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Eric Khoo: The first time I ...
In the first of a series, filmmaker Eric Khoo tells us about the first time he spoke to a prostitute and drank himself into a stupor, among other things
Filmmaker Eric Khoo's movies such as “Mee Pok Man” and “12 Storeys” are known for their ability to showcase the city’s underbelly. Here he provides a few of his 'first times' in the city that has provided him with stimulation and inspiration.
Found a treasure trove of toys
“I collect vintage action figures -- from 1960s GI Joes to 1970s Mego superheroes -- at this toy shop there were old action figures where I unearthed Spiderman, Superman, and several others with price tags from the 1970s!”
Where: #02-91/92 Katong Shopping Centre, 865 Mountbatten Road.
Other reasons to visit: Shoppers can also get an insight into life in Singapore at this aging mall with its plethora of maid agencies, fading textile shops, and old school architecture.
Was inspired by a movie
Watching “Fist of Fury" at [the now closed] Majestic Cinema. It was a movie with great storytelling, and it had a Chinese actor [Bruce Lee] with universal box office appeal!”
Where: Majestic Cinema, 80 Eu Tong Sen Street.
Other reasons to visit: The Majestic Cinema is Chinatown’s most prominent landmark. Built in 1927 as a Cantonese opera house, it was converted into a cinema by the Shaw Brothers to screen the latest Cantonese blockbuster films. Majestic Cinema showed its last Chinese film in 1998, it is now a shopping mall.
Got blind drunk
“It was decades ago when I was a teenager. We poured sugar into our beers, and drank with straws while wearing monster masks with only a small opening for the mouth. I got drunk, fought with someone who took my beer, and danced the "Kung Fu Fighting" dance in the carpark.”
Where: Newton Food Centre, 500 Clemenceau Avenue North.
Other reasons to visit: While the food center has undergone a massive facelift in 2005, it’s still good for chili crab, barbecued seafood, and Khoo’s favorite Mee Pok.
Did something for the last time
“My favorite wonton mee (dumpling noodles) stall for over two decades was in East Coast Lagoon Food Village. However the owner passed away the week after my last visit. That was the last time I ate his wonton mee.”
Where: East Coast Lagoon Village, 1220 East Coast Parkway.
Other reasons to visit: Arguably one of the more popular hawker centers in Singapore, while Khoo’s wonton mee might be gone, we’ve found an alternative in the same hawker center ... Hwa Kee Barbeque Pork Noodles (Stall 45 East Coast Lagoon Village, 1220 East Coast Parkway).
Spoke with a prostitute
“I needed to find a prostitute willing to strip for my short film. So I spoke to a pretty-looking ladyboy along Johore Road. She was saving up for a complete sex change.”
Where: Victoria Street Wholesale Centre, 321 Victoria Street.
Other reasons to visit: Johore Road was the poor cousin of Bugis Street where transgender prostitutes sold sex to locals. It stood between Queen Street and Victoria Street. It was literally erased after a fire in the late 1990s and turned into the Victoria Street Wholesale Centre.
