“As a child growing up I remember it was a natural part of our family knowledge and conversation on facts such as the origin of the name Beauty World, named after our elder sister Giam Chin Bee translated in Mandarin as Chen Mei (Beauty), born at the time our father gained proprietorship of Beauty World Park.
It's interesting to read a different perspective like a backward glance or sideways glance of Beauty World Park. It brings to life how the cycle of history changes the use of the land (park land). It is always going forward with the times and the humble beginnings of all big land development. is in the example of BW Park from the pre-Japanese Occupation to the recent 2015, $80 million dollars sale of the site.
An impression imprinted in my child mind is the PEOPLE who lived in Beauty World Park. Like our Father, every adult mostly males who arrived there was a new immigrant, seeking a better life. They came from China and India. They first found employment then found partners, married and raised families over the period and BW Park became home to all of us. The complex multicultural community worked and dressed in their own costumes, thrived and produced food and wares of their homeland that they brought with them. So I grew up knowing every single one in Beauty World Park and they all knew me even if only by family descent. I addressed every next adult as Aunty and Uncle and their children as sister and brother, and cousins. And I was raised feeling almost everyone I see there is family. I always looked forward to weekends waking up and walking round all the stalls of the fresh food market. My eyes surveyed all the tempting sights of food boiling, steaming, cooking but I had no interest in fresh meats, fish or vegetables. I never forget what a big decision it was to spend my 40 cts on chee cheong fan or tau whey(soft tofu with syrup yummmm.) or roti and curry...”
