My answer: The year is 1958, when I lived there with my auntie, who was a pig farmer. In those days, ducks were cheaper than chicken so duck in the form of braised duck, roast duck, duck and salted vegetable soup, etc were common dishes. One other memory is a shop called Duck Feather Hon, where one can sell collected duck feathers (accumulated from 3 ducks at least) for 5 cents.
Near Lorong Tai Seng and across from single lane Paya Lebar Road was Bright Cinema, where black and white movies can be had for 10 cents. Night shows only because the movie house was roofless. No show when it rained and if it rained midway, patrons were expected to continue watching under their own umbrellas. Still remembered that during rainy seasons, sound tracks of the movies had to compete with loud croaking of frogs from nearby ponds, drains and wetlands.
No mata or cheng hu people will dare appear especially at night to disturb our rural bliss. Any of you folks remember carbide lamps ? Indeed, many may not even know what is a carbide lamp.
Eating fresh water snails with a metal spike and chilli sauce under a carbide lamp .................. *sigh*
