To you it may have been just another McDonald's, but to us it was so much more. It was a place of fun, a place of laughter, a place of sharing, a place for catching up with friends, a place for camping out during the busy exam periods, a place we grew up from giggly school girls to young adults of the world. It was our KAP.
On Friday after dinner I told the boy I wanted to go to KAP. To walk down memory lane and show Lil Pumpkin a little place her mummy spent time with friends in before it got torn down to make way for, sadly probably more condominiums and shops. As if we needed more of that in Singapore.
He thought it quite strange that I would bother to go and bid farewell to a Maccas. He didn't understand why it mattered so much too. It's not like it was some important heritage site.
But when he got there and saw the throngs of sentimental people that went to say their good-byes too, he understood. Some girls were sobbing, most were taking photos and having a reunion with friends at the place they grew up in to. They probably went to school in the area too or were from affiliated Junior Colleges. Seriously, it was the most crowded I've seen KAP in, and has been like that for the past few weeks.
KAP meant a lot to so many people too... and it was, to say the least, heartwarming. It reminded me of the old school days when we showed our school spirit by shouting and supporting for our school teams at sports meets. Except this time, we all came together to shout and support our beloved childhood hangout - KAP.
My girls and I were supposed to meet up in our old uniforms and take photos together too but couldn't settle on a common date. Ahhhh life of working adults.
This was our favourite spot to come and study in because it was rather quiet, convenient to buy the food and if it was too cold, we could easily walk out to the outdoor seating area which wasn't too far away :P You had to be really early to get this spot as it was very popular.
My other favourite spot was by the windows looking into Cold Storage below. I always liked window seats heh... there used to be bench seats there instead of chairs.
Lots of people waiting to get their last Happy Meal at KAP.
Wanted to have chocolate sundae and french fries {I like to dip the fries in the sundae haha} but they ran out of ice-cream!!!
The closure of KAP to Gen Yers is probably what the closure of old coffeeshops like Tong Ah and Tong Seng meant to baby boomers and Gen Xers in Singapore :/ Now, it will just be part of our faded memory.
I tried to explain to Lil Pumpkin what KAP closing down meant to me. I asked her what was her favourite place and she said the castle at Disneyland. Ok, haha. So I asked her what happened if it was to be closed forever and she could never go back? I think she understood my feelings then.
KAP will close down at 2359hrs tonight. If you have an emotional attachment to it as well, please go down and say good bye. Another Maccas might be built there with the new development, but it just won't be the same.
McDonald's King Albert Park
11 King Albert Park, #01-01-05
Last Day: 16 March 2014, 2359hrs
8 comments:
This is such a lovely post, Ai, and I think many of us can identify with what you've written about.
I'm so bummed that we are overseas and can't go say goodbye to it! :( We used to go on late night dates there, from NUS, and I studied there with my friends during my JC days too. Sigh. So sad that it's going to be gone by the time we get back to SG. :(
What a shame that it closed. It looks like such a big one compared to most of the McDonald's we have around here.
I think that's the biggest McDonald's I've ever seen!! :) My kids love that place, I wonder if they'll remember it fondly when they're grown. ;)
Adeline: Yeah as another emo friend put it, "it's the end of an era!"..
Masshole Mommy: Yeah this one covers 2 floors. To accommodate all the school kids I guess haha.. there's a few schools and tertiary institutions in the area.
mail4rosey: I think they will ;)
So sad that another place filled with so many memories has to go... My favourite Mac was the one at East Coast Park.
I love the characters that you can pose with. How fun!
I know McDonalds gets a bad rap, but they at least try. They give apples in kid's meals, and were one of the first places to start selling salads.
Sorry your are losing a beloved spot, but at least you still have the memories to cherish.
My kids love to dip their fries in their shakes too. My husband thinks they are nuts, so it's nice to see that someone else does it too (btw, my dad also did that! lol)
I'm sure I would feel the same way if some of the old familiar places of my hometown would be torn down. Already some of the old hang out spots of my childhood have been eroded. It's great to have one last look to relive all those old memories for an hour or two.
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