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When Tiffany moved into her flat in Chai Chee five years ago, it wasn’t just a new chapter – it was a return. “It’s familiar,” she says simply. “Right between my parents’ and my in-laws’. We didn’t want to go too far.”
Her voice softens at the word home. She grew up in Bedok, and in many ways, never really left. For her and her husband, choosing to stay here as their marital home felt like completing a quiet circle – rooted in the same streets that raised them.
Tiffany reminiscing about her younger days in the ‘hood’.
After-School Rituals and Bubble-Tea Days
Tiffany still remembers her teenage years vividly: afternoons spent roaming Blocks 132 to 136, and lunches at the market near Block 50 after school.
“We’d just hang around – do what teenagers do,” she laughs. “Play at the playgrounds, visit my best friend’s house, and get bubble tea at Block 134. They sold waffles and instant noodles – our go-to.”
Back then, Bedok had no shopping mall, no air-conditioned linkways. The hangout spot was Princess Cinema, a creaky building with a 24-hour McDonald’s on the ground floor.
“No one watched movies there – it was old and dirty,” she grins. “But everyone went for McDonald’s. We’d ‘study’ here overnight during exams.”
Block 134 is more than just a block number to Tiffany. For her, it’s a walk down memory lane.
The Bedok of Today
Today, Bedok Mall and the air-conditioned interchange stand where Princess Cinema once was.
“It’s different, but I like it,” Tiffany admits. “Now it’s one-stop convenience. You can run errands comfortably in the aircon. It’s lifestyle and function.”
The biggest change she loves?
Heartbeat @ Bedok. “It’s the perfect all-in-one space – library, gym, swimming pool, all under one roof. I haven’t had much time to explore it, but it’s nice knowing it’s there,” she says.
The neighbourhood has matured too. “You see more elderly now – many on mobility scooters. It’s an aging community,” she says thoughtfully.
“I live in one of the newer HDBs. They’re clean, efficient… but the void decks are smaller. People don’t gather here as much as they used to.”
Are warm, communal gatherings at void decks slowly becoming a thing of the past?
Glimpses of the Past, and a New Mix of Faces
Sometimes, that old kampong warmth resurfaces.
She recalls visiting a friend during Hari Raya at one of the older blocks nearby.
“Her neighbours came over with food for us – even though I was just visiting. It really touched me. That sense of community still exists – it just depends where you look.”
In her own block, the faces are more international: Korean, Indian, Hungarian, Malaysian Chinese families. “It’s become quite global,” she says. “I think it’s the new reality of Bedok. Still heartland, but evolving.”
Even the coffee shops have changed. “There’s a café here now, and a Thai restaurant. The renovated hawkers all have that same neon-industrial look – it’s nice, but perhaps getting a bit tired. You can tell it’s the new template.”
Tiffany’s outlook for the future is both pragmatic and heartfelt.
Looking Forward
Tiffany thinks about the future in practical terms.
“With an ageing population, we’ll need better pavements for the PMA users. Maybe wider or safer paths.”
But beyond the infrastructure, her hope is more emotional: “Every time we upgrade something, we take away a bit of character. I just hope we find a balance – to keep improving, but still retain the heart.”
At just 33, Tiffany speaks about Bedok the way older generations might recall their kampong days – with nostalgia tinged by pragmatism. “I like the convenience. I like that I can still see my old haunts. But more than that – I like that I still feel at home.”
In a city that changes faster than memories can keep up, stories like Tiffany’s remind us what truly endures: the quiet decision to stay. If you have stories like these to share, do reach out to our editor at djreubs@sph.com.sg.