Trailer:
A novel initiated by Hasbro Singapore with the intention of taking fans though Singapore's past and present, the new Monopoly Singapore: Then & Now Edition is a family game which features the ever changing, iconic past and current Singapore landmarks on opposing sides of the board, "then" and "now".
The first person I thought of when I received this board game-- Jerome Lim, a singapore blogger who owns a distinctive blog, The Long and winding road, penning down his present life and detailing his memories of Singapore in the olden days. I was just reading his post about a deserted petrol station along Mandai Road. I've travelled along Mandai road umpteen times yet never noticed this petrol station before until Jerome brought it up.
With the unique two-sided board, you can play and deal in the game either via the traditional play with paper cash,
OR the modern play with an electronic banking unit that allows trading of properties in Millions.
I can try the halfway-switch-era stunt; improvise accordingly? Hoho.
Time to open the box!
Whee~ the smell of a new board game resembles that of a bookshop filled with freshly printed books. LOVE.
You can immediately tell the difference between the 'then' and 'now' deck of cards, designed appropriately for the different eras.
I remembered vividly that Monopoly houses used to be green and hotels are red in colour. It's blue and grey respectively now.
The tokens are newly-designed with old school delights as well as contemporary inventions in today's technology-advanced generation.
Old School: Trishaw, Tiffin Carrier & wooden Clogs
Latest technologies: Airplane, Cabriolet & Electronic tablet.
Classic: Durian!
I personally think that the tablet, first token from the left, looks like a Nokia phone in a good way--NOKIA 8850! The in-built snake game = POWER.
"Then" edition brings me back to my childhood; nostalgic memories.
Image courtesy of Hasbro & SPRG.
One significant landmark would have to be the 'Big Splash'.
My late grandfather and my mother once brought my siblings and I on a trip to Big Splash. I love those colourful slides but I wasn't allowed on the slide due to my height-- too short. I haven't learnt swimming then and almost drowned in the water playground after insisting on sliding head-down first.
I also remembered praying so hard to myself that the next bus I was going to take to be air-conditioned. During my teens, the buses were still a mixture of non air-con and air-con ones. These buses would arrive randomly and you'll be one of the lucky ones to catch an air-con bus. Of course, taking an air-con bus would mean that the adults have to pay slightly more. However as a child and bus-ride lover, a bus trip would cost a flat rate of 45c. Then, I'd use a translink card instead of an ez-link card to pay for my bus trip. As I grow up, I wish I have the chance to take a non-airconditioned bus once again, enjoy my almost 2-hour ride travelling along the roads of Neo Tiew(Bus 925) from Choa Chu Kang to Woodlands Bus Interchange.
Students could purchase monthly concessions which looked like stamps. You'd stick and overlap your previous month concessions on your student card, then flash your card at the bus drivers as you board instead of tapping on the electronic sensor device.
Have you ever stayed in a kampung?
I did.
The kampung house I stayed was along Old Woodlands Road, in front of the railway track. There was a huge canal right at the entrance of our kampung where everyone would be forbidden to cross the canal on rainy days to avoid being washed away by the gushing drain water.
Ah Gong would buy me vanilla ice-cream everyday and ah-ma would carry me to her noodles stall to be her mini cashier.
Talentime!!!
Back then, Talentime was a blast! Everyone keeps holding talentime to pass time. I won a story-telling talentime when I was 7 years old, telling the story of a frog who tried to blew up her stomach to become as big as an ox and her stomach burst in the end!
The moral of the story tells us to know our limits in life.
Why is this "win big at mahjong" card only found in the 'then community chest' deck; we still play mahjong now!
Summoned for spitting in the 'then' deck?
I thought the spitting fine was only implemented in recent years. No wonder the monopoly mascot is also scratching his head there.
Y NO "Summoned For Bringing In Chewing Gum, Go directly to Jail"?
Just Kidding.
You need batteries for this edition!
Talking about advanced technology.
Image courtesy of Hasbro & SPRG.
Instead of bus terminals, the 'now' game uses MRT stations.
Every single time I take the MRT, I'd always remembered how one of my classmate, Ivy, sharing her innovative thought with us.
When she was a toddler, she used to think that there were bells in the MRT trains. Should you press the bell, the MRT doors would open and there'll be a flight of stairs where you can alight at your desired destination. The thought got the rest of us laughing hysterically.
The RC(residents' Committee) was introduced in 1978 to promote racial harmony, interaction with neighbours and community cohesion within a district. It's a place run by residents, for residents. Mom loves folk dance classes at the RC while my siblings and I attend art classes, drawing with oil pastels.
In the past, people make donations to build Schools, old folk's home, orphanages so that the less fortunate can have a better environment, to make this world a better place for everyone. We make donations in the present to save people from natural disasters: earthquakes, tsunami. We donate to save people who became homeless and penniless overnight. We try to make things better for the unfortunate from scratch.
It serves as a wake-up call to me that the earth is sick. We have to care and nurse it back to health.
Look, here's something I found in BOTH decks:
YES!
Music remains, radio stations are still available over the years despite the change of so many other things including landmarks & technology. Listening to radio broadcasts never goes out of trend.
I am listening to 883Jia Fm this very moment and it's playing this all-time classic from Zhang Zheng Yue. This song(composed and sung by the singer himself in 1998) never goes out of date too. The melody of the song fits into every song revolution, surprisingly.
Ai Wo Bie Zou, which means 'don't leave if you love me'.
And another thing that didn't change over the years:
SENTOSA IS STILL THE MOST EXPENSIVE TITLE DEED 'THEN' AND 'NOW'!
Oxley Estate is the area in Orchard Road! It used to be a nutmeg plantation belonging to Mr Thomas Oxley. We're now shopping in a place which used to be a land of used for planting nutmegs!
( o.O )
==== MintLeong.Sg Giveaway====
WINNERS REVEALED:
http://mintleong.blogspot.sg/2012/07/monopoly-set-giveaway-winners.html
I'm giving away TWO brand new sets of Monopoly Singapore: Then & Now, courtesy of Hasbro & SPRG.
How to win?
Share this blog post on either your Facebook or Twitter stating ONE fun thing you think you'll experience with this monopoly set worth S$79.90 by 30th June 2012.
Print screen/send the shared link to mintmintleong@gmail.com with Subject: I want the Monopoly Set!
The TWO most interesting/touching sharings will be notified by mail.
Thank you Hasbro for this generous giveaway!
The Monopoly Singapore: Then and Now is available at all Toy R'US and departmental stores.
Retailing at S$79.90 each.
Joined. Posted on my FB wall and sent my email. Can't wait to try out this new version of Monopoly with my friends.
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