The row of shops at Transit Road directly outside the entrance of Nee Soon Camp will be no more come end April 2015 as it will be making way for a condominium development.

The first and last place of refuge for soldiers booking out of or into camp, the row of shops include a 7-Eleven, a couple of army supplies stores, a tattoo parlour and a couple of electrical appliance shops.

When queried about how long they have been located there, the shop owners, assistants and tenants of the various establishments haven't got the vaguest idea except that it is roughly 20 to 30 years. Or more.

But one thing was clear: None of the them seemed too bothered about packing up and leaving the place for good.

The rather iconic Hock Gift Shop, for example, which has been there for as long as any Nee Soon Camp personnel can remember, will be moving to Kaki Bukit where they will continue to sell army supplies and knickknacks.

Asked how they felt about the move, the elderly couple manning the shop on a Wednesday afternoon, said -- loosely translating from dialect -- they were "ecstatic" (or rather, "jin hua hee").

Any hopes of extracting feelings of nostalgia or yearning for the past or belonging where they are were dashed completely, when the couple were quick to affirm each others' sentiment that they couldn't wait to get out of this place.

And one thing was clear to them: They would have starved to death had they relied solely on selling army supplies to the soldiers at the camp.

They have, you see, a funky online store that delivers island-wide. Apparently, they've got their whole business model figured out. It's the Internet, baby.

One of the other shops, Danny Tattoo Art, seems to have gone by a different name, such as David Tattoo Art. Or maybe there's a typo.

It used to serve the British and other foreign military men who were stationed in Singapore from the 1950s to 1970s and who wanted to get tattoos so that their bodies could be identified if they died in battle.

Regardless, stepping inside the dingy little place is like being transported back 20 years. Or even 30. The walls are filled with garang tattoo stencils. The smell is unmistakably Dettol disinfectant.

Being old school has its charm, of course, but do I want to be inked here if given the chance? I admit I was looking out for any sign of technology that could be from this decade before I would make a decision.

They have no idea where they would be moving to next, but business is brisk, even though it was empty. According to one of the tattooists: "Everyday also got people", he said.

But the folks at Lucky Store peddling electrical appliances do know where they are moving to: Katong.

Speaking to one of the shop assistants, I was looking out for any expression -- just one -- that would betray his feelings of nostalgia and longing to remain at this spot at Transit Road.

However, if he was indeed feeling nostalgic, he sure was hiding it very well.

Therefore, based on a half-hour exploration of the place, I can conclude that either the tenants of the area have resigned to fate that they are moving because any additional day of setting up shop there is to do so on borrowed time or they are rather happy they don't have to be in this godforsaken part of Singapore anymore.

Did you happen to spend time at Nee Soon Camp? Do you have any memories -- fond or otherwise -- of this place? Leave a comment.

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