SweEt SwEeT dIng DanG

Ding dang! Ding dang!

Yes, the sweet tinkling sounds of not the recess bell, not the ice cream man but the saccharine chewy soft ding dang candy man! Often sighted (or should I say heard) in the afternoon making his heavenly rounds the neighbourhood on his trusty bicycle.

I would ofter drop whatever I am doing, rush up to my parents and start ona gibberish frenzy/pleading for them to spare a dollar and to allow me to buy a pack. My ever obliging parents would never fail to indulge me in my sweet treat (or maybe they also want to grab of bite of it too?) and pass me the coveted golden coin - my passport to a pack of the ding dang candy.

Clutching gold in my hand, I would wait impatiently for the lift before running in the direction of the candy seller and watch excitedly as he chip and ding dang away at the hard yet chewy pure snowy white sweet.

Yum yum!

Such sweet memories literally.

The powdery chewy soft candy priced cheapy at a dollar a pack is now a rare sight. No longer do I hear the sweet jingle of the candy seller or taste a slice of melti-ish paradise upon my tastebuds. Or even lick the white powder off my fingers.

Hence imagine my delight when I tread on the island shores of Sentosa - Yesterday Once More held at the cultural rich Images of Singapore and saw this:

Goodness... I wanted to yelp and jump for joy!

It's the ding dang candy woman! Just look at the crowd... What do you see? Excited students/children and adults crowding round for a visual feast of the nifty moves this lady is executing while making the candy.

All those memories just came flooding back. A dying trade steeped in rich history that never fails to put a smile to my face...

Do you remember the ding dang candy seller?