinkles, or Grindelwald Supermarket for crackers or candy. The kids would always clamour for 20 cents to have a go on the kiddy ride outside G or the Food Lion. And before our spanking new food court came into being (wow, that was July 2004) all we had were a few hawker stalls where we could buy some wantan noodles for lunch (I still go to that stall, which has moved across the bridge to Ave 4) or prata for breakfast. Now they have all moved out to make way for the food court.

It's nothing fancy but I'm really fond of our sleepy neighbourhood. With the shops in Block 106 moving out by Dec 31, I wonder what will become of it? Would HDB rebuild it? Or will it stay empty and crumble to pieces?