My Grandfather – Tessa Mitchell
My paternal grandfather, Lewis Williams, lived and worked in Singapore in the early years of the 20th century. He was employed by a company called Topham, Jones and Railton and worked in Singapore from about 1911 until about 1930. Topham, Jones and Railton were the civil engineering firm who built the King’s and Queen’s Docks and in 1922 began building the causeway linking Singapore to Johor Bahru. Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Yesterday, 3:16pm
Chinatown prepares for Mid-Autumn Festival
We are still in the midst of the popularly known as "Hungry Ghost Festival", more appropriately known as Zhong Yuan Jie 中元节, but this does not prevent the shops and traditional Chinese pastry shops from preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhong Qiu Jie 中秋节. Read more...
bullockcartwater 牛车水, Yesterday, 3:17am
Nihon Ryori Ikaga desuka?
A couple of weeks ago, after what seemed like an endless loop or was it getting into a time zone, we arrived at the carpark of Central. Our target, the Waraku Japanese Restaurant. It is a hip place with the younger people. Read more...
bullockcartwater 牛车水, Yesterday, 3:17am
Nine Emperor Gods: Long Nan Dian sendoff
Long Nan Dian sent off Nine Emperor Gods in a rousing ceremony at the East Coast Parkway on 7 Oct 08 (9th day if the 9th moon). Read more...
Chinese Temples, Yesterday, 3:17am
Nine Emperor Gods
Long Nan Dian sent off Nine Emperor Gods at the East Coast Parkway on 7 Oct 08 (9M09). Read more...
Sin Tua 神坛 in Singapore, Oct 14, 3:17pm
My favouriteTeochew Fish Porridge (Broth)
This must have been in the mid 1970s. That was when I had started working for a few years. I was working late and getting involved in work related activities. It meant late dinner. I could not remember how I came across these food stalls on the street, but I did find them. Since then, it was like my open air dining place. Read more...
bullockcartwater 牛车水, Oct 14, 3:16pm
25. Jiu Xian Gong 九玄宫 (Xuan Nv Ma Gong 玄女妈宫)
The Jiu Xian Gong 九玄宫, also known as Xuan Nv Ma Gong 玄女妈宫, started in 1928 by the Bai Clan at 7 milestone, Tampines Rd. In 1970, owing to rapid urbanisation, the temple started looking for a more permanent place for the temple. In 1982, a piece of land at Tampines Road was found and in 1985, the temple was built. Many of the devotees and supporters of the temple are still from the Bai 白 Clan. Today, the temple stood tall at one end of the row of temples along the Old Tampines Road. Recently, further renovation to the temple was made. Read more...
Chinese Temples, Oct 14, 3:16pm
Yangqin (杨琴) for sale
I have a second-hand Yangqin (杨琴) for sale. It belongs to my daughter who used to play for her school’s Chinese Orchestra. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please do let me know. Thanks. Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 14, 3:16pm
Chinese New Year Shopping
For some reasons, one's Chinese New Year preparations is not complete until one visits Chinatown. At least thought a number, judging from the congestion in the multistorey carpark where I park my car. This spells good news to the vendors in Chinatown. Read more...
bullockcartwater 牛车水, Oct 13, 3:17pm
Balestier-Thomson Road Heritage Trail (1)
Peter's recent post about the buses has triggered a string of comments and inputs from readers - one of them as far as California, about a part of Singapore that figured quite prominently in my secondary school days. As I have written before, I used to study in ACS in Barker Road and commuted daily between Newton Circus and my kampong in Lorong Chuan passing by the Thomson-Balestier junction. Often I would be traveling with my elder brother David and two of classmates who lived in Serangoon Gardens, David Wu and Ong Leong Chye. Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 13, 3:14am
King’s Theatre @ Tiong Bahru
Although I know very little about the Tiong Bahru area, I am familiar with the King’s Theatre at Kim Tian Road. In the early 70’s when Taiwanese movies were a big hit, my older siblings, especially my elder sister and their friends were quite fond of watching this genre of romantic dramas. I used to tag along. Please bear in mind that in those days, we had no internet, no colour tv, no computer games - no pc in fact - and thus the most popular past time for young people was going to the movies. Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 12, 3:15pm
“Tiong Ma-Lu” as the Cantonese would say (Part 2) – By Peter Chan
It was a strange phenomenon to see that every corner shop was a coffee-shop or a provision-shop except the one at the corner of Seng Poh Road and Eng Hoon Street. I recalled it was run by an English-educated shop-keeper who had a wife who was always heavily made-up with Elizabeth Arden cosmetics, bright red lipstick and dressed in a tight-fitting frock. Her husband sold sweets in big glass jars and office stationery. Next door was Kamy, the only music shop that sold cartridges, cassettes and single-records. It was here that I bought my first cartridge “The Carpenters” album. Further down Seng Poh Road was “Majid” and Yuen Cheong Provision Shop. Majid was Indian and the only shop selling fabrics such as Swiss Voile and was popular with Tai-Tais who came in chauffeur-driven Chevrolets, the Flamingo Night Club hostesses in Great World and the ladies who walked to the Seng Poh Road Wet Market. There was also a ladies hair-perm saloon and a... Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 10, 3:16pm
The Chinatown Triangle
The sign that shows three blocks along three streets did not betray the interesting history of this part of Chinatown. In fact, I am also at a loss trying to map what it is today with what it was in the old days. So, perhaps, a collective memory collection might be necessary (^^) Read more...
bullockcartwater 牛车水, Oct 10, 3:16am
Memories from an old news clipping (1)
In my previous post, I showed you a newspaper advertisement from 1968. I discovered three interesting pieces of information at the back. Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 10, 3:16am
Money Change ….. Hello Johnny, Long time no see (by Peter Chan)
In 1961 I made my first trip to the CBD (Central Business District) Area when I accompanied my father to the Singapore and Malaya Stock Exchange at the Singapore Rubber House. My father felt it was a good way for me to brush up my Arithmetic; currency conversions from Pounds, Shillings & Pence to Straits Dollar, Fractions and Mixed Numbers. Anyway this article is not about the stock market but on Change Alley. Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 9, 3:16pm
“Tiong Ma-Lu” as the Cantonese would say - By Peter Chan
Today’s pre-war Tiong Bahru Estate is different from my time. It is very colorful because there are enclaves of Chinese temples, dormitories for South Indian foreign workers, Filipina nurses working at the nearby Singapore General Hospital, YAMCs (Young Adult Married Couples), Chinese restaurants, and wine bars among the owner-occupied houses. Lately it has served as the backdrop for film producers such as “Sayang Sayang” (circa 2008) on Mediacorp 5 and Eric Khoo’s “Be With Me” movie (circa 2005). I have also seen Medicorp 8 serials using the backlanes off Seng Poh Road and Tiong Poh Road as back-drops. Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 8, 3:17pm
From the ashes arose a Phoenix
Abandoned school buildings seem to be the right candidates for hostels, or now, boutique hotels. Many could be the older buildings with some older characteristics of probably the 50s. Read more...
bullockcartwater 牛车水, Oct 8, 3:16am
Archaeology in Singapore
Who was Sang Nila Utama? What was life like in early, pre-colonial Singapore? It seems archaeology seems to attempt to answer some of these questions. Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 8, 3:16am
The Chinese Clogs - Cha Gia
Wasn't it some years ago when one could see the ladies carrying their rattan weaved baskets (in various forms and fashion) - talking about being green, in their dainty samfoo and walking to the Chinatown wet market. Wearing clogs, but of course. Read more...
bullockcartwater 牛车水, Oct 7, 3:16pm
Metropole Cinema, Kum Wah, Kim Hua 金華
Thanks to the memory jots from Algae and Moon, I decided to run down my little memory lane about Kum Wah (in Cantonese) or Kim Hua (in Hokkien). And in English, Metropole Cinema (you can see a picture of it in LaoKokok's blog). I vaguely remember wandering around that area when they were building this almost circular building. I was curious, but not as curious as with the fish tanks in the nearby open-air fish-shop.... Read more...
bullockcartwater 牛车水, Oct 7, 3:16pm
Freehold terrace houses in Bukit Timah District 10 going for only $28,000!!!
No, there is no typo error. Neither am I lying. Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 7, 3:16am
Roundabout Quiz 3 - Answers
1) Bukit Panjang Circus Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 6, 3:16pm
Old Beauties Quiz (5)
Sorry no time to scan the answers to last week’s Roundabout Quiz 3. So here’s a real beauty for you to ogle at in the meantime. Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 5, 3:16pm
Xin Sheng Poets Society 新聲詩社
This evening, I was fortunate to be introduced to the Xin Sheng Poets Society 新聲詩社which now has its premise in Chinatown. After "wandering" for years, it has finally find a home in the right place! Chinatown. From what I understand, the Society should be 50 years old this year, having been in the current premise for the past 6-7 years. Read more...
bullockcartwater 牛车水, Oct 5, 3:15am
Freddy Neo remembers living next door to British families in Sembawang Hills Estate
I grew up in Sembawang Hills Estate. Our family moved there in 1958 when I was 6 years old and we moved out on Deepavali Day (sometime in October) in 1979. Our house was a one storey terrace house facing the Pierce Reservoir. The estate was developed by the Bukit Sembawang Group, parceled out from its vast rubber plantation in central Singapore. My father paid $11,000 for the house. Today after 51 years, a similar house (unrenovated and un-redeveloped) is going for about $900,000. Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 5, 3:15am
Chinatown prepares to welcome the Year of the Rat
Or should it be the Year of the Mouse, the Mickey Mouse to be more accurate? (^^) Yes, Chinatown is decorated with the likes of Mickey Mouse in welcoming yet another new year. The year of the Rat starts another new cycle, and from what we know about rats - there were plenty in Chinatown - it would be tough to romanticise the rats. And so Mickey Mouse came to the rescue. A friend was wondering aloud, why not Mighty Mouse? Read more...
bullockcartwater 牛车水, Oct 4, 3:15pm
Public Bus Transport (Part 2) - Singapore’s First Air-conditioned Public Bus (by Peter Chan)
When STC was placed under receivership, we heard from the grapevine there were many things that could be salvaged for free. So my cousin and I quickly made our way to the Mackenzie Road office, which is now the secondhand car dealer mart to ask for a specific memorabilia, the Isuzu or Nissan bus. Read more...
Good Morning Yesterday, Oct 4, 3:15pm
The Literature, Culture and Society of Singapore
The Literature, Culture and Society of Singapore is part of the Post-Colonial Web of the University Scholar's Programme. A comprehensive landscape of post-colonial Singapore is outlined including its geography, demography, economics, history, politics, religion, Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Malaycivilization.com
Malaycivilization.com is the fruit of ATMA (Alam dan Tamadun Melayu), the Institute of the Malay World and Civilization, a part of UKM. As a general member - which is offered free-of-charge - users can view the digitised resources of photojournalist and restoration architect, N. A. Halim; PADAT, the Malay World Database - a collection of 30,000 to 40,000 articles in publications about the Malay world; Khamus Peribahasa Melayu or a Dictionary of Malay Proverbs built into a searcheable database; Pantun Baba or Peranakan Poetry, again a searcheable database; Karya Jawi or Jawi Literary Works; Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
a2o.com
a2o.com , translated to Access to Archives Online Singapore is the integrated digital search interface for the National Archives' various units'digital presence. These subset dataplatforms include PICAS - the picture database, MISAS - the moving image and sound archives, STARS - the speech-text archival retrieval system, CARDS - cartographic and architectural records database, PRISM - private record information system, Posters - a posters database, Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Singapore's General Elections (2006) - Alternative Opinions
Although podcasting has been banned, there have been a number of blogs set up solely on this subject. Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Singapore - Country Study
A Country Study: Singapore is part of the Country Studies / Area Handbook Programme by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress. It gives a comprehensive perspective of Singapore including its history (from pre-colonial to 1985),society & environment (including ethnic groups, religions, education, health & welfare), the economy, government and politics, and national security. Data is valid only until 1989. There is a useful bibliography and an appendix of tables. http://singaporestuff.blogspot.com/atom.xml Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Inter-religious Organisation, Singapore
In the next few weeks, i will attempt to cover the varied religious and communal activities in Singapore. As a start, the Inter-religious Organisation (IRO) offers an overview of key religions in Singapore. This includes Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Bahai faith. Key religions such as Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and the various Chinese religions... Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Islamic Education in Singapore
The Darul-Arqam has a subsidiary, the Centre of Islamic Management Studies, set up in 1999 with the which aim to "develop and provide Islam-based training on various aspects of personal and professional development." Some unique courses offered are Islamic Banking and Shari'ah for Legal Practitioners. For religious education, there is a website reflecting all six full-time Madrasahs in Singapore. In 1999, the old Kampong Siglap Mosque was used as a centre for the memorisation of the Quran, Tahfiz Al-Quran Centre of Singapore. For critical thinking and discussions on Islam, the Centre for Islamic Studies provides such a platform. In the same vein, the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs ( Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Sikhism in Singapore
Sikh organisations in Singapore that represent their interests include the Sikh Advisory Board and the Central Sikh Gurudwara Board. The latter provides an insightful history of how the organisation arose and the early history of Sikhism in Singapore although AllAboutSikh provides more details to this story and a list of key Sikh temples and their addresses. A list of Sikh temples with pictures and short histories can be found at Singapore Mirror Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Taoism in Singapore
There is limited information about Taoism in Singapore, partly because there is no unifying organisation that links the Taoist temples together. The Taoist Mission (Singapore) offers insights to the religion with details on the development of Taoism in Singapore although this is mainly in Chinese. Taoism-Singapore is a very active discussion group that keeps track of events at various temples and the significance of these festivities. These are graphically illustrated through Tan Wee Cheng's online photographs at his website Tanki and elaborated further in the section Encounters.http://singaporestuff.blogspot.com/atom.xml Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Muslims in Singapore
Muslim Converts Association (Darul-Arqam)provides a good introduction to Islam. In Singapore, the administration of Muslim affairs is mainly managed by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS or Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura). The MUIS portal provides links to services such as Hajj Services, Halal Certification including a listing of certified halal food establishments in Singapore, and various eResources such as sermons and online publications. MUIS was established in 1968 as... Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Buddhism in Singapore
The Singapore Directory of BuddhaNet provides useful weblinks and/or addresses of Buddhist organisations in Singapore. Different veins of Buddhism including Mahayana and Theravada and even non-sectarian forms are listed and their categories reflected accordingly. The claims to being the largest Mahayana Buddhist temple in Singapore goes to the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery. There are strains of Buddhism that traces its beliefs from Tibet (Nyingma Kathok Buddhist Centre - Singapore), others from Myanmar (Burmese Buddhist Temple), Sri Lanka ( Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Christianity in Singapore
The Catholics in Singapore comprise a large majority. Amongst the Protestants, the Anglicans, the Methodists, the Lutherans, the Presbyterians and the Baptists have been established in Singapore for about 50 years to at least a century. Independent churches such as Faith Community Baptist, New Creation and City Harvest have also large followings. A non-denominational site with a searchable directory for churches can be found at Antioch. An NZ site, Across, also hosts a browsable listing of Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Hinduism in Singapore
The Hindu Endowment Board's website offers links to Hindu temples in Singapore, the Singapore Hindu - HEB's newsletter available online, festival dates and other hindu activities. The website of the Sri Thenduyathani Temple provides similar details such as images and links to local Hindu temples, festivals and the history of Chettiars in Singapore. Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Collections in Singapore about Asia (II)
The National University of Singapore has a wealth of information in its libraries and faculties on Singapore and Asia. The Singapore-Malaysia collection in the NUS Central Library offers unique academic resources such as the newspaper clippings and a strong theses collection on the region. It also has unique print and non-print (ranging from databases to microfilms) in its holdings. It has a range of online bibliographies on Singapore covering aspects of history(including a Chinese version), statistics, literature and related topics. The Singapore National University... Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
The Eurasians in Singapore
The Eurasians in Singapore are families made up of a mix of European and Asian cultures. These include an intertwining of Portuguese, Dutch, British, Chinese, Malay and Indian pedigree. These families have lived in Singapore for many generations. Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Singlish
Singapore English has its own following. Jack Lee's Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English includes not only explanations and samples of usage but also phonemes and the Chinese script where relevant. Many of the words defined are derived from the local papers. Talking Cock's Coxford Singlish Dictionary was an earlier online dictionary which also has print parallel. Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Singapore's General Elections (2006) - News & Information
On 27 April 2006, "for the first time in 18 years, the PAP has not returned to power on Nomination Day" (CNA). For more on the elections, the Elections Department offers a map of the electoral divisions, results of past parliamentary elections, a register of voters (access only to personal records), instructions on voting and on overseas voting Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Of Pratas, Plasters and Dinosaurs
Craving for the local flavours of Singapore, i came across this fascinating video of prata at Bukit Timah. Here you get a dizzying view of local favourites - Milo Dinosaur, Teh Tarik and of course the humble Prata! Catch the sideline sights of the Indian man pushing a heavy garbage bin across the room and the pretty Singapore lasses feeding on this feast. Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am
Void Decks
There is nothing void about void decks - the open spaces on the ground floor of public housing apartments, or HDB flats. Better known as the venues for mega events such as Chinese New Year parties, weddings and funerals, they have also served as locations for the simpler birthday parties (watch the cake!) Read more...
Singapore Stuff, Oct 4, 3:16am