SOME 20 years ago, there was a shop called Sembawang Music Centre at the now-demolished Sembawang Shopping Centre that I frequented.
I was living in Yishun then, and it was the nearest shopping centre for Yishuners. I cannot use the word "mall" to describe the place because that would sound perhaps too "modern" and "upmarket".
You see, Yishun's Northpoint mall with its supermarket, fast food restaurants and trendy shops had not yet been built, and Sembawang Shopping Centre was just a neighbourhood stopping point with more shops than the Yishun town centre.
At that time, music albums were sold as round vinyl records and the more popular spool-tapes. The Walkman and albums on CDs would come later.
There was no Internet (at least not in the way we know it now), and so one had to buy a full-album produced by Elton John or Abba or Lobo even if there were only a few songs that were actually worth listening to.
Or if one wanted to buy a mix of songs, we had to wait for a "Best of" album or those "Hits" compilations by Warner or EMI.
I later moved to Bishan and then lived in Kuala Lumpur for a dozen years. I forgot about Sembawang Music Centre.
But over the years, that small single music shop in Sembawang grew and grew. It had 26 shops at its zenith.
That itself was perhaps a reflection of how Singapore as a country, also grew and grew. And how Singaporeans also rode the economic crest.
And yes, I did visit several of Sembawang Music Centre's branches over the years whenever I came down to Singapore.
But it was not to buy music albums. They had by then begun selling film VCDs and later DVDs.
By then Mustafa's came along, and also dozens of other shops competing with Sembawang Music Centre selling movies.
And worse, I think, was the Internet that empowered people to download their favourite songs directly — legally or not. There is no need anymore to wait for a “Best of” or a “Hits” complations
There is, really, no need to visit a CD shop anymore for most people.
So it was with some nostalgia that I read about the closure of Sembawang Music Centre, last weekend.
I sighed to myself; "How far we all have gone in life."
So, with some sadness, I went to Plaza Singapura on Tuesday — it was only my second visit to this mall in about 12 years!
I went up to the third floor where Sembawang Music Centre is located; at least until it too closes down in a few weeks time.
What an irony I thought: The shop is closing down because there is not enough business, but it was packed with people because all items are up for sale — for up to 75 per cent discount.
But no, I did not buy a music CD. I bought four movies, all a few years old, on VCDs (DVDs are too pricey for me) for $14.90.
Silly me, but as I stepped out of the shop after paying up, I couldn't help wonder about the fragility of life itself.
Goodbye my old friend, Sembawang Music Centre. Thank you for the music and the movies.