My Story: My first visit to IMM

I’ll never forget my first visit to IMM years ago when I was about 7 or 8.

Because I live in the North-East of Singapore, and my sis and I were quite young then, my parents would rarely bring us out to places which then was considered far, like Jurong or Orchard. So it was quite exciting then to be able to go to IMM. That trip was with my late First aunt, cousin Wei Wen, my sis and my mum.

I honestly do not remember what we saw or bought or ate in IMM, but I remember clearly taking a free shuttle bus from IMM to Jurong East MRT station and then the most memorable part of the trip happened.

I was one of the last few left on the bus after my mum, aunt, couz and sis had alighted and there was a few people, including a small boy behind me. Just when I was going down, the door closed.

And my hand was caught on the door.

Everyone (including the boy behind me) screamed or shouted. I can’t remember if I did. I only remember my right hand being caught on the door, squeezed in between for a few seconds and then the driver opened the door again and I got off. My aunt and mum was obviously furious and went to scold the driver who was nonchalant about it. In fact, he was eating a packet of rice at his seat and even offered us some of it. -_-”

My hand was okay. No fracture nothing, but it left a small mark on my skin, like a blemish or birth mark that till now I couldn’t get rid of. I remember my aunt being very worried at that point of time and poured a lot of medicated oil on my hand and rubbed it in case of bruises or something.

That will be a day I will always remember.

Oh, and my mum called up the next day to IMM’s shuttle bus management or something to complain about that driver. I have no idea what happened after that, but till today, I can still remember him sitting at his driver’s seat, eating his packet of rice and acting nonchalant about closing the door on me.