Heart and Soul: A valentine to my hometown cinemas


The Kapitol used to be the biggest cinema in Sg Petani. Photo: Norman Yusoff

Whenever I go back to my hometown of Sungai Petani (SP), Kedah, I spend some time at my favourite old Chinese coffee shop located in the heart of the town. As I sit quietly while sipping a cup of kopi-O, I cannot help but feel a tinge of melancholy when I view (from inside the coffee shop) old cinema buildings that have died natural deaths at the hand of video tapes and VCDs.

Such reminiscence transports me back to my halcyon childhood days in SP when my late father and I would frequent the cinemas. However, when I reached 10, my outings to the cinema no longer had to be sanctioned by my father. At his insistence, I dared to go to the cinema alone. Since then, almost every weekend I found an escape in the fantasy world of films in order to temporarily stave off real-world miseries (read: school homework pending).

Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

RM 11.12/month

Billed as RM 11.12 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 9.87/month

Billed as RM 118.40 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Living

Contradictheory: When everyone piles in
Transforming Spatial Experiences
Firewood's KL outpost is drawing in diners with its charcoal-grilled steaks
Grinding away: In remote Appalachia, old mills fuel US clean food dreams
Bronze Age Syrians were already cooking 'sophisticated' cuisine, study shows
Farming experts tout 'conscious' food systems to fix agriculture woes
Heart And Soul: A tribute�to my parents
In the US, some dog trainers help pets avoid venomous snakes
How narwhals grow their unique tusks, spiralled yet arrow-straight
Malaysian project gives gibbons a voice, opening students' eyes to their plight

Others Also Read