Together

The story starts from 1967. That year, Singapore started printing its own currency and made national service mandatory for all young Singaporeans who have come of age. That year, there were people who rented out fake eyelashes for S$4 a day; prices of eggs plummeted to a new low, propelling Singaporeans to start a movement to kill chickens to reduce egg-supply. That year, the “Vietnamese Rose” (a form of syphilis) set foot on the island, visitors who called on prostitutes shuddered at its mention; that same year, Sakura and Rita Chao’s “New Peach-blossom River” was popular in the streets of Singapore…

There lived 6 families in 3 houses along a horizontal street (which bustled with noise and excitement) in North Bridge Road, amongst whom were 6 youths of about the same age. Lin Xiao Bei (Dai Yangtian) was the only son of tailor Lin. He fought and got into trouble all the time, and was a constant headache to his neighbours. Yao Jian Hong (Jeanette Aw), who grew up with Xiao Bei, was the only person who could subdue him. Jian Hong withdrew from school at a young age and with her father, performed martial arts in the streets to sell medicated ointment. She was in the ‘turf’ for years, and was a candid and forthright girl with a sense of chivalry. Lin Xiao Bei liked her and the feeling was mutual. However she was very unhappy with Xiao Bei’s frivolous attitude. She hoped that Xiao Bei would be down-to-earth and succeed his father’s trade. Xiao Bei didn’t want to be resigned to cooping in the humble tailor-shop. He wanted to venture into more ambitious grounds and strike it rich someday.

Another childhood friend of Lin Xiao Bei was Huang Zhi Hao, nicknamed “Tarzan (Elvin Ng), who was always building castles in the air. A fickle-minded youth, he wanted to be a car racer for a moment and fantasized about being a wrestler next. Both of them were at loggerheads sometimes and allies during other occasions. Xiao Bei and Tarzan stick by each other through weal and woe. Like chopsticks, each is incomplete without the other.

Besides Jian Hong, Tarzan’s sister, Huang Jin Hao (Eelyn Kok), also liked Xiao Bei. She was a vain and materialistic girl with a naive mindset. Despite not winning Xiao Bei’s heart, she was loyal to him as a friend. Jian Hong’s twin brother, Yao Wu Ji (Zhang Zhenhuan) was very timid. He could only keep the feelings he had towards Jin Hao to himself.

Qin Hui Min (Kola Zhou) was the only one among the few youngsters who was highly educated. Though she was physically weak, she had an unrelenting perseverance, and eventually became a lawyer.

The two generations of these families went through 30 years of changes, entwined in love, hate, grudge, jealousy, magnanimity and forgiveness. Their story is also Our Story as we, too, had been through the same path…

Singaporeans share many common memories. Through the hardship when the country was starting out in the 60s, the oil crisis in the 70s, the stock-market crash in the 80s, Singaporeans have weathered the storm together. We’ve shared the joys and sorrows. With the onslaught of the current financial crisis, we are being put to test once again. And looking back at the path we’d trodden over the years bears exceptional meaning at this point in time.