Yew Hong Chow, the harmonica player, was there and played a few tunes for us. For some reason, the harmonica’s mellifluous tones make me go all nostalgic in a way the recorder never could. And I wondered again how much cooler it would have been to learn to play the harmonica in school.
Victor Khoo was there though not Charlee since it was past his bedtime. It’s humbling to think how many generations of kids have grown up with Victor and Charlee and how much laughter and merriment they’ve brought to us.
The Teochew newsreader was there, soldiering on in Teochew, a guardian of the last bastion of dialect on radio.
Pin Pin’s uncle was there and he sportingly sang a stanza of an old Chinese song.
And of course, Tan Pin Pin herself. She had made the introductions in Singapore GaGa and now all of us, family, friends, well-wishers, were gathered for the official launch of the DVD.
Pin Pin tried gamely to deliver her comments in both English and Mandarin, but the latter proved just a tad too daunting. Still, what was clear in the movie again came shining through - Pin Pin’s genuine affection for the people in it and her gratitude to them for trusting her with their stories. And they in turn, thanked Pin Pin for giving them the chance to tell their stories. Tonight, this was Singapore, full of warm, fuzzy, gaga feelings.
The nostalgia–laden door gift was a stringed tin-can with a treasure trove of tidbits and toys from yesteryear.
(For sinema.sg)