13/12/2025
At the launch of the Reminiscence Hub @ Katong, a small group of neighbours , all from the same block but living on different floors , arrived together, curious and excited to take part in the activities.
They were, from left to right, Cik Miah, Cik Andon, Cik Suti, Cik Mumtanah and Cik Nurul. As they settled into the art reminiscence segment and began painting the iconic ice balls of their childhood, memories quickly surfaced, each one weaving a story of places, people and the Singapore they once knew.
Cik Andon, second from the left in the picture, shared that she grew up on Pulau Selatan and Pulau Seking, islands near today’s Pulau Semakau just off the southern coast of mainland Singapore. Her childhood was spent by the water — playing, swimming and fishing with friends. Every morning, she would travel to the mainland by boat for school, a routine she kept until she was 17, when she began working in a factory across the straits. Even after she married and eventually settled on the mainland, the islands remained a tender, unforgettable part of her story.
Cik Mumtanah, second from the right, returned from her trishaw ride with a smile that told its own tale. The experience had reminded her of her late husband, who worked as a trishaw rider in the Geylang and Joo Chiat area during the 1970s. For her, the trishaw was more than a mode of transport — it was a symbol of their early years together. Born and raised in Perak, Malaysia, she shared how trishaws were also a familiar sight in Telok Intan, where she and her mother would pay just a few cents to get from the market back home.
As their voices overlapped and more memories bubbled to the surface, Cik Andon laughed and chimed in, “Eh dulu kalau tak ada beca, tak ada transport! Beca important you know!” — “Back then, if you didn’t have a trishaw, you had no transport! The trishaw was very important, you know!”
At Cycling Without Age Singapore, through reminiscence & trishaw rides, we bring about joy and social connections for seniors.
