TRAVELLING from Bedok to Tiong Bahru was not a pleasant journey at all. I would be standing throughout the whole journey or at most, be able to seize a seat when most passengers alighted at City Hall Interchange. I would either close my eyes to catch some rest or stare blankly out of the windows, till one day, a baby was born - Streats.
The birth of Streats broke my routine. Mornings became competitive, as I would be competing with others for a copy of Streats. It sounds hilarious but whenever I was approaching the Streats stand, my legs and heart would set to a faster tempo. This was especially so when I saw people crowd at the stand and grab the copies before I did. When I was lucky to get mine, there was always this little sense of satisfaction. More importantly, there was something to accompany me throughout the journey.
If my memory does not fail, the name Streats was chosen as it meant to be a treat for the people in the streets - a free newspaper for you and me. It created a stir then. Its survival was questioned. But that did not bother me, as I was totally immersed in the weekly columns written by Diana Ser, along with other easy to comprehend news articles.
Throughout the four years, it braved through the storms. Tough journey it might be, it has never failed me. It has stuck to its style it originated from - simple and unpretentious. The daring and witty comments and the releases of emotions by some of the columnists truly moved me and changed my perspective of newspaper. Who could have thought that weather updates could be so entertaining? Magical indeed.
All good things come to an end. As we watched Streats celebrate its birthday each year with glamour, it was hard to imagine its 4th anniversary would turn out to be a farewell.
The closure of Streats proved yet another bitter corporate decision made without taking its customers into consideration, when the dollars and cents speak louder than customers' loyalty and preference. Nevertheless, it has enlivened the journeys of many. At least it has been with me for four good years. At least, it has created a Janice Wong.
Kudos to all the heroes and heroines - ranging from the then Ho Lian-yi to the now Philip Lee and Yvonne Kwok. I always visualize you working as a team in a lively working environment. I look forward earnestly to seeing you put in your more than usual heart work in producing the bumper issue. It will hit the streets with a bang, just like it did four years ago. It will be a legend.
As I was typing this piece of heartfelt letter in MS Word, the word "Streats" was highlighted as a spelling error. I right-clicked my mouse and added "Streats" into my dictionary, just like it has already been saved in my memory chip.
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