[School] Upper Serangoon Technical School

Source: National Archive of Singapore.

Upper Serangoon Technical School. "Where is this school and what have they achieved?"

It was the 60th school that the current government had built. Other than that, what I had previously read about the school from former students' account did not give the school a glowing review.

Interestingly as I dug deeper, the rich history of the school and the many exciting stories started to draw me into the school's story.

The school has a number interesting stories. For example, the school song was written by a local band called The Bambinos. A number of alumni are also the whos-who in Singapore.

For more in-depth reading about the school, do click on the link. https://bit.ly/2WlSdOS

[Roads] Lorong Hablor (Yio Chu Kang, 10 Milestone)

What do we know about the area of Lorong Hablor

LORONG HABLOR

Meaning of name: Road of Ducks?

Lorong Hablor appeared in official road maps from 1969.

The road has been replaced by the Seletar Expressway and Tampines Expressway. The road Lorong Hablor now no longer exists. In the past, Lorong Hablor was split into two separate dirt tracks that adjoined Boh Sua Tian Road. The area saw the establishment of various villages including one Chinese village called Lak Xun (六巡) Village. (Li, Ng, Mae, & Zhu, 2017) 

Shops

Most of the amenities were located along the main road of Yio Chu Kang Road, while Lorong Hablor was about one kilometre away. Thus, those staying around that area had to be self-sufficient. This meant that located around Lorong Hablor were sundry shops, repair shops and even three Chinese temples just along the same lorong. There was also a company selling cylinder gas called Swee Bee Wireless Company, located at 79 Lorong Hablor. (Advertisement, 1983)

Live animals, fishes and crops

There were fish ponds where villagers grew their fishes for sale. (Map, 1970) The villagers had also rare pigs, chickens and geese. (Yap, 2015) There were also rubber and coconut trees.

People

The villagers who stayed around Lorong Hablor included small time farmers and poultry owners to fishermen. There was a mention in the newspaper of a Malay fisherman who stayed at 179-A Lorong Hablor who drowned in the Seletar River while pushing his sampan out to sea. (Fisherman's fatal fall, 1982)

Toh Clan

Mr Toh Ngo Tong in his interview with interview with National Archive of Singapore claimed that most who lived around Yio Chu Kang 10 milestone had similar surnames – Toh. (Toh, 1985)   

School

Sin Cheng Chinese School was located along Lorong Hablor. The school could have been named after a Hokkien Chinese businessman Tan Sin Cheng who owned trading companies and a rubber factory in Penang, Malaya in the 1900s. (Ho, 2009)

Environmental Issues

The government had not forgotten the villagers who were staying in the rural area. The then Minister of Health Chua Sian Chin mentioned that in the spirit of keeping Singapore pollution free, the government had already replaced the bucket and overhanging latrines with “water-seal latrines or septic tanks where feasible”. (Clearing the air for a healthier Singapore, 1971)

Weather

It was reported that a sudden Sumartran squall ripped through the village in 1983. The strong easterly winds packed speeds of 80 km/h and lasted for an hour, brought down coconut trees that damaged the roofs of at least two houses. (Mohan, 1983) One of the homes affected was the Ong family. (This week, 1983)

Temples

The three temples found along Lorong Hablor were Feng Shan Tang (凤山堂), Fa Jin Dian (法进殿), and Quan Sheng Gong (全盛宫). In 1945, the three shrines came together to form the Hong San Chin Huat Temple Association, or Feng Shan Tang. As the Association was not able to buy their own plot of land, they then combined with Sam Ann Fu (三安府) and the Longxuyan Jinshuiguan Temple (龙须岩金水馆) to form the united temple Liuxun Sanhemiao Temple (六巡三合庙), named so as the other two temples were also previously located in Lak Xun Village. They are now located at 8 Ang Mo Kio Street 63 Avenue 9. (Li, Ng, Mae, & Zhu, 2017) 

In 1983, a mosaic layer broke into the Hong San Temple and took away a donation box containing about $200. He was arrested shortly after. (Mosaic layer jailed for stealing temple money, 1983)

References

[Vanishing Trade] The Mamak Shop along Jln Todak

Mr Majid standing proudly in front of his mamak store

Tucked away along the five-foot way of Jalan Todak stands a provision shop or what we locally call, a Mamak Shop. I've passed by the shop many times but today, there was something about the shop that caught my attention.

The owner did not seemed too bothered whether there was business or not. In the 30 minutes that I'd observed the shop from the opposite coffeeshop. He sold just two packs of cigarettes and in between, he'd just plonked himself down on a plastic chair, looking out towards nothingness.

Looking out towards Lorong Todak

I cooked up an excuse to stop by his shop, saying that I'd wanted to buy some sweets. His shop offered none as he said that, "the sweets will melt. Maybe you want to go to 7-Eleven".

The ice was broken and this was the opportunity for me to have a closer look at his wares and at the same time, find out more about this interesting mamak shop.

Cigarettes, cigarette paper, lighters, lighter fuel

Looking at what Mr Majid has at his hole-in-the-wall shop, there were really nothing that interest me, actually. It's cigarettes, cigarettes and more cigarettes.

Though I did not buy anything from this veteran owner, he was still more than willing to talk about the nostalgic past. He claimed that he has been running this Mamak Shop for about 45 years. The building in which the mamak shop is located was said to be built in He's kept the shop opened 365 days a year. In his heydays, his shop used to span about twice its current length and to manage the shop, he used to employ four others, including his brother.

Mr Majid also mentioned that he indeed, sold more items in the past. But now, he has cut down on the items that he's selling. Business was booming in the past as there were popular coffeeshops and a market nearby.

[Singapore Movies] Kallang Roar! Only at the National Stadium

Singapore's National Stadium - taken in 2010

The chant rang out loud amongst the Singapore soccer players of the 70s. It was a shout of intent; A shout of believe.

"Untuk Bangsa Dan Negara", Uncle Choo Seng Quee with his voiced raised. That was quickly followed up by the players shouting with conviction - "MAJULAH"!

Singapore soccer players fought tooth and nail for just one reason - National Pride. The phrase "Untuk Bangsa Dan Negara" as translated in English means "For the people and country". Not only was it meant to bring together soccer players of different races and religions, it was also reflective of how a young Singapore was at that point in time and their aspiration of wanting to fight together, regardless of race, language or religion.

Kallang Roar: The Movie

The movie - Kallang Roar - brought back wonderful memories of yesteryear. Those time where stood together as one to cheer on our soccer team. Part of the location was filmed in the old National Stadium, which has since been demolished and replaced with a spanking new stadium. Led by veteran actor Lim Kay Siu who took the role Singapore's most successful and controversial coach,  Uncle Choo Seng Quee, the movie cast its focus on Singapore's soccer glorious days of the 70s.

Worth a watch to know the history. 

The National Stadium

Here're more photos of the stadium that I took in 2010 before it was torn down.

Both tears of joy and sadness were shed here

People of all walks of life going through the gates to watch their soccer stars

A view from inside the ticketing booth

[Singapore Food] Mei Ling Market & Food Centre

A Road Sign Pointing Customers towards the Market

This is no air-condition food centre, but all the same. People are willing to come from all over the island to have a meal at this food centre, me included. As I'm not a frequent customer at this food centre, signs like what you see in the above picture helped me to get to the market easily.

Mei Ling Market Appeared in the 1972 map (1)

Though Mei Ling Street appeared in maps around the late 1960s, the earliest reference to the market I could find was in the 1972 street directory. Today though renovated, the market still holds many hallmarks of a market that was built more than 40 years ago.

The Entrance to the Market

Firstly, other than the red emblazoned words at the front of the market, the structure itself looked to have changed little. The windows on the second storey are also those that one would see installed as kitchen windows in HDB blocks of the 1970s.

Natural Lighting Helps to Luminate the Stairwell

One design that caught my attention was the brick wall of the stairwell. The walls had circles and semi-circles that not only provided natural lighting for the stairwell, the design also gives this market its character.
 

Well Ventilated Food Centre

The market major retrofitting work that was completed in 2009 (The market even has its own escalators) and both the wet market and food centre on the 2nd level have been well refurbished. Interestingly, live chickens were slaughtered in the market up until 1991 when the Environment Ministry laid down the law of not allowing such slaughter to take place. (2)

Trying the Fried Kuey Teow - Tan Song Heng

I know that there are many choices of food that I can choose from at the food centre, but I was just craving for Fried Kuey Teow that day. So a plate of Fried Kuey Teow I had to get. As I'm no food connoisseur, I'll leave the description of food to the expert. In the nutshell, the Fried Kuey Teow was just alright.

I heard that the chicken rice, lor mee and prawn noodles are worth a go. Any other recommendations?


References

1. One Map. http://hm.onemap.sg/ Accessed on September 28, 2015.

2. Poultry seller at Mei Ling Street want an area to slaughter fowl. October 8, 1991. The Straits Times. P. 23.

[Buildings] Blk 74-80, Commonwealth Drive

Emptied Blocks of Flats

Sound of Silence. If anywhere in Singapore comes close to a ghost town, it would be the seven blocks of Commonwealth Drive. These Housing Development Board (HDB) flats are slated to be torn down in October 2015. It was not like that.

Looking at Heritage Blogger James Seah's post about this place, this place was once full of life. It had life. There was a spritely dame of a coffeeshop, and a kindergarten with nice wall paintings. Sundry shops, hairdresser and hardware shop were all located under these blocks. Indeed it was convenient for the residents there.

A Towering HDB Block in the Background

With the booming population that we see locally, none of these 10-storey blocks will be able to meet the need. It's all about building it upwards. In a nutshell, we cannot stop progress, but we can immortalise some of these scenes through photographs. I'd taken more than 100 photos but I'd like to just share three photographs that I feel, are most meaningful to me. 

1. Old-School Mosaic Tiles

Mosaic Tiles Seen at Blk 74

I started my walk at Blk 74 and was immediately greeted by this beautifully-laid mosaic tiles. Such tiles are really a throwback into time as nowadays, no one will lay mosaic tiles in such a manner. Many will not even use these tiles unless home owners are planning to create a nostalgic feel within their homes.

2. Ground-Floor Kindergarten

Bright Painting Marks this Kindergarten

In its earlier years, Commonwealth Drive had a growing number of young families. Back in those kampung days, it would have been quite an effort sending the child to school and back as educational institutions were located centrally so that everyone would have access to schools. Things started to change in the 70s. Kindergartens were now located under the HDB blocks.

I can just imagine the crackling of children's voices as they learn to read and also, play. Looking at the louvered metal-windows, I can also imagine myself as an excited parent just hoping to meet the eyes of my child. I would have mustered a peep through the windows just to see if my child is doing alright.

3. Letter-Boxes

Row after Row of Letter-Boxes

 These were the HDB letter boxes that quite a number of us are accustomed to. This is how we open our letter-box. There's a circular hook that allows you to put in your own padlock if you so choose to do so. If not, you'd just need to flip the centre lock upwards. Then insert your key to open the letter box.

One other interesting thing to note about the mailbox. The centre flap bears the unit number of your house. If you're staying on the first level and your home address is 777, then it would just be listed as 777. But if you were staying the second level, then your unit number would be 777-A, and third level 777-B. In the late 1970s, the government must have felt that it was difficult for some people and thus implemented 01-777, 02-777. The new format for address can be seen riveted on the top right corner of each letter box.

What an Interesting Find!

In the midst of letter-box gawking, I chanced upon this letter dated 1980. That is a 35-year old letter. The envelope looked pristine in its condition, though the transparent plastic that one could then see our names, had totally disintegrated. The inside document was also tearing, but one could still make up the gist of the letter. How did this letter go missing for such a long time. Also,  how did it largely survive the test of time.

[Special Edition] Singapore Election 2015 - Big PAP Win

Voting is Compulsory

Singapore Election 2015 is a watershed one this year. Why?

1. More than 2 million Singaporeans have gone to the poll. This is the largest turnout that Singapore has seen in any election. 

2. This is the first time that all constituencies are being contested.

3. Dr Chee Soon Juan, Singapore Democratic Party is participating in his first election since being banned from standing in 2006 and 2011 due to his indiscretions. 

The Final Results?

The People's Action Party (PAP) has garnered a resounding win against the opposition parties. The PAP has won all but one Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) in Aljunied and one opposition stronghold in Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC).

This election win allows the PAP to form the government for the next five years. PAP has ruled Singapore since 1959.

Battle in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC

The internet screamed of unhappiness prior to the General Election. But once the polling booths were opened, the battles seemed to have ended before it had begun. All opposition parties lost by large margins. Is it the SG50 swell of feelings? Or the nationalistic emotions that the nation felt because of the death of our founding father, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew? The analysis will come from both the incumbent and opposition, I'm sure.

The Strongest Opposition Workers Party Has Also Lost Big

What was suppose to Workers' Party push towards extending their grip turned pear-shaped losing Punggol East SMC that was wrestled over in the 2012 by-election.

Fallen Opposition

The opposition may be down at this point, but I'm sure they will try again in the next election. So for now, congratulations to PAP for retaining power. 

[National Day] Happy 50th Birthday, Singapore

Declaration by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tengku Abdul Rahman

With a stroke of a pen, Singapore was cut free of from the reigns of Malaysia. It was not with immense joy that Singapore categorically departed from our hinterland, but one with trepidation as one can remember the tears of the Prime Minister at that time, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, that was beamed to all who had television sets that time. it was a sad day.

From Malaysia's point of view, Singapore was a spoilt child, craving for its toys and was one that made it difficult for the parents. We were asking all the difficult questions. Asking for equal rights amongst all races. Sabah and Sarawak were the more obedient ones. So in the end, Tengku Abdul Rahman had to 'disown' us. It was a "Surely you will regret it" and a "I told you it was difficult to run a government" mentality that the new Singapore government was treated to.

"...Singapore leaders have done nothing but talk politics, dream politics, and eat politics. Now that Singapore leaders have got to look after themselves they have got to be responsible for the lives of the people of Singapore. They will perhaps realise that they will have to go a little bit slower and appreciate that all these talks will only bring trouble." - Tengku Abdul Rahman (1)

Singapore became a street urchin all of a sudden and we were suddenly forced to grow up.

Grew up as giants these men did. Led by Lee Kuan Yew, a group of brave men, many of whom where thrust to the fore - took to the stage - Dr Goh Keng Swee, Mr Rajaratnam, Mr Lim Kim San, Mr E. W. Barker and Dr Toh Chin Chye wasted no time in putting together a workable plan for the country.

There were others such as Mr Ong Pang Boon and Inche Othman Wok who worked tirelessly in laying the bedrock to Singapore's success.

50 years on, we are now a modern metropolis. We have made progress beyond what the leaders could have imagined. (2)

"This was a mudflat. Swamp. Today it is a modern city. 10 years from now, this will be a metropolis." (2)

So with Singapore celebrating its 50th anniversary of independence today, I would like to wish our country a happy birthday. May we continue to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for this nation called Singapore.


References

1. The Straits Times. August 10, 1965. A dream shattered. Now a parting of the ways. P10.
2. Never Fear. March 24, 2015. Youtube. Accessed on August 9, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzYz7MWIX1s

[Singapore Parks] Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park: A Walk in the Park

During the 1970s and earlier, a mention of Kallang River or of any rivers in Singapore would have brought a frown to people's faces. Such rivers or "longkangs" are truly filth pits. Foul-smelling water; filth consisting of everyday rubbish to bloated animal carcasses.

So to even think of getting close to the water was out of the question. Prior to 2011, the river was nothing more than just a canal. It was a straight concrete-based canal that was a reflection of what Singapore was like in the 70s and 80s - effective but not exciting. Much of this mimicked what Singapore was like then too. Nothing but concrete structures.

From a silty, dirty canal, this part of Kallang River along Bishan was transformed into peaceful oasis with a meandering river. Completed in 2011 and launched on 17 March 2012 by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the waters are now teeming with fishes and kudos must be given to our water agencies who were able to not only keep the water clean, but to start the entire process of transforming the boring concrete canal into such a lovely site and sight.

The focus of this park is not only about the transformed canals, but also about the other facilities on offer. The cycling and running track along the parameters of the park; the nice, cosy restaurants and a spa tucked within the lush leafy garden; inline skating rink, and a dog park (There was not even enough money for people to feed themselves, what's more or dog, or even a dog park) for dog owners and their friend to have a bit of exercise.

With this success, the government has announced the next canal beautification project along the Bishan and Braddell Road. This 1.8km stretch of canal will be redone to include elevated viewing decks and a meandering river. The construction will be completed in 2018. 

[Sports] International Running Events in Singapore

Runners at the starting line

In Singapore, there are running events literally every month of the year. The recently-completed Osim Sundown Marathon 2015 saw the participation of about 26,000 runners who hailed from land both near and far.

With government's two prong approach - a push towards healthy living and revenue from sports tourism - much effort has been put into putting these races together. From running through the breath-taking Marina Barrage, to long stretches of the East Coast Parkway, most parts of the run were pretty pleasant. Certain roads were also closed to accommodate these events.

Breath-taking night view of the Singapore Indoor Stadium

Singapore's First International Marathon

The first Marathon ever held on Singapore's soil took place on December 5, 1982. (1)  It was a major undertaking as many roads were required to be closed. Starting from Connaught Drive, the race then meandered around Singapore. Passing through the various suburbs of Geylang Road, Paya Lebar, Ang Mo Kio, Thomson Road, Orchard Road and finally to the National Stadium. (2)

This arrangement would have caused a lot of disruption to the lives of Singapore and thus, would be the catalyst for the government to come up with a better way of doing marathons as the years go by. Now, all running events are held in and around the Central Business District area, Marina Bay and East Coast Park to minimise the level of disruption caused be road closures.

Also, the event was pretty much exclusive to those who have a higher level of fitness as there was only one race - the Full Marathon - 42.195km.


Marathon in Current Day Singapore

Races nowadays are more inclusive as instead of a single Full Marathon event, there are also shorter races such as the Half Marathon, 10km, 5KM fun run, and even children's event. (3) These running events can draw in more than 20,000 runners. (4)



References:

1. History of the Marathon in Singapore. November 17, 2014.  http://www.justrunlah.com/blog/2014/11/17/history-of-the-marathon-in-singapore/ Accessed on July 5, 2015.

2. The Straits Times. December 4, 1982. Advertisements Column 1. P3.

3. Channel News Asia. July 5, 2015. Sundown Marathon sees 26,000 participants. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/sundown-marathon-sees-26/1961690.html Accessed on July 5, 2015.

4. Lim, J. July 5, 2015. Athletics: Participants laud new race category at Sundown Marathon. http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/athletics-participants-laud-new-race-category-at-sundown-marathon Accessed on July 5, 2015.

[Nature] Sembawang Hot Spring

Piping Hot Water

Latest news and my views about the suggestion on developing the hot spring (9)

Whenever I hear of development, my mind reminds me of how fast Singapore is to making changes to things and how often it is for economic reasons. So when news came up about developing the Sembawang Hot Springs on April 18 2016, I really will like to ask for the government to not develop the place into a paid theme park or spa. The hot spring should be treated like any public park; free for public use.

I agree with Sembawang's Minister of Parliament (MP), Mr Ong Ye Kung, where he opined that the hot spring should not be commercialised. Fellow Sembawang MP Dr Lim Wee Kiak suggested that a shallow pool be built so that more people can enjoy the hot spring. I'd say, make it into a park that incorporate as much of its surrounding and nature as possible. 

Beitou Public Library

I remember walking along Taiwan's hot spring town - Xin Beitou. The municipal government took great care to ensure that structures built there were environmentally-friendly. Take the Beitou library for an example. The building built in 2006 using wood from managed forest. The inclusion of large windows into the building allows for natural light to be harnessed for its internal lighting. (10)

Lovely Beitou man-made river

Instead of letting the hot spring water flow into useless water holes, we can build a nice man-made river that allow for the water to flow. I always love the sound of flowing water. 

Taiwanese artist painting a portrait of the public library

This will give the place a lovely, tranquil feel. The public can relax, do their little exercises and even sit down to do their painting.

I'm also glad that there's a caretaker to this hot spring. Previously when I was there, there were a few people who were washing their clothes using the spring water. It was not just one or two pieces, but bucket-loads. I suspect that these people were doing this for commercial gains. It's terrible as they used soap powder to wash those clothing and as the water goes back into the ground, I'm just concerned that the ground water would be polluted. 

With a caretaker, I am sure that those few recalcitrant will be kept away.  


Updated: April 18, 2016


Spring water in Singapore? How can this be? Singapore is not known for natural structures or formations.

Well, indeed we have a hot spring in our own backyard along Sembawang Road.

The hot spring was first discovered by property owner Mr Seah Eng Keong in 1909, it was the talk of town. (8) Mr Seah then set up a company called Singapore Hot Spring Limited that bottled the water under the name "Zombun". The water was tested to be alkali in nature and the water was "compared very favourably to the best spa waters in Europe". (3)

During the discovery of the hot spring, the water temperature was measured at about 70 degrees celsius. (6)

Fraser and Neave (F&N) with its monetary might then came in to buy over the land in 1921 and continued bottling the spring water under the brand names "Seletaris" and "Zom". (8)

In the 1923, a newspaper reporter encouraged the public to visit the Seletar Springs and as part of that visit, they could also look out for wild animals such as wild boars and possible tiger sightings in the jungles of Mandai. (1)

In 1933, F&N pumped in money to rebuilt the plant and "Singa Water" was born in 1935. These bottled water were then exported. (8) By 1940, a well had already been built over the hot spring. (2)

During the Japanese Occupation, the bottling of water continued but was disrupted in 1944 after the Allied Forces bombed that area. The spring did not start flowing again until 1964.

Interestingly, there used to be two separate springs in that same area - one that has hot water and the other, cold water. The villagers in the surrounding kampongs used the spring water to bathe, wash their clothes and even boiled eggs. (5)


My Experience at the Hot Spring

I never knew how hot Singapore spring water could be until I experienced it myself. There were pails that one can use. Bathtubs even, for those who want a soak of their feet. So since I'd made my way to the hot spring, there's no way that I'd not try out the water.

However, I was ill prepared. Those seasoned campaigners had brought along their own towels. Their towels would then be soaked in the hot spring water before they proceeded to wipe themselves from head to toe.

I managed to find a pail lying around, one of many pails. I filled the pail with about 1/4 of water and seeing that steam was rising from the water, I waited a bit. A few minutes later, I placed my hands above the water and it felt the tingly feeling. I then proceeded to sprinkle the water on my feet. It was HOT!

It was only after about 30 minutes that the heat from the sprinkled water was more bearable. 

References

1. Seletar Springs. February 6, 1923. The Straits Times. P10.

2. "The Sorcerer" – First Full Rehearsal Of S.A.D.C. Opera. November 1, 1940. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). P5.

3. Our aerated water trade. January 2, 1932. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). P23.

4. Koh, B. S. March 15, 1989. Land near 'hot spring' site may be redeveloped. The Straits Times. P17.

5. The Singapore Free Press. March 7, 1960. Precious water runs to waste. P7.

6. The Straits Times. August 17, 1909. Untitled. P6.

7. The Straits Times. September 19, 1941. Advertisements Column 1. P5.

8. The Straits Times. March 10, 1967, SEMANGAT AYER LIMITED. P2.

9.  Ong, J. April 18, 2016. Sembawang Hot Spring: Singapore's next theme park, spa or water-themed attraction. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/sembawang-hot-spring/2704714.html

10. Great Taipei Travel. Travel King. Accessed on: April 18, 2016. https://www.travelking.com.tw/eng/tourguide/taipei/taipei-public-library-beitou-branch.html

Lim Tua Tow Market and Teck Chye Terrace

This was a popular market and hawker centre in the 50s and 60s. The Lim Tua Tow market was sited on the left of the picture, while the shop houses along Teck Chye Terrace are on the right.

The place surrounding the market was rather filthy and complaints were made to the government in hope that something could be done. There was no proper refuse disposal and items that were unwanted were dumped into the side drains. (17)

 
Not only was the place laden with filth, gangs also ply the back lanes. (5)

The market was demolished in the 1980s due to road expansion. The shop houses on he right are still currently there.

Teck Chye Terrace (Postal Code: Singapore 19/ 1954; 5 1/2 milestone Upper Serangoon Road)

Ask anyone about what Teck Chye Terrace is about and they will tell you it's all about food. From the traditional porridge stalls to buffet styled steamboats, this stretch of shophouses have different eating places to whet your appetites. (26) More recently, this row of shophouses made news as "five adjoining two-storey shophouses" were sold at a whopping cost of S$14.63m. (12)

But what was this place like before the advent of these makan places?

One of the first mention of the road name Teck Chye Terrace was seen in a 1930 Straits Times article. Police raided 19 Lim Teck Chye Terrace, Paya Lebar Village and arrested 10 Chinese for gambling. (13). Other vice activities included taking "chandu" or opium. (16) 

Teck Chye Terrace was acquired by the government in 1931 and declared as a public street. (6) The owners of the freehold land was selling buildings No.1 to 17 - Odd numbers. This road was already present in 1929. (7) It was purchased by a Mr Lim Soo Sian for a princely price of $22,000. (14)

After the Japanese occupation, the Christian community from Paya Lebar Methodist Church pumped in money to build a children's playground close to Teck Chye Terrace, adding some joy to these younglings. The area where the playground was to be built was said to be "overgrown with weeds, banana plants, and bushes and is a dumping ground for scrap and timber". (15)

Adding to gang activities, the filthiness of the place and mosquitoes infestations, Teck Chye Terrace was not a place where families would want to make this place their home. (18)

Source: OneMap, 1954

In 1962, one of its residents named Teck Chye Terrace as "one of the filthiest roads in Singapore". The road was totally crowded with "more than 100 stalls illegally constructed obstruct road users". (8) There was even a call to move these stall holders into the existing market and vacant playground. (3)

Companies that used the buildings at Teck Chye Road include:-

a. Hong Huat Timber Merchant in 1974 at 41, Teck Chye Terrace(9)

b. There was a slew of retail and wholesale liquor and beer shop that applied for a joint licence under the Singapore Provision Shop Friendly Association in 1975. These provision shops included 3, 9, 21, 27, 31, 33, 37 Teck Chye Terrace. (19) (20) (21) (22)

c. Hong Lee Goldsmith at 13 Teck Chye Road (11) (23) from 1982-91. The shop was then named Tiara Creation Pte Ltd in 1991. (27)

d. the now defunct Serangoon Sewing Machine Co. at 33, Teck Chye Terrace (10) in 1982-89. The company went on to sell other electrical appliances such as coloured television, video recorder and hi-fi sets. (24) (25)


First written on May 13, 2014.

Updated on May 31, 2015.


References

1. Left photo: From the Lee Kip Lin Collection. All rights reserved. Lee Kip Lin and National Library Board, Singapore 2009

2. Right photo: Google Map. Retrieved on May 13, 2014.

3. The Straits Times. May 22, 1963. Filth and Dust. P8

4. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. March 16, 1932. P2.

5. The Straits Times. The gangs like the dark. October 11, 1955. P8.

6. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. Declining Property Value. August 17, 1932. P12.

7. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. September 28, 1929. Municipal Commission. P11.

8. The Straits Times. Top prize for squalor. July 21, 1962. P10.

9. The Straits Times. Advertisement. December 9, 1974. P25.

10. Singapore Monitor. November 21, 1984. P3.

11. The Straits Times. Advertisements. June 14, 1983. P23.

12. Rashiwala, K. March 5, 2015. Mortgagee sales lift number of auction properties in Jan-Feb. The Business Times. Retrieved on May 31, 2015. http://business.asiaone.com/news/mortgagee-sales-lift-number-auction-properties-jan-feb

13. The Straits Times. Caught Gambling. January 30, 1930. P17.

14. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. April 27, 1932. Property Sale. P7.

15. The Straits Times. April 2, 1948. Paya Lebar Plans Centre. P5.

16. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. January 13, 1938. Had two cards: opium smoker fined. P15.


17. The Straits Times. January 29, 1955. Even the city cleaners don't dally here. P12.

18. The Straits Times. August 26, 1957. Back lanes need watching. P6.

19. New Nation. January 8, 1975, Advertisements. P15.

20. New Nation. January 29, 1975, Advertisements. P16.

21. New Nation. February 6, 1975, Advertisements. P21.

22. The Straits Times. January 4, 1975. Advertisements. P18.

23. The Straits Times. November 20, 1982. Goldsmith jailed for cheating another goldsmith of $20,000. P8

24. The Straits Times. July 22, 1984. Advertisements. P6.

25. The Straits Times. August 25, 1985. Advertisements. P23.

26. The Straits Times. December 11, 2005. Mass Market it is. Retrieved on May 31, 2015.

27. The New Paper. June 6, 1991. Advertisements. P29.

Elgin Bridge: The Bridge That Separated The Malays From The Chinese

Elgin Bridge looking towards South Bridge Road

The site where Elgin Bridge sits was already a known crossing point before Sir Stamford Raffles landed in 1819. The locals had built themselves a wooden bridge that spanned over the Singapore river. (1) This bridge was significant as it was the only crossing to where the Chinese community lived. (2) The bridge also separated the Chinese (China town) from the Malays (Kampong Glam). (6)


Former Bridges before the construction of the Elgin Bridge

A closer view of the Elgin Bridge

The Elgin Bridge, named after Lord James Bruce Elgin, Governor-General of India was completed in May 30, 1929. (3) This is the fifth bridge that was built on this site. From the first locally-built wooden bridge, a new draw bridge was built by Lt. Philip Jackson in 1822. It was called the Presentment Bridge or Monkey Bridge. Workers were able to draw up the bridges whenever ships with tall sails made their way upstream towards the ports and godowns. (2)

In 1844, a wooden footbridge then replaced the old drawbridge. This new bridge was called Thomson Bridge, named after it's architect John Turnbull Thomson. The bridge was then replaced by an iron bridge in 1862 and it was then named Elgin Bridge. It was built at a cost of $13,000. When the old bridges were taken down in order to build the new bridges, it posed to the community great inconveniences as they would then have to use boats to move themselves and their goods to the other side of the river. (4)


Bridge lighting and emblem

Lights and plaques designed by Cavaliere Rudolfo Nolli

The bridge is not the only historically rich architecture. The cast iron orb lighting was designed by an Italian sculptor Cavaliere Rudolfo Nolli. (3) Other works by Nolli include sculptures in the former Supreme Court building, Raffles Hotel and King Edward VII College of medicine building.

Nolli also helped to design six bronze plaques - a lion standing in front of the palm tree - that welcome any visitors using the bridge on either side.


Looking down at the river 

It was such a throwback into time walking along the bridge. In those yesteryears, this pathway would be where people use it to get to the other side. No one would really stand along the walkway to watch the tongkangs go by. You see, Singapore River was no where near its current level of cleanliness. The water was filthy and sanitation was non-existent. Thus, the river became a filth pit of human excrement and waste. The river was deemed a "irreversible environmental disaster" by an UN expert. (6)

A tongkang bearing tourists moving towards Elgin Bridge

In the late 70s, the government pulled together the different ministries to look at how they could revitalise this polluted river. It took the inter-ministry team 10 years to change this environmental disaster to a miraculous success.

With such a transformation, both locals and tourists alike can now stop along Elgin Bridge to take in the history, watch the sunset and wave at people on board the electric-run tongkangs for tourists.   

Updated: February 10, 2016


References

1. History at four more places. June 29, 1985. The Straits Times. P13.

2. Keys, P. July 5, 1981. Spanning the river of life. The Straits Times. P24.

3. Cornellus-Takahama, V. Elgin Bridge. Accessed on April 26, 2015. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_921_2004-12-10.html

4. Untitled. October 5, 1861. The Straits Times. P15.

5. The Elgin Bridge is the fourth. December 7, 1954. The Singapore Free Press. P7.

6. Song, O. S. (1984). One Hundred Years' History of the Chinese in Singapore. London: Oxford University Press. P.8, 11.

[Food] 328 Katong Laksa

328 Owner Ms Lucy Koh dictates her business at the entrance of her shop

With her well coiffed hair and neat dressing, Ms Lucy Koh easily stood out from the rest of her staff. She guards the front of her shop like a hawk and none of her staff was allowed close to her special formulated laksa gravy when she's around. No one except when she was away dishing out her laksa to Singaporeans in Shanghai, China every year during Singapore Day. (1)

Fresh cockles in the bowl of laksa

As I was visiting the shop under National Heritage Board's HeritageFest 2015, I did not have the opportunity to have a go at the laksa but was just happy to have the opportunity to speak with Ms Koh. (2)  But I was not deterred and had returned to the shop for dinner.

The crowd was just starting to build up when I was there at 10am

Ms Koh was quietly confident that she has one of the best laksa formula in town - her laksa won Gordon Ramsay's version hands-down. (3) This media savvy boss sees good online reviews of her laksa on sites such as Lonely Planet and ieatishootipost. (4) (5)

Previously, there were a number of pioneer laksa stalls in Katong. i.e. Janggut Laksa. But now, it looks like 328 Katong Laksa has now the monopoly of the laksa business there.

So how good is 328 Laksa? Is Janggut Laksa a worthy rival? (6)

Or maybe one that's outside of Katong - Sungei Road Laksa?

References

1. Singapore Day 2015 Shanghai. Accessed on April 18, 2015. https://www.singaporeday.sg/hawker.html

2. Heritagefest 2015. Accessed on April 18, 2015. http://heritagefest.sg

3. Hungrygowhere. Accessed on April 18, 2015. http://www.hungrygowhere.com/dining-guide/hawker/gordon-ramsay-wins-chilli-crab-loses-hawker-heroes-challenge-*aid-8b773f00/

4. 328 Katong Laksa. Lonely Planet. Accessed on April 18, 2015. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/singapore/restaurants/indonesian/328-katong-laksa

5. ieatishootipost. Accessed on April 18, 2015. http://ieatishootipost.sg/328-katong-laksa-hits-you-right-there-yeah-yeah-yeah/

6. Janggut Laksa: Original Katong Laksa.  http://singapore-trails.blogspot.sg/2014/11/janggut-laksa-original-katong-laksa.html

7. Sungei Road Laksa. http://singapore-trails.blogspot.sg/2014/09/sungei-road-original-laksa.html