8/10/2019 The Bangsar Boy - The way things were

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Total recall difficult as our cities change at a rapid paceBy NIKI CHEONG

niki@thestar.com.my

IT WAS past two in the morningwhen we stumbled down frommy local watering hole, The Attic,

fter a few drinks. Some of us werehungry so my friend Siti suggestedhe famous Nasi Lemak Ayam Gorengn Bangsar Baru.

We all knew which stall she wasalking about, but I clarified anyway,sking her if it was the one at Jolly

Green Giant. She looked blank butur friend, Tony, exclaimed, “Youlso know it as Jolly Green Giant!” Jolly Green Giant, for those of you

who don’t know, is the medan selerafood court) of sorts currently locat-d next to Bangsar Village II. I don’temember ever seeing a sign, so I’m

not sure where the name came fromut this was about 15 years ago Ihink when they first built it and

moved all the hawkers scatteredround Bangsar Baru into the build-ng. I suspect the name came from itsreen roof back then.

When Tony reacted, I got exciteds well. These days, few people knowt as Jolly Green. I wouldn’t refer to itny other way, but I can’t blame eve-yone else for not knowing it either.

After all, things change so fast in aity, and its hard enough keeping up

with the present, let alone cling ono the past.

That has always been my problemhough. Dad often reminds me (scoff,

would be a better term actually)

bout how nostalgic I can get, shortf referring to it as an annoying trait.am frequently told that because of

my penchant for walking downmemory lane, I come across as twohings: A) an old soul in a young-ish

person’s body and B) annoyinglypretending to be old when I’m reallynot.

My argument has always beenhat if we don’t remind ourselvesbout the little things in our past, we

would probably forget it eventually.These days, I drive around KL and PJasily because I have lived here all

my life. Yet, I find it hard to remem-ber how certain roads and areaslooked like before they were upgrad-ed into highways, or before that newbuilding came up from nowhere.

What was Bangsar Baru like beforethe shopping centres were built, and

how did the houses along JalanMaarof look before they were con-verted into shops? Was there a roadwhere the LDP is now located, andwas the area just empty land beforeThe Curve, Ikana Power Centre andIkea was built in Mutiara Damansara?I can’t remember too well.

I still remember once, in the late‘80s I think, when there was a mas-sive laser show happening and weall drove up to Jalan Ara and sat on acliff of sorts overlooking the housesin Taman Bandaraya for a good view.Today (and probably since 15 years

ago), huge houses lay where we satas a family watching the laser beamsshoot into the sky. I have memoriesof the event, but I barely rememberhow the spot looked like.

On the way to work (and back), Idrive past Bangsar Shopping Centre

(BSC) – currently undergoing a majortransformation – and am remindedabout how little I, well, remember ofits past.

I keep trying to recall how the oldwing looked like before the con-struction happened. This is consider-ing the fact that I live just down thestreet from it, and was playingaround the construction site whenthe original wing was being built(never mind the dangers of cyclingand skating in a construction site).

Some may think that I am simplyhanging on to trivial things, but all

these (and so much more) were sucha major part of my life that it is sad tohave so little memories of them.

The scary thing is that I am feelingthis way in my late 20s. Imaginewhat would have changed by thenand how much more difficult it

would be to remember in the nextdecade or two as I grow older.

I don’t know if many people feelthe same way I do but I believe that Iam not alone.

In fact, it’s not just KL that ischanging so fast — it is the sameeverywhere around the world.

Many people find different waysof immortalising the past and one ofthem, I have encountered, comes inthe form of photo-blogs dedicated totaking pictures of a locality aroundthe world daily.

Until recently, my friend Edwin

was taking pictures for his photoblog Kuala Lumpur Daily Photo(http://kualalumpurdailyphoto.blogs- pot.com/ ) and another friend Jeromeis still actively uploading pictures ofHanoi (http://www.hanoidailyphoto.com/).

It’s too late now to capture howthe old BSC looks like, but I’m alreadythinking of taking a walk up therenow to snap a picture in case theydecide to change its look again in afew years, or worse, tear it down.

Perhaps this is the solution to myconcern. Hmmm … I wonder if Ishould start carrying my cameraeverywhere I go.

■  Niki Cheong blogs at www.nikicheong.com/blog and Twittersat http://www.twitter.com/ nikicheong/ 

 B A N G S A

 R

BANGSARBOY

THE

»I find it hard to

remember how

certain roads

and areas looked

like before they

were upgraded

into highways, or

before that new

building came up

from nowhere«

The way things were

COMMENT SATURDAY METRO, SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2008M20