Old Hollywood Days

Some weeks back, my fren Ronald heard that by end of August, the old Hollywood Theatre was going to be demolished, together with Hin Hollywood Canteen and Lion City Hotel. We then promptly arranged for lunch fellowship at Hin Hollywood Canteen after service one Sunday… To take a last look at the area, reminisce those old memories and savour the good old-fashioned food dished up by the Hollywood hawkers!

I don’t remember much of Hollywood Theatre when it was really a movie theatre. Only a very vague memory of my aunt bringing me along for a black and white movie. It was only later in my teens that Hollywood Theatre became a place of such rich memories! It was at that very location that I first got acquainted with the church I hold so dearly right now, City Harvest Church!

A place where I encountered God so real in my life! I remember once I was at the balcony during the worship time and I heard a voice whispering to me “Emily, I love you, I really do…” It was at that very moment that I knew God not as a religion, a philosophy, a set of beliefs but as a true and real person! :)

It was also at Hollywood that I got to know some really dear frens, people who hold a piece of my destiny in their lives! :)

Those were the days when the book store was really only a book table displayed outside the church building in the open air, when we queued at those broad steps perspiring like crazy, prayed before service in the hot sun, had carnivals and burger big days at the carpark area, sat at MacDonald’s for hours chit chatting non-stop.

Those were the days when we had meetings at Lion City Hotel, did area cleaning together as a cellgroup on Sundays, spent time at Power House in our school uniforms, even studied together at the nearby CDAC!

Although the area would soon be demolished and we have long moved on, we will always keep a part of Hollywood deep in our hearts! :)

More on Hin Hollywood Canteen in the next post!