In a retro cafe, I stepped into the past and shared it with my daughter

Such cafes bring back memories of our younger days and offer a chance to tell our children about the nation's roots.

- Chang May Choon

Warm fuzzy nostalgia engulfed me the moment I walked into the retro-themed cafe. From the old rotary dial telephone to the vintage treadle sewing machine and the wooden box TV, everything on display was a reminder of the fond old times I had spent growing up in a kampung in the 1970s and 1980s.

My wide-eyed teenage daughter was equally smitten. She loves vintage stuff.

Retro cafes, restaurants, bars and even snack shops have been all the rage in recent years, and you can see why. They are a hit not only with those like me, seeking a brief revisit to the past when life was simpler and happier, but also the younger generation that's amazed by the contrast to today's highly wired digital world.

As Singapore celebrates its 60th birthday, these cafes are also a timely reminder of how far we've come, to the point where we take for granted the modern comforts we so unthinkingly enjoy today.

In these cafes, surrounded by a slice of the world we grew up in, long-buried memories tumble out. And as we start telling these stories, our children connect with the Singapore of the past and their roots.

"Look at this wooden shed," I told my daughter as I pointed to a pile of firewood inside a retro cafe during a recent visit.

"This is just decor to you, but I lived through a time whereby my grandma had to painstakingly gather logs every evening to boil a pot of hot water, to mix with cold water for us to bathe in."

Hot showers were a labour of love back then, I added wistfully, as my late grandma's wrinkled face and hunched back flashed in my mind. I also remembered how we used to store rainwater in wells and barrels in case the water supply got cut.

REMEMBERING THE PAST

Life is so much more comfortable today, riding the convenience offered by smartphones, internet, drones and artificial intelligence. Life is also more fast-paced now, giving us little time to sit down, relax and reminisce.