The past isn't always perfect- Sunday Times today

[redstone]

wasn't the tearing down of the old national library to make way for whatever tunnel they're building now.
Anyway I am not a fan of the new library. The main reason the general public goes to a library is to borrow and read books but that section is in the BASEMENT.
strange to know that a much-less-used drama centre and black box theater on the upper floors take up alot more space than the books-related section of the National Library.

Paradoxical, so typical of some public projects here...

 

[hwchoy]

it seems to me there are people who consider preserving culture and a way of life, as synonymous with preserving an old/historic building.

the government can only preserve hard inanimate things, like buildings and places. we can have old kampungs, old china town, old colonial buildings, but where are the people and activities that used to go with them? time passed and these activities may no longer be relevant. so life moves on.

someone mentioned charcoal seller in Chinatown. I also remember the dirty floor, the fresh animal sellers, etc. but who uses charcoal any more? so how to have charcoal seller? So inevitably one will say that hey all we are preserving is an empty shell. But heck, if you stuff a fake charcoal seller just to make it look like the chinatown of old, isn't it just as empty a shell?

 

[hwchoy]

Boat/Clarke Quay as said, these areas had almost completely lost it's cultural charm.

to be fair, what cultural charms does these quays had, prior to the redevelopment? ever since the river cleaning campaign (which I support wholeheartedly, I'm sure I am not the only one to have "enjoyed" the aroma) the godowns has been ghost towns.

 

[dawgbyte77]

Its kinda sad. I love to go Melacca and wallow in the sense of living in bygone times. Of course that is pure nostalgic but on the other hand, yhe people there have pride in their heritage. As for Singapore pride, most youth now can't even begin to imagine days with no handphones and computers and MRT have existed at all. Its almost ungrateful to live life today without looking back and appreciating how this day was reached. It almost gives me the impression of saying.. 'thanks for all your help but we don't need you now.' And in the long run, its to call a place home when everything you are familiar with are gone.