When You Have No Shoes (2) Do you remember this post which I wrote more than 3 years ago? It is about a foreign domestic worker whom I met in my block's lift. Her footwear had given way and she was making her way home barefooted.Well, last Sunday the same thing happened again. No, I didn't meet another woman whose footwear was spoilt. This time, one of the pair of sandals I was wearing decided that its time was up:I was stranded somewhere in wilderness of Marine Parade Central and was left with little choice but to drag my right foot along with the broken sandal when I walked. (Trust me, you'll never realise how far away the nearest shoe shop is until you are forced to walk this way. Although the shop is barely 100 feet away, it seems more like a mile.) I had to endure curious stares from passers-by. Stares were still alright but two young ladies even had the audacity to giggle to each other on seeing me in this predicament. How come nobody was kind enough to offer me a hand slipper in a time of need like this? Talk about working towards being a gracious society! Tsk, tsk, tsk. Frankly, I think we are a long way off.After a literally dragging long time, I finally arrived at the shoe store. At $4.90 a pair of flimsy slippers, they were probably overpriced. But then when you are in my broken sandal shoes, you will realise that you do not have any bargaining power at all. So I reluctantly paid up without putting up any fight.I was just glad that I wasn't climbing Mount Kinabalu when my footwear broke. Who Stole The Carved Ceremonial Pole? Chun See went to Empress Place this afternoon but he couldn't see the Carved Ceremonial Pole from across the river.I thought to myself, "Oh no! Could someone have stolen the Carved Ceremonial Pole?" If so, being an alert and responsible citizen, I must report the theft to the National Heritage Board. Otherwise, I could be accused of being bochap (couldn't care less, can't be bothered, complacent, etc.) just like what MRT staff have been criticised for after the recent case of the train vandalism came to light. However, I should verify the facts myself first. So I made a special trip down to Empress Place after 8 pm tonight (to beat the ERP because the pole was located inside the CBD).To my great relief, the pole was still standing, as ramrod straight as ever. (The date/time stamp for this photo shows that I took the photo tonight, i.e. I did not cheat.)Maybe my illusion trick made the pole look gigantic. Actually, it is only about 30-foot (9-metre) high, i.e. only slightly taller than a flag pole and a bit fatter, as the photo below shows. So Chun See could have easily been misled missed it, especially when he was looking from across the river.So that the trip was not completely wasted, I might as well attempt a second shot of the old Marine Police Station: A 1920s View Of Empress Place This is a 1920s view of Empress Place. Chun See has an Old Buildings Quiz here which shows the building in the foreground. This building has been demolished long ago. The area is now an open field where the following Carved Ceremonial Pole could be found.The Carved Ceremonial Pole was presented by the State Government and People of Sarawak to the Government and People of Singapore, after the 'Singapore-Sarawak Link' exhibition at the old National Museum in Jan 1991. Doesn't it look taller than the skyscrapers? Of course, that is just an illusion.You can see part of Cavenagh Bridge and Anderson Bridge at the right of the first photo. Note the background of the photo, which is the city centre, is practically devoid of tall buildings. In fact the tallest structure in the area seems to be the clock tower of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, previously called the Town Hall or the Victoria Memorial Hall.Philip Chew said that the building in the foreground was the former Marine Police Station in Empress Place. I think he is right. When AIDS Had A Very Different Meaning We all know that AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and an AIDS Society helps people inflicted with AIDS. But did you know AIDS and AIDS Society had very different meanings in the 1960s?This is a photo of the building standing at the junction of Victoria Street and Albert Street. It was probably taken around the year 1980 as Golden Landmark Hotel (now known as Landmark Village Hotel) could be seen in the bottom-right of the photo. Note the English sign on the old building - it says FOH SONG MUTUAL AIDS SOCIETY (Chinese - He Shang Hu Zhu Hui or 和商互助會. 'He' or 和 is a Chinese surname.) The Chinese sign on the top of the building says He Shan Gong Hui or 禾山公會. Note that in those days, it was common to write Chinese characters from right to left.)Below is a photo of the same building taken at night in 1964 from the then Bugis Street, courtesy of Peter Chan:Note the lighted advertisement in shape of a soft drink bottle on the building. There are also flags strung across the street and a round sign on the facade of the building which says that the society was celebrating its 60th Anniversary that year. In the background of the photo is the SIT flat that I blogged about here and here:So there you have it - solid proof that the SIT flat was in the then Albert Street. (This portion of Albert Street has since been renamed as New Bugis Street.)Of course, no blog post of old places in Singapore is complete without a second shot of the same place today:Notice the F1 Team on top of the bus stop? It is a static advertisement for the Singapore 2010 Formula 1 Night Race that will be held from 24-26 Sep 2010. This modern and realistic advertisement is certainly a far cry from the 1960s advertisement of the soft drink bottle, isn't it?With the amorous activities happening in the nearby Bugis Street then, AIDS in Singapore could very well have started in this area. If so, then the signboard of the AIDS society had certainly been very prophetic. Old National Library Revisited (2) Old National Library, circa 1970sSad remnants of the old National Library today - 2 red pillars and some fencingI have blogged about the old National Library here and there.I am really no authority on the National Library but somehow, I do get enquiries from research students on the subject every now and then. Reproduced below is one such email interview late last month:1. What was the issue at stake for the public in the demolition of the old National library?The public could be divided into 3 main groups as described below. What issue was at stake depends on which group the person belonged to:a. Those who were all for the demolition of the old National Library (NL). They felt that the National Library (NL) stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the modern architecture of the SMU and the neo-classical and elegant National Museum. Built in 1960, they felt that it was not that old and not worthy of preservation. There was also nothing very special about the architecture of a basically red-brick building. Of course, being sited on very expensive land in the city made the reason to have it demolished even stronger. The opportunity cost for retaining the old NL would be very high. LTA obviously fell into this group.b. Those who were indifferent about the fate of the NL. This group was likely to be the very young who never or seldom visited the old NL or who did not grow up in Singapore. They have no emotional attachment to the old NL. If they remembered it at all, it was just an old red-brick building standing besides a very busy thoroughfare. They did not care whether it was preserved or not - they had nothing to lose if it were to go, neither did they have anything to gain if it were to be preserved.c. Those who were dead against the demolition of the old NL. This group grew up with the old NL. They visited it often when they were young, before the advent of the Internet completely changed the way traditional research was done. They spent a lot of time in the old NL, i.e. the children and adult sections on the lower level and the air-conditioned reference section on the upper level. They had such fond memories of the old NL that they were emotionally attached to it. This group was also the most vocal - in the print media, on-line forums, blogs and lately, on facebook. Needless to say, I belong to this group.2. How did the community react to these issues?The group against the old NL's demolition was vocal and articulated their views passionately. They wrote many letters to the press on why the old NL should be preserved and also suggested alternate uses for this red-brick building. The following passage titled 'Public Dissent' is quoted from this Wikipedia link:"From March to April 1999, there arose a huge groundswell of public dissent in the media over the National Library building's fate, as well as the drastic physical alterations of its environs. A number of featured columns by journalists touched on gradually disappearing heritage landmarks, as well as shared memories of Singaporeans.On 24 January 2000, after SMU chaired a technical workshop to obtain feedback on three alternative proposals, a well-known architect named Tay Kheng Soon held a press conference at The Substation to unveil his unofficial SMU masterplan. URA was invited to the presentation but did not show up. His proposal entailed re-routing the tunnel in order to save the National Library building. A week later, Tay wrote to the Prime Minister's Office regarding his proposal which was referred to the MND. Many members of the public wrote in publicly either in support of Tay's plans or argue for heritage conservation in general. A few articles and letters highlighted that the adamant official response to public dissent ran counter to the spirit of the Government's S21 Vision, which expressed a desire to foster civic participation and active citizenry."3. Could you describe the process/actions the government/stakeholders had taken to address the issues?The experience or perception of the public is that if the authorities have the intent to carry out a plan or action, a public outcry seldom changes the final outcome. A case in point is the two IRs. The government/stakeholders did not seem to have taken much action in the old NL case except to say that the public feedback had been given due consideration but still, demolition was in the final analysis, the better option. Again quoting from the same Wikipedia link:"On 7 March 2000, the Minister for National Development, Mah Bow Tan, announced in Parliament that the National Library building would have to go. According to Mah, the authorities had assessed Tay's plans but concluded that the URA's plan was a better proposal for preserving the Civic District's ambience and being more people-friendly. With no choice, the public and activists accepted the final decision to demolish their beloved Library and the debates slowly frizzled off."4. Have the above actions helped to address the issues?No. The public experience or perception is still the same. And so will be the likely outcomes for any future issues.5. What do you think could have been done better?In my opinion, it is not matter of what could have been done better but rather, would they want to do it or not?6. Looking back, how do you feel now?More angry than sad at first. But now, more sad than angry. Old Grange Road Bungalow (Circa 1920s) The old bungalow located along Grange Road - Circa 1920s - Photo credit: SeanThe old bungalow's verandah - Circa 1920s - Photo credit: Sean1. Some of the earlier expatriate community lived in very grand colonial houses in Singapore. Earlier this week, I received the following email from Sean of Perth, Australia:Hi Victor,Have just come across your blog when looking for a house in Singapore. My grandfather was born in the house in 1920 and I have always wondered if it was still standing as it was in Grange Rd, which I believe has been developed. I have attached two photographs of it and wonder if you know of the house? The back of the external photograph simply reads "Grange Rd, Singapore". My family was there until about 1923. Anything you can tell me about the house would be wonderful.Thanks,Sean2. Below is my reply to SeanHi Sean,Thank you for writing. What a beautiful bungalow that your grandpa stayed in!Unfortunately, I am not very familiar with the old houses on Grange Road. However, if it is still standing near the main road, I would surely have noticed it as I have driven past this road many times. If you could provide the house number, it would have been easier. (The house numbers on Grange Road ranged from 1 to 130, according to my 1963 Street Directory.)There are several high-rise condominiums, apartments and commercial buildings that have been built along this road in the last few decades. The properties in this area command a very high price because they are located in prime postal districts 9 and 10. (Under the old postal district system, 9, 10 and 11 are the prime areas in Singapore. For example, the famous shopping belt of Orchard Road is located in postal district 9.) Because the land in this area commands a very high premium, I am afraid that there is a very good chance that the bungalow could have been demolished to make way for one of the new developments. After all, it has been almost a century since your family stayed there.The owner of the bungalow would certainly have reaped a very handsome windfall by selling it for redevelopment. Such a big bungalow in that area could be worth tens of millions of dollars today, with most of the value being attributed to the prime land which the bungalow sits on.If you have no objection, may I suggest that I post the 2 photos on my blog and ask if anyone remembers seeing this bungalow on Grange Road before. Who knows? You may just get lucky.Hope to hear from you again, Sean.Best regards,Victor.3. And Sean's response:Hi Victor,Thank you so much for your email.Indeed, it was a beautiful bungalow. I just wish the number had been written on the back of the photograph, but my grandfather has passed away and was just three when he left Singapore so probably wouldn't have known, anyway. His parents died many years ago and, I suppose, the information went with them.I doubt my great grandfather owned the house at any time as the family had little money when they arrived in Australia and rented for at least the first ten years here, only buying a house with the help of a wealthy relative. There is actually another photograph of my great grandfather at a Singapore property, which refers to him being "at Melrose". Unfortunately, there is little of the building in the background of that photograph to suggest what "Melrose" might have been. Perhaps that was the name of the house in Grange Rd? Perhaps it was a house in Melrose Drive in Serangoon?Anyway, I have no objections to the posting of my email, including the photographs, on your blog. It would be wonderful if any of your followers are able to help.For the record, my great-grandfather was a clerk at WH Mansfield & Co at Collyer Quay. Mansfields were the local agent for the Blue Funnel Line shipping company and my great grandfather had lived in Singapore since about 1908, returning to the UK in 1917 to marry his long-time girlfriend and then returning to Singapore until 1923 when the family moved to Australia. I assume there would be no record of the family in Singapore (given the damage done to the island in WWII), but I'd love to hear from anyone who might have suggestions about finding any further records of them in Singapore. I know my grandfather was never able to obtain a British passport during his lifetime because the record of his birth in Singapore (in 1920) was destroyed during the war.Thanks again for your help.Kind regards, Sean4. Thanks to Peter Chan's friend who once lived in Grange Road. He provided the first input below:From my somewhat fading memory, this building may have been part of the East Staff English School premises located near the junction of Grange/Leonie Hill Rd. I don't know who the owner/residents were before it became a school.If you have any nostalgic memories of this old house, Sean and I would certainly appreciate if you could share them with us here. He Licks And She Sucks Some time ago, my blogger friend wrote a blog post with a suggestive title, Suck harder! And it will come out. Seeing what big excitement such a title could arouse, I am following in his footsteps. But not by sucking.Marina Bay Sands (MBS) was the second integrated resort (IR) to open in Singapore this year. The first one was of course Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). Various attractions were opened progressively together with the 2 IRs. RWS had the Universal Studios while the MBS had the Helix (pronounced "he licks") Bridge.I was at the Helix Bridge to lick soak up the scenic sights on the Saturday night of 22 May 2010. The bridge was crowded.But only half of it was. The other half was deserted.Why? Because only half of the bridge was opened; the other half remained closed. Curious people tried to peep beyond the barricade.Can you differentiate who is the real person in the above photo and who is a cardboard cut-out? (Clue: My younger son is in the photo. Hmm... I can't believe that my 13-year-old son is taller than the adult woman!) Fortunately, the woman is only a cardboard cut-out. If she were real, my son could have been accused of committing khalwat (close proximity).You could take beautiful photos of the bridge.You could also take beautiful photos from the bridge.I am no Feng Shui expert but suddenly, it dawned on me that the bridge should have been more appropriately called Shesux (pronounced "she sucks") instead of Helix. Why, you ask? Get your mind out of the gutter! It is not what you think. The logic is actually quite simple.See the Singapore Flyer?It is strategically positioned as the mouth of a giant vacuum cleaner hose while the bridge is the hose itself. This contraption sucks all the wealth from the people into the casino! How evil! How clever!Moreover, Shesux will surely remind people not to gamble away their life savings at the casino, much better than mild and uncreative warnings like "know the line", "draw the line" or "crossing the line" as expounded by the National Council on Problem Gambling can, I assure you.Don't believe? Wanna bet? Peep! Peep! Bugis Street….Peep! Peep! Bugis Street – By Peter Chan Long before I kick the bucket, Bugis Street shall always be in my mind. Bugis Street was the street for good food and good-time “ladyboys”. Ask any British Servicemen what he remembers about Singapore, it was Bugis Street and the “Great Trishaw Race” down North Bridge Road.It’s the beginning of a new busy night at Bugis Street. Street vendors seen here making preparations (c1967).How did I get to know Bugis Street? Back in the early 1960s, occasional Saturday night outings were a prevailing family practice - my father and my Tai Pak (eldest paternal uncle) took our grandparents out, each person taking turns to pick up the tab. Bugis Street was one of the places we went. There were street food stalls and in some places there were Chinese restaurants with open-air dining at the roof-top terraces. To get a feel of the ambience, you take a walk down the alleys of Lockhart Road in Hong Kong and look up those three-storey buildings. If you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of roof-top terraces in old black & white Hong Kong movies.Left photo – “Ladies of the Night” standing close to the public toilet. Right photo - Many would have remembered this public toilet which is now inside Bugis Street shopping mall. This is the famous flamingo dance on top of the public toilet (c 1963).As we made our way through the crowd, we kept looking at those tall heavily made-up ladies, some standing and some seated on the laps of Royal Navy sailors. My auntie cautioned us to stay close to the adults otherwise we would be kidnapped by those “aunties”. Whilst the adults enjoyed the sumptuous Cantonese meals of suckling piglet, shark’s fin soup and Hor Yip Fan (lotus leaf rice), my cousins and I had better ideas. Here we were up on some “skyscraper” looking at the skyline and the streets below.Left photo - British military provost on street beat (c 1967). Right photo – ANZUK and U.S. Coastal Patrol (c 1974).Now we come to the question why “Peep, Peep”? That was because the British military provost blew their whistles and quickly rushed to break up rowdy and drunken sailors or army boys. Sometimes you see the military provost dragging a drunkard lad with a baton close to his neck. There was something special about those military provost guys; they wore shorts, walked with metal-studded boots and red armbands. There was one time we saw this crazy group of British lads armed with cans of Tiger beer climbing up a public lavatory. Many attempted to climb but many fell because they had far too many drinks. When they climbed they were cheered on by others. Once at the top of the public toilet, some went dancing which I now come to know as the “Dance of the Flaming Ar**h***”. I am not sure what was stuck inside but I tell you it was burning alright. After the British pullout in 1971, ANZUK and the U.S. shore patrol provost took over policing Bugis Street until 1975. After 1975 I believe our Singapore Police Force took over.The impact of Bugis Street could not have been under-estimated. If one thought that Patpong in Bangkok had a reputation, then look no further than the joint promotion by Thai International and Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (now Singapore Tourism Board). This is really strange when Singapore Airlines should have been promoting our tourist attraction.The Bugis Street Experience promoted by Thai International and Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (c 1970s):'The Experience' Every night in Singapore, they close off one of the streets to the traffic and throw it open to the people. The result is Bugis Street, a wild conglomeration of music, laughter, food stalls, fruit markets, satay stands, outdoor restaurants, pedicabs, beer vendors, hawkers, kids who play noughts-and-crosses for money (and never lose), students, drifters, eccentrics, hustlers, drag queens and even the odd punch up. It's a place that's always happening and it'll never give up before you do (the character in the picture is singing Santa Lucia - in passable Italian at 3.30 on a Sunday morning).Bugis Street is an untouched leftover from Singapore's boisterous past. It was an Experience then, and it's an Experience now.Singapore bade farewell to Bugis Street in 1985 and its demise was even reported with great regret by the The Economist and London’s Financial Times. That was the year the transvestites moved out, some say to Changi Point which has become an attraction today. After the Bugis Street site was up for URA land sale, many debated whether the new Bugis Junction shopping and hotel complex should incorporate any of the old culture and perhaps Singapore’s unofficial tourist attraction. Of course when you were a tourist, you voted with your dollar but the government thought otherwise.So there is little of Bugis Street remaining except by token name and a drag show at Boom Boom Room, which is by the way not even in the Bugis Street area. Old Singapore Quiz (17) - Old School - Answers I think YG knew the answers to the last quiz but the gentleman in him didn't want to deprive others of the chance to have a go at the quiz. James gave a partially correct answer.Q1. What was the name of this school in the 1960s - 1970s?A1. Delta West School, Delta West Primary School or Delta West Integrated School would all have been correct answers. DB1688 attended this school from the late 1960s till the early 1970s. He is appealing for ex-students or ex-teachers of Delta West Primary School from that era to contact him.Q2. What is/was the school's location?A2. Delta Avenue was the official address of the school but the school is actually nearer to Indus Road.Q3. Is the school building still around?A3. Yes, it is now Delta Senior School of the APSN (Association for People with Special Needs.Below are the second shots of the 3 photos. You can see how much (or little) has changed over the last 45 years. (I took the new photos in Sep 2009.)The front gate of the school. Notice that the sign in the old photo says Delta West Integrated School.The school building.The school field.As for the answers to the alternative question to name 3 makes of vehicles shown in the photos, they are a Volkswagen van (as Chun See rightly pointed out), 2 Mini Clubmans and 1 Mercedes Benz. These were quite common makes of vehicles on our roads then. (In fact, my first car was a Mini too.)Here is another old but well-kept Volkswagen van that is probably still plying our roads today. (I took this photo almost 2 years ago.)Photo Credits:All old photos (circa 1965) are courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore. Old Singapore Quiz (17) - Old School You can say that I studied in an old school and belong to the old school. Hence today's quiz is about an old school - one that was probably built even before I was born.What makes this quiz particularly difficult is that most schools built in the 1950s look similar. They seem to be designed by one architect and built according to one plan. Obviously it is more economical to build schools of similar designs compared to different ones.It is likely that only 3 groups of people will get the answers right for this quiz, namely:1. Ex-students of this school;2. Ex-teachers of this school;3. People who stayed in the school's vicinity.Below are 3 different views of the same school:The front gate of the school. (Note: To make this quiz really challenging, the school's name has been wiped off from the signboard.)The school building.The school field.The quiz questions are:1. What was the name of this school in the 1960s - 1970s?2. What is/was the school's location?3. Is the school building still around?And for those who don't know the answers to the above questions, below is an easier one:Name 3 models of vehicles shown in the above photos. Where Is 5-1/2 ms Pasir Panjang Road? Despite the title of this post, this is not a quiz.Last week, my friend Chun See received an email from someone in UK. In the email, the writer commented, "We lived at milestone 5-1/2 at Pasir Panjang, not all that far from Haw Paw Villa, better known to us as Tiger Balm Gardens."Knowing that I work around that area, Chun See asked if I could make out its present location. Considering the title of this blog, how could ever I pass up such a challenge?First Step - Check the 1963 Street DirectoryThe first step is obviously to check the 1963 street directory. I am quite sure that Chun See also has a copy of this street directory but perhaps he simply forgot to look it up. Old street directories always have the milestone (ms) markers indicated on their maps. The map of the stretch of Pasir Panjang Road between 5 and 6 milestone markers is reproduced below:I have circled the 5 and 6 milestone markers in red in the map. (Incidentally, the map indicates the markers as 5 MP and 6 MP respectively. MP probably stands for "milestone post" but I am not sure. In the old days, each milestone location actually had a stone post painted in red, white and maybe black impaled into the ground at the roadside. The milestone number was also painted on the post. I think there were also milestone posts for half-mile points as well. I would love to show you a photo of an old milestone post but sad to say, I failed to find one. Anyone can help me out here?From the above map, 6 ms was at Haw Par Villa (Tiger Balm Gardens) while 5 ms was between Yew Siang Road and Pepys Road. You could tell that 5-1/2 ms would be probably near South Buona Vista Road, i.e. the location numbered 2 in the map.Second Step - Conduct a Location VisitNext, a location visit to the area is a must. This I did last Saturday. First I went to the 5 ms area near Yew Siang Road. This is where a beautiful old bungalow still stands today, i.e. the location numbered 1 in the map.View of the old bungalow from Pasir Panjang Road (direction of red arrow in the map).The bungalow looks even more lovely from Yew Siang Road (direction of red arrow in the map).Incidentally, I found an old lady sweeping leaves on Yew Siang Road just outside of the house. Now she certainly did not look like a cleaner employed by the NEA. (She probably has been sweeping the road regularly and is obviously someone who believes in keeping the environment scrupulously clean.)I parked my car and talked to her in English. I said I would like to take some photos of the bungalow. She asked me why and I explained that I wanted to post the photos on my blog. She did not understand what a blog was so I said it was on the Internet. She did not know what was that either. She revealed that she was the owner of the bungalow. She probably thought that I was a property agent or an interested buyer of the property. Luckily, she didn't chase me away with that broom! :pAfter completing my mission at Yew Siang Road, I went to the South Buona Vista junction to take a photo of the row of pre-war shophouses there from the direction of red arrow in the map. Most of the shophouses there are now restaurants and bars.I wonder how many people nowadays know that this place used to be 5-1/2 ms Pasir Panjang Road? How Mummy Took Her Revenge I visited Universal Studios with my family last Saturday. (Universal Studios Singapore opened its doors on 18 Mar 2010.)Having survived the Giant Drop and the Tower of Terror at the turn of the last century, I was looking forward to riding the Battlestar Galactica. However, I was deeply disappointed that it remained closed for safety inspection and review.We headed straight for the Waterworld as the first show was scheduled to start at 11.30 am.There we witnessed some explosive action and got to experience first hand what terrorist attacks would feel like.You see, besides the loud explosions, you might also get terrorised by having water splashed over you if you chose to sit in the blue seats in front. No need to go to Thailand for Songkran Water Festival... and risk another explosion over there.After the show at the Waterworld, we proceeded to the next most exciting ride after the Battlestar Galactica, i.e. the Revenge of the Mummy.Somehow this ride reminded me of the Ghost Train I used to sit in the old New World Amusement Park of the 1960s. It has similar scary sights and ghostly figures to scare the wits out of you. Only this time, the advanced electronic effects are 10 times as realistic and hence 10 times as scary. (No such thing as silly coconut husk for the hair of the mummy.) The train car can take about 10 times as many passengers, i.e. 20 people compared to only 2 in the past. It also moves 10 times as fast and effectively costs 10 times more to ride. Finally, the screams are 10 times as loud and I am not joking.But I was definitely joking when I told my two boys after the ride that no wonder the scary ride was called the Revenge of the Mummy - it's because mummy was wise enough not to join us for the ride. She thus took her revenge by leaving us to suffer and scream all by ourselves. :-)Omigosh, after the scary ride, this man looked like the friendly guy next door:And did we travel so fast that we entered a time warp to before 1962 when Marilyn Monroe was still the reigning screen idol?After experiencing almost the whole gamut of human emotions, we felt hunger pangs, naturally. So we entered this fast food joint called Mel's Drive-In. Parked outside were several old beauties which my friend would certainly love to use for his quizes.It was crowded inside and all tables were occupied. I joined the queue at the cashier to place my order. I could not believe my ears when a while later, a female staff approached the queue to announce that our orders would take one-and-a-half hours to fulfill! Wow! Mel sure gives a whole new meaning to the term "fast food". While he is at it, he might as well change the name of his outlet to Mel's Crawl-In instead of Drive-In. ;)In the end, we settled for a $6.90 chicken pie each from this stall. Half of my money probably went to pay for the stall owner's monthly installments for the expensive-looking vehicle prop.Obviously still hungry, we later had pizza and honey chicken wings at Loui's Pizza and then finished off with desserts at KT's Grill.Despite the small glitches, overall it was still an enjoyable experience for the whole family. Highly recommended but you should go on a weekday instead. Why? Because you have to wait up to 80 minutes for some of the rides on weekends. With only 9 hours available (Universal Studios is open from 9 am to 6 pm daily), how many such rides can you take in a day? It doesn't take a Maths genius to work out the answer. Even mummy can. Singapore's Version Of Eyjafjallajokull Sorry that I was MIA (missing in action) last week. No, I was not stranded in Europe because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland. (On a related note, I hope that Vivian Balakrishnan and George Yeo could catch a flight home soon. I am sure that there a lot of things waiting for the 2 ministers to do.) The reason is that I was busy submitting my income tax returns. Not that I had a lot of income to declare that it had to take me off blogging. It is just that I have a tendency to keep procrastinating unpleasant tasks. Declaring one's income is not exactly an enjoyable task. Even much less so is paying taxes. But like they say, death and taxes are the only two certain things in life - one is "do, do, must die" while the other, "die, die, must do".So I was at Telok Blangah Hill last Saturday to destress after filing my income tax returns and to breathe in some fresh air. Or so I thought...Suddenly I saw a huge plume of black smoke in the distance. For a moment there, I thought that ashes had blown over from Eyjafjallajokull. (By the way, what kind of name is that? I won't even try pronouncing it, even though they told me it sounds like EY-ya-fyat-lah-YOH-kuht. I just thank my lucky stars that I didn't have to spell this Icelandic volcano in our Geography lessons some 40 years ago. Phew!)I was wondering, where did all the pollution come from and who was the culprit? As for all things for which I don't know the answers, I did some research search on the Internet. I found out that the flame is called a "flare" and it came from a newly commissioned ethylene cracker at the Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex. According to the website, it is a "safe and routine part of commissioning a new unit, such as a cracker". It went on to say that "the flares are likely to be seen from the last few days of February to early March".But hey, it is now nearly late April. So like what the New Paper asked of the volcanic eruption, "When will it be over?"Further Reading:1. http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2010/02/flaring-up-at-pulau-bukom.html2. http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/what_bugs_me/346444/pulau_bukom_flaring_continueseven_into_the_night.html Albert Street SIT Flat Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) was set up in 1927 by the British colonial government in Singapore to build affordable public housing for the common population. In 32 years, it managed to build only 23,000 flats, mostly within or near the city area. It was replaced by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in 1960. HDB is celebrating its 50th year anniversary this year. However, with the recent run-up in prices for both public and private properties, people are divided as to whether HDB still provides affordable public housing.Do you remember the quiz question which I asked of this photo in my blog post about traditional coffeeshop snacks? I asked readers where was this block located. Eight months has passed and nobody has come up with the correct answer yet.Well, I have done some investigative work as well as attempted a second shot. I can now say with certainty that the block was located in a portion of Albert Street which is now called New Bugis Street. A view of New Bugis Street from Queen Street is show below:Now compare the following photos:Take note of the patterns on the pillar of the building which could be partially seen at the left edges of the above photos. Do they look similar?Yes, and there you have it! The block was located in Albert Street, the street just next to Cheng Yan Place where I stayed in a similar block from 1956 till the mid-1970s. Today, the block which I stayed in has also been replaced with a red building (on the left of the photo below). The spanking new Iluma Shopping Centre is directly opposite. How I wish that it had opened 40 years ago!But do you know when were the 2 blocks constructed? Ahh... I have the tender notice from Straits Times dated 5 December, 1947...Singapore Improvement TrustTenders are invited for Concrete Piling at Albert Street and Cheng Yan Place.Tender Form, etc. may be obtained at the office of the Trust on payment of a deposit of $50/- which will be refunded if a bona fide tender is submitted.Sealed tenders are to be deposited in the Tender Box in the Office of the undersigned by 4 p.m. on 19 December, 1947.The lowest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted.ALEX. GREENHILL,Secretary,Singapore Improvement TrustMunicipal Offices....as well as a 1946 aerial photo of the empty plots land:Above is a map of the same area in 1961, with the two blocks indicated in red.The two blocks of flats were constructed in the late 1940s and probably demolished in the early 1980s, some 30 years later. The Van Kleef Aquarium An image of the Van Kleef Aquarium in 1960; Source: Chiang Ker Chiu/National Archives of Singapore (NAS)I wrote briefly about the Van Kleef Aquarium before in my article about the National Theatre here:"When I think of the National Theatre, memories of the Van Kleef Aquarium just next to it comes flooding back. This aquarium was nowhere near the standard or the size of today’s Underwater World in Sentosa but for a mere S$2 entrance fee, one could gawk at the 2 crocodiles (in an enclosure, of course) at the entrance before entering the aquarium to view the marine fishes. In contrast, today’s entrance fee to Underwater World is more than S$10 and that’s not counting the admission fee to Sentosa Island itself."A baby fixated at the fascinating sight in the Van Kleef Aquarium; Source: NAS 1970Most Singaporeans who are at least 30 years' old would have some memories of the aquarium which was situated at the junction of Clemenceau Avenue and River Valley Road, right next to the National Theatre.A girl reaching out to touch the hawksbill turtle, as if to make sure that it was for real; Source: NAS 1955Our parents would have brought us there at least once when we were kids and we would have been fascinated by the myriad of exotic sea creatures displayed in the tanks. We would look forward to visiting the aquarium again as we never seemed to get tired of looking at the interesting exhibits.Even guppies looked so interesting in the aquarium; Source: NAS 1960In this post, I would like to refresh your childhood memories about this lovely aquarium which we were all so fond of.It was affordable entertainment for the whole family - at a time when black-and-white TV had not reached our shores yet. But hey, it was as good as watching a 60-inch flat-panel TV display, okay? Source: NAS 1955Entry in Singapore The Encyclopedia:Here is an entry in Singapore The Encyclopedia on the Van Kleef Aquarium:"Opened on 8 September 1955 in River Valley Road, the Van Kleef Aquarium was named after a former Dutch resident, Mr K W B Van Kleef, who bequeathed his estate to Singapore in a will dated 7 July 1900. The Municipal Commission made plans to build the aquarium in 1933, but these were put on hold when the war broke out and only resumed in the 1950s.In 1964, the ichthyologist A Fraser-Brunner, curator of the aquarium, was commissioned to design the Merlion emblem for Singapore's Tourist Promotion Board.By 1985, the aquarium housed many interesting and rare species of marine and freshwater fish, amphibians and invertebrates, including tropical fish, small sharks, poisonous lion fish and stone fish, and Amazonian piranhas. Live crocodiles were an additional attraction.In March 1986, the aquarium had serious maintenance problems and closed for major renovation. By then, annual visitor numbers had declined drastically to 250,000, compared to around 430,000 in its heyday in 1979. After a $750,000 facelift, it re-opened on 26 August 1987 with the aim of becoming a 'public and tourist attraction' as well as a 'permanent exhibition centre for local aquarium fish farmers and exporters'. By 1 June 1991, the aquarium was considered outmoded compared to Sentosa's Underwater World and shut down.On 1 October 1991, the Primary Production Department handed over the administration of Van Kleef Aquarium to a private company, World of Aquarium, but it too closed on 22 February 1993. Six months later, it was reopened as The Fort Canning Aquarium but this was also shortlived. It closed its doors for the last time in December 1996, and the building was eventually demolished in 1998."The distinctive logo of the Van Kleef Aquarium on the wall at the right of the building; Source NAS, late 1980sAn undated postcard of the Van Kleef Aquarium in its heydays. If there were so many people outside, you could imagine how crowded it would have been inside.Article in Singapore Guide And Street Directory 1961Perhaps even more fascinating is an article about the aquarium in the 1961 edition of the Singapore Guide And Street Directory:"The Van Kleef Aquarium, so called after the benefactor who bequeathed the major part of the cost of its erection, is maintained by the Government as one of Singapore's most popular amenities.Since its first opening to the public in 1955 it has been continually improved and now has more than 70 exhibition tanks, with natural settings, containing upwards of 4,000 fishes of some 300 different species; as well as turtles and a variety of invertebrate animals. Although emphasis is on the Malayan fauna, a number of species from elsewhere are shown, particularly in the freshwater section, where South American "man-eating" piranhas and electric eels are an attraction. The marine section contains many items of great interest, particularly a fine display of anemone-fish living in their anemones, the ever popular sea-horses, octopus and sea snakes. Many of the numerous species shown here have lived in their tanks since 1956, and some have bred there.Sea-water is brought by pipeline to the Aquarium where it is improved chemically and stored in underground tanks. Both fresh and salt water is circulated by pumps and filtered continually. There is a service passage behind the tanks for feeding and cleaning, a quarantine system for newcomers, and a well-equipped laboratory. A specially designed launch collects specimens and sea-food for the tanks.The exhibition hall is air-conditioned and a spacious foyer provides rest for the visitors.The Aquarium is opened on week-days from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon, and 2.00 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. except on Fridays, when it is closed all day for maintenance. On Sundays and public holidays, it is open from 10.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. Admission prices are 30 cents for adults (over 16) and 20 cents for children over 3 years. Special rates for parties can be arranged with the Curator."Wow! Can you believe the 30 cents admission charge for adults? It can't even buy tubiflex worms for the fishes in my home aquarium nowadays.Below are maps of the junction of Clemenceau Avenue and River Valley Road in 1961, 1983 and 2002. You could see the changes through the last half century:1961 map - Van Kleef Aquarium was constructed in 1955 while the National Theatre had not been built yet.1983 map - National Theatre standing next to the Van Kleef Aquarium2002 map - Both the National Theatre and the Van Kleef Aquarium had been demolished. Today, only an NAS Heritage Site marker stands at the location.Further Reading:1. The Other Side of Forbidden Hill2. NAS' Access to Archives On-line (A2O) article3. Remembering the Van Kleef Aquarium by Kevin Khoo, Assistant Archivist, NAS “I’ll Be There”@Peppermint Park - Peter Chan Between 1974 and 1984, music entertainment in Singapore was confined to lounge music. This period was a pretty boring decade also when you had three guys seated on high stools strumming their acoustic guitars and crooning to the tune of “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina”. For those who have patronized the Kangxi Lounge at Hotel Taipan would understand what I am saying. This was the situation after the government came down hard on discotheques and long-hair in the 1970s. OK I am wrong! If you had a fat wallet you could go to supper clubs like the Belvedere (Mandarin Hotel) or The Tiara (Shangrila) but that would have made a hole.Photo 1: The Peppermint Park advertisement of yesterdays (circa 1984)Through a chance meeting with a former classmate in 1984, I came to know of Peppermint Park and who was behind it. “Have you heard that Dennis our classmate has opened a new place called Peppermint Park at Parkway Parade? The old boys are meeting there this Friday night. Would you come by?” “I’ll be there”, I said.There was a long queue by 8pm but I managed to get a place upstairs because we just had to mention the password “From RI” and the captain lead the way upstairs. The party was in progress. I must add that National Service must have done some good to us because we now gulp beer by the jug instead of by the glass. Dennis took time off his busy schedule to show us around his new joint.At Peppermint Park “live” entertainment took on a new direction. The one big difference, the dance floor was missing but there were no complaints about that. It was easily replaced by incredible showmanship, full band sounds, powerful vocal harmonization, atmospheric lightings and the décor was simply way out of this world. These were the important ingredients for a successful entertainment business.When I put my memories into this blog article, it’s quite easy to describe the attractiveness of Peppermint Park. Let me elaborate further.Photo 2: Peppermint Park Theater & Lounge at #04-08 Parkway Parade.T.G.I.F. was like taking an after-dinner stroll in a park. You hear the sounds of crickets chirping until showtime began after 9pm. The miniature lightings resembling the stars at night hung from a jet-black ceiling. White wrought iron garden chairs and tables – items sold in any garden nursery - provided the seating. Center-stage on the ground floor was a big prop of a Southern Plantation type mansion typically found in the big American tobacco plantations in Mississippi. Trees lined the walls and the floor was covered with carpet grass. On the second level was a saloon with Chesterfield sofas, rugs and a wooden floor. There was a small balcony at one end of the saloon where you could watch the stage down below.Photo 3: A Southern Plantation mansion found in MississippiShowtime started with the appearance of the groups, three bands instead of just one and often fronted by female back-up vocalists. I believe Dennis was able (and still does a fantastic job at St James Power Station) to capture what a demanding market wanted; solid sound, skits and dance routines.This could only come from foreign bands, mind you only the Filipino showbands could deliver an excellent performance. To get a feel of what energetic Filipino showmanship is all about, click on the video clip below and watch “Everybody needs somebody” (circa 1996).The Filipino groups rapped with the audience, not just screaming those cliché, “Are you happy tonight. I can’t hear you”. Many local musicians commented that the Filipinos must have under-cut the market to get contracts at our night spots but I say it is entertainment value they provided. When you see them (Filipinos) doing different genres at the same time - top of the chart, classical jazz and even new renditions of old evergreens - you begin to have your doubts of our local musicians. We got “Kharma Chameleon” (Culture Club), “McArthur Park” (Three Degrees) and “I don’t know how to love him” (Andrew Lloyd Webber). There was one novel act which I thought was attention-grabbing. There was a white screen showing a singer’s silhouette until she appeared visible to the audience. This was choreographed to the theme “Candle on the Water” from a Walt Disney animated film Pete’s Dragon.Photo 4: Left - Filipino showband at the reception area of Peppermint Park (circa 1984). Right - The showband reunion in Manila (circa 1996)Local names that appeared at Peppermint Park included Anita Sarawak, Kaye Hamid & Hangloose, Tania, and Adam & Ben.When I took on a regional career posting, I lost touch with Peppermint Park. Some years later I saw that it was called Park Avenue and managed by different owners. Today I hear there is Peppermint Park but this time inside St James Power Station. Is this same Peppermint Park of 1984? I shall soon discover this Friday. Changing Landscape Of Singapore (3) I was at the Civil Service College last month to attend a course. Copies of PS21's Challenge magazine were available for free at the college. I picked up a copy and found an interesting article titled An Urban Cowboy's Riddle which was written by renowned journalist Ravi Veloo. The article is about urban planning in Singapore and explains to a certain degree why some changes in our landscape, though unpopular, are in fact unavoidable:IT'S fascinating to think that the urban planning of the entire island was once in the hands of a 20-year-old, younger than some of our most famous laksa recipes.And that nearly 200 years later, we still have our Central Business District and civic area located on both sides of the Singapore River.The face of Singapore's landscape was then in the hands of one Lieutenant Philip Jackson, a young British Royal Navy officer who was ordered to draw up the first detailed city plan for Singapore by an irritated Stamford Raffles who returned in 1822 for his third and final visit and found the colony growing helter-skelter.You can be sure that the people now planning where things go in Singapore have a few more years on them. Some are even as fond and sentimental as the rest of us about the places which we have grown up in and plan to conserve them.Yet the riddle of modern Singapore remains - that what is defined as public interest often overrides public sentiment.Yes, there is much effort in finding out from Singaporeans what they want, and in general terms, the government delivers. More nature areas and parks, and better access to them; it will materialise.But if you drill down to the specifics, that's more of a pickle. For example, there was a loud clamour to save the old brick-walled National Library building where every earnest student of a certain generation once spent many hours. It still made way for the shortest road tunnel in Singapore.A sensible public will just have to accept that in tiny Singapore, the planning will generally be driven top-down, with fine-tuning mainly based on public sentiment and feedback. There are just too many sensitive issues involving space and planning and we have grown so used to having it that way that we are now uncomfortable with candid discussion.It also doesn't help when a loony fringe now and then makes demands out of step with the general public, like the group that once demanded the reclaimed Marina Bay area be declared a nature reserve because some migrating birds had built nests there.But there is still no great reason for a large gap between ground and ceiling when it comes to problem areas such as cyclists on sidewalks, void decks which are nothing but that on certain occasions, sleazy sex shops fronting some of our busiest buildings in Orchard Road and the civic centre, and a host of other areas.As a sometime grassroots leader myself, I realise there needs to be a more robust mechanism in place to tap into the public psyche, to rethink where necessary and to deliver on the shape of what is really about "how we live, work, play and dream".On the broad strokes, a lot of things are like our main airport - they're in the right place after they were rethought and relocated. On the details of everyday life, there still remains a lot to be gained by having an ear to the ground. Jack Neo Admits Affair With Model I was shocked to read about Jack Neo having an extra-marital affair with a 22-year-old girl by the name of Wendy Chong - read articles here and here.Jack made a name for himself as Singapore most successful film-maker with his first film Money No Enough in 1998. He even earned a mention by the then Prime Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong in his National Day Rally Speech on 18 August 2002:Why not be like Jack Neo? He has applied his creative energy to produce three movies. Two of them were highly successful ? "Money No Enough" and "I Not Stupid". I watched "I Not Stupid". I can understand why it touched many parents' heart. My wife liked it so much that she watched it three times. She felt that Jack Neo deserved a National Day award. But I told her, "Two No Enough"!Indeed, in 2004 he became the first local filmmaker to be honoured with a National Day Award. In the following year, he won the Cultural Medallion by the National Arts Council (NAC), the highest art and cultural award in the nation.All these years, the public's impression of Jack is that he is a model husband who will not stray in marriage. In fact, Jack himself told The New Paper in a 1996 interview that it was too difficult to have a secret affair:My philosophy on an affair: I have no time for it. If you want to look for a secret lover, you got to pay for it, not in terms of money but something more valuable - time. You got to make lovey-dovey phone calls, go pak-tor (dating), spend time making yourself look good for the woman. (Sigh) Too difficult for me, lah.Now let me try to interprete the real meaning behind the sentences in the preceding paragraph:Jack: I have no time for it.Meaning: You will find time if you take her along on overseas working trips.Jack: You got to make lovey-dovey phone callsMeaning: SMS also canJack: Go pak-torMeaning: See movie Lucky Star also same sameJack: Spend time making yourself look good for the woman.Meaning: Actually, I look quite good already. With or without the clothes. Maybe better without.I remember the dialogue in one of Jack Neo's movie (can't remember which one) said something like this:偷吃要记得擦嘴巴Translated, it means "when you steal a bite (=stray), remember to wipe your mouth clean (=remove all incriminating evidence)". Tsk, tsk, tsk, talk about dishing out advice which you don't follow yourself. Seems like Jack forgot to follow that golden rule.They say that marriages go through the seven year itch. Wah, Jack is 20 years late - he is married for 27 years already. Maybe it is because his name Liang Zhi Qiang 梁智强 has the same hanyu pinyin as 两支枪 which means "have 2 guns". No wonder for him "that one no enough".And I am not withholding any admonition for the woman in the story either. No, not Madam Irene Kng (Jack's wife) who is the real victim but Wendy Chong. The latter said that she just wanted people to know that "(Jack Neo) may say that he loves me, but the next moment, he lies to me".Hello young woman, is lying more severe a crime than being a third party to a marriage? I certainly don't think so. And whoever invited reporters and photographers to come along for the meeting in Crowne Plaza hotel definitely had an ulterior motive.Why not be like Jack Neo? Do be careful where you apply your creative energy though.But alas, Jack seems to be playing Tiger Woods too. Aw come on, that girl is young enough to be your daughter, okay? What do you have to say? That you are human too and are prone to making mistakes just like all of us? Sigh, I just hope that this whole episode didn't actually happen but is only a publicity stunt for your current movie, aptly titled Being Human. But then, it is too early for an April Fool's joke, isn't it? Aiyah never mind lah, you can always make good use of this third-party first-hand experience to make your next "social issue" movie.Who knows? You could even earn another mention in this year's National Day Rally Speech. If this happens, I hope it is for the right reason. I wish you well. Changing Landscape Of Singapore (2) Singapore's landscape has been changing rapidly since its independence. Time and again, there have been calls by concerned people for the pace of change to slow down. Some even wrote letters to local newspapers appealing to the authorities to consider saving what is left of our past. If the authorities had heeded these calls, some of which came decades ago, we might not have needed the Integrated Resorts to bring in the tourists.Today, I reproduce one such letter published in the Straits Times of 15 June 1985 and bring you some old photos which evoke the memories conjured up by the letter writer, aptly called by the pseudonym "well-wisher". To the best of my knowledge, the letter remains unanswered, up till now.Time to think about saving what's leftI have lived in Singapore for many years and I suppose it goes without saying that I like it here. I admire this country and I defend its policies. But there is one policy which puzzles me because it seems to be self-defeating. We are concerned at the reduced level of tourism, yet we are systematically removing many of the features that tourists love. I am speaking of the older colourful parts of our town.I am frequently involved in taking out visitors and amongst those who know anything about Singapore, there is hardly a single one who fails to ask to be taken to places such as the Orchard Road car park (long gone), Bugis Street (going), Albert Street and Fatty's (going soon), Raffles Hotel (hanging on), and the Chinatown night market (gone).My visitors lament when they learn that these pieces of original Singapore are gone or going. They are, of course, impressed by our new hotels, shopping complexes and skyscrapers. Singapore has been outstanding in these developments and they marvel at such obvious progress. However, there is a boring sameness about such structures; from Hongkong to Houston they are similar and unlikely to be of sustaining interest to tourists.And when it comes to local colour, tourists prefer the real thing, not artificial copies. Visitors want to experience Singaporean life rather than something concocted specifically for tourists - like themselves.After we have eliminated the last street market, the last eating stall, the last wayang, the life of the streets will be extinct and it will not be possible to recreate that atmosphere ever again.Presently the pressure to provide land for redevelopment has eased - one might say expired. We probably have enough office space, hotel rooms, shopping complexes, warehouses to last us for some years to come. Could we not use this breathing space to rethink policies and perhaps to save some little of what we have left?WELL-WISHERSingapore 1128Orchard Road carpark, before the hawkers (and the bulldozers) moved in. Could you see the hand pointing "this a-way" to the carpark for those who had lost their way? Only kidding, of course. It is actually a Federal Motors signboard advertising the sale of Austin cars and trucks.(Circa 1960s. Photo credit: P's Collection)The hawkers queueing up on Orchard Road before moving into the carpark. Did you notice the topless man? Would you dare to buy your food from such a hawker today? And I wonder if he would have managed to obtain even a "D" grading from the NEA if he were to serve food in that outfit now.(Circa 1960s. Photo credit: P's Collection)The hawkers have taken up their strategic positions now. Soon comes nightfall and this carpark will be teeming with hungry customers. The pointing finger is still there but the advertising signboard on the left has different pictures from the first photo above. And now we know that the concrete road divider was the first thing to go.(Circa 1960s. Photo credit: P's Collection)Similarly, the day scene in Bugis Street will be transformed into a very different one at night...(Circa 1960s. Photo credit: Derek Tait)What did I tell you? Bugis Street at night - another food haven to rival the one at Orchard Road carpark.(Circa 1960s. Photo credit: Derek Tait)And for beef kway teow lovers, there are not one but two stalls located opposite each other in Malabar Street to whet their appetite. Hmm... yummy! Simply haven... er, I mean heaven! Aiyah, whatever lah! Just give me my beef.(Circa 1960s. Photo credit: Derek Tait)Night market in New Bridge Road near Chinatown.(Circa 1962. Photo credit: National Archives of Singapore)Night market. The stall on the left is selling fireworks and fire crackers. The stall on the right is selling sweet Swatow Mandarin oranges at only 60 or 70 cents a KATI. Wah, so cheap! But still, look at who has more customers. Ahh, those were the days, my friend.(Circa 1960s. Photo credit: Derek Tait)Undated postcard showing Raffles Hotel in the daytime many decades ago.Recent photo of Raffles Hotel at night. Raffles Hotel was gazetted as a National Monument on 6 March 1987 and 3 June 1995. Hmm... I wonder why it had to be gazetted 2 times? To be doubly sure or what?(Photo credit: Victor Koo) Chap Ji Ki Disclaimer: This article is not intended to promote gambling. Read on at your own risk. Should you become addicted to gambling and think you have crossed the line by reading this article, please consult these people.With the opening of the Resort World Sentosa last week, the topic for this article is still about gambling.MM Lee is right, the Chinese are congenital gamblers. I was introduced to gambling the game of chap ji ki at a very tender age by none other than my own mother. You see, she often asked me to place bets for her at the coffeeshop downstairs:I think why she wanted me to do it for her was because our block did not have a lift and we stayed on the 4th storey. In her opinion, a young boy like me would definitely take less effort to climb up and down the stairs compared to a middle-aged woman suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Being a filial son, I always complied with her orders. Well, she might not be aware then that by doing so, she could be doing more damage to my future than she would have done to her knees.She would pass me a betting slip that didn't resemble this at all:Image taken from Singapore Pools websiteInstead, it looked something like this:The wager on the left is on my favorite numbers "6-9" and is called a "pai pai" (排排，Cantonese for "next to each other" or "horizontal") bet . The one on the right is a "jek lok" (直落，"straight down" or "vertical") bet on the numbers 7-10 (How the game is played and the payout system are explained in this Singapedia entry and I need not explain them here.)My mum, like many housewives of those days, was not formally educated. So instead of indicating the amount of the bet, she would draw symbols - a circle with one slash across it meant 50 cents, a circle with an X across it meant 1 dollar and a smaller circle stood for 10 cents. Technically speaking, the smallest acceptable bet was 10 cents but I think the smallest bet my mum ever placed was 30 cents. Her highest bet on a number was no more than a few dollars so there was no need for symbols of bigger currency denominations. (For the record, the amount for the left bet is $1.80 while the right one is $2.40. Easy, isn't it?)In return for placing the bets, the coffeeshop owner 阿东(Ah Dong) would scribble a receipt for me in a small notepad and give me a carbon copy.My mum was meticulous in keeping track of the past winning chap ji ki numbers. She had sheets of A4 sized cards on which she recorded them. She would take them out for study before placing any bets. However, whether this method worked for her or not, I don't know. Although she did strike once in a while, I think like in all gambling, she suffered a net loss overall.Luckily, in those days, the coffeeshop didn't bar those aged under 18 from buying chap ji ki. If it did, I certainly wouldn't have lived to tell this story. But even more fortunately in my opinion, is that I didn't grow up to be a compulsive gambler, whether through nature or nurture. And for that, I thank the God of Fortune. Changing Landscape Of Singapore (1) I was at the River Hongbao yesterday. River Hongbao is being held at The Float@Marina Bay, previously known as Marina Bay Floating Platform. (Have you noticed that even names of places keep changing here?)While at the event, one can't help but notice the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) standing just behind the God of Fortune. It is as if he is blessing the soon to be completed MBS with good luck in the Year of the Tiger.Coincidentally, its counterpart Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) opened its doors at the auspicious time of 12.18 pm on 14 February 2010, the first day of the Lunar New Year.ST Photo dated 16 February, 2010Perhaps a not so well-known but no less important "opening" is the recent launch of the online newspapers archive called NewspaperSG. It is an initiative of the National Library Singapore that provides library patrons with access to digital copies of Singapore newspapers dating back to 1831.Do you know whose original idea it was to build the Integrated Resorts? Certainly not this guy. Searching through NewspaperSG, I found a letter in the Straits Times Forum page of 10 June 1985 which was written by someone with the pseudonym "Go for Broke" who suggested the development of a casino as well as a night racing track in Sentosa. (Possibly since the 1990s, Straits Times had disallowed the use of pseudonyms for letters to the Forum.) The letter is reproduced here:Sentosa casino will draw touristsWhile neighbouring countries are feverishly developing new holiday resorts to promote tourism, our own efforts in this area seem perfunctory by comparison.On our part, we should upgrade Sentosa into a holiday resort of international standard. We could, I venture to suggest, develop a hotel-cum-casino complex there and perhaps throw in a race track for night racing as a novelty.In these difficult times for the tourism industry, bold and imaginative steps need to be taken by the authorities concerned to attract more tourists to our shores.GO FOR BROKESingapore 2056Guess what was the reply from Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC)? The suggestions were dismissed, of course. Here's the reply dated 15 June 1985 from Miss Cheryl Lee, Head (Public Relations) of SDC:Casino out of the question for SentosaWe refer to the letter "Sentosa casino will draw tourists" by "Go for Broke". (ST, June 10).The development philosophy of the Sentosa Development Corporation is to develop Sentosa into a resort island for tourists and a holiday retreat for Singaporeans.The many attractions cater for the varied needs of the visitors and are aimed at the family group as well as the individual. Plans are in hand to upgrade existing facilities as well as to add new attractions.Wholesome recreational activities are also organised for a wider participation. The casino and race track idea does not form part of the aforementioned concept.We would however wish to thank "Go for Broke" for his interesting suggestions.CHERYL LEE (MISS)Head (Public Relations)SDCA quarter of a century later, everyone now knows that both ideas of "Go for Broke" have been adopted by the Government, although the night racing track is not located in Sentosa. But we did even better, didn't we? We will soon have TWO casinos instead of one. And the rest, as they say, is history.In fact, we should thank "Go for Broke" for the suggestion to develop the casino and night racing track. He/she is obviously someone with great foresight. The only problem about expressing our gratitude is that we don't even his/her real name! The Tiger Creeps Upon Us Before you know itThe tiger has crept nearAnd with the festival's spiritHeralds the end of Ox yearFrom Chinatown to Little IndiaThere are sights and soundsOf the passing of another yearAs visitors make their roundsA Wood Tiger in a Metal YearNot a favorite time to have a babyDon't mistake it for Tiger Woods last yearWho played many holes but paid dearlyForget about past unhappinessTomorrow is a new beginningWhether you're running a businessOr like most who're just workingMay the new year be happyWelcome the God of FortuneWish you health and prosperityAnd all hopes be realised soonGong Xi Gong Xi A Little Bird Told Me An Indian fortune teller in Bedok Central, not a pet seller. - Photo taken on 30 Mar 2008"A little bird told me" is an idiom which refers to information which was gathered from a source not to be overtly exposed. Compare it to "I heard it through the grapevine" which refers to information which was obtained via an informal contact. Of course, my friend Andy Young will point out that it is also a title of a signature song by Marvin Gaye who released it in 1968.Anyway, my article today is not about 1960s music. It is about a traditional occupation - a fortune teller. Mind you, not just any fortune teller. There are many kinds - some gaze into a crystal ball; some use playing cards; some look at your face or palms; some shake your fortune out from coins in tortoise shell; and so on. But there's one thing all fortune tellers share in common, and that is you don't have to spend a fortune to have your fortune told. Their prices are really quite reasonable unless they are out to fleece you. Usually, it is just a couple of dollars. However, I can't comment on how accurate their predictions are.If their soothsaying didn't come true for you, you can always blame it on your stars their skills. For it was either their data extraction process that had gone awry or that their data interpretation skills that required polishing up. But what if a little bird told you so? Well, then you could put all your blame on the poor little bird if you want. But don't be too hard on the bird - it is only trying to make a living, just like the fortune teller.A fortune teller could be of any race. But for some unknown reason, fortune tellers with little birds (not figuratively) in Singapore nowadays are likely to be Indians. Usually the bird is either a parrot or a canary. However, I remember that decades ago, Chinese fortune tellers also had little birds. They preferred to use Java sparrows instead.A Java SparrowAnother Java Sparrow. Telling its own fortune from its reflection, perhaps?So how does a little bird tell someone's fortune? The bird has to be trained to pick out one card from a stack which is spread out on the table. So that it will not fly away, the bird probably had its wings clipped. Once it has mastered the skill of picking a card, the fortune teller can start picking a customer. When a fortune needs to be told, the bird is let out of the cage. It picks a card by pulling it out from the stack with its beak. Once it has done this seemingly simple task, it is promptly rewarded with a grain of seed or padi and its work is considered done. The bird voluntarily hops back into the cage, after which its master closes the cage gate. Now it is the fortune teller's turn to spin his tale.Sometimes, the fortune teller may have 2 birds instead of 1. In such a case, the birds do not work so hard but then the downside is that they do not get their rewards as often.Below is an exhibit on the Indian fortune teller which I saw at the Catholic High School on 22 Nov 2008:An exhibit at Catholic High School - Photo taken on 22 Nov 2008The explanatory notes at the exhibit says:"The Indian fortune teller is now getting to be a rarity along the street in Little India. The Indian fortune teller keeps a canary or parrot in a cage as he sets up a small stall along the shophouses. When a customer pays the fortune teller to have his fortune told, the fortune teller will open up the cage and tells the canary to choose a card from a stack of cards on the table. The Indian fortune teller will then reveal the customer's upcoming misfortune or lucky streak to him."Further ReadingRead the stories of fortune tellers here and here. Old National Library Revisited I wrote about the Old National Library here before.Ms Clara Ann, a 4th year History major from the National University of Singapore will be writing on the former National Library at Stamford Road for her dissertation. In an email dated 26 Jan 2010, she asked me some questions (in blue below) about the library for which my answers are in italics:1. What was a typical visit to the National Library like for you? It depends on what age I was at. When I was in primary school (1963-1968), I visited the Children's Section. While in secondary school and Pre-U (1969-1974), I visited the Adult Section. At that time, I was staying at Cheng Yan Place which was about 15 minutes' walk away from the National Library. I always walked to and from the library.To make full use of the visit, each time I would try to borrow the maximum allowable number of 4 books. I think the books were due to be returned in 3 weeks' time. The due date was chopped on a leaflet which is glued onto the first page inside the front cover of the book. I always tried to return books on time. The fine then was 5 cents per book per day of overdue. It is not considered a big sum today but in those days, it was a significant amount, considering that I was given only 20 cents for pocket money everyday.2. What do you recall and feel about the times you spent at the library?I remember more about using the Adult Section. I spent many Saturday evenings at the library. I often stayed till closing time at 9 pm. At that time, four persons can share a table. Sometimes, I hoped that a pretty girl would come join the table... but I was usually disappointed. :p Of course, besides looking at girls, I studied as well.Once around 1970, there was a film crew from the English TV station at the library. They were filming a snippet for the newsreel (a segment of film which was broadcast during the TV news). The crew asked for permission to film me borrowing a book at the checkout counter. They told me to behave normally. That evening, I appeared on TV as promised. It was my proud "5 seconds" of fame which I am sure nobody cared a hoot about.I was a victim of an attempted robbery while walking home from the library late one night. I think it happened in Queen Street. One guy from a group of 3 ran from across the street to accost me. He checked my breast pocket but found no money. Then he lifted up my left forearm to take a closer look at the old and worn watch on my wrist in the dim street lighting. After realising that my watch had "zero book value" (pardon the "book" pun), he decided to go away empty-handed. But before he went away, he made me promise not to tell anybody of our encounter. Believe it or not, I am breaking that promise only now.3. How did you feel/react when you heard about plans to demolish the Old National Library?Sad of course, like most people. But I didn't take any photos of the building because film photography and digital cameras were expensive then. I also didn't have the time.4. Why do you think it was demolished when there were many who felt it was worthy of preservation?The authorities always have "very good reasons" for demolishing any buildings. National Theatre is a very good example (reason - "unstable cantilever"). New 7th Storey Hotel is another (reason - construction of Downtown MRT line). Sometimes the reasons seem valid, sometimes they appear to be just excuses. For instance, as stated in my blog, the National Library was originally claimed to be demolished to make way for the Singapore Management University. However, today only a big hole stands in its place, otherwise aptly known as the "shortest tunnel in Singapore that terminates with an ERP gantry".5. How did you feel about the eventual outcome? That despite attempts to save the Old National Library, it was still demolished.Sad of course. It was like a part of your memories being wiped out. You can only look at old photos and even these are hard to come by.6. How do you find the new National Library at Victoria Street as opposed to the old one?It is modern, spacious and well-stocked with good books. There are also talks and exhibitions held at the new National Library. These were unheard of in the old National Library. Oh, by the way, did you know that the new National Library was built by demolishing an old hotel that was also worthy of preservation, in my opinion?Update on 1 Feb 2010Thanks to James Seah who sent me some photos on what the old National Library site looks like today:Compare the above photo with one that shows the old National Library behind the same set of red pillars and you can see how much this place has transformed:The following passage is extracted from this Wikipedia entry:"The old National Library was eventually torn down in 2005. Today, all that remains of the building at its original site are two red-bricked entrance pillars standing near the Fort Canning Tunnel. The controversy surrounding the building's demise has been credited for sparking greater awareness of local cultural roots and an unprecedented wave in favour of heritage conservation among Singaporeans."You can refer to James' very interesting post on the old National Library here. Going Round In Circles My name is Trachemys scripta elegansThat's what I am know in scienceOtherwise just call me red-eared sliderActually I live on land more than in waterI should have a long lifeBut deep I can't diveGrew up in this vesselNot been outside this circleUsed to have a companionBut not long was our unionYearning all day for freedomHe probably died of boredomWhy must I be imprisoned?Sometimes even seasonedAnd cooked into a soupWe strongly protest as a groupYou are not doing me a favourMy lifestyle you never can caterWhy did you have to adopt me?Can't you just let me be?My movement may be slowBut Iet me decide where to goPlease treat me kindlyThough you can't set me freeCaught between a rock and a hard placeI long for better daysI don't want to live and dieIn this miserable pig sty Save Our Film A screen grab from the film The Last Communist which is loosely based on the autobiography of Chin Peng, the legendary Malayan communist guerrilla leader. The film tells of the little-known role of the Communist Party of Malaya towards the dissolution of British rule in the country. (Photo taken from Asian Film Archive.)I received the following email from Ling Goh who represents a group of NTU students involved in a very worth cause. Please help them if you can.Help a group of NTU students and do your part to help 'Save Our Film' as well! The 'Save Our Film' campaign is a nationwide outreach effort to raise awareness amongst those aged 15 to 35 and educate them on the importance of saving our local film for the future. It is held as a part of the 5th Anniversary celebrations of the Asian Film Archive, a local charity dedicated to collecting, conserving and sharing our local films from before the Golden Era ('50s and '60s) till today, and will launch on 30 January till the end of February.Part of the 'Save Our Film' campaign involves a nation-wide Call for Memories where we invite members of the public to contribute video clips of themselves or their "memory-keepers" like parents and grandparents to share their recollections of Singapore film. This can include actual Singapore films and the experience of watching films in Singapore in the good old days of large hall cinemas and the like. These video clips will be amassed on the Asian Film Archive YouTube group to form an online video memories exhibition accessible to the public and our targeted audience of youths who will not have these memories of their own.We would like to extend a warm invitation to anyone who holds and wishes to share their favourite local film memories and will arrange to interview and record you and any other friends or family you can gather for this personal sharing session. This is a wholly non-profit endeavour aimed at recreating experiences for our youths and creating conversations between the generations. Please feel free to email us at saveourfilm@gmail.com and do come forward to join us in this very worthy but overlooked cause!Sincerely,Ling Goh The Adam Park Project Below is an email from Mr Jon Cooper who is the Project Manager of a research project called The Adam Park Project. He would appreciate if you could contribute any related information:Hello, The Adam Park Project (TAPP) Team are looking at the potential for battlefield archaeology in Singapore. Our case study is the defence of Adam Park estate by 1st Batt Cambridgeshire Regiment fro 12th-15th February 1942. More info can be found at:http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/battlefieldarchaeology/centreprojects/singaporewwiiproject/ We have pulled together lots of information on the British version of events we are currently pursuing leads to the Japanese side of the story. However we would now like to know more about the Singaporean memories of the fighting around Adam Park and the Watten Estate and life on the estates up to, during and immediately after the war years. If you have memories, photos or anecdotes that may help us then please drop me an email at jonalicooper@googlemail.com. Hope you can help us. Jon Cooper TAPP Project Manager An Appeal For Your Help Do you remember this post which I wrote on 16 Feb 2009? It was about Muhd Noor Azri Abdul Rahman, an ex-Victorian, who was badly injured in a skiing accident. Read about his story here.Azri requires costly continued treatment and therapy for his disabilities which are likely to be life-long. Azri's father, Mr Abdul Rahman Bin Abdul Hamid, has set up a new blog to appeal for your kind donations. Please help the family if you can. Old "Baggage" The National Museum of Singapore is currently holding a very interesting exhibition called "The Bag - Carrier Bags in Singapore from the 1950s to the 1980s":"From basic utilitarian objects, carrier bags in Singapore have come a long way to become museum pieces. This exhibition traces the evolution of local consumer culture through 60 carrier bags from the 1950s to the 1980s."Empress Restaurant Paper Carrier Bag - This signature brown carrier bag was designed to hold mooncake boxes, which sit nicely on the brown square base. Over the years, the graphic designs on mooncake carriers have changed but their shape has remained pretty much the same.Never did I imagine that the humble bags which my late mother used to carry live chickens back from the market would one day make it to the museum as exhibits! As a kid, I always looked forward to seeing the brown paper bag that brought delicious mooncakes and little pastry piggies in plastic cages from the Queen Of The Mooncakes. After the festival was over, the bag would be recycled for carrying things... and sometimes, even a live chicken. It was amazing how well the bag fitted the chicken snugly like a glove so it could not flap its wings. It was as if the bag was tailor-made for the chicken. Only its head and neck would be exposed and its head would bob about, surveying the surroundings like a submarine periscope. The light brown colour of the paper bag matched well with the darker brown feathers of the chicken. And if the chicken soiled the bag, simply discard it (the bag not the chicken). If not, you could recycle the bag again.They say that a picture paints a thousand words. My friend Peter recently said that I've got great IT skills. So, here is a photoshopped photo to show you what I mean:Chicken in a brown paper bagBata Carrier Bag (1960s) - Bata, a Czech shoe company which started operations in Singapore in 1931, positioned itself as a one-stop shoe store for everyone. Its carrier bag said as much with the picture of a family holding a big leather shoe.Oh yes, I remember the Bata bag which came with intertwined red and white strings for a handle and the slogan "First to Bata then to school". And then there were some people who made fun out of the brand by saying that it stood for "Buy And Throw Away". But in a way, that is true even today, isn't it? If you don't use your old shoes until they are good bad enough to throw away, would you have the chance to buy new ones? Definitely not in those days when most families were poor.PVC Carrier Bag (1970s) - In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the production of the plastic bag emerged as the largest manufacturing group in Singapore's plastic industry. Consumers preferred such bags as they were light, water-resistant, easy to carry and durable. Thick bags with die-cut handles such as this were extremely popular.I was given a bag similar to the one above when I collected my black plastic spectacles from Chai Meng Optician located on the ground floor of a 9-storey red-brick SIT flat in Upper Pickering Street. Maybe they had to use such a heavy-duty bag because my glasses were thick and heavy like the "bottom of a Coca Cola bottle", as a so-called "friend" puts it. The SIT flat, my thick glasses as well as the friend are gone today - I had cataract operations done for both eyes 10 years ago and the short-sightedness was corrected as a "side-benefit". I don't think I need to elaborate why the other two items disappeared as well.Unidentified student wearing thick black plastic-rimmed spectacles (not an exhibit) like mine.Other exhibits include the following items:Paper Carrier Bag With Advertisement (1954) - The oldest carrier bag in the exhibition doubles up as an advertisement for Goles kidney purifying tablets, with text in English and Burmese. An accompanying image shows how the bag travelled with its owner to public spaces.Letterpress Metal Template (1980s) - This template belonged to Hup Huat Paper Products, which went into the paper-bag business in 1942. Eventually, the production of paper bags became less profitable and the family-run business stopped making them in the 1990s to focus on supplying paper instead.Paper Carrier Bag for Robinsons French Fortnight (1967) - It seems Singapore's oldest department store Robinsons has always done things in style. This carrier bag was created specially for the store's French Fortnight from Sept 18 to 30, 1967. Melwani's Paper Bag (from far left) 1960s; Heng Lee Paper Carrier Bag 1970s; Hilda's Paper Bag 1960s - Before the emergence of Orchard Road as a shopping hub in the 1970s, Singaporeans thronged boutiques and textile shops in Raffles Place, North Bridge Road and High Street. These shops' carrier bags often featured women, their key customers.Carrier Bag For Nestle With Milo Advertisement (1960s to 1970s) - Advertising text and illustrations covered bags, promoting products and services like posters and banners did. Bold prints and colours were used to make the message or product stand out.Paper Bag (1980s) - This paper bag of Chuen Fong Soy Company advertises the product and comes with intertwined red and white strings for a handle.More About The Exhibition:Where: National Museum of Singapore, The Balcony, Level 2, 93 Stamford RoadMRT: City HallWhen: Till April 18, 10am - 8pmAdmission: FreeTel: 6332-3659You can find out more about the exhibition from this link.Source of photos and captions used for this post:Photos - Aidah Rauf, National Museum of SingaporeCaptions - Lifestyle Section, Straits Times dated 1 Jan 2010Update:Here's a sypnosis of the exhibition from the organisers themselves, i.e. the National Heritage Board, extracted from the Dec 09 - Jan 10 issue of the NHBuzz:This one by Lactogen, a brand of baby formula milk, is in Malay. Translation by Victor: "Throughout Malaya, prize-winning children drink Lactogen. Children's food that is complete. Contains 9 vitamins and iron." (Note that there are even 2 asterisks to indicate that the phrase on top should join to the one below. How thoughtful!)"From its humble beginnings as a form of packaging to its present status as a fashion accessory, the simple carrier bag has come along way. And paying tribute to this daily necessity is a special exhibition titled THE BAG: Carrier bags in Singapore from the 1950s to the 1980s at the National Museum of Singapore. Featuring over 60 rare vintage carrier bags (Bata and Yaohan anyone?) from the National Museum's collection, THE BAG documents Singapore's consumer culture through the years.Apart from their utilitarian function, mass produced carrier bags also serve as markers of Singapore's retail history and evolution. Changing patterns of affluence, the growth of local consumer demand and the influence of Western culture were all instrumental in bringing about changes in Singapore's retail industry, and these were captured through carrier bags. Paper bags, for one, gave way to the increasing popular plastic bag in the late 1970s which were favoured for their lightness and durability. Preceding the onset of mass media, carrier bags were also one of the earliest and simplest forms of mobile advertising as businesses started using carriers to publicise their products and services.Aside from charting the progress of our retail scene, this exhibition also shows how carrier bags spawned an industry of paper bag makers made up of industrious women who worked hard to produce the bags to help supplement family income in Singapore's early post-war period.Amidst the sea of carrier bags we have today that take on all shapes and forms, THE BAG takes a nostalgic walk down memory lane and provides a refreshing look at the retail icons of yesteryears. Don't miss the chance to view original vintage carrier bags that have endured the times and survived chapters of Singapore's history." Old Singapore Quiz (16) - Answer - Garden City Built But Garden Street Lost Singapore built a Garden City but lost a Garden Street. Garden Street was an old L-shaped street that joined Beach Road to Rochor Road. It existed up till the early 1990s. The 1963 road map below shows the exact location of Garden Street. (The red arrow shows the direction in which the camera lens was pointing when the 1970s photo was taken.)Note that one end of the street was opposite the Clyde Terrace Market while the other was opposite the New 7th Storey Hotel. Sadly, both landmarks are no longer around - the former was demolished in 1983 while the latter was demolished only last year, i.e. 2009. Clyde Terrace Market was torn down to make way for the Gateway twin towers while the New 7th Storey Hotel had to go because of the construction of the Downtown MRT line. Below are some old images of New 7th Storey Hotel and Clyde Terrace Market compared to what the sites look like today.New 7th Storey Hotel, a year or two ago.The site where New 7th Storey Hotel used to be.Clyde Terrace Market on right of photo (c 1900). Source: NAS.Clyde Terrace Market (c 1900). Source: Singapore - 500 Early Postcards.Clyde Terrace Market (c 1920). Source: Singapore - 500 Early Postcards.Beach Road (c 1930). Clyde Terrace Market being visible from Beach Road; many rickshaws and a few cars are parked alongside the market. Source: Singapore - 500 Early Postcards.The twin towers of the Gateway today stand on the former site of Clyde Terrace MarketIn fact, these are not the only 2 landmarks that had disappeared from the 1963 map or the 1970s photo. There have been many changes in the landscape of this area since the 1960s. The other changes are described below:1. Masjid Bahru ("New Mosque") in Jeddah Street, labelled no. "30" in the map. First built about 1870, and rebuilt in 1928. The majority of the smaller streets in this neighbourhood were laid out between 1860 and 1875, when Beach Road ceased to be a fashionable residential area, and most of the nearby buildings date from this period.2. "Redstone" from this forum summarised it very well:"I remember when I was young, like around 1994/5/6, the shophouses on Parkview's current 'field' is still around. The Blanco Court was still around, so was Kallang Gasworks and the shophouses around 7th storey hotel. It's really very sad, for it was THE original "old town" of Singapore. Seriously it's a very bad decision.Clyde Street and Beach Road junction (c 1963). Source: NAS.Clyde Street (c. 1979). Source: NAS.From old maps the streets names were Fraser, Farquahar, Barnard, Clyde, Sin Koy, Garden, Jeddah, Beach Lane, and one Shiek "something", an Arabic name which I forgot. The streetscape was almost same as the Kampong Glam core. With the main street, Beach and North Bridge Roads, Ophir and Rochor Roads on all 4 sides. The central street, Jeddah Street, of which is a cul-de-sac, and has a mosque, if I remember correctly from the Street Directory as late as 1995, the name was Masjid Bahru. The mosque has been demolished too. If given a choice, the old town of Singapore versus the whole Beach Road / Jln Sultan / Crawford public housing estates and even in exchange for Parkview Square, I would like to have the Old Town. Now there are only a few shophouses fronting the original beachfront at Beach Road.Last time the shophouses stretched all the way from Blair Plains almost unbroken all the way Crawford, then again at Katong. Now... I think only 30% remain?"Note: The "shiek something" which Redstone forgot was Shaik Madersah Lane.3. Blanco Court, the building under construction in the top right of the 1970s photo, was ironically "blanco-ed" from the area towards the end of the 1990s to make way for Raffles Hospital which was officially opened on 16 Mar 2002. Blanco Court was a place where you could get everything you needed for a kid's party. It also had a food court which sold delicious fried fish bee hoon and kway chap.4. Blk 405 Victoria Street - the tall 20-odd-storey HDB block that you see in the 1970s photo was demolished a few years ago. I remember eating Bak Kut Teh in the coffeeshop below the block many years ago. Bugis MRT Station was located right next to this block.If you blow up the 1970s photo, you could vaguely see the street name "Garden Street" on the left of the photo. (I am a little surprised why Icemoon, who has always been very meticulous, had missed out this important detail.)Comparing the 1970s photo of Garden Street with a second-shot of the same view today ...... as well as the 1963 map with today's map... and you will surely agree that this area, otherwise known as Kampong Glam, has undergone tremendous changes over the last few decades. However, the old landmarks were certainly not sacrificed because Singapore wanted to built a Garden City. On the contrary, they were somehow lost in the process of turning our city into a concrete jungle that lacks the character and the charm of the Old Town, as Redstone so fondly called it.