bullockcartwater 牛车水

Coke with Salt, anyone?

2011-08-25T23:23:00.000+08:00

Somehow I have already forgotten about this way of drinking the Coke or Sarsi. But, recently, a young friend (well in his 30s I think) joined me for lunch. And he asked for Coca Cola with salt on the ice. Huh? I thought this practice was extinct! But the fact that the kopi tiam (coffee shop) or kopi tua (coffee stall) could come up with a salt shaker (way more hygienic than the old salt in a Brands' Essence bottle with a small plastic spoon) shows that it is still very much alive, except that its users might have gone "underground". In the past, it would have been very usual to see a bottle of salt on every table.

Many people believe that Coca Cola or Sarsi with salt will "cool" down the body. If you believe or subscribe to the theory of yin and yang and what is "heaty" and what is "cooling" you might be able to follow this belief or practice. And so, on a hot and humid day, nothing beats a glass of Coke with salt in it!

In my young days, I love to watch the reactions of the glass of Coke or Sarsi as I started sprinkling the salt into it. Nothing like the bubbles and fountains of Coke or Sarsi hitting your face as you attempt to drink. If you have never tried this, go give it a try. Nothing great not serious, but could be a novelty, just like eating ice cream with salt in Okinawa.

What else is missing in the modern kopi tiam? Ever seen the old man dropping a slab of Cold Storage Butter (they would ask for "col-storee gu yew") into a cup of kopi-O? Kopi-O is coffee black.

Rickshaw Noodles aka "Kan Chia Mee" or La Che Mian 拉车面

2011-06-26T17:55:00.001+08:00

In Hokkien, this is called the "Kan Chia Mee" which means the "pull-vehicle-noodles" or in Chinese La Che Mian 拉车面.

This is a very simple noodle soup prepared and served where ordered (not the usual cook upon order noodles) and hence has thicker gravy and a more tangy taste because of the contents of the yellow noodles.

I suppose it must have been the cheap and easy to eat meal for the rickshaw pullers in the old days. When I asked the lady of this stall at Maxwell Market Food Centre (I wonder if this could well be the only heritage foodstall selling a dish of this kind) how long her stall has been operating. She answered, "60+ years", and without much of a pause, "since 1943". As there was a steady (not heavy) flow of customers, I could not engage her with more questions. She is also selling the mee-sua, another Hokkien cuisine. And I was told that her fried beehoon (rice vermicelli) is very good. There are also other typical southern Chinese breakfast food such as the yam-cake.

I guess, in the 40s, a bowl of the kan-chia-mee must have costed less than 5 cents. (^^). In the 50s, it was in that range. I heard from wife that in the 80s, it was 50 cents a bowl (from this stall) and when I tried it yesterday, it was 80 cents. Not much but good to keep the tummy from growling.

I know that in some temples, where there is an event, the kan-chia-mee is still one of the dishes being served. For convenience, it could be cooked in a big pot and served throughout the day. For many of the older folks, it was a nostalgic trip and they ate with relish.

In Maxwell Market Food Centre, there are many foodstalls that started life in the old Hokkien part of Chinatown. This Kan-Chia-Mee stall was from China Street. During the urban renewal, many of the foodstall in the Hokkien part of Chinatown - China St, Nanjing St and Kiao-Keng-Kao (Outside the Gambler's Den as translated literally) moved to this vegetable market turned food centre. As part of its continuity, (in the old days, there were hardly any names for any of these stalls), the signage at Maxwell Market Food Centre would indicate that that particular stall was from China St or Nanking St. You can do a food heritage journey through these stalls here.

Would the kan-chia-mee be one of the soon-to-be-disappeared food? Like the rickshaw pullers? (^^) Take a look, take a taste ... and get the taste of the lives that some of our forefathers have gone through.

Postscript:
Thanks to James Seah for the lead and National Archives Singapore (NAS), here is a better image of what a kan-chia or rickshaw puller is like.

Those kerosene lamps

2011-06-01T21:51:00.000+08:00

On this Sunday evening when wife and daughter decided on a meaty Bak Kut Teh, and well, there are Bak Kut Teh, and Bak Kut Teh, daughter decided on the "young" establishment of Song Fa Bak Kut Teh. This is another classical example of how a typical Bak Kut Teh stall has been transformed into a successful business by the next generation. OK la, the contents are almost the same, only the ambience is different. Well, it has the look and almost the feel, but not the smell. It was cool some more.

But it was the lamps on the wall that brought me back to my young days. It is now retro and hip infact for restaurants to make their places look retro. For me, and probably for those senior citizens, these lamps would bring back memories - fond or otherwise. And I am sure, it will trigger many a granny to share the tales to their grandchildren. Imagine the scholar who studied with the tiny light from this kerosene lamp.

When I was young, before I moved to an HDB flat, I was staying in a so-called pre-war house in this place known as Turn-Tiam-Hung. Compared to these days, the rent was, well, affordable. Our room (with the extended family all sleeping together) was reasonably big to take nine persons, unlike those smaller cubicles in the heart of Gnau-Chair-Sui. But the Bibik (whom we kids had to call her Ko-po - grandaunt) was a strict matriarch. We, the tenants were also like part of her extended family) was very much concerned about expenditure, since we only paid for the rent and that included light and water and well, the bucket system. And so, each night, at 11pm sharp, she or her eldest son would switch off the lights. Only a few tiny lights along the staircase were lit to allow us to find our way to our rooms.

When we were very young, we were terrified of the dark, not to mention the calls of the cats, fighting or mating on the tile roof which was just above our room. And so, we tried to get to sleep by 10pm. You can imagine the importance of the spittoon as many of us, especially kids, would not want to venture downstairs to the toilet. And so, each night, before 11pm struck, Grandma or Ma would light up the kerosene lamp.

The lamp would be hung on a wall. The light was just enough for us to figure out the forms lying on the floor so that we don't step on them if we need to use the spittoon. If anyone of us needs to find something, we would have to carry the lamp. And in the rare occasions when we had to study, well, that was our source of comfort.

In the days when we had to wake up early, like 5am, to get ready to go to school, it was the lamp that would help me to change and get into my school uniform.

Ah the days ... I could still remember the smell of the kerosene being burned as the light flickered in the occasional breeze. I wondered how I survived the hot dark nights.

Chinatown Buskers

2011-05-17T19:23:00.002+08:00

Long long ago, there were buskers, but not the type that we know today. Or maybe, they are not buskers that we know today. It was in 1959, when I was in Primary One, when my "driver" (you would have thought that this was like my chauffeur, but no) whom my Mum paid to fetch me to school - it was Tanglin Boys' School and I was living in Turn Tiam Hung (Pawnshop Alley, Craig Rd) and in those days, apart from trying to ride the wild wild east buses, getting a car that went round putting all the kids into one Morris Minor (like chickens in a coop) was the other option - brought me with other kids to the show on ice in Happy World (I think that was the name before it became Gay World and then, disappeared with the change of the meaning of the word) followed by supper in the open air People's Park. That was the time when I saw this lady, or was it girl, who would put some sweets and dried kanna (Chinese olives) on the table and proceeded to sing. I was not sure if anyone paid.

And there was the lonely old men, some were blind, sitting by the corner of a street playing his erhu producing mournful sounds and singing equally mournful songs.

Those were the pre-licensed days. These days, buskers have to be "licensed" to perform, as I understand.

Long gone were the singers of yesteryears. For a while, there were no street entertainers in the streets of Chinatown. Not even the koyok man (street pedlars and performers who would use drums and gongs to welcome the onlookers like Ah Hia, Ah Chek in Hokkien, followed quickly by his assistant in Cantonese like Ah Kor, Ah Jie, each accompanied with a hit on the gong). There might be one or two "medicine man" demonstrating his prowess in gongfu and selling the traditional Chinese oil for rubbing tired muscles in some of the fairs organised.

Interestingly, with the onslaught of Karaoke (Empty Orchestra in Japanese - my first encounter was in a fair in Tokyo in 1976), many people discovered their talents. No more bathroom singing. Many took to singing like fish to water. Be it the popular songs or even the Cantonese Opera. One could sing with just a tape or now, a DVD. While many youngsters in the western world or even in Japan might perform with their musical instruments, a number of the older folks started lugging their small Singapore made DVD player with a small amplier and a loudspeaker to a good spot to sing. Soon, like honey to bees, old folks gathered to sit and listen to the crooning of the songs sung in their young days.I was tempted to go by these folks to ask, "A penny for your thoughts." I am sure, many must be reminiscing about the old days, good or bad, happy or sad. Perhaps, I could scan with my video camera to catch the facial expressions that might have inadvertently been released as the person gets deep into thoughts with the journey in time.

While some old men, and even old ladies, would join in as a group singing, there is also another group that entertain the older folks. The ladies were singing to the delight of the old men, and they even invited them to come forward to do a duet. The bolder men would join in doing some dances that were probably their signature movements of the younger days.

And so, if you are feeling bored, on a not too hot and humid evening, you could park yourself by some of these spots in Chinatown to enjoy the songs of time gone by. Reminisce or explore, depending on your age and experience. (^^)

A walk in Chinatown

2011-03-31T15:46:00.000+08:00

After a morning errand today, I decided to have breakfast in Chinatown, on the way back. Instead of walking beeline home from Outram MRT Station, I started my zigzag tour of Chinatown. Maybe, the next time, I will make my walk live via ustream. (^^)

Walking through the walkway (I wondered if I could still call it the five-foot-way, a British specification?) of Pearl Centre, I saw changes since my last walk. That was months away. It is not often that I took a day off and having the luxury of a relaxed morning. More foodstalls were added, mainly of the northern Chinese cuisine. From the look of these stalls and other stalls in other parts of Chinatown, there must be many northerners in Singapore these days. Interestingly, I was introduced to northern Chinese food when I first went to Japan, some 35 years ago, and now, I am introduced to more (perhaps more authentic?) northern Chinese food in our very Chinatown, an apt place.

Looking at the "ugly" newer buildings dwarfing the older ones like the Kong Chow Wui Koon, it gave me a sense of weeds overgrowing the ancient plants. I crossed the road to Kreta Ayer Rd. I marveled at the Hindu Temple with its colourful sculptures. Set against the giant Pinnacle (where part of my childhood was in the two block of the old HDB flats with the Police Cantonment flats), it was picturesque. Would need a good photographer to capture it in perspective.

Ah, and there were the Cannonball trees. I first got to know them in the Botanic Gardens. And then, they lined up Cross St after the demise of the rows of shophouses. It was a delight to me and my kids (younger then) as we drove along Cross St on the way home. I stopped to capture some of its flowers against the hot sun shining down on it. I often wondered how the plants could take the fiery sun, and provide us the cool shades.

Crossing Keong Saik St, once renowned for its red light district activities, and Kreta Ayer Rd (ah, the Malay name for Bullockcartwater), I walked on the walkway of the point-block HDB flat. On the wall were murals depicting the Singapore that we strived for. The scenes of early day Bullockcart and the multi-religious Singapore. Mindful of that, I climbed up the stairs of the next HDB flat, my shortcut to the Chinatown Food Centre. As I turned around the corner of the second storey, at the corner of my eye, I saw a man writing on his blank paper book with a brush. I took a second look to make sure I was seeing what I was seeing. How many people could write in Chinese using a brush these days? It was a great scene looking from outside. A missed opportunity to capture the picture.

An the next door was the Aquarium shop, where in my early days, I used to come here to replenish all the needs for my tiny aquarium at home. I remembered the days when I had to travel often, and months away in one stretch, that I had to enlist the help of my late father to help to "fish-sit". Each time when I returned, I thought I saw new "faces" in my aquarium. The heavy responsibilities of a "fish-sitter" (^^). I decided I should give up this hobby.

It was 11am. Many of the stalls in Chinatown FC were working hard getting all their food ready. At the soya-sauce stall, the Q was already 15 people deep! Inexpensive and delicious, there is always a Q until everything is sold out.

I walked along the rest of the empty row of tables - the transformation would come when the clock hits one - and found no Q at my favourite Vegetarian Beehoon Stall. An old man beat me to the Q. A little stooped, with a ear-plug to his ear (I guessed it must be a ear guide), he stood. The stallholder (I am still wondering if he is local or mainland Chinese as his Mandarin had a China accent) asked him in Mandarin if he was going to have his usual Beehoon. He nodded and replied in Cantonese, "Mei Fan". We sat by the same table, simply because it is the nearest. I noticed that he was given a red plate and I a polystyrene one. Hmm. And his plate seemed fuller than mine. I am not complaining but just wondering. He looked like a regular customer. For me, since the past 10 years, I have been getting to eat the beehoon (I always declare that this is the world's best beehoon to me, because of its style of cooking) through proxies, my wife or my domestic help would be buying them home. In fact my domestic help must have been more familiar with the stallholders in Chinatown FC and wetmarket than I am.

Yes, my wife and I used to come to this vegetarian beehoon stall for breakfast on the way to work. And when the kids came, we brought them along, starting with a few strands till now, a plate or two! We have outlasted most of the workers in this stall. Only the owner remains the same. (^^)

Had my fill, with four tah-pau (takeaway), I began my journey home. I thought I should take a more straightforward way home. And so across the overhead bridge, I went and on through the People's Park Complex.

As I entered the cool interior of People's Park Complex - probably Singapore's first big shopping mall (I could remember wandering the corridors gawking at the empty shops when it was first built) - I saw that the people were ready, waiting for customers. Plucking of eyebrows is now a big thing. Done to the full view of the passer-bys, the places were usually filled up when I walk through on weekends days and nights.

Crossing the open space between People's Park Complex (now filled with all kinds of foodstalls near to the open space) and People's Park (we call the old People's Park that used to house the shops selling cloth, resettled after the old people's park fire) as well as the former Majestic Theatre and OG, I walked into the corridor of the People's Park Food Centre (the descendant of the once-upon-a-time-in-the-1950s open air food park). Toh Kee appeared in front of me with rows of freshly grilled ducks. Flashes of the old days appeared, the days when a friend and I would try to save from our school allowance (which was hardly anything given that we had enough for bus fare and not enough for recess), and when we hit 30 cents, we would came here to get our favourite Loh-Mai-Kai (glutinous rice with chicken). Glad to know that it is still around.

Around the corner, almost home, I walked under the HDB flat where the 24-hour coffeeshop is and the row of shops. Ah, Ming Tai, the shop that sells the traditional Chinese herbs and dried stuff that makes wonderful soup - especially of the double-boiled kind. From father to son, the management of this shop evolved. And the little babies that cried and played in the shop, taken care of by the staff in the shop in between business, they have already traded their prams and strollers for bikes. Want to have a good bowl of birdnest but you have no time to prepare and cook? Ming Tai can prepare, cook and have it ready for you! That's the kind of service we get in the neighbourhood. Of course in small Singapore, anyone can order and bring home to enjoy.

It was a long walk, despite the short distance. Good for the muscles through the walking, and for the braincells as I raked them to look up the past.

Thian Hock Keng celebrates Cap Go Meh 2011

2011-02-20T21:25:00.003+08:00

On 17 Feb 11, Cap Go Meh as the Hokkien calls it (this term is used in Nanyang, from Malaysia through Singapore to Indonesia) is the grand finale to the Chinese New Year. In Singapore, Thian Hock Keng also rounded up the 15 days of Chinese New Year with a big bang. Not so much as in the fire crackers, but in the elaborate activities on this day with a grand street parade.

By 6pm on that evening, the crowd was already building up by the side of the road, in front of the temple. For many, it is as a tradition and custom to go and pay respects to the Goddess of the Sea, Mazu, and the other resident Gods before looking for a space by the roadside.

The "mee-koo" (bun made into the shape of a tortoise) - which is a symbol of longevity - was laid out as devotees made the offer to the Gods. In the courtyard, there were many sacks of rice, stacked into the shape of the tortoise. Devotees or anyone could seek to bring one back by using the divining blocks to seek permission from the Goddess of the Sea, Mazu.

As the sun set, the lights came on. At 8pm, with the Guest of Honour, the Minister for Manpower, Singapore, joining the crowd, the performance began. Many of the dances were performed by the schools affiliated to the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, which also manages the Thian Hock Keng. On this night, it was a grand event organised by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, reminiscent of the old days when Thian Hock Keng was the community centre of the immigrant workers and the residents.

Strains of the Nanyin - Southern Sounds - brought back nostalgic memories to the senior citizens as they recalled the days when their elders would be sitting outside the temple, listening to Nan Yin and the songs that talked about the stories of old China. In a way, joss stick fumes, familiar sights of the Gods and Nanyin brought them the peace and comfort of home in China, which they hoped to return after making a decent earning. Many stayed on instead, and the temporary landscape became permanent. For the young, they were as "blur"as to what it is as the tourists and the new non-Chinese citizens who were invited to join in the Cap Go Meh. In a way, it was reminiscent to the old people and an eye opener to the young. Thanks to the dedicated few who carried on playing the Nanyin in Singapore, and put in efforts to train the young, it is making a comeback. If you have yet to watch or listen to Nanyin, come to Thian Hock Keng on 2M19 (23 Mar 11) at 7.30pm to watch Siong Leng Musical Association perform. This date is the celebrations in honour of Guan Yin in Thian Hock Keng.

When the Nanyin troupe strolled up the street, the whole place suddenly came to a standstill. No loudspeakers to blare the music. What could be heard was coaxed out of the musical instruments (that had been used since more than 2000 years ago). Everyone strained their ears.

And when they passed, the whole place was brought back to the present again with the roll of the drums. For the Chinese, noise is important as it is the yang energies that will chase away the yin (negative) energies. And so, on such an joyous occasion, the louder the noise the better. And yet despite the noise the lions pranced their way around. The full concentration of the lone lion jumping over the stilts in a noisy environment was certainly a feat to be admired!

The other show stealer must have been the bald headed tough and young performers from the Nan Shaolin group. They displayed their prowess with the somersault, twist and turn in mid air and defying the hits of the poles. It was gongfu live to the audience.

The LED-lighted dragons heightened the atmosphere one more notch. If only the place was darkened, it would have been fantastic. But I suppose for security reasons, it is not a good idea. (^^) The biggest lion where the head had to be held by 4 persons and the tail by 2 brought was also there. The Chinese believes that touching the lions would give them the positive energies and so, where possible, the parents would bring their kids to touch them. It is one way the kids are being introduced and brought nearer to them. And in most lion dance performance, during cai qing, the lion would also be giving away sweets, a delight to the kids.

Time passed by so quickly and all the fun and noise had to come to an end, marking the end of the first 15 days and getting further in the year of the Rabbit, with more festivities to come.

To the hardworking team at Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, a great job! I wonder what they are going to outdo themselves again next year. (^^)

A new look at Chinatown

2011-02-08T22:00:00.001+08:00

If you are not aware, go take a look at Chinatown before you reach there physically. Whether you are in Singapore or far away from Singapore, this website is certainly a must to visit when you are planning to visit the Chinatown in Singapore. The Chinatown in Singapore has a more colourful name but I will leave it to you to browse through the website to view and read. And yes, plan your trip too!

Screen captured from the site: http://www.chinatown.sg

Some few years ago, IDA (Infocomm Development Authority) and STB (Singapore Tourism Board) were looking for state-of-the-art ideas and solutions to offer tourists and Singaporeans alike a more fun and handy way of discovering Singapore and bringing back memories. It was more of a proof of concept then, as gadgets were still very much in their infancy stage. PDA with bluetooth to handphones through GPRS to the mobile phone network was the idea. Today, iphone (with its 3G mobile data access and GPS) has taken the world by storm and so, for tourists, it would be fun to plan, record and even look for interesting places to see or eat.

Oh, am I talking about Chinatown and heritage? Yes, today, chinatown.sg has the ideas and services in place. I am sure in the months ahead, more gadgets could be added, be it physical or electronic. Thanks to internet and the repositories like youtube.com, many trigger-happy Singaporeans and tourists have recorded vast footage of Singapore, including Chinatown. And some even converted their 8mm movies into video clips. And so, today, we have Chinatown, yesterday, today, and perhaps, even a glimpse of tomorrow.

Like chinatown.sg be the centre of the (spider) web spinning and connecting all things Chinatown so that what you need you can get here. Just don't go astray. And yes, do leave some of your memories behind, I mean, sharing with us, perhaps, via youtube? or provide the links to your blog or photo repository.

Do I sound like I run the chinatown.sg web? Some friends thought so. (^^). No, I am just a fan. After all, this is my home ... (look for one of the popular songs that you will find sung, especially when Singapore's National Day (quiz - when is it?) is around.

Chinese New Year in the temples of Chinatown Singapore

2011-02-05T00:44:00.000+08:00

There were just too many activities, even in a tiny place like the Chinatown in tiny Singapore. But since I have set myself a tradition of visiting Chinese Temples within the greater Chinatown and ending up in the Guan Yin Temple at Waterloo St, I continued to do so for this new year. The exception is that I got along a few more kakis (friends) to join in. So with some 5 cars led by one Frenchman on his trusty iron horse, we went "templing" a word coined by our famous heritage tour guide (also known as the oldest and longest street walker of Singapore) Geraldene Lowe.

Outside Thian Hock Keng

The tour started in this little known hillock known to the locals as Ku Ah Sua 龟仔山 (or Ku Kia Sua) in Hokkien or Gui Zai Shan in Mandarin where there was a cluster of three temples. With a short drizzle of fine rain droplets, we went in a convoy (that left through different ways and parked at different locations) to Thian Hock Keng 天福宫. In Chinatown, Thian Hock Keng must be the grandest in ushering the Chinese New Year. It was moving towards what it was like some 50 years ago, when I went to the temple with my Mum in a sa-lian-chia (trishaw). Less smoky these days, thanks to the hard work put by the temple members in removing the joss sticks as the joss urns filled up (and there are less urns these days compared to 5 decades ago) and the acceptance of the people these days, there was more than devotees offering their first joss sticks. Lion Dance, Dragon Dance, Rabbit puppet, Cai Shen 财神 (God of Wealth - an operatic costume worn by a guy from an event company I suppose), and this year, the Techno Tai Zi 太子 (a trend started in Taiwan, the giant puppets of the famous Third Prince). Devotees and tourists mingled, praying and watching. Some locals brought along their foreign friends.

Entrance to Wak Hai Cheng Beo

In my entourage, we have friends (who are researchers as well) from France, UK, USA, Japan, Kenya and Malaysia. And within the groups of locals - Chinese, Malays, and Indian too. There were also undergrads who were learning "hands-on"or rather using all their senses such as visual, audio and smell! Taste too. In Wak Hai Cheng Beo (粤海清`庙 Yue Hai Qing Miao), there were the Chinese Olives offered to devotees. The significance of this to the Teochew is in the words "Chi Poh" (green treasure?)

Wang Hai Da Bo Gong Temple

A little out of the epicentre was Wang Hai Da Bo Gong 望海大伯公 temple, which is a Hakka temple. It is at Palmer Rd, off Shenton Way. And then, we ventured further towards Beach Rd, the enclave of the Hainanese. And inside the Hainanese Association building (actually, the building was built in front of the temple which was there first) was the Hainanese Mazu Temple (known as Tian Hou Gong 天后宫).

The grand finale for our tour was the Waterloo St Guan Yin temple where there was still a sizeable crowd at 3am. A visit to the Guan Yin temple is not complete without hopping over to the Krishna Temple to offer our prayer of respects.

Hokkien pastry at Tan Hock Seng 陈福成

2011-01-31T23:05:00.000+08:00

On my prowl to see what's happening in the Greater Chinatown (I like this name mentioned in the chinatown.sg website), I passed by this very popular Hokkien pastry shop - Tan Hock Seng - along Telok Ayer St. This street is almost deserted during weekends but very crowded during weekdays.

It was this past Saturday morning when I passed by with wife and daughter in tow. There was no crowd but there was a steady stream of shoppers, many of them stopping their cars to hop out, asked for what they wanted, bought them, and hopped back into the car again. Inevitably, conversation between the shoppers and the shopkeepers was in Hokkien. Imagine one asking for Fa Gao 发糕, when it would be more easy (at least to me) to ask for Huat Kueh. (^^) I should have taken pictures of all the pastry there that came with the names in traditional Chinese. And asked the shopkeeper to help me pronounce the names in Hokkien. (^^)

I know the few of my favourites like Beh Teh Saw 马蹄酥 and Pon Pia 碰饼. When young, and when hungry (if we were lucky, we could put one or two Beh Teh Saw and dip into a small bowl of kopi-o (black coffee). The Beh-Lei-Go (sticky sweet inside the Beh Teh Saw) was a delight to eat with the pastry and the black coffee.

For the Chinese New Year, the favourites would be the Huat Kueh and Kueh Nern Go 鸡蛋糕 (steamed egg cake like the famous Japanese Kyushu Castilla (kasutera カステラ). I remember when I was young, I would help my Mum to beat the eggs in a big clay pot (like those glazed flower pot) with the big egg beater until almost a foam was being formed. It was a tiring exercise. No, no electric gadgets during those days. When the egg mix was considered good enough, we would put a "glass paper" onto a bamboo tray and pour the egg mix into it till almost the brim. If I remember correctly, then with a bamboo chopstick, a cross is made on the surface, probably to allow the cake to break up and expand when it is being cooked. Into a waiting wok of steaming hot water and some bamboo frames, the bamboo tray was placed. And a huge cover was being put over the wok, with wet towels laced around the cover when it sat on the wok. This was to reduce steam leakage. In those days, a cake would be the size with a diameter of easily 1.5 feet. When it was done, using a chopstick, that was split into four, we would dip into the ang-huay-bi (red colouring lotion) and then stamp onto the cake giving marks of four tiny red squares.

Huat Kueh was a little more challenging because yeast is needed. And the pantang bibiks (superstitious aunties) would ensure that we nosy and inquisitive kids kept our mouth shut and not ask any questions, or worst still, make comments. They were worried that the Huat Kueh (literally meaning the cake that grows) will not grow. (^^)

Tnee Kueh (meaning sweet cake), known to the Cantonese as Nin Kohl (Nian Gao 年糕), would be even more challenging to make. And so, it has gone the way of mass manufacture. In the past, after a couple of weeks, the Tnee Kueh would be hard as a rock (from which we could wash and put in the sun if there were any fungi, and then, slice them to steam and eat with shredded coconut, or deep fry with egg/flour batter), but these days they remain soft! What alien ingredient did they put in?

These days, save the endangered few, everyone would flock to shops like Tan Hock Seng (or many confectionery in any shopping centres of the housing estate) to get the mandatory Huat Kueh for offerings to the Gods. Alas, many of the mass produced ones are hardly edible. I sympathise with the Gods.

ack: Tan Hock Seng

The friend shopkeeper, who saw me trying to take pictures of his old shop, offered me another wall where the picture was more visible. Wah, that picture was taken in 1950! It was in the old shophouse along China St, just where the Hokkien called it the "Kiao-Keng-Kow", meaning "outside the gambler's den.

ack: Tan Hock Keng

Chicken & Duck for Chinese New Year!

2011-01-28T23:49:00.000+08:00

The elders will always tell us, Chinese New Year time is the happiest for the kids. They have new clothes, angpows (red packets) and plenty to eat. True, especially in those days, when it happened once a year! I mean when we as kids to got have new clothes, angpows (even if it was 40 cents) and more to eat.

Looking forward to the Chinese New Year, somehow, to me, it was all fun. Including more work assisting Mum with all the chores than came with the Chinese New Year. A week or two before the Chinese New Year, preparation began. I would follow Mum to the nearby wet market at Narcis St. We were living at Craig Rd in this house which had some four or five families, each squeezed into one room each. Sometimes, Mum would go to the Gu Chia Chwee (Gnau Chair Shui) wet market along the streets of Smith St and Trengganu St.

I never asked Mum how or where she got the money to buy. We kids were oblivious to their financial situations, and parents didn't share. All I knew was it was time for a chicken and a duck. We probably only ate chicken something like three or four times a year - Chinese New Year, Hungry Ghost Festival, and the time when we had to give offerings to our ancestors.

This was some 50 years ago, and fridge was a rarity, and so, we ate most things fresh. For the chickens and ducks, we could buy them alive and bring them back. Mum would go to the stall in the market, eyed a few healthy looking chicken, grab one by one and felt the body beneath the feather, despite the products from the squawking chicken. How did one handle the chicken? Grab them by holding the beginning of their two wings. The ducks were more noisy and they would bite.

The stallholders would tie the legs of the chicken and hanged them to their Chinese scale and weigh. Mum looked closely to make sure that the guy did not cheat on the balance of the scale. But of course, because of years of business he was less likely to cheat. But one never knows and well, the ladies love a hard bargain.

Carrying the duck and chicken home was a challenge. They were not light for a small build that I was then. And this was amongst the many things being bought. Chinese New Year Reunion had to be the biggest feast in our lives each new year, not that it was big, compared to what is available nowadays.

Imagine all the neighbours within the same house buying one chicken and one duck each. All the noises in our constantly wet common kitchen add to the commotion of activities as each family got ready preparing for the Chinese New Year. From the time we brought the fowl home and the Chinese New Year eve, we tried our best to fatten them up. We believed that cockroaches would do the trick. And so, it was the tasks of us youngsters to catch the cockroaches to feed them.

[WARNING: Gory details here, not meant for the faint hearted]
Come eve of the Chinese New Year, there was no time for sleep. Up early, I was to help Mum to kill the chicken and duck. Under the supervision of Mum, I either held the chicken by the head and body to make it still while Mum used a sharp knife to slit the throat, or the other way round. Once the blood started flowing out, I was to make sure that the blood flowed to a bowl. Yes, it was edible and nothing was to be left to waste, save the feathers.

Trying to take out the feather (defeather?) was a task. Hot boiling water was to put into a basin and the dead bird put into the hot water and then, to the cold water. It was to help plucking out the feathers. Taking out the big feathers was easy. Taking out the fine ones was a chore. And so, that was left to me to do. With a "plucker" (akin to the tweezer), I sat on a tiny stool and worked on my assignment. Taking out the fine feathers from the duck was more challenging than the chicken. And I had to do a good job or we might have feathers when we ate.

Came midday, Mum had started cooking and were getting the dishes ready. No, it was not yet for eating. They were meant as offering to the Gods in the house (we had a Tua Pek Kong then) and then the Ancestors. The chicken and duck were either steamed or boiled and placed complete (no chopping off) as offering. Chinese tradition dictates the offering of three components of offering - fowl (chicken and/or duck), animal (pork in this case, and mainly we would have a slice of the roast pork bought from the market) and fish (hence a deep fried fish like a garupa). One traditional dish seemed to be rice with blood made into cubes (you can still see this in Taiwan). The spare-parts (innards of the chicken and duck) were cooked with a can of peas. Together with the usual Chinese New Year cakes like Huat-Kueh (Fa Gao) or Guey Nern Go (Steamed egg cake, like the Japanese Castila) and Ang Ku Kueh (Red Tortoise cake filled with green bean paste or crushed peanuts), these were offered. We kids were waiting for the praying to end. And so, we offered to throw the divining blocks (in those days, we used two 50 cent coins or 20 cent coins) to ask if the Gods or the Ancestors were done with their eating. A head and a tail of the coins showing up after the throw would be affirmative.

When we got the answer, it was another fun time for us kids. We would bring the joss papers to the road side to burn them. Using the tea and wine from the offering, we would throw them around the burning joss papers to indicate that the joss papers were proprietary, only for the intended ones.

Back upstairs, where we lived, Mum had started the second phase of her job. The steamed chicken was to be chopped to be eaten like the "Hainanese Chicken Rice" that is very popular these days. For the duck, she would chop it to make soup, our favourite Kiam Chye Tng (salted vegetable - pickled mustard green) or Tim Itek as known to the Peranakans. Teochews and Hokkiens are known for their Kiam Chye Tng or Ark (duck). The deep fried fish would have the sweet and sour gravy poured onto it.

We were ready for the Reunion Dinner which was eaten earlier than usual. Mum still had more things to do to welcome the new year. While it was the belief that we should try not to sleep over the New Year Eve (so as to achieve longevity?), for us kids, it was a challenge. But at the same time, it was a luxury to stay past midnight. Our matriarch bibik landlady would normally switch off the lights by 11pm. For the new year eve, it would be an exception. It is believed that the house should be kept lit throughout the night.

Fire crackers would have been exploding all over, more as the 11th hour approached. Hmm, to the Chinese, the 11th hour (11pm) is the beginning of the new day. And despite the din, with a full stomach with all the delicious and good food, we felt to sleep, knowing that we were going to get some angpows the next day, even to the very strict looking and sharp-tongued Bibik.

These days, it would be almost impossible to have the opportunity to kill a chicken. not that anyone ones. (^^)

Preparing to receive the Gods

2011-01-22T15:04:00.001+08:00

24th of the 12 Lunar Month is the day to send off the Kitchen God 灶君 (known to the Cantonese as Zhou Guan and Zhao Kun Kong to the Hokkien). Ah, sweet and sticky things, in the form of Nian Gao 年糕 (Dnee Kueh 甜糕 in Hokkien and Nin Kol in Cantonese), will be offered to him to enjoy the sweet and sticky things. Objective is to say things sweet and well, talk less. (^^)

And they have Nian Gao in the form of the gold ingots!

It is also the time, especially for the Cantonese, to change new altars, particular for the Tian Guan 天官 (known to the Hokkien mostly as Ti Kong 天公 rather than Ti Guan).

And so, we went shopping for a new one. Exposed to the natural elements of wind, dust, rain and sun, these small altars often hung on to the wall by a nail, get worn out by the end of the year. And so, on an auspicious date, we will change the altar.

There are many kinds of altars to choose from. From the simple to the elaborate. Some of these are made from recycled material. Ah, in the poor days, they made sense. (^^)

To receive the Jade Emperor or Tian Gong, special larger joss sticks are considered. Perhaps, better ones such as those made of Sandalwood 坛香 or Agarwood 沉香.

And where should we look for the altar? Wife knows exactly the place where she has been shopping for decades. And so, we went to this small shop next to the coffee shop off Spring Rd in Chinatown. From the old shop signage, this shop must have been there or thereabout for decades. Still very much in its own form - a great place to discover many things - old and new. I discovered ready packs that the modern people need not worry about what to buy to constitute a complete set of offering joss-papers for the Gods or even the ancestors. It seems that it is a general one, more for anyone of any dialect. In traditional terms, joss papers offered for the Gods and the Ancestors differ (to quite an extent) from dialect group to dialect group.

While the shopkeepers could communicate in Cantonese, they seemed somewhat more comfortable speaking in Mandarin. And then, I found that they seemed more natural in Hokkien! I heard that there was once a similar Teochew run shop in Chinatown.

As in the old days, we could leave out things to come back to collect later. But these days, well, the domestic help will go to pick them up. (^^)

Chinatown prepares for the Year of the Rabbit

2011-01-16T01:13:00.001+08:00

The Tiger is on his way out. The fun rabbits are waiting to hop in. Tonight, Singapore Chinatown, better known as Niu Che Shui 牛车水 or Ngau Chair Sui (Cantonese) or Gu Chia Chwee (Hokkien) or Kreta Ayer (Malay), and probably more names to it, was lighted up, preparing for the welcome of yet another Lunar New Year.

With my wife, we decided to do an 'inspection' of Chinatown this afternoon to see what's new in preparing for the new year. We probably have been pounding the streets of Chinatown - particularly Smith Street, Temple Street and Trengganu St - for more than 50 years. Each year before the Spring Festival (met an old guy at the Heritage Exhibition who advised me that in China, we should say Chun Jie 春节 and not Xin Nian 新年), we would eagerly join in the jostle to see what's new. In the old days, we were probably hoping to get our new clothes. These days, it is not so much about clothes but about what to buy for the family and to add more colours to the house.

Upon entering Temple Street, despite the touristy atmosphere (imagine the Olde Cuban in Chinatown!), we could sense more colours of red. Many usual stalls seemed to have made way for the once-a-year stalls selling goodies for the Chinese New Year.

"Come and try it, it's free," yelled the guys across the street. "Just arrived from Taiwan, " they added. There was quite a selections of sweets from jelly like (Konyaku?) to mochi. And there were also the melon seeds, disguised in many forms such as green tea melon sweets. And there were the black groundnuts!! It would be quite a challenge to look for the traditional black and red melon seeds and the boiled groundnuts. But of course, they are there, displayed in better forms.

Despite all the free ang-pows (red packets) from the banks, retail stores and even petrol kiosks, we were attracted to the beautifully designed ones. Offers were at S$1 to S$2 for a pack of 6 to 10. There were also cute paper bags for one to put two mandarin oranges when one goes visiting or paying the Chinese New Year respects to the elders. And stickers of all kinds for one to paste on the walls in the house, including nice ones of Shen Cai (the God of Wealth). Electronic fire crackers that would 'explode' upon being touched was a delight amongst some, scaring the wits out of the unsuspecting shoppers.

To the more serious Chinese New Year shoppers, the "lap-ark" (waxed duck), "lap-cheong" (Chinese sausages) and other delicious ones like the famous Yunnan Ham, were their targets. It's the time when I longed to have just hot steamed rice with the steamed lap-ark.

Walking through the lane to Sago St, there were already the flowers of the Chinese New Year being offered. There were also some pots of bare branches .. the plum flowers that bloom in winter. The pomelos were also in abundance, and Pakistani mandarin oranges were being offered at S$1 for four. Across the street, our Austrian friend was kept busy with orders for his Bratwurst and other wursts.

At the Chinatown Square, the usual draughts (dum) players were oblivious to the noises around them. This lady busker was singing karaoke with participation from the old men. Apparently, she was familiar to many of them, and they she. She encouraged the onlookers to take the seats (the chairs were arranged for performance in the evening) telling them that they sit facing her in the day and could stay on to turn to face the main stage in the night. With a great voice, she certainly did attract a number of guys to go and sing duets with her, be it Mandarin or Hokkien songs.

At one corner, a little exhibition was being set up. It was a small mobile display on the Chinese New Year - the stories about the Rabbit and also the Reunion Dinner. Wife noticed a bottle of Champagne in the picture. Wow, these people had seen better lives in the days when we weren't that fortunate.

The mobile exhibition from the National Heritage Board and that of the paper cuttings depicting Singapore scenes were certainly great opportunities for strangers to chat. One old guy thought that I was a reporter, but I told him these days, it doesn't matter as we could report in our blog. (^^). He was saying that the exhibition was a good idea to share with the tourists. I added in that it was too for some of our kids and even ourselves. Another was showing his young daughter or niece the pictures and was sharing with me that these kids did not know about the scenes of the 50s. I heartily agreed with him. The young lady must have heard more from him after my encouragement. (^^)

Cai Shen must be one of the attractions of the Lunar New Year. And so, there must be an icon of him. I found him facing the confluence of the Maxwell and South Bridge Rd with Neil Rd. Yes, I think we are ready for Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival.

Chinese New Year is in the horizon

2011-01-03T18:14:00.000+08:00

It's a Monday, the first working day of the new year for most. For students, and those on 5-day week, it's tomorrow. I went to the barber's thinking that it would be a quiet day. It was noon when I reached one of my regular barbershop. Oh, there was a queue. Not too bad, just half an hour's wait.

As I sat and read my book, with the occasional check on the movement within the barbershop, and being distracted by activities around me, I could not help thinking. Hmm ...in the old days, barbershop was for the men and boys. Hairdressers were for the ladies and girls. It was relatively cheap to have a haircut compared to a lady's cut, wash or perm. Ah, the Hokkien ladies would say, I want to go and "dian tao mern" (electrify the hair, meaning making permanent waves on their hair).

It seemed to be the custom that for the guys, they must go and have a hair cut before the Chinese New Year! For many busy guys, they would be trying their luck at the last minute, desperate for a haircut before the reunion dinner. Probably so for the ladies too. For them, a new perm would probably be the norm. These days, there's so much choices.

The men's haircut probably hovers at S$10 with some shops offering as low as S$6 in Chinatown (competition?) on weekdays. And it is unisex these days with many ladies going for the haircut. I saw one lady bringing her elderly mother to the barbershop for her haircut. Nothing fanciful, but functional. Haircut in Singapore has also joined in the "fast delivery" chain. 10 minutes and it is done.

So, have you gone for your haircut yet? Before the price increase starts. Or would they? Perhaps, the traditional ones.

The Dog who rules Chinatown

2010-11-28T15:03:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, as I was on my "patrol" of Chinatown, cutting into my way was this dog. Could anyone identify the specie? Oblivious to me nor to anyone walking infront, by the side and behind him, he walked, at its own pace, apparently knowing its way. He walked alone with the owner trailing behind.

The proud owner (I am not sure who owns who) declared to anyone who wants to hear, in Mandarin, that his dog knows its way home. He even offered anyone who wanted it. I suppose with a dog which knows its life, it is not going to happen.

The many pet-friendly people were soon trying to pat it or follow it. Ah, probably this chubby dog will beat any baby to it! Apart of pausing awhile, obliging the pats occasionally, it strolled its way home.

Let's see if our paths crossed again. If so, I might want to interview it. (^^)

Ah and this brought to mind an old black dog who lived in my block. That must be some 2 decades ago. It lived on the 4th storey, where there are associations/offices with an open air space. When it felt too tired to climb up the stairs or walked down the stairs, it would take a lift, waiting patiently for it to stop and open. Sometimes, it would patiently wait for the lift to go up to 19th storey before descending down to ground floor to get out. Those who knew it, would help to press 3th storey for it to get out when going up.

A dog's life in Chinatown.

Li Jia Ba Buay 你吃饱没？

2010-11-05T20:39:00.000+08:00

A couple of days ago, as my wife and I went into the lift, we met this friendly old man, who lived a couple of floors down. His greeting to us was "Li Jia Ba Buay 你吃饱没？" in Hokkien, which is "have you eaten enough" (ba in Hokkien is full). I suppose this has been the greetings between Chinese in Singapore for a long time. Even in China too.

It was some 20 years ago, when even in China, the greetings have started to change from "Li Jia Ba Buay" 你吃饱没？ to "Li Jia Ho Buay"你吃好没？, meaning "have you eaten?". In Mandarin, it would be Ni Chi Bao Le Ma 你吃饱了吗 to Ni Chi Hao Le Ma 你吃好了吗? In our exchange of notes between friends in China and Singapore, we agreed that perhaps times had changed and it was time to use the latter greetings.

In the old days, hunger would probably be the constant in many of the lives of Chinese. It is also true in old Singapore. For the elderly, who are probably in their seventies now, their greetings would have already been ingrained in them.

And so, in Chinatown, it could be greetings in Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese or any Chinese dialects, such greetings would still be the same. Listen for the key words the next time you come across such a greeting. Of course, in the morning, it would be Gao Zha (in Hokkien or Teochew) and Jo San (in Cantonese).

Ths same old man who greeted us on this morning, he has been collecting the discarded cardboards (from boxes) and read newspapers to sell as part of his income. While it could have been his means of income and survival, unknown to him and to many, he helps to recycle many materials which would have found their way to the garbage dump or incinerator, long before the word green become vogue. He must be in his 70s now, a tad older, slimmer and less steady, but he carried on his work.

There was another friendly old man in the block whom I used to meet, almost on the daily basis some 10 years ago, if my memory does not fade. He worked hard collecting the cardboard boxes, flattened them and pushed in his little push card to sell. He worked hard so as to help his son go to school, university right to his PhD, I was told.

Unknown to many, he is amongst many of the builders of modern Singapore, pushing relentlessly on themselves so that their children could have a brighter future. And collectively, the nation - Singapore. They might be illiterate, but they are educated (through operas, through story-tellers, through radios and TV) and they are very focussed on their vision and mission. A better tomorrow for their children, and their children's children.

We must remember the "source of the water from which we drink from" as the saying goes. Yin Shui Si Yuan 饮水思源

Singapore in 1957 - see part of Chinatown

2010-10-19T23:27:00.002+08:00

Thought that this footage on Singapore might bring back memories for some of you, especially on Chinatown.

Come share your memories then.

Chinatown welcomes Autumn

2010-09-11T23:56:00.002+08:00

Tonight, 11 Sep 10, Chinatown in Singapore welcomes Autumn with a lights-up and grand performance as we prepare for the Mid-Autumn Festival - Zhong Qiu Jie.

What was missing were the delightful clear-glass lanterns that would have been of fishes and even aeroplanes (considered as modern then). Tonight it was modern technologies in full display with dance modernised with modern beat. Something that is atuned with the younger Singaporeans.

While the older people sat back, or rather stood, to watch the performance, it must be the performers who enjoyed and probably appreciate the Mid-Autumn festival of current times.

With full grandeur, performance after performance graced the stage and carried on to perform on the streets to the people who came from afar to watch. It was an event where Singaporeans, working foreigners and tourists came together to enjoy.

Wait, it was not just the younger people who performed with their energetic leaps and dance, the other slightly older group from Sokka Association was also there - 36 of them I heard, performing the fusion line dance!

The young parents and the grandparents must have been the ones busy trying to carry their children/grandchildren over their shoulder to get a glimpse of the actions. An introduction to the culture of Singapore. Just the beginning.

Hakka Songs Event @ Hong Lim Green

2010-09-11T23:40:00.002+08:00

On 10 Sep 10, the Hakka community in Singapore and Malaysia came together to share a night of singing at the Hong Lim Green. Thanks to modern day Karaoke system and disks, there were plenty of songs from which the participants could use to sing and perform.

To the delight of the grandchildren who called out to their grannies as they walked to the stage to sing their favourite Hakka songs. There must have been some three to four generations of Hakkas present at this event. And there must be more than 200 of them as they sat, listen and cheered the performers on.

And from Johore came four members dressed in kabayas.

With the popular Taiwan soap opera on the TV, this Hokkien song also has a Hakka version.

Mid-Autumn Festival comes to Chiinatown

2010-09-11T00:11:00.000+08:00

As Chinatown feted the Good Brothers with grand offerings and sending off, the scene changes very quickly. 8 September 2010 is the first day of the 8th Lunar Month. The 15th of the 8th Moon (as described in Chinese) is the day dedicated to the full moon in the cool Autumn Night. In Singapore, the cool Autumn night might be missing (but who knows as cool to the Singaporeans could just be a drop of one or two degrees) but the celebrations will be colourful and loud. And almost hot!

As we await for the lights-up on 11 September, hours away, here is a sneak preview of what it is like this year.

Ghost Festival in Chinatown - Zhong Yuan Jie 中元节

2010-08-31T22:37:00.001+08:00

Chinatown used to have many activities during the 7th Month or what is known to the English speaking world as Ghost Festival. And it would happen at various spots in Chinatown. Chinatown is known to most Singaporeans, and probably the world, to be from Sago Street to Temple Street, where the streets are interlinked by Trengganu St. These days, the ghost festival activities are somewhat concentrated in the still available free space next to the Tooth Relic Temple. But then, the activities are getting bigger and when there is a getai (variety show) on the street, then it would be jam packed.

I went to the Kreta Ayer Square (next to Chinatown Complex, which houses the wet market, small shops and a food court) where there is a stage and a free space. On the opposite end are the "dum" and chess tables which seem to be forever occupied no matter what time I was there. A favourite gathering place of the older men who exercise their brain over the strategy games.

This year, apart from the exhibition on Taoism, organised by the Youth Group of the Taoist Federation (the exhibition was enlarged compared to the last year), there was also a talk show conducted by Master Leong from HongKong who spoke in Cantonese and translated by Wei Yi, the General Secretary of the Youth Group. It was a very interesting presentation and if only more people were there. Many of the older people even stood right to the end to follow the explanation followed by short demonstrations by the Taoist Priests. Suddenly it seemed somewhat clearer to me as I listened to the explanation and then, the demonstration. I wish there are such narrations that could be put on slides that could be placed next to the event when the Taoist Priests are performing the rituals. Our command of the language, be it Cantonese, Hokkien, Mandarin or any dialect in which the priests are conducting are not enough to comprehend, not to mention understanding the intentions and objectives of the rituals. It was a good start. If the video taken of the event could be put into youtube, more people could learn. (^^)

While this was going on, another group of Taoist Priests were walking along the streets. I traced them to the tentage nearby where they were conducting the Zhong Yuan Jie. I was to learn later on that under this tentage, over two weeks, there were actually two Zhong Yuan Jie being conducted. On the first night I was there, it was organised by the occupants of the Chinatown Complex - probably from the wet market stallholders to the Food Court stallholders.

In the following week when I was there again, it was organised by the Chinatown Business Association. In conjunction with the Zhong Yuan Jie 中元节, Chinatown Business Association also works with Singapore Tourist Board to offer tours for tourists and Singaporeans to better understand Zhong Yuan Jie and getting to visit various interesting parts of Chinatown, led by two very knowledgeable Heritage Guides, Diana and Charlotte. On one tour, the participants even got to join in the grand dinner to experience a typical Zhong Yuan Jie dinner that comes with auctions.

14th evening of the 7th month is said to be the day when Cantonese would make their offerings to the "Good Brothers", a polite term used for the wandering souls. For the Hokkien, it would be 15th as well as the 1st and last day of the 7th month, when they would be receiving them with offerings and sending off with offerings as well. The 7th month is a reminder to the Chinese about their ancestors. Many would make offerings at home to their ancestors. For many who these days have the ancestor tablets in clan associations or temples, families would make a trip there. On the 15th day, Taoists would pay respect to the "Earth Official" known as Di Guan 地官.

Chinatown Hungry Ghost Festival 2010

2010-08-08T22:50:00.008+08:00

The Ghost Festival will start from 10 Aug 10 (the first day of the 7th Lunar Month). As residents and businesses of Chinatown prepares to make offerings during this month, the Chinatown Business Association is also sharing some of its activities with visitors. Read more from the poster below or at the Chinatown Business Association at http://www.chinatown.org.sg

Hungry Ghost Festival Cultural Exhibition (No admission charges)

Date	:	10 Aug to 7 Sep
Venue	:	Kreta Ayer Square (Sago Street)
Time	:	10am to 10pm, daily
Fees	:	Free Entry

Staged in partnership with the Taoist Federation (Singapore), this month-long exhibition is an indept look at the mysteries of the Hungry Ghost Festival as it is celebrated in Singapore. What is the origin of the festival, what are its do's and don't's, and the significance of its rituals and offerings? Catch the festival in action too through staged demonstrations of rituals by the Federation's priests.

Hungry Ghost Festival Walking Tour

Birth, Life & Death in Chinatown
(All about Chinese Beliefs, Myths and Taboos)

Date	:	14, 15, 28, 29 of Aug & 4, 5 of Sep
Time	:	4.30pm - 8pm (dinner provided)
Fees	:	$33 per person
Registration	:	meilian@chinatown.org.sg

This tour gives you the lowdown on everything you ever wanted to know about Chinese beliefs, myths and taboos. Our guide will walk you through Chinatown to see Chinese beliefs as they are lived, through birth, marriage and death. Consult the Almanac and get your fortune told. Find out what lies behind ‘Dead Man’s Street’ and watch real-life demonstration rituals performed by the Taoist Federation. We’ll answer some burning questions too, like why it’s not safe to point at the moon, when it’s perfectly alright to not wash your hair and of course, how to live the great prosperous life!

Walking With the Good Brothers
(THE Hungry Ghost Festival Walk)

Date	:	21 Aug (Sat) and 22 Aug (Sun)
Time	:	6pm - 9.30pm (dinner provided)
Fees	:	21 Aug: $33 per person 22 Aug: $43 per person
Registration	:	meilian@chinatown.org.sg

Enter into the world of deities, spirits and beliefs of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Our guide will take participants through a mystical evening of the Hungry Ghost festivities in Chinatown. Find out which deity acts as the festival’s ‘policeman’, what secrets lie in the ‘Fa Cai Ang Bao’ (prosperous red packet), watch the rituals and be immersed in the loud and electrifying action of the Ge Tai and Auction Dinner*. Walk with the ‘good brothers’ (a euphemism for the spirits) as they walk the earth once more.

* Auction dinner is on 22 Aug only.

ack: Chinatown Business Association

Food Festival in Chinatown

2010-07-31T13:33:00.001+08:00

On 24 July 2010, there was a Cantonese Food Festival in Kreta Ayer Square, as part of the bigger Singapore Food Festival. A modest setup it did get a crowd going for their favourite food. The most popular queue was the roast meat, as one would expect.

Alas, I was looking forward to the lesser-filling food that one could take as Tim Sum (Dim Sum) for breakfast or anytime (it is said that in Asia, notably in Singapore? we eat only one meal, one long meal that is). And so, after looking at the displays of the stalls and peering into what was being bought (There was a Ramli Burger too! A rare sight in Singapore other than at the KTM Tanjong Pagar Railway Station), we decided to go to the food centre to check out for my favourites.

Since we were in the mood, we decided to take the Chee-Cheong-Fun (literally names as Pig Intestine as it looks like one but actually it is rice flour roll) and Wu Tau Koh (Yam Cake) with the typical chilli and Tim-jeong (sauce). I preferred the dark red sauce that seems to be less popular these days. And I tried the Chow-mei-fun (fried Beehoon or vermicelli) (I wanted the chow mien - fried noodles - but it was sold out - well, they replenished it later) and then, the Tao-Chung (bean dumpling) with custard sugar, my childhood favourite. Somehow, the taste was never the same, compared to the young days when we had it. Most of these food these days are factory-produced and not home-cooked.

My favourite stall in the Chinatown Complex food centre is still the Vegetarian BeeHoon, which I have been taking for decades. Other than the stall owners, I have seen how many hands had taken over the wok. Now, it is in the hands of the mainland Chinese. Ordering the beehoon has also been changed from Cantonese to Mandarin, unless the locals are around. (^^) In many Chinatowns around the world, Cantonese is the franca lingua. In Singapore, it might be diminishing .. fast.

I hope in the next Cantonese Food Fest, more typical Cantonese dishes, from the humble home-cooked ones to the banquet, could be on show, and of course, for tasting and purchase too. Maybe, we can ask the Grandma to share their recipes too. How about a cookbook by the Cantonese Ah Mah and Ah Por.

Singapore Food Festival: Chinatown offers Cantonese food on 24-25 July 2010

2010-07-20T23:44:00.000+08:00

In this year's Singapore Food Festival, Chinatown is going to throw up the best Canto food that you can find in Singapore. At least the traditional ones. It would be fun checking out what's in store. So, if you are a foodie, a Canto food diehard, bookmark the dates - 24 & 25 July, 2010.

Cantonese Cuisine Food Expo

Enter the world of Cantonese Cuisine, as you explore and rediscover the many
reasons why Singaporeans love Cantonese Food so deeply!

Date: 24th & 25th July 2010, Saturday & Sunday
Time: 11.00 am to 9.00pm
Venue: Kreta Ayer Square
Fee: Free Entry

Family’s Cantonese Recipe Cooking Competition

Chinatown invites all food-loving families to take part in this year’s inaugural Cantonese Recipe Cooking Competition.
Whip up any Cantonese dish in the given 45mins to impress our chef judges!
The winning family can win up to the 1st prize of $1000 worth of Cash and Hampers!

Experience and enjoy the fun-filled, adrenaline pumping cooking competition and be crowned the
King of Family Recipe Cooking Competition in this year’s Singapore Food Festival!

Date: 24th July 2010, Saturday
Time: 12.00pm to 2.30pm
Venue: Kreta Ayer Square
Registration Fee : $10
Registration: chinatown@eventions.com.sg

Singapore’s LONGEST ‘Chee Cheong Fun’ Record

150 Chefs from Society of Chinese Cuisine Chefs (Singapore) will gather at Chinatown to challenge this amazing feat for charity!
The targeted 80m long Chee Cheong Fun will write history as it gets recorded in the Singapore Book of Records!

The completed Chee Cheong Fun will be pan-fried immediately on site to be sold at a nominal price to the public in efforts to raise funds for charity.

Date: 25th July 2010, Sunday
Time: 3.00 pm
Venue: Kreta Ayer Square
Fee : Free Entry

For more details:
6474 7909 or chinatown@eventions.com.sg
Website: www.chinatown.org.sg

ack: CBA

Lor Mai Kai

2010-07-10T23:45:00.000+08:00

Last weekend, with wife and daughter, we decided to retrace one of our favourite food in Gau Che Shui (Bullockcartwater in Cantonese). Alas, the original stalls were no longer there. But new generations stalls or restaurants have taken their place, albeit with cleaner facilities and even air-conditioning, but alas, somehow not with the same taste. At least for this old man.

Along Smith Street, at the corner of the shophouse with the lane, there used to be a very busy tim-sum stall with its for-kei (waiters) shouting orders from all over the lane. Menus were long strips of coloured papers with beautifully calligraphed dishes (one has to understand Chinese and how Chinese food is named, not necessarily directly related to the contents of the dish) pasted in a slanted form on the walls at the lane and in the shop.

To compensate the dirtiness of the environment (which was oblivious to us), when we had a place to sit down, the for-kei would come along with a towel over his shoulder and a kettle of boiling water in one hand and a small enamel basin containing chopsticks and tea cups. He would place them on the table and pour the boiling water into the small basin (size of a soup bowl). With the steam coming out of the sprout as the water went into the basin, one could be sure the germs will be dead in no time. Chinese tea was taken for granted. Then, at least at this place, we were not sophisticated enough to have a selection of tea. I remember when I first went to HongKong in 1976, the waiter and I were shocked about the selections of Chinese Tea. The waiter must have thought me a dumb, and I was dumbfounded with such a wide selection of tea! When he first asked me "Oi yum mi ye cha", my answer was "zhong kok cha". I have learnt since then.

Ah and so when we went to this restaurant the last weekend, we were wiser and indeed, they asked what tea we would want. In the old days in Singapore, probably the Poh-Lei and Lok-Poh would be the popular Cantonese tea. These days, Huong-Pin (Xiang Pian) is also popular. We had Poh-Lei. We had quite an assortment of Har-Gau (Prawn Dumplings), Hor Yip Fun (Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice), Chee Cheong Fun (Rice Rolls) with prawns and Char Siew (grilled pork strips), and Wu Tao Koh (Yam Cake). And of course my favourite Lor Mai Kai (glutinous rice with chicken).

In my childhood days - 1960s - with my friend, we would try to save up to 30 cents before we would then venture into the heart of Chinatown, yes, to this lane to have a plate of Lor Mai Kai. With hot steaming tea and just one Lor Mai Kai, we would savour every grain, and enjoy the din of the for-kei shouting out the orders in codes. I always remember that for "7", they would call "lei-pai", meaning Sunday, but in reality seven. In this way, it was easier for the backend to hear clearly versus the word "chak", the Cantonese for seven.

When it comes to identifying the customer, the for-kei can be very creative and certainly colourful in their descriptions.

In those days, it was business like and very brisk. The moment you leave the table, someone would come up to clean up almost immediately, and someone would take over the place. And the next cycle of business began. I moan when I think of the current hawker centers these days. There was this old lady waitress serving up last week. It was pure down to earth Cantonese warmth as she spoke between Mandarin and Cantonese (because we preferred to speak Cantonese .. imagine ordering Lor Mai Kai in any language other than Cantonese!) advising us of the dishes to pick and serving us. Ah, the granny warmth! Next table had three young children (3 years old) and she went to advise and help to put a sweater for them lest they caught the chill from the drafts of the air-conditioning. Something that we did not encounter in the old days and found it so refreshing that it is there today.

Could anyone recommend the best Lor Mai Kai in Singapore? It would certainly no longer be 30 cents. (^^)

Historian Painter Marcus Lim & the Chinatown Connection

2010-07-04T19:18:00.003+08:00

Ever heard of historians? Plenty. Ever heard of Historian Painter? Huh? Got such person meh? Ah, as Marcus Lim would passionately and patiently explain to you. "ya got!". A historian writes about history, a historian painter paints about history. Ask Marcus about history, and he will paint you a picture!

Said to be the only Historian Painter in Singapore, or for that matter, in Asia, Marcus looks set to strike out a new path. He is already recognised by the Asian Geographic.

Somehow, our paths crossed (how, I am still wondering) and of course, I asked him if he or his relatives were once residents of Chinatown, the inner or the greater. Indeed he has. And chances are most Chinese in Singapore would have the Chinatown connection.

" I guess my main connection with Chinatown would be with my granduncle and his family who used to live around Chin Swee Road area. I can still remember the smells of sea-salt beaten boats, stinking river and mouldy wood, the faded peeling paints on the 5-foot way buildings. My granduncle stayed on the third floor, and so whenever we go visit him we had to climb dangerously up the creaky old wooden staircase, that felt like giving way whenever my little foot climbed the stairs. It was nerve-recking but exciting; I dared not climb back down when I was about to go home.
The juxtaposition of old and new buildings in that area is etched in my mind; seeing the buildings nearby being demolished was had my memory branded.

Let's not forget the people from traditional trades. The affable old man who used to hawk the big-head paper masks. The soy sauce seller who goes around with his rattan bag with bottles of 头抽...that strong sweet smell of the freshly made soy sauce mixed with the rattan smell creates an interesting combination.

These are the little affinity that tied me to Chinatown."

And what has our Historian Painter captured from Chinatown. Like most artists, he did also roam the streets of Chinatown. He tried to capture the essence of Chinatown with a historical perspective. One day down the road, when photos fade, his paintings will be around to tell our descendants more about the Chinatown we know.

I hope that he will continue to capture the life of Chinatown, absorbing the atmosphere and the way of life, before they also become history. Hopefully, if he could recapture from the memories of the old folks of Chinatown, we would have further depth into the history of Chinatown Singapore.

My favourite Chicken Rice

2010-06-12T21:27:00.001+08:00

While Singaporeans and visitors to Singapore would know about the famous Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice, I kindda miss the Cantonese Chicken Rice. I am not sure if there is a similar Cantonese Chicken Rice, but I know long long ago (not that long really), at the corner of Smith Street and Trengganu St (where the Sex Shop is now?) was a bustling stall selling the "steamed" or "boiled" Chicken Rice. And the stall only appeared in the evening, probably from 5pm.

Those were the days when the Art-Deco flats were still there, just across from where the stall was, by the side of the road. There would be queues to buy the Chicken Rice. And there were tables, many of them, laid out on the street, as what you would see on the other side of Smith St (now called the Food St).

It was the time when we poor young folks were dating and looking for some more "luxurious" for dinner. Ah a chicken rice dinner with two chicken wings (sometimes, the stall would not sell us, apparently being one of the popular items), soup, two plates of rice, with the Cantonese chilli sauce and maybe Kai-Lard (I cannot remember if they had - it is mustard, somehow that went well with Cantonese steamed or boiled chicken) - we were happy. And these days, that girlfriend turned wife often laments that she missed the Kai-Lard.

And yes, the "spare parts" (innards) which were just great to chew on - crunchy. Gizzards & Liver and yes, the almost transparent intestines. I wonder what happened to these intestines. One can no longer find them, not even in the market to bring home to cook up a great meal!

It is interesting that while on the streets, the Chicken Rice stall was flourishing with long queues of diners. When the Chinatown Food Centre came up and all the wonderful street hawkers had to move indoors, it started losing its customers. Would it be fengshui (it was located in a rather good position, next to the escalator)? or just customers getting more impatient or distracted by more stalls within a same area? Or a drop in customer service because the stall now had no tables of its own?

Ah, I still long for that chicken and its wonderful chilli sauce. Anyone knows if the stall still exists?

Thian Hock Keng celebrates its 170th Anniversary

2010-05-03T15:36:00.003+08:00

170 years ago, a small temple was built at the coast so that the freshly arrived could thank Mazu for their survival over the treacherous seas. Mazu 妈祖 was their Goddess of the Seas and the guide to their new land of hope (to earn money to bring back to Tng-Sua - Tang Shan).

As the number of immigrants increased, the need for more help for them grew. It was not just worship to Mazu but also help for the newly arrived to find a place to stay and jobs to look for. It was a community centre, the earliest to the current day community clubs.

170 years on, as the later generations of these forefathers, many of whom stayed on in this tiny island, we saw a rich heritage of Thian Hock Keng 天福宫, the temple that had a very small and humble beginning. We marvel at a piece of the ancient Chinese architecture brought all the way from China, so that we descendants could appreciate the beauty of the culture and traditions of the Chinese. That link that was forged 170 years ago, continues till this day, with many of the descendants going back to China to provide expertise in business and organisation, and increase more two-way trade.

And so on 2 May 10, Thian Hock Keng celebrated its 170th Anniversary with the launch of a book on the history of the temple (couldn't be a better timing) and an exhibition on its history too. For many of us old enough, we could recognise some of the old artifacts of the temple. The Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, RADM(NS) Lui Tuck Yew was the Guest of Honour.

In the Guest Book at the Exhibition, RADM(NS) Liu Tuck Yew thanked the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan for its sterling efforts in preserving this precious temple which is so much a part of our early history.

The who's who in the Chinese community in Singapore were present to witness the launch of the book: Nan Hai Ming Zhu Tian Fu Gong 南海明珠天福宫 and the opening of the exhibition at the neighbouring complex, Chong Wen Ge 崇文阁. The exhibition is from 2 May 10 to 9 May 10. For those who have been to Thian Hock Keng with their grandma or grandpa, you might be able to spot a thing or two at the exhibition.

In the evening, there was a concert by Deng Zhi Hao 邓志浩 from Taiwan. No one could better share the philosophy and outlook of a typical Chinese life than he did through his songs and interactions with the audience. In the almost 2 hour non-stop concert, he brought his audience through laughter and tears, sharing the sorrows, love and joys of typical Chinese families and their relationships. He even shared stories about Mazu's life and her unconditional response to people in danger. The characteristic from which we also worship Mazu for.

A great job by the organising committee of this event from Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan and the Thian Hock Keng Management Committee. Keep it up! Maybe, we could still invite Deng Zhi Hao back in 10 or 15 years time (when he is 70) to sing for us. (^^)

Catching Bus is no fun

2010-04-29T21:56:00.001+08:00

A few Saturdays ago, I took a bus (I have not taken one in months) and had a great view sitting on the upper deck and watching the streets as if I were a tourist. A tourist indeed, I was.

I could not help reminiscing the days when everyday was a struggle chasing after the bus. It was in my secondary school days when I had only 30 cents to 50 cents to take me to school, had my recess and back. Bus fare was inexpensive (when we look back) at 5 cents on way. But catching that bus was not easy. 7am in the morning was too late.

Each morning, it was a prayer hoping that the bus would stop at the bus stop just near to the end of Bukit Pasoh Rd with New Bridge Road. There was only one bus, No.4 (Hock Lee Bus). Almost inevitably, it would not stop. So, our best bet then was that the traffic light went red at the New Bridge Road/Cantonment Road junction. It would have been already jammed back, but getting to school on time was important. Or it would be detention class. And so, lugged with a heavy bag that seemed to fly, a few of us would be dashing to the slowing bus, oblivious to the other cars coming along. And then, it would be Tarzan and the Bus as we clung for life as the bus did it right angle turn. The bus conductor would be shouting away but no body mind. Often, one might hear him shouting "Ou Way Wu Kiu Arh?" (Are the ghosts at the back?), trying to get the passengers to move to the back so that we poor souls could get a better foothold.

With the rushing wind brushing against our face as the bus moved, it was quite thrilling. We were too young (maybe) and too worried about going to school on time to worry about the dangers. Years later when I saw such scenes in India, I could realise the dangers, but it was also nostalgic at the same time. (^^)

Those were the days when there would be Bus Inspectors who would appear (out of no where) to check out if we had bought enough fare. There were many tricks for those who did not, especially when they were sitting. They would pretend to be sleeping. Some might not have even bought the tickets! It was a skill for the Bus Inspector to be able to squeeze through the crowded bus to check the tickets. And as soon as he was done, he would glide off the bus as the bus came to a stop. Wow, he looked cool sliding off the bus. And of course, many a times, we did the same too since we were just standing by the bus steps.

There were days when I thought I would tighten my stomach and catch the bus a different way. In this case, I would cross to the opposite side of the road to catch the bus to the terminus as North Canal Road. There was the infamous smelly public toilet there that I wondered how the bus workers could tolerate. But then, that was probably the only public convenience there. Catching a bus to the terminus would cost be 5 cents and following it back to school, which was now twice the distance would mean 10 cents.

There were better days when my uncle would be working in the afternoon shift at the then Singapore Harbour Board (one of the prerequisites of Harbour Board workers was that he must be able to ride a bicycle because he has to go from wharf to wharf to carry the bales of rubber sheets or sacks of rice or flour. And so, with a lot of dented shins and knees, I would brave the same rushing bus to cycle to school at Kim Seng Road. Closes brushes came by the dozens each week, but it was a less stressful way to go to school.

Ah, those were the days my friend.

PS: Anyone has a photo of the Hock Lee Bus ticket to share?

Sri Mariamman Temple Consecration Ceremony on 11 Apr 2010

2010-04-12T00:02:00.000+08:00

I managed to walk past the Sri Mariamman Temple tonight, after the consecration. I could hear the prayers still going on. There was still a large crowd of devotees inside the temple.

The lights at the temple shows the beautifully repainted temple, back to its original splendour.

Chinatown boasts of two old places of worship, and Sri Mariamman is one of them.

Die & Dye

2010-04-11T16:39:00.000+08:00

Long ago, at this corner of Kreta Ayer Rd and New Bridge Road, facing the Oriental Theatre across Kreta Ayer Rd, was a small shop. It's specialty was to dye any clothing to black.

It was a time when black was not the fashionable dress or clothing as most Asians, if not, Chinese, considered it as one of mourning. Indeed this was the shop that dyed clothing of any colour to black for those in mourning.

In the old days, when someone in the family died, all were expected to wear black. For some, like the children of the deceased, wearing back might be expected for a longer period of time. Mourning period could last (or is expected to last) for 3 years. It is unlikely that anyone had black clothing in those days. And so, if there was such a bereavement in the family, getting some clothing to be dyed black was one of the priorities.

It could well be the beginning of the fast service that one expects of any funeral activities today. In those days, one could expect to get the black clothing, perhaps in two days after sending in.

And so, in this little hut, there seemed to be constant activity as clothing was sent in to dye to black. The proximity of Sago Lane (known to the Chinese as Sei Yan Kai - dead people street) could be a reason for the brisk business.

These days, black is a fashion. So, there could be ample supplies at home. If not, the nearest shopping centres could yield abundant black clothing, in various styles and design.

We have yet to see the mourners coming with black lipsticks or eye shadows (^^). Makeup was a no-no then, when in mourning. Nor watching wayangs or movies. But with TV these days, no one observes such rules.

Qing Ming Festival 清明节

2010-04-03T01:28:00.007+08:00

5 April is Qing Ming Day, 104 days from Winter Solstice (read more on wikipedia). In Singapore, this is one month that all Chinese remember their ancestors. With changing times, different people will remember their departed in various ways. Some would go to the temples where they place the tablets of their ancestors and pay their respects. There are still many who would go to the cemeteries where their departed relatives are buried. For those who were cremated, the descendants and relatives might go to the government, temple or even private company run columbaria where the ash niches are kept.

Traditionally, for the Taoists, they would bring along the favourite food of their departed (in this case, mainly for their departed parents or grandparents, or in some cases, siblings or children) to offer to them. In the old days, extend families would organise to get a lorry (truck) to load all the necessary praying paraphernalia and food for each departed relative and to go from tomb to tomb. Traffic jam, during the weekends, would not be in the city, but in the cemeteries.

I remember those days when my late maternal grandma would organise such trips. For us kids, it was fun. First we got to sit in a lorry (the type with wooden structures) and get to meet all the aunties, uncles and cousins. And there would be plenty of food to eat, after the offerings. We would be going to different places in Bukit Brown area (the wider area known as Kopi Sua - Coffee Hill to us. It is said that once, there was an attempt to plant coffee here) and Peck Shan Ting (in Cantonese, what is Bishan now). My mum's late adopted father was buried without any tombstone during the Japanese occupation, and in each Qing Ming she would have to depend on the landmarks, such as trees or other tombstones to locate this small mound.

And a few times, I followed by late Mother-in-law to the Qing Ming outing with the Zhong Shan Association (a dialect group from Zhong Shan in GuangDong). They have one area in Peck Shan Ting where all the Zhong Shan people were buried and there was one common one of the Association. Here, the members paid respect to the common ancestors of the Zhong Shan people. The fellow members would sponsor many roast pigs and after the prayers, we would be sitting in groups to have a picnic with freshly cut roast pork with buns. The best roast pork to me!

There are some Chinese customs in that for the long dead, offerings of respect could be made within 10 days from Qing Ming (known as Cheng Beng in Hokkien) Day, before and after. For those who just passed away, there seems to be some particular rules about the day for prayer.

Apart from the 7th Month (known as the Hungry Ghost Festival to many), Qing Ming is another month where the Joss-shops are very busy offering praying paraphernalia of many kind. The focus now is on the people who have departed. In the past, it could be simple papers with printings of clothings. With modernization, creativity and innovations, the paper offerings have evolved. There are almost real paper models of shirts, blouse, samfoo, and shoes of all kinds. This year, I spotted bras or could they be bikinis? For the more technically inclined, there are handphones, computers and these days, notebooks. I-phone lookalikes could be on its way. With I-Phone applications, well, maybe, there could be less burning. (^^)

For those who have enjoyed life, there are cans of beer and stout and now, cognac and wine.

In Chinatown, there are two shops which probably have been doing such a business for a long time. One is at Banda St and the other at Smith Street. They are also favourite haunts of tourists, led by the tour guides to show them about life after life for Singapore Chinese.

The Kitchen God has returned and the Tee-Kueh already hardened

2010-03-29T16:14:00.001+08:00

The favourite story with the sending off of the Kitchen God on the 24th day of the 12th Lunar Month was the offering of the Tee-Kueh 甜糕 (Hokkien) or Nian Gao 年糕 (Mandarin) to sweeten his mouth or got his mouth stuck with the sticky Nian Gao that he would not say much. The kitchen used to be the place of gossips, quarrels and scoldings (if you can imagine the communal kitchens in the old houses in Chinatown).

In the good old days, when the Nian Gao is made through natural process, after a week, it is as hard as a rock. In tropical Singapore, sometimes, it got mouldy. But it did not matter as you might see Grandma washing the hardened Nian Gao and putting it in the sun. It should not be put to waste.

And so, it was time to use a chopper to slice the Nian Gao into thin square slabs. I loved to just chew on those slabs of Nian Gao. Sometimes, it is still a little moist on the inside.

Grandma would make a dough from some flour, water and perhaps, an egg or two. Whipped them into a sticky mixture, somewhat more dilute as your would see the stalls selling the Pisang Goreng (banana fritters), Grandma then would dip the sliced Nian Gao into the dough mix, making sure that it is covered and then into the kuali (wok) of boiling oil. Ah, the aroma .. but one must be careful not to eat it after it has been taken out of the kuali, hot and nice. That is sure to get scalded lips and probably stucked teeth.

Once it cools down a little, with Chinese Tea or even Kopi-O (black coffee), the fried Nian Gao fritters make good tea. For hungry kids like us .. this was heaven-sent! Ah, we had them because of the Kitchen God!

Chinese New Year also means rest and relax

2010-02-16T23:16:00.001+08:00

If you wander around, especially in Chinatown and in many shopping centres as well, you will find many closed, even on the third day of the Chinese New Year! Since the past decades, the number of days closed for the Chinese New Year (acronym CNY) for the shops has been reduced. In the old days, one could close the shop for as long as nine days. Especially for the Hokkien, they might open their shops after the prayer to the Jade Emperor (more popularly known to the local Hokkiens as Pai Ti Gong or Bai Tian Gong in Mandarin), which happens on the 8th night of the Chinese New Year. For many, they might open the shop on the second of the CNY or a suitable date (which could be advised from the Almanac) for a couple of hours to indicate that the shop has been opened, and then it was closed again.

For many of such family owned businesses, they hardly take any day off in the year and so, the long period off during CNY was the only time off for them.

I remember the days when my late Mother-in-Law used to run a shop at the "old" People's Park selling cloth. She worked every day, Saturday and Sunday included. So, the only days off was just before the Chinese New Year and a few days into the CNY. In the good old days, many people still bought cloth to sew their own clothes or send to the tailor to make. Ready made clothing was not so popular for the ladies. Many of the cloth available were for the making of samfoo (literally translated from Cantonese as blouse and pants). Of course, some of the materials could be made into "modern" and more westernised style blouses or dresses. I used to get some cloth to make shirts too.

There was also the black cloth, in various designs (black of course) and of different make. In the old days, when one reaches 50, it was time to wear black pants and probably blouse (of the samfoo cut) in shades of blue. My Mum was starting to wear less bright coloured clothes when she passed 30! And then, the world changed. Everyone began to wear brighter colours. That must have been an indication to the shops selling cloth, much of which were from Japan.

Some of you might have heard of Japanese cloth brand like Toray. But to the customers, they were not really interested in the brand as in the quality of the cloth, would it stick in the sweaty Singapore, was it reasonably priced. Buying cloth in the old People's Park could be both an adventure and a nightmare if you are not good at bargaining. And you could even risk being scolded if the shop was making its first sale for the day to you and despite giving you the best price, you walked away. Business people could be really superstitious and a first successful sale could mean more successful sales! (^^)

Ah, but I was no salesman and did not understand the intricacies of bargaining and why prices were always offered high. You see the wholesalers would only sell the cloth in sets, meaning if a pattern comes in five colours, the retailers have the buy all five. But one would be lucky if two of the five colours sell. So, the shops have to make up for the other three which could not be sold or sold below cost. Some people got good deals out of the bargain, others don't.

My task was to help to close the shop with the old planks, making sure they are fitted to one another vertically (they are numbered) before finally fitting the door post, and door. These days, one pull of the shutter is good enough.

Come towards the last week or two before the Chinese New Year, sales would have diminished and no one could be able to buy the cloth and got them made in time for the New Year. It was time to do the annual clean up. On a good morning (usually weekends so that we would be around) we would be carrying out the rolls and rolls (or bales) of cloth out of the tiny shop. I often marvel at how much could be put into the tiny shops. Then, it was time to clean the wall, the railings, the fans and yes, perhaps, add a new coat of paint.

Talking out the cloth and dismantling the setup, of which the rolls of cloth were placed such that there would be no cloth avalanche, was easy. Putting them back was a challenge. Ah, new the boss of the shops knew precisely how and where the cloth should be put. It had to be and was important to be able to know where to get specific cloth than a customer might ask for.

After a long day, the job was done and the shop closed, for the next week or two. It was the end of an ardous day and a cleaned shop with new Chinese characters indicating prosperity was ready to greet the new year when it was reopened again.

Temples in Chinatown Welcome the Year of the Tiger

2010-02-14T12:29:00.000+08:00

As with each Chinese New Year eve, the Chinese temples in Singapore await to welcome the New Year. And so is this year. As the heart of Chinatown was filled with lights, music and fun, in the other parts of the greater Chinatown, temples were filled with devotees who went to offer their first joss sticks to the Deities.

Smokes of the joss sticks and the continuous calls of the temple assistants for the devotees to the Deities informing them of their wishes for good health, peace and prosperity brought back wonderful memories. The one memory that was permanently etched in my mind was arriving in Thian Hock Keng at the stroke of twelve midnight in a trishaw to offer our prayers to Ma Chor Po (Mazu - Goddess of the Sea). It was a teary night as the fumes hit the eyes. But that added to the memory too.

But last night at Thian Hock Keng, it was a different sight. There seemed to be a bigger mix of age group. Interestingly, there were less of the more senior citizens. There were more children. Led by three Buddhist monks, many of the devotees joined in the chanting of the sutras. A few were outside watching the Marionette Theatre. A caucasian family was also there to soak in the event. The prayers ended at midnight with the beating of the giant drum and bell.

The temple then exploded with the fire crackers, alas, the electronic version but the noises were getting more like the real thing. The Cai Sheng Ye (Deity of Wealth) came in with the dragons and the lions. The devotees went after them with their cameras or handphone cameras. Some went after the Cai Sheng Ye for his sweets. To the Chinese, sweet is important. Everyone looks towards a "sweet" life, compared the the "bitter" life experienced by many of their ancestors. And of course, the typical Hokkien phrase is "Jia Tee Tee, Si Hao Si" (literally meaning if you take something sweet, you will get a son!)

I did a lightning visits to the other temples in Chinatown, covering Wak Hai Cheng Beo (Yue Hai Qing Miao) which is a temple often frequented by the Cantonese and Teochews (Thian Hock Keng is frequented by the Hokkiens, but these days, the dialect lines are blurred) and Fook Tet Soo Khek Temple (the only Hakka Da Bo Gong Temple in Singapore, as I understand).

Tradition is alive! In greeting a new year, going to the temples as our ancestors had done over the millennium, we continue with the tradition. And the latest Hokkien exclaimation: HUAT AH! Prosperity to all!

The Chinatown Secret

2010-02-11T21:03:00.001+08:00

Being old but young at heart, I thought I could try out a little fun with barcodes. I am still trying to explore ways to make this fun for anyone - residents, local & foreign tourists. Let our handphone (well, not all of them) do some work for us .. and tell us more about it. It could be a place, a thing or even a message!

So, anyone wants to share with me what's locked inside this? And better still, share with me (and us) your brainwave about how this box of black and white could make a tour of Chinatown more interesting. (^^)

It's the time for Chinese New Year goodies

2010-02-08T18:06:00.000+08:00

As kids, the one thing that we looked for, other than new clothings and Ang-Pows (red packets stuffed with money), it was the drinks and cookies. In those days, it was not soft drinks at any time as we would these days. Main reason was probably that it was something we could not afford and could afford to do without.

It was and still is customary to have some kueh-kueh (cakes) and cookies during Chinese New Year time so that we could entertain visiting relatives and friends with them and soft drinks.My favourite drink then was F&N's Sarsaparilla, which has been shortened to Sarsi these days. Ah, somehow, the taste has changed too. Or was it just my tastebud?

And for prayers, Mum would also start preparing to steam the Chinese kueh-kueh. One was the Kueh-Nern-Koh (Kai Dang Kohl in Cantonese or literally read as Qi Dan Gao in Mandarin). We youngsters, full of energies would be the best candidate to help beat the eggs. Often, we would use a big glazed earthen pot, which looked more like a garden pot without the holes. With a beater (that looks like a spring with a handle), we would have to beat the number of eggs cracked into the pot - gosh how many were there - until it seemed to grow in volume. We could not stop until Mum said so.

The other was the Huat Kueh (Fa Gao) which most of the aunties and grannies would be very superstitious about. No unnecessary comments, lest the Huat Kueh (which has yeast included) does not "huat" - "grow" up evenly like a flower just bloomed. Ah, here, we were warned not to say anything, just beat! For this Huat Kueh, we had to have the yeast with the dough overnight.

When these were ready, the special baskets (weaved with bamboos?) with the "glass papers" laid in the baskets would be prepared for the beaten eggs or dough into, and then, placed into a huge kuali (wok) already steaming hot with boiling water and a bamboo tray sitting on the wok. The baskets were placed onto the bamboo tray that was way above the reach of the boiling water. And a huge cyclindrical cover was placed over these dough on the wok. Wet towels (like those used as face towels) were place around the cover to prevent excessive escape of the steam.

Home-steamed kueh kueh are probably the best, with the best ingredients and no preservatives and well, there could be secret methods of preparing them. Alas, I think much of the arts could have been lost. Grandma's legacy.

In making the other cookies, there seemed to be a mix of Chinese and Malay (or was it Peranakan) cookies. I only had the experience of making "love-letters". Well, that was no fun when you have to roll the flat pancake into a roll, like a cigar. In our days, we used to love to emulate our grandpa by "smoking" these love letters. Imagine in those days, they even has candies made to look like cigarettes!

These days, one could almost get most of the common kueh-kueh in the shops. Ah, but, it will never be the same as those made by Mum, Grandma or Auntie.

Singapore through the eyes of a British serviceman

2010-01-26T22:47:00.000+08:00

I think. Interesting to see some old sights and sounds. You might hear some familiar ways of descriptions on life in old Singapore. Can you spot any familiar sights?

ack: thanks to the alert from Kelvin

Chinese New Year Tours by Geraldene Lowe

2010-01-24T13:45:00.003+08:00

Ever want to know more about Bullockcartwater or the Singapore Chinatown? Listen to our walking encyclopedia, Geraldene Lowe. She will share with you tales of old and modern Chinatown.

EMAIL TO Geraldene @ Geraldenestours@hotmail.com to book the tour as she is out of town until 29 Jan 2010.

31 Jan - SUNDAY
- START 10am corner Everton Road & Neil Rd- Everton Park is a block of HDB flats -there are seats up the steps behind Bus Stop. This is near Baba House Museum - there is parking behind the HDB block - enter via Everton Rd. However the tour ends in heart of Chinatown - so could taxi back!

Cost of Tour $40 (half for kids) payable on day of tour - includes drink & cookies and sample delicacies along the way. Ends about 1pm - could have lunch in Chinatown -Chinese handmade noodles, best Thai food in S'pore, or explore Chinatown Market & take Taxi or MRT home!

(minimum 10 persons to operate) On day of Tour Tel: 81551390

07 FEB - SUNDAY
- START 10am corner Everton & Neil Rd same tour as above.

05 FEB FRIDAY &
12 FEB FRIDAY
- Same Tour repeated BUT START 9.30am same corner as Listed above. Tour lasts approx 3 hours

13 FEB- SATURDAY
- START 9.30am corner Everton Rd & Neil Road. THis is CNY Eve so extra bustling with last minute frenzy! Best to take MRT!

(Disclaimer: No Commercial Interests)
Photo Ack: Charlotte

Singapore Chinatown Lights Up

2010-01-23T23:39:00.003+08:00

It was Ren Shan Ren Hai 人山人海 (People Mountain People Sea) as many Singaporeans flocked to Chinatown to await the light up. Waiting with patience, the people lined up the entire New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen St from Upper Cross St to Kreta Ayer St.

Save those nearer to the Peoples' Park Complex who could see the ceremony on the screen, the rest had to wait patiently "in the dark". Only invited guests could get to see the main stage where the main event was held. And when the DJ led in the counting from 10, many who were sitting on the kerb (ah, on normal days one would risk being run over by sitting on the kerbside) stood up, cranking their necks to look for action. When it hit zero, the entire streets lit up with Chun 春 floating all above us. Somewhere above the Peoples' Park Complex, the sound of fire crackers came, followed by rain of fine red paper, the remants of the fire crackers. For some reason, a breeze was blowing bringing the snow of red dust onto us. Ah, perhaps, that was indication of good luck to be brought by the Tiger.

While thousands waited patiently for the show, hundreds were enjoying the popular Si Chuan Huo Guo 四川火锅 - fiery steam boat from Szechuan. A new shop selling porridge was seen offering competition to the established one by the corner of Keong Saik Rd and New Bridge Road. Into Smith St, more people walked, attracted by the calls of the stallholders to try out their fair. From the famous Cantonese waxed goods - sausages, waxed ducks, Wong Fa Yi 黄花鱼 (Huang Hua Yu), Yunnan Ham - to melon seeds to golden pumpkins, bottle gourds 葫芦 (hu lu) to Japanese dried mushrooms. There was even a queue at Wurstand for the german sausages served by the Austrian chef, dress in red, but of course.

Outside the Chinatown Complex, oblivious to the din, a few crowds were focussing on the intense game of 'Dum" (draughts). On the other end, a young band was belting out the popular Chinese New Year songs. And further up Spring St, where the huge tentage was set up for the Chinese New Year mart, the crowd was less. The two auctioneers (they sounded like Taiwan or Mainland Chinese) were calling out for bids for the numerous good luck collectibles. Plants are part of Chinese New Year decorations, with many helping to usher in a good year, like the specially arranged Guan Yin Bamboo, aptly called Bu Bu Gao Sheng 步步高生.

At the South Bridge Road end, probably because most of the goldsmith shops used to be here, the decorations has the upsidedown Fu 福 (prosperity) hanging across the road. The Chinese love to think that an upsidedown Fu means that Prosperity has arrived, instead of the other sound. I often wondered if someone had made a mistake and got a saving grace coming up with this story. (^^)

If the crowd tonight continues for the next two weeks, it will spell well for the Chinatown economy and certainly for the economy of Singapore! (^^)

Chinese New Year is around the corner

2010-01-17T22:23:00.005+08:00

Chinese New Year is barely a month away, and although there are more shopping centres and shops all over Singapore, there is nothing like a touch of the Chinese New Year festive atmosphere in the Chinatown. Chinese New Year this year falls on 14 Feb 2010. Light up of the decorations in Chinatown will happen next week, 23 Jan 2010. While this adds to the gaiety of Chinatown, many local visitors to Chinatown have other objectives in mind.

I did a quick recce this evening to measure the "barometer" of the atmosphere. The crowd was certainly there but not to the huge surge yet. Cars were waiting bumper to bumper for the nearest carpark at Chinatown Complex. It is a Sunday and many of the mainland Chinese were also gathered in the small but growing eateries that cater to the northern Chinese cuisines.

The place is certainly getting redder with all the things related to Chinese New Year, ranging from angpow (red packets in Hokkien) to lanterns to all kinds of decorations for the home. New stuff Tigers to greet the year of the Tiger were there, and some lion dance toys became tiger dance toys.

At the huge tentage, setup each year specifically for pre-Chinese New Year sales, along South Bridge Road facing the Maxwell Food Centre, the early-bird vendors were calling for business. At two diagonal corners, the interesting sales by auction were already in progress. Calling prices started as small as one Singapore dollar!

The all important kamquats and greenery were in place. This year's specialty seems to be this particular cactus plant (which the Chinese believe could ward away negative entities) with a flower-like part on top of it. They did not look like parts of the same plant. The popular Guanyin bamboos now come in arranged in the shape of a boat.

I could only spot one stall offering couplets, with the hand written Chinese calligraphy. What happened to the "Dui-Lian" 对联 (the longer couplets) that was the tradition for the Chinese to paste on both sides of the doorway? Ah, with most people living in HDB (housing development board) flats, there's hardly any space at the doorway to paste these couplets. In the old days, the letter writers, who wrote letters for the Chinese migrant workers or immigrants to be sent back to China, would also write these Dui-Lian. And there would be single characters being written on a diagonal paper, with words such as "Man" 满, meaning full on the important rice jars. Of course, there is the all popular "Fu" 福, meaning prosperity, which many would paste it upsidedown, where one could read as Fu Dao, which has similar sounding as Prosperity having arrived. Ever since the old days, and still is so with many mainland Chinese and Singapore Chinese, many are still on the journey to become prosperous. These days, there's more hope for material prosperity than the all encompassing belief of prosperity which includes a big happy family.

Would there be more people going to buy the traditional Chinese clothes to wear during Chinese New Year? For sure, the parents would buy the cute samfoos or qipao for their little kids. Ah, what about the adults? Ladies are more apt to wear the beautiful Chinese clothings and perhaps, men would also go for the traditional Chinese shirts with the cloth knotted fasteners. We will see. Ah, but what about the youngsters? Would red be the trend or black, much to the horrors of the grannies. But these days, many of the grannies are the baby-boomers who might not be very particular. Still, won't it be fun to paint the town red?

Time to stock up the Chinese delicacies and sweets for family reunions and for visiting guests. The typical kueh-chi 瓜子 (melon seeds) and groundnuts have yet to make their appearance. The waxed ducks, Yunnan Ham and Chinese sausages in various sizes are already available, but I could only spot one stall at the traditional spot, outside CK Departmental Store of Chinatown Complex.

Along the main New Bridge Road, a small queue was already formed getting the first batch of the famed Lim Chee Guan bak-kwa 肉乾 (BBQ sweet meat).

Diaspora of Amoy Street

2010-01-11T23:31:00.001+08:00

Many of the offspring of the earlier Chinese in Singapore might have a relation (parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, grandaunts & granduncles, or well, in-laws and their ancestors) in Chinatown. And for the Hokkien, many could come from Amoy St, which is just the street from Telok Ayer St, probably the waterfront then, where the early Chinese workers and migrants would land.

Xian Chor Keng (temple) @ beginning of Amoy St

I have started a facebook group from which I hope to gather photographs of old Amoy St and stories of the people who once upon a time lived at Amoy St. So, if you have, please share with me.

You can reach me at bullockcartwater@gmail.com

A Giant in the Neighbourhood

2010-01-09T22:10:00.000+08:00

I was walking along Craig Rd, reminiscing my childhood days when I looked up at the row of houses that were opposite to where I lived, and low behold, it was like a giant has stepped into the neighbourhood. There towering behind the row of two storey houses was that huge and mammoth monolith called The Pinnacle. It was impressive and reminded me of the first time when I watched the "Kong Long" movie at Oriental Cinema, one of the very new movies that I went with the family, especially with my late father, who worked in Johor Baru then.

Ah, but before the Pinnacle came, there were two blocks of ten-storey flats. They were probably the most expensive rental flats then, at S$96 (if my memory serves me well) compared to the others, say in Queenstown that was at S$66.

We thought that we could give it a try, since it would be a far better place than the small rooms shared with a number of families in one of the houses along Craig Rd. At Craig Rd, we learnt tolerance and compromises. Going to the bathroom, one has to look for empty timeslot. The bucket system toilet was always challenging for us kids. There was no light inside the toilet and so, it was with a candle if we wanted to go in the night. The smell did not help. Not did the cockroaches which seemed to be everywhere. The landlady was very strict. It was lights out by 11pm. And so for us kids, there was the spitoon (which has more than its stated use) and the kerosene lamp so that we could sleep with a little light. Catfights or cat mating on the roof above us (we were on the top floor, being the third floor) added to our wild imaginations. It was a challenge going to bed early as the family would be at the second floor where we had our little dining table.

Imagine a toilet with bathroom of our very own and a bigger space (albeit at a higher cost), it was heaven to us. Even if we have to gather a bigger family to stay together, it was still worth the effort, if for anything, a better toilet. (^^)

And so, I spent the later part of my primary school and secondary days at Cantonment Road. Slowly, we lost contact with the "kampung" friends of Craig Road, where we had enjoyed our early childhood.

I could remember the small palm trees planted between the carpark in front of our flat (behind us were the flats of the Police Cantonment) and Cantonment Rd. I saw they grew, taller and taller. If there is one restaurant that was part of the two Cantonment Rd flat history, it must be Hillman Restaurant. Famed for its claypot dishes, it later became famous and popular with Japanese tourists and expatriates that at one time, almost the entire occupancy in a night could be Japanese. Ah, to the Japanese, it would be the famous "Paper Chicken Rice" and Sharkfin omelette wrapped in lettice (DIY). Now, the restaurant has shifted to Kitchener Road. For us then, it was fried ee-meen.

My uncle was staying with us and working in the then Harbour Board. In those days, one must be able to ride a bicycle to be able to work in the harbour. It was the only cheapest way to travel to the harbour and from wharf to wharf. He worked in shifts, morning or afternoon. When he worked in the afternoon shift, I would cycle to school. And if he worked in the morning, it would be afternoon escapade for me and my Sikh classmate after a good hot Punjabi tea (this is tea boiled with powdered milk) and chapati at his house. Sometimes, he sneaked out of the house when his mother was sleeping. (^^) And we explored Singapore on two bikes without maps but based on our hunch to return back in time for dinner. We were in secondary two then.

There were always open air movie in the Police Cantonment behind the flat or even as far as another one at the end of the old Tanjong Pagar Road. With my neighbour, we would try to sneak into the Cantonment to watch the movie, which often would be in Malay. Ah Potiananak or the Oily Man, frightening stuff. Because the screen was a big makeshift cloth, we could watch on the opposite side as well.

Mother had to go to work to earn additional income to pay for the rent and feed the hungry kids. There was no pocket money for us save when we went to school, and it would be 15 cents, 10 cents for return on the Hock Lee Bus and 5 cents for recess. If I ride the bike, I would save 10 cents. So, when Mum went to work, being the eldest, it was my duty to go to the wet market, which by then I knew where to get what at the cheapest. Budget was S$10 for two families for a week. So, it would be chicken hearts, kangkong, Ikan Kuning, cockles, pre-steamed Ikan Kembong, tau gay (bean sprouts) and tau-kwa (bean curd). And then, I had to cook. Learning a few skills from my aunt, I could fry the Ikan Kuning marinated in tamarind or the chicken hearts with sesami oil, dark soya sauce and sliced old ginger. Cooking rice was using the palm to measure the amount of water enough to have the rice cooked without being too soggy or uncooked.

In between, we could still have our fun. It was a no-no to go swimming. The parents were always fearful of us kids drowning. The fact that Mum did not know how to swim made it worse. And so, with a neighbour who hid the swimming trunks for us, we would sneak off to the Yan Kit Swimming pool when we saved enough money to pay for the entrance fee. There we learnt on our own how to swim, not without many mouthful of chlorinated water. It was not only the dangers of the water. There was also the dangers of kids coming up to us to ask us "what did we play" (in Hokkien - Li chi toh si mi). That was like a password check to know which gang we belonged to. We had to be careful to say that we don't play. And it would be small kids coming up to challenge us. Ah, the dangerous days.

The new Pinnacle seems to make such childhood memories so far away. But it does remind us that we have come a long way. Living on the 7th storey was high then. Imagine 50th storey! But like in the past, the cost might still be a little above the head. (^^)

At the Barber's

2010-01-04T22:37:00.000+08:00

It was New Year eve. For some reasons, I felt that I must go for my haircut. Just like in the old days, one must have his hair cut before the Chinese New Year. And so, I strolled to the S$10 barbershop in Chinatown.

This is one of the modern Japanese styled unisex quick-cut barbershop. Unlike the old days when the ladies would go to their hairdressing saloon and the men to the barbershop with white (almost-dentist-chair lookalike) adjustable chairs. Most hairdressing saloons seemed to have the hairdressers speaking in Cantonese and chances are the Chinese Barbers might be Hock Chew (Fuzhou). While the hairdressing saloons are still around, perhaps less, the barbershops seem to go to the way of the dinosaurs. Ah, there is still one in a lane in Chinatown with its regular clientele.

If one was told of the barbershop with lady barbers, one might raise one's eyebrow as to what were the services offered. There used to be two popular ones in Chinatown. They are now extinct.

Now in this barbershop, men and women waited for their turns, to be cut by men or women. The customers could choose their barbers or cutters.

A barbershop is also an interesting place to sit and watch and although each customer is to be dealt with in 10 minutes, there was still much to watch and hear as the queue was quite long. Ah, one, probably newly qualified senior citizen, was enjoying a haircut by this lady barber (his regular by the way they talk). In a way, he was entertaining her with tales of his adventures overseas, with polite responses. What a way to relieve stress, I thought to myself as I was trying to concentrate on a book I brought along to read. Reading an English book and eavesdropping Mandarin conversations.

I wondered to myself too, what if this barber has her own blog. Won't t be fun to read about her clients. (^^)

Sat next to me was an elderly couple as well. They were conversing in Cantonese. From the look (or rather hearing them speaking) of it, the lady, who was to have her hair cut, was rather nervous. It must have been her first time. The brave husband was assuring her that he has already chosen the lady barber and at least she could speak Mandarin. He has to assure her many times. I did not stay to watch what happened as I was ahead of them.

A rather elder lady was struggling with the money eating machine. She could not get the machine to take her ten dollars. A young guy who had earlier given up his place for the old couple offered his help. After a few tries, the machine decided that it liked the ten dollars and swallowed it, spitting out the ticket. He then offered to write for her which barber she might want to have. Like me, she opted for anyone. Ah, she's adventurous, not knowing if she was going to encounter a non Mandarin or dialect speaker.

The only scene I missed was that of the old barbershops where they had pulley systems with lights (almost like dentist clinic again) and all the tools for the cleaning of the ears.

It was a delightful new year eve at the barber's.

Wet Market

2009-12-22T22:18:00.000+08:00

Ask anyone about Wet Market, and different people will give you different responses. To the young, you might see shudders and the involuntary move to cover the nose with the hand. Maybe, and hopefully not all. When I was young, not ready for school yet, I loved going to the wet market with my mother.

In those days, a wet market is a natural evolution where the sellers congregated and the buyers converged. Chances are it might be a few streets or lanes. Those were the days when anyone could get a cart and hawk. It was a day to earn a living than staying unemployed.

In my pre-primary school days, I lived in this downtown place called Turn-Tiam-Hung, meaning Pawnshop lane in Hokkien. I was and still puzzled as I could only count, at best two pawnshops. But the official road name is Craig Rd. Nearer towards Tanjong Pagar Rd, there was a lane. This lane marked the entrance to the wet market from Craig Rd side. It was connected to Narcis St at the other end of the lane.

A trip to the wet market was going to end up with black feet upon return. The thin "Japanese flipflops" were no help. Some ladies were better prepared by using on the clogs - these clogs could be seen in the kitchens of the then houses of many households, and then relegated to the bathrooms in the HDB flats and probably are moving towards extinction.

My task then was to help by carrying the market basket. Talk about the "green" days. No, there were hardly any plastic or paper bags. Besides most things were going to be wet. There were so many kind of market baskets, some soft and some hard made from cane. Some ladies would hang the baskets on their lower arm to carry. Most of the Chinese ladies in those days wore samfoos (two piece dress) to market.

Walking into the lane, there was a noodle stall selling prawn noodles and lor-mee (if I remember correctly) on my left. I was always eyeing this stall for a bowl of noodles, but it was a luxury. So, it was so near yet so far. Moving into the lane, there were the usual stalls, and there were the occasional stalls that appeared once in a while. Most of the stallholders knew the people doing the marketing there. It was the nearest for those living in that vicinity. The next one will be the bigger one at Smith St/Trengganu St enclave.

"Any pork today," the butcher would call out to my mum in Hokkien. "Hor guy chia bak, ka chia eh hor," my mum would ask the butcher. (Give me the lean meat, leaner ones) The butcher would try to get mum to buy more. "How about the liver, it is good and fresh. Ah, the hoon-chng (powdered intestines) is good." It depends on how much money Mum had in her tiny wallet. (^^)

It was not just meat alone that she had to buy. There was fish to buy. Ah, I learnt how to select the sliced sting-ray. "Smell it," instructed mum, "see if there's any urine smell." Apparently, if the fishmonger cuts the fish wrongly, the smell from the innards would permeate into the meat. I never really tried to find out. Ah, sting-ray fried with kiam-chye (salted vegetable) was and is still my favourite. Here, the leafy part of the kiam chye is better.

With a small budget, we had to get the cheapest and freshest fish. I think that's where the "Chi ka Pi" (fresh and chip) came from. (^^) Ikan Kambong, Ikan Selar and Ikan Kuning were amongst the cheapest. I kati of Ikan Kuning was 30 cents. Ah the cockles were even cheaper, 5 cents per kati.

Chicken seemed to be rather expensive and most were sold live. One could ask for it to be slaughtered and defeathered. Before big days like the Chinese New Year, mum would buy one or two chickens, and one duck, to bring back home, live, fatten them before slaughtering them on New Year eve. So, chickens were luxury then, only to be eaten during big days such as New Year, Hungry Ghost Festivals, and Anniversaries of the Death of ancestors. As children, we looked forward to these days, oblivious to the fact that Mum might be worrying where to get the extra money to buy them. Living in a multi-household house did not help because the kids were going to see what their neighbours ate.

So, instead of chicken, we would be looking for the frozen chicken hearts shipped from Australia. They were cheap and when fried with sesami oil, ginger and dark soya sauce, would make a good meal. Ah, I know where I got my cholesterol. (^^)

The cooked seafood was another source of relatively cheap food. The fish were apparently caught, put on trays and steamed before being brought to the market to be sold. We called them "Sic Hi" (cooked fish). The steamed tiny sotongs (squids) were a delight and so were the boiled prawns (that were much smaller than they are these days).

Marketing in those days was based on what's available. Mum never had any shopping list. She could not write and so, it was all committed to memory if she needed to buy anything specific like soya sauce. For fresh food, it was what was available and cheap. (^^)

When I was in Primary 6, I started going to the same wet market to buy and cook. Mum had to go and work to bring in additional income. Costs were increasing. The familiar faces in the market helped in that they would not overcharge me. There was no fixed price and unless one could read the Chinese weighing scale, one would not know if one was overcharged. There were many horror stories about how one could manipulate the scale.

I love to visit wet market, even if I am not buying anything. The range of things on sale is just big, and sometimes, exotic. I also do this when I go overseas. Wet markets are a lure for me.

A death in the neighbourhood

2009-12-17T20:55:00.000+08:00

I was picking up my mail from the mailbox at the common mailbox area, at the same time, staring at a huge canvas advertisement on the one-stop funeral service. Then, I saw a neighbour, supposedly talking with the funeral services manager. She walked towards me and told me that her husband had just passed away. Oh, I was taken aback and could only murmured, "when?". "Oh, he went to the toilet at midnight and went back to sleep. But this morning when I tried to wake him up at 5am for his breakfast, he was already no more."

To us neighbours, we will missed seeing him at the lift landing, where he would stand there to take a smoke. There are many elderly folks in my block of flats who were resettled from the Teochew part of Chinatown during the days of rapid urban renewal, in the late 70s. Ah, they were quite young then.

To the neighbours who moved from their old neighbourhood, it was still "kampung spirit" when they moved to this vertical village. It is not like running down the street but up or down the stairs. To the others, like me, who moved in from elsewhere, it took a while, perhaps, a long while to get to know the neighbours.

We did not really communicate with the neighbourhood in the block for years (save the immediate neighbours), till when the children came. Ah, according to a BBC survey, to be able to talk with strangers, the easiest way is to walk a dog. I suppose in our neighbourhood, a baby would open up communications. I too would always tease the baby in the lift, and without fail, the mother or grandma would coach it to call "Uncle". The neighbours in the lift would comment how big my kids have grown .. and soon, we smile and greet and make small talk.

Death to the Chinese is a little different because not all would want to get involved unless necessarily, probably from their beliefs. But for those who know the family or the deceased, paying the last respect is something that one would want to do. And so, we went to "chor yeah" (Cantonese for sitting in the night, meaning attending a funeral wake) to pay our respect to the deceased and to lend moral support to the wife and son. The neighbours were also there, and it was an opportune time to sit and chat as well.

Through death, perhaps, the community bond was strengthened, a little, as we expressed our concerns and support to the bereaved family.

Hakka Food Fest

2009-11-22T23:26:00.000+08:00

In conjunction with its 80th Anniversary, the Nanyang Khek Community Guild organised a street food fest just outside its Guild house at 20 Peck Seah St on Sunday, 22 Nov 09.

When I arrived at 1pm, almost all the spread of wonderful Hakka food were taken up. As the fest started at 10am, one can expect the delicious dishes prepared by various member organisations and members of the Guild to be taken up. I could only ogle at the posters showing the delicious dishes.

I got what is second best, a cookbook that was also produced by the Guild, with a simple title, Hakka Cook Book. Published in Chinese and English, the 120-page book has many Hakka dishes, some better known and others, perhaps, only known to the Hakkas. Many of the dishes have accompanying narrations about the dish, be it its origin or who it is for, like ladies in confinement.

According to the book, of some 3.3 million Hakkas in South East Asia, Singapore has 200,000. And its Hakka food stands out in the local Chinese cuisines. Many would have heard or tasted the famous Abacus Beads, amongst many famous dishes, we well as the Lei Cha, mistakenly translated as Thunder Tea rice. (^^)

There will also be a Hakka Night on 14 & 15 Dec 09, with performers from MeiZhou, China.

Nanyin Concert @ Thian Hock Keng

2009-11-07T14:27:00.017+08:00

It was the 19th day of the Ninth Moon (Thu 5 Nov 09), said to be the day Guan Yin 观音 ascended to the Heavens* and it was the last of the three da ri zi (big days) dedicated to Guan Yin. In Thian Hock Hock 天福宫, as for the past 20 years or more, Siong Leng 湘灵 Musical Association dedicates a Nanyin 南音performance to Guan Yin. And over the 20 years or more, the devotees of Thian Hock Keng and fans of Nanyin never fail to turn up to pay respects and to enjoy the Southern Sounds.

Nanyin is an ancient music, from the days of Tang Dynasty. It has been preserved through the daily lives of the Minnan people, mainly in the Quanzhou 泉州 are of Fujian, where at the end of the day, members of the villages could gather together and burst into a medley of Nanyin songs. In Quanzhou city these days, one could still see performances in the park or in the tea houses. Nanyin has just been recognised as one of the UNESCO Intangible Heritage.

In Singapore there are two associations where members gather to learn, play and enjoy the Nanyin. They are at the Bukit Pasoh Rd neighbourhood. Siong Leng is one of them.

On this night of performance at Thian Hock Keng, Siong Leng took a new approach in bringing the audience on a journey of story telling illustrated with a Li Yuan Opera and Nanyin Songs as we saw how the maid prevented Tan Sa 陈三 (Cheng San) from leaving, trying to convince him that Gor Niu's 五娘 (Wu Niang) heart was really with him. And then we were told that Tan Sa and Gor Niu tried to elope but was caught just as they approached Quanzhou and brought before the magistrate. The maid, again, tried to plead the case (all through Nanyin songs), but alas, she failed. As Gor Niu made her journey to her destination of punishment (in some foresaken place), she sang of the wonderful days.

Once again, Thian Hock Keng, illuminated with the lights, songs and beautiful Southern Sounds, stood as memory of the early migrants to Singapore. A pillar to modern Singapore that only this grand old dame would know but the sounds and sights will tell.

Now, we wait till 2M19 next year - 3 Apr 2010.

* Notes:
Guan Yin's three days of celebration, from Leon Comber's book: Through the Bamboo Window
Tan Sa Gor Niu is a popular opera to the Hokkiens & Teochews where it tells the story of a Hokkien man and a Teochew lady falling in love, quite ahead of its times

Nanyin Concert in Thian Hock Keng on 5 Nov 09 @ 7.30pm

2009-10-25T22:58:00.000+08:00

Three times a year, Thian Hock Keng (at Telok Ayer St) has a Nanyin Concert (which would include Nanyin music and songs, and sometimes, Li Yuan Opera) in honour of Guan Yin. They are 2M19, 6M19 and 9M19 (Chinese Lunar Calendar). 9M19 is 5 Nov 09 and this will be the last performance this year in Thian Hock Keng.

Nanyin can be loosely translated as the "Souther Sounds". This ancient music, dating some thousand years old, has recently been recognised as the UNESCO Intangible Heritage. The current main area in China where Nanyin is still very popular is in Quanzhou, Fujian, China. It used to be a typical musical part in the daily lives of the people there. At the end of the day, the farmer and his friends could be singing Nanyin songs. In the park of Quanzhou city centre, one could listen and watch Nanyin performance.

Admission is free and from past years' experience, the courtyard is usually quickly filled up by fans of Nanyin, Come and experience the ancient sounds. It would be good to be there by 7.30pm to get a place.

8th Moon: The Month of Weddings

2009-09-28T22:41:00.002+08:00

After a ghostly month, the Chinese population prepares for the celebration of the moon. By co-incidence, it could well be said the month of honeymoons? Yes, to the Chinese traditionalists, 8th Lunar Month (or we call it 8th moon) is the month of weddings. Restaurants would have been booked months ahead, probably even a year if one wants a particular restaurant for a particular date.

Perhaps there was a shortage of restaurants? or was it the economic crunch? Regardless, Wedding lunches are becoming the trend these days.

In the old days, the bride could only wear the wedding gown once, and that is on her Wedding Day. But modernity has taken over, and it must have been since two decades ago when the couple would go for glamour photography. From a few places in Singapore, the photography sessions start to go overseas. Kind of pre-honeymoon trips. In our days, it was simple. We had two friends who became our official photographers taking pictures from the beginning of the day to the end of the wedding dinner. Photography sessions used to be a few popular garden spots. Mine was the Toa Payoh Garden.

But of course, some traditions will remain. Nothing is complete with the serving of tea to the elders. It was the moment of recognition of the marriage of the couple. Official civil marriages do not seem to count, except for the application for an HDB flat or for less than pleasant matters. Customary marriage was the event that most families must have. There are always somethings in the newlywed's bedroom that must have. There are still grannies and aunties to fuss over the hundred and one small things to look into. Customs vary from dialect group to dialect group, from village to village (in China). Red for most Chinese, and maybe pink for the Teochews? The Hokkien would have a complete bathroom set with spitoon as well.

And where would they look for the traditional things that are associated with weddings? Ah, hidden in one corner of Chinatown complex are a few shops, nestled together, selling all the traditional wedding paraphernalia.

For those who want to look for bridal gowns and glamour photography, just a couple of minutes' walk to Tanjong Pagar Road, there is a row of shops specialising in modern wedding gowns. The Cantonese "kua" seems to be hidden somewhere behind as the brides opt for plunging necklines for their wedding dinner's second dress.

Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节

2009-09-19T23:36:00.000+08:00

If we were to list all the festivities of all different ethnic cultures in Singapore, we could be a festival city with practically something going on every day and night! Just imagine, in a short space of time, locals as well as foreign visitors are attracted and possibly distracted (^^) with so much excitement in the pre-Hari Raya Puasa (Ramadan) light-up in Geylang Serai, Deepavali in Little India and Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinatown. We could be breaking fast with friends in Little India or Kg. Glam, have a nice Masala Thosai in Little India and then have a nice bite of the moon-cake with some great Chinese tea in Chinatown!

Tonight, the cool weather added a touch to the light-up of Chinatown to start off the Mid-Autumn Festival. In a tropical city like ours in Singapore, we just have to add that extra imaginary effort to appreciate the cool crisp autumn air better. Unlike the old days when we had to imagine from our textbooks about autumn what it really is, these days, many kids are lucky enough to have gone outside Singapore to experience autumn.

Ask any older person about moon cakes, and chances are what came to mind could be Dai Zhong Kok 大中国 (Da Zhong Guo), Dai Tong 大同 (Da Tong), Nam Tong 南同 (Nan Tong) and more. Long queues could be seen outside Dai Zhong Kok as each patiently wait in the sweltering sun for their turn to buy the moon-cake, with single egg yolk or double egg-yolk. In the old days, one could even catch a glimpse of how the shop people prepare the ling-yong (lotus paste). For us kids the, it was the piggy in the traditional baskets that we looked forward to. For the eligible, it was time to impress on the potential in-laws with a box or two.

These days, moon cakes are big items as corporate gifts as vendors present to their clients. Big hotel names on glittering boxes contain moon cakes are making their round, from Shenton Way to Ayer Rajah. Ah, I miss the innovative canned moon cakes which I used to send to my friends in other other parts of the world, where moon cakes meant different things to them.

Talk about Zhong Qiu Jie 中秋节 (Mid-Autumn Festival), one will think of Chang Er and yes, the rabbit ... and history or legends come alive as grandpa tells a story. These days, well try the wikipedia or google. (^^) It was a time when something nice and delicious has to be had, moon cakes - the typical lotus paste in a soft crust. And there's the pomelo (In the old days, they seemed to only appear during this time. Of course these days, they are around almost all year round. Ipoh Lor-Yau was reputed to be the best), ling-kok (water-caltrop) and Chinese tea. To the southern Chinese, it would have been Ti Kuan Yim (Hokkien for Tie Guan Yin) or Luk Poh/Poh Li (Cantonese). These days, there are such a wide spread of different Chinese tea varieties.

And what happened to the lanterns that each kid would clamour for? Those tied together using bamboo chicks and covered by transparent coloured "glass" papers. In the centre was a small metal spring, into which one would put in a small candle. It was a challenge to keep the lanterns from catching fire. Then came the advent of battery operated lamps and plastic lanterns in the shape of Ultra-man. What would have been beautifully hung along the five-foot-ways outside the shops in Chinatown, they are conspiciously absent. The shops have changed. The children too.

This evening, the thousands who flocked from all over Singapore to Chinatown saw Mid Autumn Festival performance with a fusion between the traditional and the new. It was a performance of the young, who through performance will remember Mid Autumn Festival and their contributions towards keeping this tradition alive. Stories depicted in the modern form. Modern dances added to the gaiety of the event. Cameras of all shapes and sizes, professionals to the phone-cameras, they blocked the views, but many would be happy to bring back a piece of the action. Some would find their way to facebook and youtube. Others would have already been transmitted via MMS through the phones to their relatives and friends. I wonder if any did a 3G video-phone call to share the excitement with their grannies who could be at home. (^^) Next year, maybe, we could put it on blogtv.com or better still another site of our (Singapore) own with the next generation broadband network in place.

From now till the 15th of the 8th Moon, there will be many events in Chinatown.

Images of Bullockcartwater by Marcus Lim

2009-09-15T21:42:00.001+08:00

Take any object, building or any place, over time, dirt covers over, someone decides to whitewash it, or even make changes. Often, it is to the delight of some when they discover the real beautiful stuff below a seemingly modern and beautiful outlook.

But often too, one might not be lucky enough to view as it was. Sometimes, one might not be able to see one from the other. Ah, but there might be help. Historian painter, Marcus Lim, decided on go on his prowl to catch what might be ordinary yet go unnoticed, often by the local residents or citizens. It is with delight that I discovered Marcus's seemingly few easy strokes that bring to live what Chinatown was and still is.

Chinatown means different things to different people. The residents of Chinatown will hate and love it, at different times of their lives. We often recall with nostalgia the old scenes, smell and rubbish all, yet we might not want to relive through that part. Yet, we are not willing to let go. To the people living outside Chinatown, it is a fun place to go, see, do one's things and go home. To the visitors, tourists, they go and capture what they see, often with cameras and perhaps with the contents of their wallets. Interestingly, most of the scenes of yesteryears could be somewhere in someone's home far far away.

Likewise, most of these beautiful paintings might be in someone's home somewhere far away. But of course, these days, many Singaporeans would also want a piece of the memory at home. Lest it is no longer there.

Marcus has painted many of these scenes of Chinatown and Little India, each unique from his inspiration. You could contact him at enquire@marcuslim.com to know more about his paintings. Visit his website at marcuslim.com.

ack: pictures from Marcus Lim

Zhong Yuan Jie - Ghost Festival - in Chinatown

2009-09-03T00:55:00.000+08:00

This year, Chinatown's Hungry Ghost Festival (Zhong Yuan Jie) has taken on a bigger plane, by offering to show and explain more about it to the interested locals as well as tourists (including expatriates). Many have seen the Zhong Yuan Jie and could not understand the myriad of details in this festival that involves both residents and business people. It did not help when the festival could have a Hokkien/Teochew or Cantonese flavour which are now coming closer and blurred into one Chinese event. The rituals conducted by the Taoist priests are quite different, in some aspects, when performed by different dialect groups.

To the 140 participants of the Chinatown Hungry Ghost Festival walking tours (on 31Aug and 1 Sep) led by veteran heritage tour guides Diana and Charlotte, it was an eye-opener. There was quite a number of locals in these groups as well.

During this 7th Lunar Month festival, there are a number of important dates for the Taoists and Folk Religionists. The Hokkien and Teochew would "welcome" the wandering souls on the first day of the 7th lunar month and then send them off on the last day of the 7th month. The cantonese would pray to them on the 14th day of the month. On the 15th day, many would conduct prayers. The Taoists would pay respect to Ti Guan (of the trio of Tian Guan, Di Guan and Shui Guan).

Since long ago when Singapore Chinese lived in villages or in enclaves of Singapore such as the Chinatown (there was the Teochew, Hokkien, and Cantonese parts of the greater Chinatown, the Hainanese being further away), someone in each community (sometimes more than one) would take the leadership to organise a Zhong Yuan Jie. In those days when most could not afford it, the residents would contribute on a subscription basis, ending with an amount big enough to have quite a hamper of food to bring back after prayers. To us children then, this was one of the few festivals where we could enjoy duck, chicken, pork and fruits. Today, these are taken for granted. The organisers were and still are very innovative in how they could organise bigger and bigger events each year, based on the subscription as well as money collected through auctions during the dinner.

In the business district, Zhong Yuan Jie is deemed as very important because the business people wants to have a safe place (from accidents) and roaring business. And so, they would contribute actively towards the organisation of the festival. Auctions during the dinner would be more boisterous as each company (the bosses) would try to outbid the other for important items, which could be a red banner with two lanterns or black gold (big charcoal). A small business community's Zhong Yuan Jie celebrations could easily run into tens of thousands of dollars. Certainly a good boost to the local economy in the mid-year doldrum.

Zhong Yuan Jie is a time when it is believed that the souls would be released from "Hell" (better known as Hades to avoid misintepretation). These could be the ancestors and wandering souls. To the living, it is a time to remember our beloved departed and ancestors and so, we make offerings as a gesture of our remembrance of them. No ancestors, we will not be here, and there will be no descendants. What about those who have been neglected for some reasons, some could be just the end of a lineage? It is the collective community's responsibility to offer them something.

In a community - business or residential - it is a time of more interactions through joint prayers and dinners. In the past, a village or even a street would have Zhong Yuan Jie on one particular day. You could walk down the street and see almost every house putting up an impressive display of dishes, fruits, joss papers, flags and joss sticks stuck on to every food dishes on the five-food-way. In each of these houses, especially in Chinatown area, it could be a collective effort of the tenants (which could number up to ten!) and their landlord. I remember when I was young, in the house where we lived, we had a Bibik (Peranakan lady) who oversaw the organising of the prayers.

Apart from the offerings from each house, there would be the collective "street level" community prayers with even more impressive display of food, such as roast picks, big trayloads of roast ducks, roast chickens, deep fried fishes and other delicious food. The would often be pail loads of can food and the seven important ingredients - salt, sugar, rice, light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, vinegar, and cooking oil. At the end of the prayer, each participating household would collect their share home. Along with the prayers, there would be a street wayang (opera). It was a time when the hawkers would gather around the street wayang offering anything from fried oyster (barnacles) omelette to cheng-tng (sweet desserts - my favourite) to siput shellfish to hammered dried cuttlefish roasted on open fire with sweet sauce to tikam-tikam (kind of lucky deep except that for 5 cents you got to select a sealed slip of paper to see if you could win 20 cents or sweets to peep shows (movies on a tricycle).

In later years, getai (modern variety shows) with increasing (decreasingly in coverage?) daringly dressed girls - as we got more modern (^^) - took over the entertainment scene. The famous comedian duo - Wang Sa and Yeh Fong - probably started from this route.

Back to Chinatown where the Zhong Yuan Jie was held on 1 Sep (actual day), more traditional details were being worked on. There was the huge dias dedicated to San Qing from which the Taoist priests would conduct their rituals. The main altar would be dedicated to the wandering souls on one end, and to the Jade Emperor (Tian Gong) who is flanked by Nan Dou (Southern Stars) and Bei Dou (Norther Stars). To the left from the main altar was Da Shi Ye (the monster transformation of Guan Yin to ensure that the wandering souls are kept in their stride, especially when the loads of money and other goodies were burnt and being transported to them). There was also the boat as the mode of transport.

To the right from the main altar was the playground for the wandering souls - popular cards and even opium pipes - complete with toilets. These were the modern toilets! Some places use a mat placed on standing position making like a tent.

In this tentage, there is this unique "paper statue" of Da Bo Gong (known as Dai Pak Kong to the Cantonese), Cheng Huang (Seng Wong in Cantonese) and his assistant (as I was told). And there was also another Deity related to wealth (whom I was told to be San Ye Bo).

There was also a corner where paper tablets dedicated to the departed ones were placed by participating members. Two of the departed ones had their name written in English. One even has a photo pasted onto it.

As in any modern day Zhong Yuan Jie, it might be considered incomplete without getai. And so, here, there were two nights of getai that had overflowing crowds.

As part of the awareness and education, the Youth wing of the Taoist Federation of Singapore put up panels of posters (in English and Chinese) explaining about Taoism and Zhong Yuan Jie. Another eye-opener for the visitors. I could see many, young and old, studying closely the contents of the posters.

Another interesting innovation was the Sinema Mobile (reminds me of the old days of white cloth strung across two lamp posts with two noisy 16-mm film projectors - if we were lucky, more often than not, it would be a sole projector) showing the documentary-drama "Month of Hungry Ghosts" produced by Mythopolis which made its debut last year's Zhong Yuan Jie. For many of us, this documetary showed and explained much that most of us would not have seen nor known. This was an accidental project because the producer Genevieve Woo and director Tony Kern were looking for such information preparing for their drama movie, when they found out that they could not find any and so they set out to look for them. And so, we benefit a great work that will become of the archives of Singapore heritage.

The Chinatown Business Association and Singapore Tourism Board did a great job bringing an ancient tradition and folk culture to Singaporeans and visitors. This year could well be just a seedling of a bigger fest? (^^)

Special thanks to Chinatown Business Association for inviting me to witness this wonderful heritage event.

Movie: A Month of Hungry Ghosts

2009-08-28T23:25:00.002+08:00

We know the words "Hungry Ghost Festival" pretty well in Singapore. We know that there will be offerings - by the roadsides, outside the homes, with the communities, prayers & rituals, residental & business community dinners & auctions, and of course the ubiquitous GeTai. But do we really know what Hungry Ghost Festival or Zhong Yuan Jie is all about?

If you don't and want to know more, note these two dates

- Saturday 29 Aug 09 @ 7pm
- Sunday 30 Aug 09 @ 7pm

at a tentage next to Spring St, off South Bridge Road (going into Neil Rd), Chinatown, made possible with Sinema Mobile

I just came back from a sneak preview. We wanted the 'operator' to continue with the show as we were just warming up. It is primarily in English.

Bring along your children who will learn a thing or two about the Chinese culture. Bring along your Grandpa and Grandma who will be able to share more details with you, and perhaps, later with us? (^^)

There will be a "Meet the Director" session after the movie, where you can get to know more about how this movie was made.

Chinatown 7th Month (Hungry Ghost) Festival

2009-08-12T22:16:00.006+08:00

Right in the heart of Chinatown, there will be a Hungry Ghost Festival from 29 Aug 09 to 1 Sep 09. As part of this year's festival, there will be two tours organised for tourists and local to better understand how Hungry Ghost Festival is observed in Singapore.

A traditional festival from China, from popular beliefs, the Hungry Ghost Festival is one where literally all hell breaks lose as the gates of hell will open to let out the 'hungry ghosts' to earth during the seventh lunar month, usually between August and September. To appease the wandering spirits the Chinese will offer prayers to the deceased, burn joss sticks, paper money and offer food. There will even be entertainment for the spirits during the festival. It is common to see street wayang (Chinese Opera) or getai (mini concerts) performances being held during this period. Generally held at night, it is believed that these loud affairs attract and entertain the spirits. After the celebrations are over, the ghosts will return back to where they come from after a month of 'merry-making'.

The Chinatown Business Association is also arranging for a movie entitled "A Month of Hungry Ghost" produced by Ms Genevieve Woo and directed by Mr. Tony Kern on 29 Aug 09 and 30 Aug 09. This will be held at the GeTai stage.

On both evenings, the programme is:

7.30pm: Viewing of the Hungry Ghost Exhibition
8.00pm: Screening of the Movie
9.30pm: Meet the Director

The Chinatown Business Association is also organising a guided tour on two days, 31 Aug and 1 Sept, to unravel the mysteries behind this "bizarre" festival.

Chinatown Hungry Ghost Festival Tour
31 Aug 09 (Mon) & 1 Sept 09 (Tue)
6.30 pm – 10pm

This is an in-depth guided tour of the Hungry Ghost Festival in Chinatown where one could get to:
: Watch the rituals
: Learn about the practices
: Experience a 7th month auction
: Catch the 'Ge Tai' in action

Tour itinerary on 31 August (Mon), Price at $30
- Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum
- Hungry Ghost Festival Site
- Prayer Walk
- Dinner at Food Street
- Ge Tai

Tour itinerary on 1 September (Tues), Price at $50
- Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum
- Hungry Ghost Festival Site
- Funeral Paraphernalia
- Ge Tai
- Dinner at Festival Site & Viewing of Auction

Tour Capacity
Minimum - 1 pax
Maximum - 50 pax

How to Book?
Contact the Chinatown Business Association (Jennifer or Jonel)
- Tel: 63720478
- Email: jennifer@chinatown.org.sg or jonel@chinatown.org.sg
- Book by: 26 Aug 09

In conjunction with the Singapore Tourist Board's 2009 reasons to enjoy Singapore promotion, if you can give a password when booking, you get a 50% discount off the ticket price! Watch out for more tips if you cannot find the password. Like Newspaper ad on 20 Aug 2009 (^^)

Meeting Point
Main entrance of Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (facing South Bridge Road).
Registration opens at 5.30pm and closes at 6.15pm.

Ack: Pictures from Chinatown Business Association

Were you in St. Mathew Kindergarten before?

2009-07-18T23:36:00.004+08:00

With a new whitewash, this quiet building stood along Neil Road, directly facing Everton Road at the T-junction. Once upon a time, this hall must have been resonating with the giggling, singing and even shouting of the kids as they responded to their teachers' questions or encouragement. During its hey days, St. Matthew Kindergarten, probably one of the better known kindergartens of that time, was popular with the residents of Chinatown.

Although it was situated on the "outskirt" of Chinatown, it was not too far away. Known to the Cantonese as Seng Mah Tai, I assumed that it must have been a school for those who could afford. My family could not afford and by the time I knew about the kindergarten, I was already in primary school.

I had one opportunity to visit the kindergarten during its open house and I was already in Primary one. I was already out of place as I joined the kids in doing colouring. That was in 1960.

I am sure, many of the Chinatown residents (kids then), when they pass this now quiet building, they must have good memories of their childhood days. They would probably be telling their grandchildren about their days as tiny tots. Most, if not all, would be been in the baby-boomer generation.

Singapore's 44th National Day

2009-07-09T23:26:00.006+08:00

It is the time of the year when we, the residents of Chinatown get to see first hand, the rehearsal for Singapore's National Day celebrations. Looking at the skies, that is. Year after year, we never fail to be excited by the chut chut sounds of the helicopters as they fly overhead with the giant Singapore flag (the biggest in Singapore?) fluttering above us. And sure enough, looking at the distance, the jets would be flying past. While the helicopters seem to be consistent in their flight path, it is not so with the jets over the years. They must have been flying different formations.

Looking at the flag and helicopter moved towards the parade site, I could not help reminiscing the young days when I too was a participant in the Boy Scout contingent in the parade held in the Padang then. In one National Day parade, it was pouring dogs and cats and I could remember shivering in the rain as water gushed over our heads through our drenched uniforms. Ah, but we stood still (trying not to shive too much), proud to be part of another milestone in our tiny nation.

Just as it might be now, then, the parade was held in the morning. This meant, for most of us gathering at a place the night before so that we could assemble together in the shortest time. The then Sands House (Scouts HQ)'s Aw Boon Haw Hall was the place where rows and rows of Scouts would lay down to sleep under the spinning ceiling fans. We probably did not have much sleep as it took us a while to settle down. There were no sleeping bags then (it was still a luxury item for most of us) and so, we tried to cover with what we had, trying to shield from the increasingly cold draft from the fan. 5am, we were up, and by 5.30am, it was breakfast of bread, hard boiled eggs and drink. And the buses were waiting for us.

We assembled at Nicoll Highway and marched down to the Padang from there. Scouts were not known for good marchers but we practised hard (in the earlier times at the then Raffles Institution field) and weren't we proud when we saw our contingent in the Singapore dollar note!

The birth of modern Singapore was not a painless one. It made us all the more aware of the need for us not only to survive but to thrive. But even in the midst of a smallest achievement, we must not forget our past. Like the rings of a tree trunk or the layers of the soil, I think the events are also reflected in the history of our Chinatown. Let's look for the signs.

People's Park takes a new role

2009-07-06T22:02:00.005+08:00

Long ago, some people might feel uncomfortable with words such as "People's .." for fear of being associated with communism. But interestingly, in Singapore's Chinatown, the People's Park did not seem to really elicit any fear. It could be because then, it was more known by its Chinese name than its English. People's Park Complex was known as Zhen Zhu Fang 珍珠坊 which could be translated as Pearl Place.

I took a walk through People's Park Complex last weekend, and to my surprise, the place was crowded, very crowded. There was a bigger variety of mainland Chinese there. Many were tough, brown and brawn, speaking in numerous dialects and possible Mandarin in heavy accents. I gather that they must be in the construction industry here. Singapore has seen a surge in Chinese construction contractors in the local building industry. People's Park Complex now has many Remittance Centres allowing the mainland Chinese to send back money to their home, just as Lucky Plaza is to the Filipinos. The lonely POSB ATM at one end saw a constant long queue as the workers waited patiently for their turn to withdraw money, probably to hop down a few steps to the remittance centre. Hmm, under IN2015, perhaps, they could do it at one place with the remittance centre working with POSB for direct transfer. Just a thought. It could be a nightmare for the IT security.

By the entrance to the Overseas Emporium - once upon a time, this Chinese emporium is one of many where all local Chinese flocked to get cheap Chinese goods, and unknown to many, the English editions on Socialism and Commission, good enough to get one to sleep - was a crowd looking at two topless young men showing no pain as they had their back drilled (tattooed).

People's Park has seen a resurgence of crowds and hopefully customers.

I could remember long long ago when the People's Park Complex was probably the biggest departmental store in Singapore. That must be in the late 60s. I remembered joining the curious crowds walking through the empty corridors in the newly finished complex. The place smell new.

There was an "open air" coffeehouse where I first brought my German visitors to for their breakfast. That was another story on culture shock .. just how the eggs are to be prepared and coffee without sugar. That was in 1978.

People's Park continued to evolve. Being small shops selling almost identical ware, it was tough business. Restaurants came and went. I remember having vegetarian dinner at the Kingsland Restaurant at one corner of the complex. The luggage shops seem to be able to sustain their lives there. Then the shops selling the "smelly" medicated oil, said to be good for treatment of the muscles came in. The place "stinks" probably chasing away the non Asian foreigners. But it must have added to the flavour of the Asianness there.

Recently, a sex shop opened. That opens up a new dimension to this multi-faceted complex. The People's Park Complex continues to evolve.

A journey of the Southern Sounds

2009-07-01T23:34:00.008+08:00

On Sunday, 28 June 2009, the Ee Hoe Hean Club with Siong Leng Musical Association (which is just up the hill along the same road) co-sponsored a talk on the journey of the southern sounds - Nan Yin 南音. It is about a music that is more than a thousand years old, and how it travelled from the times of Tang Dynasty to the modern era, about how it manages to remain on course through time and rapid changes, and how it travelled out of China to all corners of the world.

Nan Yin lyrics still maintain the words of the ancient times. The early source of the Hokkien (Minnan) language/dialect, it is a pride of the Hokkiens in Singapore. Interestingly, the interests on this music and song have transcended all dialect groups and even interests people from all over the world.

The elders worry about the Nan Yin becoming extinct. In Quanzhou where it has its base, reports indicate that it is still very strong and thriving well. One could enjoy a performance at any night. One could find many singing the Nan Yin at home, in communities or with friends. In Singapore, there are a number of Nan Yin groups.

Of these groups, Siong Leng Musical Association has been one of the most active in bringing the music and songs to the young, through schools and performances. Each year as it performs in Thian Hock Keng at Telok Ayer St, the courtyard would be filled with the elderly audience waiting in expectations, and even humming along. In recent times, more and more younger ones could be found, some of whom attended out of curiosity, but ended getting stuck with it, a feeling of the residue echoing of the melodies resonating in one's mind, as describe by Ms Zou Lu, one of the two presenters at Ee Hoe Hean Club.

That Siong Leng Musical Association comes this far, with foresight of innovations and creating new songs, one man was instrumental in this, the late Mr. Teng Mah Seng, the previous President of the Association. He has written more than 300 pieces of songs, many of which have now been played in China and other places. He was instrumental in organising ASEAN gathering of Nan Yin groups to perform in Singapore. He led the group to win prices in the Edinburgh Festival.

Ack: Siong Leng Musical Association

At this talk, Mr. Han Shan Yuan, a veteran journalist, also shared his experience both as an interviewer of Mr. Teng and as a friend. Mr Teng did not start his writing of Nan Yin songs till when he was 61 years old when a Nan Yin performance at his mother's funeral wake triggered him. His passion for the music and songs was so great that even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he asked the Almighty to let him have more time so that he could do more. He was a man in a hurry. Said to be a man of little schooling when he came to Singapore to work, many were amazed by the lyrics that he wrote, beautifully composed in classical Chinese.

Mr. Teng must be very proud that today, the descendants of Siong Leng Musical Association continues to perform his songs and music. He has left behind a very important legacy to the Singaporeans, and to the Nan Yin lovers in the world!

A new and young group performs for us the legacy of Mr. Teng.

Ack: Siong Leng Musical Association, Ms Zou Lu, Mr. Han Shan Yuan

Sri Mariamman Temple undergoes renovation

2009-06-06T00:59:00.007+08:00

The iconic Hindu Temple in Chinatown, Sri Mariamman Temple, is undergoing another renovation and restoration. It was some time back when they have the entire temple complex's statues restored and repainted.

If my understanding is correct, a freshly restored Sri Mariamman Temple will make its debut on 11 Apr 2010.

Looking from a different angle, I could see that the statues have already been given a clean coating, awaiting the patching and eventually, the vibrant colour.

Probably the oldest Hindu Temple in Singapore, it has seen evolutions in Chinatown through the years. The temple itself has also seen changes and development within the temple complex.

Sei Yan Kai 死人街 (Sago Lane) - the lane of the dead

2009-06-02T22:48:00.006+08:00

Asked the older people about Sei Yan Kai (in Cantonese), chances are they will know, and may cringe from memories of this place. It was a place of gloom, because there were funeral wakes practically every day (since the funeral parlours were here) and there were also people just waiting, waiting for their day.

I could not remember much as I did not go through that lane often. Not one that any mother would want her kid to along to. The old folks were also "pantang" (a Malay word share with the Peranakans, that is akin to superstitious and yet not really because it is a belief) about going there, unless very necessary, not to mention allowing their kids to go. Chinese have their astrologies read or consulted at the beginning of each year and will know if they should be involved in "white" matters, meaning death. So, if they are not to attend to white matters, then, only when it happens to a close relative, they might not attend any funeral wake. These days, with modernity, less are being "pantang".

I remembered going to the funeral wake at Sago Lane only twice. Once was a colleague who died in a bus accident. Just walking into the shophouse to pay respect caused me to have goosebumps. Another time was that of a relative of my in-law.

Most of the funeral ceremonies here were carried out according to the Cantonese tradition, and I guessed that most of the deceased having their final rites here must be Cantonese too.

I chanced upon this video clip (ack: MichaelRogge) showing a little of the Sago Lane activities and for those who have not witnessed one, this is an interesting eye-opener. For those pantang ones, don't click.

Lai Chun Yuen 梨春园 - guzheng performance

2009-05-31T22:10:00.008+08:00

Not wanting to miss the guzheng performance, we rushed to Lai Chun Yuen, arriving a little past 7pm. We were still able to watch the performance. It was impressive. All the ladies with one man performed on the guzheng with two guys on the percussions.

No conductor, no notes but the ladies and men performed beautifully. What is perhaps a little lacking is the set up in the rest of this magnificient hall. But one cannot complain when one is watching and listening to the performance without paying a cent.

If only someone were to project the title of the pieces that the guzheng troupe was playing. The music was very familiar but it took a while to try to recall the title. The pieces chosen was very well suited to the crowd, very robust, full of life and energy and towards the end, with the encore, the crowd was clapping hands to join in the beat.

If they were to have such performances very weekend, it would certainly be great. If only I could have my table and chairs nearer to the performers. Wine was on sale there, and maybe a glass might match with some pieces and some oolong for others.

I think the current management is having vendors offering all kinds of things for sale, preferably heritage stuff of Chinatown and Singapore. It is almost like a flea market and I think more could be squeezed in to make it really like a market. If they could keep the noise level down, and have performances like every alternate half hour during weekends, it would be a fun place to go to. Maybe even the musical buskers too! Imagine even the amateur nanyin singer - be it Hokkien or Cantonese. The erhus, the pipas, the Chinese strings .. and maybe, the Teochew kong kuan (the whole group might bring the roof down).

Photos of Old Singapore

2009-05-30T23:06:00.005+08:00

Taking an after-dinner stroll through the streets of the Cantonese-speaking Chinatown (in the old days, that is), we chanced upon the re-opening of the Lai Chun Yuen 梨春园 (Li Chun Yuan), the famed old opera-house of yesteryears. The outside facade of the row of what seems like shophouses belie the existence of an opera-house inside. If only we could bring back its old glory with the newly restored and renovated interior. It could well be.The new management is coming up with something in a matter of days. For the time being, it was a to be a spread of stalls selling things of the old. As it was already past 9pm the only stall that was open was the Hogart Art London stall! And what warm greetings we received from the staff! "We are still open, just for you!" How not to oblige with a purchase? But we resisted and got to discussions about old Singapore, quizzing each other on one's knowledge of old Singapore.

Question for you, "Which street was the first street of Singapore?"

There were old pictures of Chinatown in the old days, and certainly worth buying for keepsakes as well as for friends. They are frame-ready. I was told that these photos were collected and produced from England. So, for the old Singapore and old Chinatown buffs, this is worth looking at (no commercial interests on my part).

Tomorrow night will be the final night of this weekend's guzheng 古筝 performance. I hope in the weeks ahead, we could get to see more arts performance, it be Chinese or even of other kinds. It is certainly a great place to be part of the Singapore's Arts Festival.

How nice it would be to sit down, have a few cuppas of good oolong 乌龙, poh-lei 保利 or the current trend of pu-erh 普洱, and watching a Cantonese opera. Tai Lui Fa 帝女花 came to mind. (^^)

Pasar Theatre in Chinatown

2009-05-26T18:26:00.007+08:00

Interesting title for this event, "Pasar Theatre" in which I understand "Pasar" as market in Malay. Nevertheless, it was Arts to the people, and in this part of Chinatown, behind the Tooth Relic Temple, it's the older folks. Of course, apparently oblivious to the music or the blast, a few groups in the far back were more interested in the "Dum" (Checkers) or Chinese Chess. Such is typical of a marketplace.

When I was there on Sunday 24 May 2009, I was in time to watch the Nanyin performance by Siong Leng Musical Association, one of the two Nanyin groups in Singapore, resident in Bukit Pasoh, a couple of minutes walk up the slope.

To bring the folks back to the old days, the emcee was dressed in the typical samfoo of yesteryears, 1960s and before. And of course, with young girls, there was the typical twin pony tails. Ah, only this time, the lady emcee was speaking mostly Mandarin. I was trying to scan the faces of the old folks to see if they could understand. Some did. She did add in some Hokkien here and there, and probably some snatches of Cantonese as well.

To many of the old folks, the small skitch that I saw of her talking to an imaginery letter writer of her telling her parents back home about her work in Nanyang and enquiring if their sow at home had already given birth .. they certainly must have brought lumps to the throat, if they understood the Mandarin.

The emcee cleverly weaved in the stories with the Nanyin performances and again, if the audience understand the ancient Hokkien, they might appreciate the lyrics of songs such as "Jia Hang Tsu Beh" - eating sweet potato rice porridge, something I could relate to as they could be a meal by itself and certainly supplemented to keep the tummy filled. Easy to grow, and it grows fast, the sweet potato roots could be eaten in many ways, and the leaves too, whether in fuyi (Cantonese for the fermented tofu) or in sambal (Malay for the chilli paste).

A trip to the barber

2009-03-20T23:11:00.002+08:00

Going to the barber has always been a chore. But it is still a necessary chore, that is to get the haircut. Although, these days, the strict no-long-hair rules (for men and boys) are no longer in place. In fact, I have seen quite a number of guys in their fifties spotting pony tails with their hair in natural streaks - white, grey and less than black hair.

Last week, I took time to go to the barber - how much things I could do other than waiting at the barber. My regular was the Japanese named barber at Chinatown Point. Walking through the ever-changing routes of a constantly changing Chinatown, I passed this barbershop at the Old People's Park (well, this is the HDB's People's Park) Ah S$6 per hair cut and since the economy is not exactly doing well, perhaps, I could save S$4 by going to this barber.

Going to a new barber has always been an adventure, which could turn out to be a nightmare, not necessary for me. Once I thought I go to an upmarket barber (hairdresser?) in Orchard Rd and was convinced that my hair lacked bounce and the lady assured me that she could help make my hair more lively and bouncy. To cut the story short, I had my hair permed! The only time I had my hair permed was when I was five I think, and I suppose I was then the "victim" of an amateur homegrown hairdresser. I could see the shock faces in my family as well as my colleagues.

When I was much younger, I dreaded going to the barber because he insisted on shaving my face .. forehead, cheek, neck and ear. Then, I did not qualify for the ear-cleaning work, although the tools would send me running. My doctor used to tell me that the "dung" in the ear would come out naturally. There's no need to dig.

Then, we thought it might be better to go to an Indian barber. For one, there was airconditioning. For two, there was always Indian music and songs. I always wondered how come the Indian channel in the radio had non-stop songs and music. Never got the chance to ask. While it was shiok (felt good) it was also kind of frightening when the barber did the twisting of the neck until one got the "crak" sound from the neck bones.

When I started working, I thought it would be fun to try to Malay barbers. Indeed they were good but I had to seek them out, mainly in the Geylang Serai or Marine Parade area. And so, it was Malay music this time.

Back to Chinatown as I gingerly stepped into this tiny new barbershop in Old PP. The other lady barber was reading the newspapers. She welcomed me, in Mandarin of course. I had to make sure I could speak Mandarin to go to one of these barbershops as they are staffed by mainland Chinese. Friendly and she did pick up a few local barber English like "slope"? I nodded.

Another lady came in asking if they cut lady's hair. Yes was the reply. Interestingly, this lady - rather direct - asked if they could cut and what if they did it wrong. Imagine the quiet hiss under the lady barber's breath. (^^) She then decided to check out other places. Wow, the lady barber came up with her indignations about the lady's comments, with comments of support from my lady barber. Interesting to hear two mainland Chinese speak. I thought I was in China. (^^)

The lady came back! And she asked again for reassurance that her hair cut would not go wrong. Sure sure must have been the indication. I was busy looking at my barber as she went round my head a few times. I could not help feeling that my hair was getting shorter and shorter. Just as she was about to say that it was done, I told her to comb my hair the other way round to show the disarray as they hung over my ear. Years of experience told me that I need to confirm this with barbers whom I think are not too experienced.

I had my haircut in this family owned barbershop in Japan and it was interesting. Wife washed my hair and husband cut my hair. Mother or mother-in-law helped out. In broken Japanese I had my hair cut but I was always confident that they would do a good job.

When I was in Raleigh, USA, I went for a haircut by a Palestinian. Very professional! I did not see him using any vacuum cleaner on my head but there was not a single strand of loose hair on me after the haircut. Here, they had my hair washed first before the cut. I had to ask the receptionist how I should tip him, as is expected here.

Back to Chinatown, the lady patiently trimmed the jaggered hair look to make sure that it look good running over the ear in line with the sloping line. Satisfied, I paid her. Yes, it was S$6.

I guess, after another 100 heads, she would be good enough. By then, I am not sure if she would be happy with S$6, which I guess she would be getting less. But hey, if time is bad, with a little interactions, and with a spirit of adventure, this is a great place to go. If only my Mandarin is as good as my Hokkien. (^^)

Chinatown in 1938

2009-02-21T00:20:00.006+08:00

Wow, this is before my time, but I thought some of you might be interested. And it reminded me of my childhood days when Grandpa would bring me to visit his Tua-Kow (lighter) moored in the Singapore River. Jumping from Tua-Kow to Tua-kow was no joke, when I was probably about 6 years old. On one side was the dirty water of the river (this video showed much cleaner water) and the other was like three storeys into the depth of the empty Tua-Kow.

Grandpa took care of one Tua-Kow which was one of the many that could be linked from one to another, pulled by a small motor boat from Singapore River to the Outer Roads (meaning the outer part of the sea just out of the Singapore River mouth, which then had a long bund to keep the waves from crashing into the Inner Roads). Loads of rice, flour, copra and many things were transported this way from the ships to the godowns (warehouses) through the Tua-Kows and back to the ships. Singapore was an active entreport trade then, and I guess now too, except that they use containers.

Grandpa died on one stormy night when he tried to cover the goods in his Tua-Kow and was knocked off the Tua-Kow when wind blew the huge cover into him. That was in 1960. Since then, there was no more Tua-Kow jumping, no more trishaw rides and no more kopi in a saucer from the Chinese Sarabat Stall (roadside coffeeshop stall) in the Hokkien part of Chinatown, known as Giao-Keng-Kao (Outside the Gambling Den).

From youtube.com: A tour of the British colony of Singapore in 1938.Footage from this film is available for licensing from www.globalimageworks.com

Thanks to the alert from http://groups.yahoo.com/group/singaporeheritage -

Plucking the greens to bring in luck afresh

2009-02-15T19:05:00.007+08:00

If there is a period when the lion dance troupes are out by the prides and most active, it must be during the Chinese New Year. While it is a good time for fund raising for the lion dance troupes, it is an important times as businesses and even households welcome the lions to come and bring in renewed energies so as to bring in new prosperity and luck.

This is represented in the plucking of the greens known as Cai Qing 采青.

In Singapore Chinatown

In the old days, there would be a bunch of Shang Choy 生菜 (Sheng Cai or Chinese Lettuce) with an angpow (red packet, containing money) being hung up for the lion to find its way up to pluck the greens and be rewarded with the angpow. At times, the shops might place the greens as high as in the second storey for the lion to try to get them. The lion would have to consider if it could get to that height by having a pile-up of their guys balancing on the shoulder, one on top of the other. Others might have to resort to more mechanical means.

I was in Sydney during part of this Chinese New Year and was fortunate to see the traditional Lion Dance with the lion trying to pluck the green from the ceiling of a restaurant. Ah, such scenes are hardly seen in Singapore these days. In the Sydney Chinatown - which is like a one-street but very Chinese Chinatown (but of course) - every restaurant or shop welcomed the lions but it was not an easy task for them just to pluck the green.

In Sydney Chinatown

They came armed with harden bamboo poles fixed with metal "steps" to help the main lion head holder to climb up to the top of the pole. Interestingly, when they came to this part, it was the job of an older man (maybe in his 50s or 60s). It still needed gungfu!

In Singapore, apart from the greens, the lions learned to peel mandarin oranges and make Chinese characters. Important words such as Wang (Prosperity) are important to the business people. Maybe, in the homes or the temples, they might give a hint of some numbers, for the 4-D (lottery) inclined.

Welcoming Chinese Lunar New Year

2009-01-30T23:58:00.017+08:00

It was about 11.30pm, away from the bustling "Chinatown" where the modern world twirled around, quietly (not so really) in the temples, many Singapore Chinese went to renew their ties with their heritage.

At Thian Hock Keng 天福宫, along Telok Ayer St, many came to join the

monks in prayers to Mazu, welcoming the new year of the Bull. Many brought along their children, showing them how to worship. Unknown to these kids, this temple, some hundred years ago, was the place where many grateful Chinese came to pray to Mazu, thanking her, upon having reached shore safely. Many did not.

I remembered vividly when I was very young, some fifty years ago, with my mum, we took the trishaw to this Ma Chor Keng 妈祖宫 (as it was more popularly known then) to pray to Ma Chor Po (again, a fond term calling her the old grand aunt Ma Chor in Hokkien)

On this night, lions and a dragon pranced and twirled around the temple, bringing renewed energies to this grand old dame. Probably the most famous temple, to the locals as well as to the tourists, tonight saw more locals than tourists. As they prayed to Ti Kong (Tian Gong - Jade Emperor) facing the sky and then to Mazu, their children followed. For a challenging new year, this moment couldn't have been better asking the Gods for guidance.

The original place where the opera stage used to be, but now a tall Hokkien Huay Kuan building, was once again the place for a String Puppet (Marionette) show for Mazu and the resident deities. It's been years since when the last puppet show was shown here.

Further down the road, the GuangDong temple (worshipped by Teochews and Cantonese in the old days), Wak Hai Cheng Beo 粤海清庙 (Yue Hai Qing Miao), in its traditional form, had many giant joss sticks burning in the courtyard while queues formed inside to get the prayer-sets to pray to the two main resident Deities, Tua Lao Ya (Xuan Tian Shang Di) and Mazu.

A much longer walk, no we drove, at the other end of the town, where there used to be an older civilisation (^^), stood the Hakka Tua Pek Kong Temple dedicated to Fu De Ci Wang Ha Da Bo Gong 福德祠望海大伯公 . It was almost 1.45am when we arrived. At this time, the crowd had thinned out, but the burning candles and joss-sticks told us that many had come to offer their first joss-sticks to Tua Pek Kong or Dai Pak Kong, as the Cantonese or Hakkas call him.

As the worshippers connect with the Deities, they brought forth the hundred years (or more) of the relationship of the Singapore Chinese with China, where their ancestors came from. One of the many untold stories of the Chinatown.

Happy 牛 Year

2009-01-25T17:17:00.003+08:00

The year of the Ox is arriving soon. And the Chinatown in Singapore prepares to usher in the Ox.

The Ox is often associated with hardwork (honest living, I might add), as one could see in the rice fields of Asia, this year, we need it all the more to help many of us pull through an anticipated challenging year.

The year of the Ox, Bull, Buffalo or Seladang as it might be, will remind us of the humble beginning of the Singapore Chinatown, where it was a hub for the bullockcarts delivering water, hence Niu Che Shui 牛车水.

Chinese New Year goodies arriving

2008-12-31T23:17:00.005+08:00

A quick inspection of Chinatown this evening revealed the preparations for the big sale. The typical Chinese goodies like the sausages and waxed ducks were already hung. It must have been shortage of advantageous places or was it a kind of double attraction, when I saw sausages and waxed ducks being sold outside the sex shop!

Ah, humour always wins the day. Here was one lion that has a sign hung around it that it (or the owner) would not be held responsible if someone has been bitten by it. I would bet that many would attempt to put their hands inside its mouth. (^^)

All kinds of delightful stuff, mainly in red, were on sale to help one hang them in the home to brighten up the place. Possibly to chase away the "Nian" who might come a-calling. That and perhaps some loud music or taped music (or techno?) of fire-crackers to chase it away.

The fresh flowers have yet to arrive, a little too early. And so the fake flowers have their advantage. For now.

Chinese Lunar Year is coming soon! Lights Up on 3 Jan 09

2008-12-28T16:56:00.006+08:00

Yes, on 26 Jan 2009, to be exact. That will be the 1st day of the 1st Chinese Lunar month for the Ji Chou Year - 己丑年.

And Chinatown is preparing to usher the new year of the Ox, which comes early in this coming year. Barely has the shopping been done in the Orchard Road area (a must go place for Christmas shopping) when shopping for the Chinese New Year will start.

Pre-Chinese New Year shopping is a must as there are gifts to be given to the in-laws, ingredients to be bought to make kueh-kueh (cakes, pastries and tidbits to entertain visiting relatives, friends and colleagues during Chinese New Year celebrations which span 15 days), food for Reunion dinner (many have opted for family reunion in restaurants, but it will never be the same) and there's drinks of all kinds - from soft to hard and yes, new clothings too!

Chinatown has been a traditional place for most of these shopping. Despite the changing landscape within Chinatown, it is still the place to come, at least once, to see what is available for Chinese New Year celebration preparation. With additional cultural activities planned by the Chinatown residents, it would be even more exciting.

Cantonese Rice Porridge

2008-11-30T21:30:00.010+08:00

Chinatown has streets and streets offering foods, of all kinds. And yet, we could not seem to decide on one that the whole family could agree. Temperature, humidity, state of mind, environment - all contribute towards a state, and it is when each is different states, it is tough to come to a concensus. Ah, there is this particular food that we have yet to really try as a family.

Because Papa is a Hokkien (minnan), it is muay or beh (depending it is Xiamen, ZhangZhou, QuanZhou or for that matter Teochew/ChaoZhou dialect). Jok (in Cantonese) or Zhou is Cantonese and since Mama is Cantonese (although Zhong Shan would be more accurate), it would be great to explore this side of the cuisine.

Until "Superbowl" came to Singapore, Jok was just a street stall food. Of course, the 1970s' rave of HongKong Tim Sum (Dim Sum) brought along the pei-tan (pitan or century egg) jok.

In my early working days when I could afford just enough to have jok for dinner, enroute to night classes, the jok stalls along Smith Street was almost like a default to me. The cooling evening air helps in taking away the perspiration gathering on my forehead as I "wallowed" into the porridge. My favourite was with a Yi-Tao Jok (Fish head porridge) or a Yi-Nam (Fish belly porridge) Jok. And there is the inevitable plate of Yi-Sung (raw fish).

Eating on the streets with pass vehicles, cars and bicycles, pedestrians - many looking for dinner and many were often influenced by watching how the diners were enjoying the jok - was almost like being an exhibitionist. (^^) Distractions apart, I had to make sure none of the fine fish bones escape and sink them into my throat.

Ah, those came rushing back as I sat with the family waiting for our jok. This is no joke, this porridge stall at the corner coffeeshop (of the Ang Kuei Association Building) between Keong Saik St and New Bridge Rd, actually includes GST in the bill. The queue seemed endless, but the movement was fast. No tempers. They had perfected a system. The diners queued up to make their orders - which is quite an array to choose from, from liver to cuttlefish to fish head and fish, chicken to the specialty, frogs in the pot, clay pot. Within minutes, no more than 10 minutes, the bowls of steaming hot porridge arrived. One has to be extremely careful with the boiling porridge. I could almost swear that they are more than 100C!

The art of enjoying a good bowl of porridge is to eat it slowly and not breaking into a sweat! Ah, it is a tough call, but it does not prevent anyone from enjoying such a hot bowl in a hot and humid evening.

The days of 70 cents or S1.00 porridge are gone, but the wonderful memories remain. Except for wonderful Pig Liver porridge which seemed different - somehow I find those in HongKong the best - the rest seemed to help us keep the food and tradition in a standstill.

Nanyin Concert in Thian Hock Keng

2008-10-18T23:11:00.002+08:00

Each year, for the past decade or more, Siong Leng Musical Association has performed a Nanyin and sometimes Li Yuan Opera performance in the Thian Hock Keng in commemoration of the three celebration days of Guan Yin, 2M19, 6M19 and 9M19.

And it did on 17 Oct 08 which in the Chinese lunar calendar is 19th of the 9th Lunar Month. Without fail, its faithful fans turned up to watch the performance. It is one of those Hokkien operatic performances that is getter rare these days.

While most of the younger people might enjoy these performances with the aid of the Chinese lyrics being shown, the older ones apparently didn't need them.

My favouriteTeochew Fish Porridge (Broth)

2008-10-14T22:11:00.002+08:00

This must have been in the mid 1970s. That was when I had started working for a few years. I was working late and getting involved in work related activities. It meant late dinner. I could not remember how I came across these food stalls on the street, but I did find them. Since then, it was like my open air dining place.

There were two stalls lined up side by side at Carpenter St. Like many hawkers of yesteryears, these stalls just appeared when the sun set. They sold the same things, fish - pomfret (chiew heu) and Ikan Batang (tabang heu or heu-kao in Teochew). They had their loyal clients. Both sides had their tables always occupied.

For whatever reason, I always had dinner by the stall that was nearer to South Bridge Road. It was almost like my orders had been carved on stone (they don't have PCs in those days). I would always have my bowl of Heu Kao (must have been 70 cents I think) with a plate of duck meat cooked in soya sauce (I have been going around to look for this dish and have never found the same one again). There are other extras such as fish roe. Now earning much, I stuck to my standard pair.

The fish was always fresh. Although the pomfret is the more expensive fish, I preferred the batang heu (Ikan Batang) with its coarse and yet still oily meat. Cooked in teochew style, there was always a piece of the dried fish or two (known as ti-porh) that added the flavour.

Teochew fish porridge or broth (I think the Japanese Zosui might be the nearer description) is not like the Cantonese porridge (jok in Cantonese) or Muay in Teochew (Beh in Hokkien). When one orders the fish porridge, the chef would put his pot on the gas-stove, using a big scoop, he would take one scoopful of the "arm" (the cooked rice water) and put into the pot, and another scoop of cooked rice. When the rice in the water comes to a boil, he then throws in the slices of the fish and let it boil for a few times. And with the ti-porh and other condiments, it is ready for eating. Probably less than 5 minutes' work, or even less. Dipping the freshly cooked fish into a small saucer of light soya-sauce with cut chilli, it was sedap (delicious).

With the stalls having one or two of the pressured kerosene lamps and depending on the street lights, we sat and ate, enjoying the warm night air. People from all walks of life dropped by, probably for supper, unlike me. Towkays in Mercedes dropped by with their girlfriends (I think) or even their "barbers". There were two (maybe only ones in town) barber shops manned by ladies nearby and was a hot favourite with the Towkays. Some could be passerbys and yet some who went pat-tho (dating in Cantonese) who might ended up here for makan (food) before going home.

Alas, such a wonderful place was just too good to be true and soon, the stalls were no longer to be found. And I have lost a good place that saved me from gastric problems. Fish porridge or Heu Muay will never be the same again.

Sri Mariamman Temple celebrates Navarathri

2008-10-03T23:50:00.002+08:00

On the evening of 1 Oct 08, with friends, I visited the Sri Mariamman Temple at South Bridge Road, said to be the oldest Hindu Temple in Singapore. The temple is celebrating the 9 days of Navarathri. And on this night, there were dances performed by various students from different Indian Classical Dance schools.

I was there partly because Arul Ramiah was going to dance. (^^)

It was an evening of the community of devotees of the Sri Mariamman Temple. One could feel the energies and atmosphere sitting on the canvas covered ground with a small stage placed at the corner of the temple courtyard.

Indian Classical Dance and the temple have a very strong symbiotic relationship and I could sense the story and devotions by the dancers as they depicted stories of the Hindu deities. Alas, my lack of understanding of the Tamil language deprived me of a deeper understanding of the dance with the songs being sung. But still, the hand gesture, the eye movements and the movements of the body did give much for visual and audio appreciation.

The final performance must be, for me, the grand finale as Arul Ramiah performed a series of dances, some with two lovely girls who had undergone just six weeks of intensive training in Indian Classical Dance! What a typical cosmopolitan Singapore in display as Arul's Chinese friend did the introduction and two Dutch girls dancing with her!

The opening dance to the Shiva Chant was, to me, the most powerful with the song, music and movement synchronised to tell a story.

Navarathri Celebrations in Sri Mariamman Temple

2008-09-29T13:54:00.004+08:00

It is the 9 days of the 9 Emperor Gods (Jiu Huang Ye) and it is also the 9 days of Navarathri. Right in Chinatown where the oldest Hindu Temple, Sri Mariamman Temple, is, there will be nights of programmes to celebrate Navarathri.

On 1 Oct 08, at 9pm, there will be a Classical Indian Dance by Arul Ramiah and two lovely Dutch girls.

Come and enjoy Indian Classical Dances in the oldest Hindu Temple right in the heart of Chinatown!

Chinatown Mid Autumn Light Up: Here comes Brazilian Samba

2008-09-04T01:46:00.002+08:00

To the oldies, the strain of Yam Kim Fai might bring nostalgic memories of Chinatown.

But to the youngsters of today, the world is their town. And so, in this Mid-Autumn night, the students of the Singapore Management University brought in the Brazilian Samba! It will bring smiles to the grannies' faces as they watch how their children have gone to know the world better.

It certainly reminded some of the days when they or their ancestors arrived on this shore where everything was new to them. Some got to learn about the local Malay culture and took to joget!

But Brazil was too far an imagination for them. Well, until now ..

Chinatown Mid Autumn Light Up: Giant Puppets

2008-09-04T01:42:00.002+08:00

Once upon a time, puppet shows were popular. They not only entertained, but they also impart the Chinese values as well as the Chinese history.

Arts and skills were required to be able perform the puppet shows, where one uses one's hands to move the multiple strings of the puppets, making the necessary gesture while singing or making dialogues.

The puppets grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger. And at the Mid Autumn lightup, the biggest moving puppets took part. They too are telling stories of Chinese culture. But how many knew?

Mid-Autumn Celebrations kick off

2008-09-01T23:20:00.003+08:00

On 31 Aug 08, songs, dances, and noises of the fireworks brought Chinatown back to its old days when every night was a bustling nite. In those days, it was of necessity that one stays out late to make some money, have late supper or stay cool, away from the congested rooms in the old pre-war houses.

But on this night, that was almost history, and the young brought joys and news aspirations while looking back at the days when, maybe, their grannies or even great-grannies had irked out a living here.

Ah, the nostalgic days ....

Chinatown redefined

2008-09-01T00:25:00.006+08:00

Mid-Autumn 2008 kicked off with a rousing night of fireworks, dragons and lions, and dances galore, put up by some 700 performers, from as young as 5 years olds. It was another unforgettable night, not so much about moon cakes but of remembering Chinatown of the old by the young.

What must be stirring to many older residents of Chinatown must be the performance by the young remembering what it was like in Chinatown. It certainly conjured the days gone by, when children did not have the luxury of life as it is today. While the children still had the chance to carry lanterns, they would not have heard of the Brazilian Sambal performed by the Singapore Management University. While Cantonese might be the language of the day in this part of the Chinatown (where the People's Park Complex stands), tonight it was English and Mandarin. The song remembering Chinatown had some Cantonese in it, if my ears still tell me the truth.

Watching the performance, I could not help thinking that we have come a long way. Many of these young performers must have had one of their grannies or relatives who once upon a time had lived in Chinatown. It is indeed a good occasion to gather in Chinatown again, the source or water head of the Chinese diaspora from Chinatown in Singapore? In such celebrations, it is great to remember the people who have helped what we have arrived to today.

Ah, as I looked back at Chinatown of my childhood days and watching these kids performed, I thought to myself, it is and will be a Chinatown Redefined. Many would not have known about Chinatown that we know. But so long there are roots, the trees will grow, bigger.

Mid-Autumn arrives in Chinatown

2008-08-30T23:48:00.006+08:00

Or is it? The flowers remind me of Spring. (^^)

30 Aug 2008 this year marks the last day of the month of the Hungry Ghosts (a term used locally to mean the 7th Lunar Month). And so, from 31 Aug 2008 this year, it is the first day of the 8th Lunar Month, which signals the preparation for the 15th of the Lunar Month, which is celebrated by the Chinese as Zhong Qiu Jie or Mid-Autumn Festival. Again, locally, they call it the MoonCake Festival.

Come Mid-Autumn, when we used to offer our prayers to the Moon Goddess with moon-cakes, water caltrops, Pomelo and mini-yams with tea and cake-powder (once popular with the Chinese Ladies who use it to powder their faces) and kids carrying the lanterns, in modern times, it would be different. Lanterns would not be those made of glass papers with candles. But there will still be some. While the eating part continues, there might be less prayers to the Moon Goddess.

The MoonCakes bring along its tales of history in ancient China, just as the bright moon on this 15th Day with its shadows would remind grannies to tell the stories of Chang Er and the rabbit on the moon.

While Chinatown used to be the scene of much activities with the wet marketing selling pomelos, water caltrops, mini yams and moon cakes, these days, one could get them anywhere, everywhere. Moon cakes have gone upmarket with aggressive marketing by hotels, aided by credit card companies. Would there be still queues for the traditional Cantonese moon cake shops in Chinatown like Dai Zhong Kok? I think there will as the elderly folks would still prefer to the traditional taste.

In the days when there were less light and less bright, there was the additional fun as the kids would gather to light up the candles inside their lantern and do the walk. Adults would gather with the neighbours, sharing their peeled pomelos (in those day, the pink ones from Ipoh, Malaysia, were said to be the best), boiled small yams and moon cakes. Dai Zhong Kok's moon cakes used to be the ones. For some, they would come with the tomboh or hammer to crack open the boiled water caltrops to eat.

Would Mid-Autumn Festival be still as exciting to modern kids?

From the ashes arose a Phoenix

2008-07-23T18:54:00.005+08:00

Abandoned school buildings seem to be the right candidates for hostels, or now, boutique hotels. Many could be the older buildings with some older characteristics of probably the 50s.

But here by the Pearl's Hill, a rather modern looking school building, although it has a long and interesting history with some proiment people coming from this school (see my earlier blog) , has become a hotel!

And, so this tallest school in Singapore has reincarnated as the Re! Hotel.

Would anyone have guessed that once upon a time, children ran up and down this first multi-storey school? Ah, many fathers and mothers would be telling their children about their days in this school, when they pass by or come to this hotel.

An interesting name, Re! In Chinese it is Re Li .. and this Re - pronounced as Swee in Hokkien -could it be part of the Chin Swee Road that runs by it?

The washing machine

2008-07-19T21:55:00.005+08:00

It must have been decades since the last I saw this modern gadget that was part of the bathroom, where we would use to help us rub off the dirt, probably using the AXE Brand bar soap. The grooves helped to trap some of the soap onto the clothing and hence helped to create a lather.

It was fun to watch Mum doing the scrubbing or just using the hands to rub the clothings off the groves of this "suay-sa-pang" (Washing Cloth Wood as literally translated from Hokkien), resulting in plenty of soap lather. From time to time, Mum would dip her hands into a pail of water to splash a little on the drying clothes as the water ran off. Often, Mum would sit on a small stool (ah, some of you might have seeen hawkers selling from real small stools to tall ones, as they walked from house to house), which gave her a good leverage.

As we grew bigger and Mum had to go and work to supplement income - talking about dual income families, but with more kids than these days - we had to take over the duties. Amongst brothers and sister, we divided our chores, washing clothes and preparing meals.

Using the bar soap (versus the detergent of today) and the scrubbing board, we tried to make the clothings as clean as possible. In a less than clean environment in those days, I think, the clothings were dirtier than these days. Sweat (yes, on aircond!), dirt and possibly after days of wearing the same clothing agan and again (no, not like one per outing these days), it was a challenge. White shirts just cannot stay white! So, we use the "lam-chi" by putting the powder into a pail of water to make it blue and then putting the white shirts in them to give a light bluish hue. And to make the shirt lasts longer and probably less likely to get wrinkle, we put the shirts into a pail of starch before handing them in the sun.

The final part is to iron the shirts with a charcoal iron. Ah, but that's another story. Ah, someone has decided finally to part with the scrubbing board.

Couldn't he have a better aid?

2008-07-14T22:08:00.002+08:00

As I was coming home one day, I had to slow down to allow this man to take his time to walk down this narrow road. At first I thought he was using the four-legged gadget to help him walk, as is the case with older people where a walking stick is not enough.

On closer look, I saw that he had only one leg. I couldn't help thinking if he couldn't have a better gadget to help him? Like an artificial limb? Was it a case of ignorance?

Which brought me to another case where there is this old lady (maybe in her 60s) who uses a stool to walk to buy food from the coffeeshop. Her back was bent and apparently she could not stand straight. The only way to help her maintain her balanace was to put her hands on the stool and walk, each step at a time.

There must be something that we could do for our older folks, who have contributed much to what Singapore is today? We still have a fair number of older people who are illiterate and could only speak dialects.

The Chinese Clogs - Cha Gia

2008-06-27T22:52:00.005+08:00

Wasn't it some years ago when one could see the ladies carrying their rattan weaved baskets (in various forms and fashion) - talking about being green, in their dainty samfoo and walking to the Chinatown wet market. Wearing clogs, but of course.

Once there was a very picturesque shop selling clogs at Temple Street. When the streets were wet and dirty, the common shared kitchen in the houses in Chinatown wet and dirty as well, clogs reined. Clogs of all sizes for kids who started walking to the adults where there are different ones with different colours and designs. The ladies had their shapely hour-glass ones while the macho men might their tongkang (bumboat) lookalikes with tire rubber(?) for cover their feet.

And then, more tourists visited his shop than customers. And I suppose flashes from the cameras irritated the poor guy trying to earn a living that he declared - no photography! That was before the days when forms at 400 was considered the most sensitive ones and not to mention the digital cameras of today where flash is hardly necessary. Well, not for glamour photos anyway.

As the wet and dirty streets of morning market in Chinatown - that spanned Temple Street, Smith Street, Trengganu St, Pagoda Street and Sago Street too - became dry as the stalls were moved into the basement of the Chinatown complex, and the fashion of samfoo, and rattan baskets fade, the days of the humble clogs were too numbered. But actually, the wet market that had gone "underground" was still as wet and dirty and even slippery, and requires that "platform" shoe!

Today, getting a pair of the clogs is not as easy and walking to Temple Street to get one. I heard that long long ago, there was also one at Telok Ayer, run by a grandmother of a friend. But for many less than modern homes, the clogs are still useful. One could still pairs of them in the bathrooms. Gone were the days when in a typical common kitchen - visit the Chinatown Heritage museum to have a good feel of the kitche, alas, there were no signs of the clogs, I think - of such multi-family homes, there would be at least some 4 pairs of clogs, one for father, one for mother and perhaps, two for the kids, and they just shared even though the family size grew. There were just no space for so many pairs in the kitchen, a wet kitchen actually.

For the tourists, they would have to contend with the small souvenir ones that is still being sold in a small stall along Sago St. Perhaps, there are some bigger ones .. alas, they could be priced comparably to the designer ones.

Perhaps, one day, Chinatown might decide to have a catwalk of ladies in samfoo and clogs. Or would the fashion return? (^^)

No Smoking - No Joke

2008-04-22T23:33:00.005+08:00

This morning, I was crossing the road when I saw this guy with the sign "No Smoking in this area". I thought to myself, wah, have they intensified the No Smoking Campaign to this extent? It did look like a great gimmick.

An European couple crossing the road with me was also tickled and asked the guy for permission to take a photo.

But no, this is not a gimmick. It was a serious matter. Some gas leakages were detected and there was a gang of workers looking for the source. In the meanwhile, the public was warned not to smoke, lest there be fireworks ahead of the next celebration in Chinatown. (^^)

The Chinatown Triangle

2008-04-14T22:19:00.005+08:00

The sign that shows three blocks along three streets did not betray the interesting history of this part of Chinatown. In fact, I am also at a loss trying to map what it is today with what it was in the old days. So, perhaps, a collective memory collection might be necessary (^^)

Each day as I passed this sign which was strategically placed at the corner of Blk.34 along Upper Cross St, I could not help wondering and trying to jot my memory what it was like in my young days. Not matter how, this part of the memory seemed to be hidden deep in the vault.

But I could remember the night-soil station, somewhere around here. I am trying to pinpoint its exact spot. I could only remember vividly once visiting a schoolmate's (I could not even be sure) home (which is a residence block for the night soil carrier). Was it smelly? The sight of the "36 door lorry" could have conjured up the smell. (^^) It was tough work for the night soil carriers as they have to transport them from many houses in Chinatown which were still using the bucket system (visit the Chinatown Heritage Museum to see one real one, though not used) to the specially designed night soil carrier (in this case the truck). At this station, the carriers were washed cleaned and parked away for yet another day. The night soil clearing process seemed to be carried out in the morning.

As time and tide wait for no man, the night soil carrier also waited for no man. One could find a quick replacement while one was in the progress of one's most important function. (^^) I wonder if there is still any of these night soil carrier alive. Could well be.

The Block 32 (HDB People's Park) was built to house the stall holders after the fire at the old People's Park. The cloth sellers occupied the second storey. Until recently (even though many still manage today), many still went to find the cloth they like and then buy them to sew the clothes themselves or send to a tailor. It was often an adventure trying to buy cloth from these cloth shops. Franca Lingua is Cantonese, normally. While the shopkeeper might try his or her best Cantonese to persuade you to buy, he or she could turn to the other extreme of the colourful spectrum of colourful Cantonese to chide you for not buying. It could be heard for miles! (^^) Ah, the opening price could be sky high and one need to have the skills to bargain to a reasonable price, sometimes depending on the mood of the shopkeeper. If you are the first customer, God forbid, if you walk away without buying. Storms and thunder were sure to follow. These shopkeepers have this belief that the first sale must be successful, and they would go real low to achieve that. Imagine what happens if you are just a frivolous buyer?

I had the good fortune of sitting in a shop to watch - alas I was a poor seller, I could not put up a hard and good bargain, giving all the tall stories. (^^) But looking from inside the shop, I realised that these poor shopkeepers were often dumped with a set of say, five different colours of one patterned cloth - that's the wholesaler's offer. Of five rolls of cloth, one would be lucky if two of them sell well. I often wonder how stupid (^^) the designers could be in printing colours that the customers don't want. But then, one taste could be another's distaste. And so, to make a small profit and to cover the loss of the other possible three rolls, the shopkeeper has to try to offer at very high prices. Watch them talk and calculate at the same time. No, the schools do not teach one how to do mental sums while talking with the customers.

Some poor shopkeepers maintained a frugal life of simple food and selling not too expensive, and thanks to the low rents offered by HDB (for those affected by the fire), they could live a reasonably spartan yet comfortable life. But like in any society, these people saw how their neighbouring shops innovated by offering new wares and actually increased their income many folds. Like in any kampung (village) here, new tenants came in, paying sky high rents, and yet could still make money. And so, today if you walk through the refurbished HDB People's Park, you would see a few of such shops, manned by the second or third generation of the original stallholders of the old People's Park.

Block 34, I saw it grew as I walked home from work each evening. But somehow, I could not recall how the place looked like before this new flat was built. The two schools behind had seen its share of history. From two schools, it became one and then it was gone. A government agency took over and then left. In the foreign worker and student boom, it became a hostel. And that school left these two buildings to a mult-storey building just around the Pearl's Hill. It had seen its better days and, was gone. Thanks to the hotel squeeze, it is now a hotel!

It must have been in 1969 to early 70s when these flats along Upper Cross St were completed. Unknown to me, these flats would change the lives of many in the following years. It was to be for the relocation of the residents of Chinatown (in the Chin Chew and Upper Chin Chew St - known as Tau Foo Kai (Tofu St) consisting of mainly Cantonese and the residents of the Teochew enclave along where else, but Teochew St and there about.

Blk. 34, being 3-room flats, along with the other 1-room flats, saw the city kampongs (village) transformed from horizontal ones to vertical ones. Intra-flat traffic was high as relatives and neighbours were at different floors of the flats. Many of the residents knew each other. Instead of sitting by the five foot way each evening and chatting with neighbours, the corridors along these flats were narrow and it required a little more effort for gathering. Some older men gathered at the coffeeshop.

Over time, as some resident families expanded, they moved out. Some moved out, making a tidy sum of money, thanks to the climbing property market. Others moved in. Intra-floor traffic lessened. Strangers became more common. Children grew up and married out. For the new residents, interestingly, for them, in the lift, at best it was just a smile as a kind of recognition. Barring a nasty neighbour, one's neighbourly relationship could be only two doors away, each side. Ah, but when a baby arrives in that family, things changed. The smiles became greetings, often focussing on the baby. "Ooh, how has he grown!" Mothers were the fastest in getting to know each other and exchanging notes. From baby food it would progress to childcare centre, on to kindergarten and yes, the complicated process of getting into the school of their desire. The fathers, more often than not, smiled and maybe said "Hi".

Unlike the old kampong days, be it along a street in the city, most of the neighbourhood in the flat are not conducive for the kids to play with each other. In some neighbourhood, the playgrounds help. But given the "in-security" of flat dwellers, most parents do not allow their children to go outdoors on their own. And so, developing into a village in the flat is still a challenge.

The flats around this triangle have been around for some 30 years. These days seem to see the diminishing number of the early residents. The traditional Teochew funeral wakes, complete with traditional rituals, seem to be a regular affair. And so, one by one, the older residents bid their old neighbours goodbye. For some who were left behind in this flat while their descendants have moved elsewhere, it meant one "kaki" (friend) less for their old comrades.

But life moves on, with influx of new residents. Life in the upper floors differ from the rapid stream of people moving along the five foot way on the ground floor.

Nanyin Night at Thian Hock Keng meets with overwhelming response

2008-03-28T14:08:00.003+08:00

On 26 March, 2008, the 19th day of the 2nd Lunar Month, the first of the three dates in a year when celebration is held in honour of Guan Yin (Kuan Yin) - the other being 6M19 and 9M19 - Thian Hock Keng continued to have its traditional Nan Yin Night. Siong Leng has been performing the Nan Yin concerts in Thian Hock Keng for these three occasions for the past 20 years or more.

These are the dates that Nan Yin fans have always been watching out for. And they never fail to turn up. It is enlightening to see that while the old familiar faces were there (average age is 60 ?), there are more and more younger faces being seen in the audience. Siong Leng itself has successfully rejuvenated with more young performers. A good sign for this age old (since Tang Dynasty) Chinese Southern Sounds (music).

For many of the elders, it was a nostalgic moment bringing them back to the old days when such music could be heard from street performers to street wayangs (operas) to the late night programme from Rediffusion (cable radio). It would have brought them back to their jia-xiang (home village) from where they left to brave the new world, eventually settling down in Singapore.

For the older folks, they might view the above rendition with nostalgia as they sang the song of Tng Sua Ah Pek 唐山阿伯 (Tang Shan Ah Bo).

Chinese New Year Shopping

2008-02-01T22:42:00.000+08:00

For some reasons, one's Chinese New Year preparations is not complete until one visits Chinatown. At least thought a number, judging from the congestion in the multistorey carpark where I park my car. This spells good news to the vendors in Chinatown.

Taking the opportunity to find out what's new, especially in the makan (food) goodies and the flowers, I went on my prowl. I was too early, then, for the makan goodies. But they certainly got me on my memory trail of the days when neighbours and relatives would be making their own kueh-kueh (cakes) and sharing them, or selling them. One would start keeping the used tins, like the big Milo tins (a favourite) and the plastic containers too.

While the nyonyas (the Peranakans) fancied more complicated kueh2, the others, depending on the dialect groups, might opt for their own. I think the Cantonese loved to make kok-jai (a mini curry puff lookalike with grounded peanuts and sugar inside). One of the more popular ones could be the "love letters". I still wonder if anyone had inserted love-letters in these thin crust. In the old days, I remember watching, and well helping out in making these thin pancake-like crust-like kueh. In Hokkien, I think it is called kuey-nern-gern (meaning rolled eggs). One spreaded a thin layer of flour dough onto the circular plated and then closing it with a similar plate, it is placed on a charcoal fire. It gets cooked easily and with a flip, it is done. The tricky part is using your hands to roll them when they are hot and still soft.

As kids we love to put these rolled love-letters as if they were cigars.

These days, less and less people are indulging in the making of these kueh-kueh. And there are dozens of them available in the market. Definitely cheaper that what one would have spent in making them. But maybe, they lack the loving touch.

For those who can afford, especially those in business, getting potted plants with fruits and flowers are a must. Each year, the florists try to bring in more varieties. If there is anything that links the Chinese of Singapore to that of China, the plants could well be one of the links. Pussy willows are only endemic to China. The plum-blossoms - the plum blooms in late winter - are amongst one of the popular ones. One puts them in a giant vase and watch the flowers bloom and possibly the leaves sprouting. And that's it. There are also the narcissus - shui xian - that the Chinese have a way of carving the bulbs to make them bloom earlier, especially in the hot climate in Singapore.

The kumquat - kumkat or kajai in Cantonese - is an all time favourite with businesses and temples. Possibly because of the word "kum" which is synonymous with Gold in Cantonese. There was one belief that if one wants to have a baby boy, one should steal a kumquat fruit from someone's plant. But in modern day Singapore, it could well be an offence! (^^)

To many Cantonese at home, they would start early, probably a month or so before the Chinese New Year, to buy a few chi-ku 慈姑 (in Cantonese for arrowhead) and plant them in a shallow bowl of water and pebbles. Anyone knows its significance? Chi-ku is a favourite bulb cooked in soups by the Cantonese.

Probably all Chinese would hang the red banner across the main front of the house. More religiously so in doing it were the Peranakans. But with flats these days, it is getting rare and the red banners could be shrunk to just cover the doorway. In the old days, it would be red banners, red clothings, yes, red packets, and plenty of red in the fire-crackers. Red date tea was also served. So, you can imagine the "old fashion" elders seeing red when they saw the kids wearing black!

Metropole Cinema, Kum Wah, Kim Hua 金華

2008-01-26T21:31:00.000+08:00

Thanks to the memory jots from Algae and Moon, I decided to run down my little memory lane about Kum Wah (in Cantonese) or Kim Hua (in Hokkien). And in English, Metropole Cinema (you can see a picture of it in LaoKokok's blog).

I vaguely remember wandering around that area when they were building this almost circular building. I was curious, but not as curious as with the fish tanks in the nearby open-air fish-shop. It was still beyond my means to buy fishes from the fish shop, I was still in the primary school then. But I could spend hours watching them. And I would gaze at the building with the pole scaffording.

It was a new cinema in Chinatown! I suppose the first could be Majestic (Dai Hua in Hokkien), and then, Oriental (Tong Hong in Hokkien) at the corner of Kreta Ayer St with New Bridge Rd. If my memories did not fail me, a worker during the building of the Metropole Cinema fell and died. It was hearsay as I was still too young and poor to have access to the newspapers. And soon, there was rumour of ghosts. (^^)

But that did not deter the cinema goers from going to watch great Cantonese movies like "Yi Lai Shang Cheong" (The Buddha Hand - a famous gongfu force then) and Mu Lam Sap Sam Keen (The thirteen swordsmen?).

As we grew older and moved to another part of Chinatown, and getting more immersed in the English speaking world, our world was cinemas like Globe (Great World), Orchard (now the Orchard Cinemaplex), Odean and Cathay.

And without realising it, one day I walked by and saw Metropole Cinema being replaced by Fairfield Methodist Church. At one point in my life, my house was very close to the original Fairfield Methodist Church and Girls' School. Until this day, the uniform of Fairfield Girls' School, now Fairfield School (for boys and girls), has been and is still, I think, unique in colour. I couldn't help thinking if this is Methodist churches' colour. (^^)

When our kids came of age, our natural consideration was to get them to attend the kindergarten in Fairfield Church. Ah, and so, we got the opportunity to sit in what was once a cinema. But this time, it was more of a theatre, and well, a chapel, where we got to see our children performed in their graduation night.

And so, in various ways, for people like us who lived in this part of Chinatown, that building - be it Metropole Cinema or Fairfield Methodist Church - it has a part in our lives. And for some, it's still to come. (^^)

Chinatown prepares to welcome the Year of the Rat

2008-01-23T23:21:00.000+08:00

Or should it be the Year of the Mouse, the Mickey Mouse to be more accurate? (^^) Yes, Chinatown is decorated with the likes of Mickey Mouse in welcoming yet another new year. The year of the Rat starts another new cycle, and from what we know about rats - there were plenty in Chinatown - it would be tough to romanticise the rats. And so Mickey Mouse came to the rescue. A friend was wondering aloud, why not Mighty Mouse?

To many Singaporeans, and even Malaysians, visiting Chinatown just before the Chinese New Year seem to be a must. Despite the availability of anything Chinese in all the satellite towns, Chinatown has its special draw. The rows of old shophouses, despite their changing uses, give that aura of the Chinatown that most older Singaporeans would remember. To the young, it might be something different, maybe akin to the Universal Studios. I was jokingly telling my fella Chinatown residents that perhaps we should have some gongfu hustle kind of shows in the midst of the festivities, to add to the touch of the "real" Chinatown. (^^) Imagine someone flying out of the third floor landing onto a basket of, no, not durians. (^^) It would be a delight to the MICE tourists. Ah, there is a mouse connection here.

It is the time when grandpa and grandma would love to bring the kids, especially, the grandchildren to show what they must buy for the Chinese New Year. Alas, this year, the wet market could not return on time. So, a separate trip has to be made to its temporary place at Outram Park. But, there's still the waxed ducks and all kinds of sausages. To the Cantonese, these are some of the prerequisites for Chinese New Year. But wait, this year, there seems to be something missing. At least when I did my last recce, I missed seeing the man sawing the Yunnan Ham!

What's left of the core Chinatown - at the heart where most of the businesses are being held - is probably the ares served by Pagoda St, Temple St, Trengganu St, Smith St and Sago Lane/Rd. The Giao-Keng-Kau (Outside the Gambling Den(?) in Hokkien) is a shade of its past, where the current China St and Nankin St are. The Teochiu Kuay (Teochiu St) is now Central.

In this small area, the vendors compete for their business, some for the tourists and the rest for the locals. At this time, those who are preparing for the Chinese New Year. Flowers and fruits - the very important Mandarin Oranges - Kum in Cantonese, with similar sound as Gold, are beginning to appear. Tidbits to keep the mouths of visitors to the homes busy are in full display - red and black melon seeds, groundnuts, mua-chee (mochi or dafuku in Japanese) and all sorts of sweets. Chinese New Year songs - in Mandarin and in Hokkien - blare from the loudspeakers beckoning the shoppers to get some home.

Chinese New Year must be noisy and red - have you read or heard about the story of how the word Nian came about? And how fire-crackers were used to frighten the Nian away? It hates Red. And the Chinese congratulate each other "Kiong Hee, Kiong Hee" (in Hokkien and Kong Hee in Cantonese), meaning to congratulate each other for not being eaten by Nian. And so the story went.

What was not so visible in Chinatown these days must be the clothing and shoes. These were the essentials that Mum used to drag us kids, each holding the hand of the other tightly, in the claustophobic crowd (remember we were tiny then) to try out and buy, often the last few days before Chinese New Year. And that is if Pa has brought back the "Huay-Ang" (Bonus). Was it a way to force us to at least do something, apart from being poor? Chinese New Year, to us kids, was the time when we got to wear new cloths! Each having his or her own. The rest of the time would be "hand me downs". And yes, shoes too! That would also be the time when we could have bottled drinks - the bigger and rounder Fraser & Neave Orange and Sarsi. To the adults, again, Orange drink (Kum ma) is a must. To the kids, we would fancy the Cherry, which is red and Sarsi was a sensation.

And so, in a couple of days, Chinese New Year will arrive (7 Feb 08). Until then, shopping will get into a frenzy state, no matter how bad the stock exchange graphs might look. (^^) New Year will bring new luck and prosperity!

Nihon Ryori Ikaga desuka?

2008-01-08T22:19:00.000+08:00

A couple of weeks ago, after what seemed like an endless loop or was it getting into a time zone, we arrived at the carpark of Central. Our target, the Waraku Japanese Restaurant. It is a hip place with the younger people.

Entering the restaurant and looking at the young people chatting away and enjoying the traditional and modern Japanese dishes, it reminded me of Japan. This restaurant was no different from any of a similar restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo or Shinjuku. But what got me thinking was that these days, there are many Japanese eateries all over Singapore, practically at least one in every shopping centre, and probably in every food court too. When I did an informal count in 1989, we could count some 40 Sushi restaurants.

In the old days, let's see, maybe in the 60s, Japanese restaurants were rare. I could always remember the picture of Mount Fuji outside this little Japanese Restaurant along New Bridge Road, somewhere near to Bukit Pasoh. Each time as I walked towards the inner Chinatown (the likes of Smith Street and Trengganu Street), I would pass this little restaurant. I was curious but never dared to go near. One could hardly see what was inside. But I vividly remember this restaurant as Sakura Restaurant. I wonder if the owners have moved their restaurant elsewhere in the 70s. Maybe some of the older folks might know a little more about this restaurant.

My first Sashimi - ah, Maguro as I learnt much later - was indeed in the Japanese Association Restaurant. It was in 1973 or thereabout, my first encounter working with a Japanese engineer, when he invited me and my colleague to a Japanese dinner. Wah, Sukiyaki and Maguro. It was an experience trying to down the raw tuna, and eating cooked beef with raw eggs. Ask my kids now, and they would go for them without a second thought. But of course, it was Papa's fault. (^^)

My only regret was not being able to know a little more about this little Japanese restaurant in Chinatown. Anyone knows?

Tim Sum at Red Star

2007-12-17T22:34:00.000+08:00

Two Sundays ago, looking for something more Chinese, or rather, more Cantonese for breakfast with a visiting Chinese, a friend suggested Red Star Restaurant. It was ages - decades - since the last time I was there. The last time could well be a wedding dinner, and that must be more than 20 years ago!

To my (ignorant) surprise, when I went to the restaurant on this fateful Sunday, there was a long queue for a table, at 10.30am! I thought the trend of Tim Sum (Dian Xin) since the day of the Mayflower Restaurant (and the like) was gone. In this quiet multi-storey carpark along Chin Swee Road, next to Manhattan House, one could never imagine the buzz of what's happening inside the restaurant. You could well be in a restaurant in HongKong or even the Chinatown restaurant of San Francisco - the commonality of Chinatowns around the world?

There were trolleys of yummy Tim Sum being pushed by the waitresses, pushing their wares - I mean food. Before we knew, our table was laden with all kinds of Tim Sum. Ah, my favourite Chilli YongTauFu (Niang Dou Fu) was still there. I remember them as not spicy in the Tim Sum restaurants and I still wonder what was the secret. The Pei-Tang-Chok (Pitan - century egg - Porridge) was still as delicious!

What might have been just Poh Lei or Luk Poh (in Cantonese) in the old days, on that Sunday, the waitress asked if we want Pu Erh tea.

As I ate, my thoughts strayed in the midst of the din of clashing of cups, plates, bowls and the calling out of various dishes - Lo oi wu-gok moi? (you want the deep fried taro?) Ha-kau? Siew-Mai? Fong-Chao? Gosh, it must have been in the 1960s when the dirty backlanes off Smith Street was still clogged with tables and chairs, placed in any way that could fit in the limited space. They were practically there the whole day and possibly night.

In those days, with friends in the neighbourhood, we tried saving from our pocket money. Once we have thirty cents, we were ready for our food adventure. The language of communication in the restaurant then was mostly Cantonese. And so, we learnt the key words. We looked for a spare table and chairs, and before we could sit, the for-kei (waiter) came upon us, with a no-nonsense look (and not too friendly nor courteous) - remember we were kids - asking what we wanted. He had brought along a small enamel bowl filled with boiling water, tea cups and chopsticks in them, and a pot of Chinese tea. "Law-Ma-Kai leong kor," we ordered, asking for two glutinous rice. We got free Chinese tea.

Looking back, we often gazed at the noisy orders that the for-kei would bark across the lane. And there could be a few of them shouting orders back to the "command-post". They have colourful ways of giving the numbers so as to avoid distortion or data loss due to the noisy environment. Seven could well be spoken as "leh-pai", which is Sunday. It could be even more hilarious if you hear them describe the customers to be served. (^^)

Efforts are being made to bring back the scene in the lanes, but I still cherished the wonderful dirty days when the boiling water was the guarantee of a safe meal. Traces of such practice are still present to these days.

And if you want to enjoy the great Tim Sum in Red Star on a Sunday morning, go early. I understand that they don't accept reservations. By the way, the carpark is free.