Chinatownology

Ah, the good old Chinatown, probably since the time when Sir Stamford Raffles started work in Singapura, is getting new interests. Yes, a new Buddhist Temple and Museum has sprung from where the dead or the dying used to stay. More memories will have to be archived as layers and layers of history would push them further underground.

Nothing is more refreshing than the young - our future - takes an active interest in Chinatown, the past, the present, and possibly shape the future. Chinatown is not just an attraction for tourists, it has to be our town, our home and in that way, the visitors can see and appreciate the lives of Singapores, from past to present. It is not disneyland or any theme park, although from time to time, we could re-create some theme-like-park scenes for locals and visitors to experience the heydays of the old Chinatown.

Chinatown continues to haunt us of the past, of those struggling to lead a decent life, and yet, it also continues to display the opportunities from which one could survive through grit and sheer determination. Reminds me of this old man who collects thrown away cardboard boxes (mostly from cosmetic packings) and newspapers to put his son to school right to his PhD! And this old man now has a stroke and only has the good support of a maid. Life has been tough but he is happy knowing that his next generation will have a better life.

It is with such scenes in the "heartland" of Chinatown that gives it its character, and I am glad to know that Chinatownology is going to capture such stories, on top of many useful tidbits and information both for the residents and visitors to Chinatown. Soon, Singapore Chinatown will have a big window to the world .. and then the door will be wide open. Visitors to Singapore Chinatown could do some pre-trip gazing and decide what he/she could do in the Chinatown, in a DIY tour. Or course, tour groups and tour guides would give the value-added service of stories and give a better understanding in a time-jam-packed tour. But for those who are on free and easy, nothing like sitting down by the coffeeshop and enjoying the ambience of Chinatown. Ah, perhaps, we should have Chinatown-borns to come and sit by the kopitiam to share their stories.

Junk or Treasure?

To many it could be junk, and yet to many, it could be treasure.

Many had thrown away what they considered as junk, and the same many could now be regretting that they have thrown away treasures. The "junk" that has escaped from the inferno could stay to be discovered again.

In Singapore these days, there might be too few of such diggers of treasure and so, according to Juzer Saifee of Odds "n" Collectables fame, junks are hard to get these days. Ah, many have become wiser and know the value. And so, it would not be cheap to try to get an old disused opium pipe or even an old picture of the then dirty Singapore River.

Nested in a row of pre-war houses (as we call them) along Telok Ayer St. is a shop that is filled to the bream with all kinds of things. There must be thousands of them and one could spend hours there just looking through them to get that treasure one could hope to find. An old glass-vacuum flask that probably keeps the water hot for hours compared to current day metal flask. A statue of Guan Gong, the famous Chinese warrior of the Three Kingdom. It is said that the beard of such statues actually grow over time! If you are lucky, you could even find your school's class photo!

Ah, just make sure you do not have butter-fingers. That junk could well turn out to be a very valuable antique!

According to Geraldene, our famed local Heritage Guide, Juzer takes a hour or more to open shop and that equal amount of time to close the shop. How did she know? Well, she would always bring her tourists to visit his shop. History is displayed all over the shop! What was used in the era gone by, these are represented in this small and compact shop. It's a museum of another kind! And I think Geraldene is probably an expert in these little histories. (^^)

I once visited a smilar shop in Shanghai in the old quarters .. both have the same characteristics and atmosphere. These are but getting rarer, but they are the depositories of our past!

So, if you happen to be at Telok Ayer, pay Juzer a visit. And well, if you have something to throw, maybe, he can buy from you too. (^^)

The place: 128 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068597

Tel: 63230043

Email Address: lastimeone@yahoo.com.sg

A New Temple has arisen in Chinatown

On the night of 30th May 2007, a new temple opened its door to devotees and visitors. In a very grand way, filled with pillars of dragons that lit the entire South Bridge Road (it was even grander than during the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations!) lines of floats, dragon and lion dances paraded down the road to an audience seated near to the Tooth Relic Temple that was at the corner of South Bridge Road and Sago St.

Long queues of devotees and probably curious visitors (local and foreign) waited patiently to get into the temple. I was told that they were treated to four floors of wonder (I have yet to visit the temple, although I passed by at 5.30am on 31 May 07). Each visitor was also given a 1-kg pack of rice. And there was also a big tentage to serve free vegetarian food through out Vesak Day.

Visitors to the Temple were urged to be appropriately dressed. For those who came dressed more casually in shorts or spaghetti-strap tops, they were politely offered something to add on, so I was told by my wife who visited the Temple.

The new Tooth Relic Temple promises to add more buzz to Chinatown as tourists - local and foreign - will have one more destination to visit. For Buddhists, it would be another temple in which to meditate and to remind them of trying to achieve what Buddha has done. (^^)

This Temple has also added another dimension to the architectural landscape of Chinatown. Chinatown will never be the same again. (^^)

School Children Visit Chinatown

Took a day off from work and took some minutes to re-aquaint myself with Chinatown again. Although I live in Chinatown, I hardly see Chinatown. It's work, work and more work, outside town.

So, while waiting for my "new" barbershop to open, I took a stroll through the different streets of Ngau Che Shui (Gu Chia Chwee) - the originally Cantonese part of Chinatown. The stalls catering to the tourists were already open and doing some brisk business with the busloads of tourists visiting the Sri Mariaman Temple. Others took their time to open.

Just as I was walking along Pagoda Street, I saw something like three classes of kids from a Primary School. Wah, school excursion to Chinatown! I don't remember having such trips in my days. We visited factories then. One kid was quipping to the other and the teacher, "the stalls are not open because it is not Chinese New Year". If only they have seen Chinatown of yesteryears. (^^) I did not follow them to see if they were to visit the Chinatown Heritage Museum, which I think is a great place to visit. I love that original door of that original shophouse.

That house alone certainly brings back many memories of the hard life and struggle of the people who lived in that place, as well as thousands who have lived in Singapore during those period. Some books have been written and they could be found in the Chinatown Heritage Museum and main bookshops. Veterans like Ronni Pinsler and Geraldene Lowe-Ismail could share with you of the tales which their Amahs shared with them, and brought them to see, probably experience the Chinatown then. Geraldene has also written a book on Chinatown (which was also translated into Chinese) and she still leads tour in Chinatown, mostly to local expatriates, and increasingly, young Singaporeans searching for their roots. For many, one of their ancestors could well have lived in Chinatown.

For a glimpse of the life of Singaporean Chinese in yesteryears, Jack has written an interesting article titled: "Ah Ma and her Beliefs: The Migrant Experience and Religious Practices of a Chinese Immigrant Woman in Twentieth Century Singapore.”

Ah, with careful planning, Chinatown could well be a living "museum" housing various traditional activities that would not only preserve our traditions and customs but also share them with fellow Singaporeans and visitors. Let's hope it will not be just a tourist destination alone. It used to be a buzz of activities in the night for anyone in search of food or shopping for the locals.

Tian Hock Keng celebrates Mazu's Birthday

9 May 2007, this year, was 23rd day of the 3rd Month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. It was the birthday of Mazu, more popularly known to the older Chinese Hokkien people as Ma Chor Po. Tian Hock Keng, at Telok Ayer St, probably the oldest and most well preserved temple, is where Ma Chor Po resides in Singapore.

On this day, Tian Hock Keng, marked a new milestone in having a Taoist Ritual, which was not seen in as many years as I know. The day was crowded with devotees, young and old, grandpas and grandmas teaching their grandchildren about Mazu, office workers dropping by to "talk" with Mazu. Some would kneel in front of the altar "talking" to her for quite a long time.

A number followed the Taoist Priests in their rituals as they invite the other Deities and the Jade Emperor to join in the celebrations. A pair of lions came to add joy to the occasion. As with traditional practices, devotees lined up to put their share of contribution towards the "you-xiang" (donation box) as a temple assistant called out the name of the donor and called upon Mazu to bless him/her and family.

Legend has it that it would rain on Mazu's birthday, and indeed, it did.

Chinatown is expecting another event!

This afternoon as I drove into South Bridge Road, dragons greeted me. With an eye on the road and an eye on the dragon, I was trying to recall what could this be. Chinese New Year is still months away. What could be happening?


There is only one possibility. And we will wait as it unfolds itself in the heart of Chinatown.

Ah, and the next generation is here ...

We know that the neighbourhood has somewhat settled when we see that the next generation's offsprings have been sent to grandpa and grandma. It is the children that gel the neighbourhood. In my first 12 years in the neighbourhood, there were only cursory smiles and nod of the head at the lift landing or inside the lift. But when the first kid arrived, it was not just smile but questions about the kid, how big he has grown .. and suddenly, the vertical (as in a flat) kampung (village) became like a horizontal kampung.

When my kids were young, my neighbour's house became the playground. The kids knew that they would have something nicer there. After all the field afar is always greener. (^^) My young daughter learnt quickly that if she said something smells nice, she would be rewarded with something to eat.

Pretty soon, my kids grew up and somewhat became shy of budging into the next door. Meanwhile the "korkor" and "jiejie" next door started getting married. For a moment of time, the noises were from our house.

And then, with the arrival of "spring", the kids next door started to bring back their offsprings for grandpa and grandma to take care. Wow, and the number grew from one to two to three. It was and still is a happy extended family again. It was time for us to comment how the kids grow so fast. We see the babies grew day by day, as how they saw our kids grow. Suddenly, the "korkor" and "jiejie" on this side became shy from the attention showered on them by the little kids next door.

Ah, these days, it would be quite difficult to see bamboo loads of tiny clothes. With the use-and-throw diapers, one no longer sees the cloth diapers that every mother-to-be has to learn to fold before the baby arrives. So, were the folding of absorbable paper (one has to rub the paper with two hands to make them soft for the soft bottoms of the baby) diapers before the cloth ones are tied over.

Replacement levels have not been met, but at least there is progress. (^^)

Hopefully, if the flat still stays, we might get to see yet another load of offsprings. (^^)

Malayalees celebrate their New Year in Chinatown

Thanks to an old neighbour, who was our babysitter for my daughter, now her god-mum, friend, I got to learn about the Malayalees celebrating their New Year with the Vishunite 2007 at the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre on 21 Apr 2007.

Mention Kreta Ayer People's Theatre and chances are it will be showing Cantonese Opera, and other Chinese shows. But this night, another ancient tradition and art has taken over. To many Singaporeans, they might still not really know about the Malayalees, just as other Singaporeans trying to know the Hokkiens and Cantonese.

Borrowing the notes from the Vishukkani 2007, the Singapore Malayalee Hindu Samajam
Publication, in the article on Vishu, Reshma Rajesh wrote that, "Vishu is a unique Hindu festival celebrated by the people of Kerala. Vishu is the first day of the Malayalam month of "Medam", which falls in the month of April. Vishu is considered to be the New Year for the people of Kerala."

The first thing that the people of Kerala see on this special day is the "Vishukani" which is for prosperity and good luck all year through. In temples also the Vishukanni will be arranged. Some people refer to see the vishu kanni in temples. According to the Hindu tradition, the Vishukani will have a lamp lighted in front of Lord Krishna, gold, money, fruits, a clean white cloth called "Kasava Mundu", rice grains, yellow flowers known as Konna (Cassia fistula), jackfruit, a mirror, betel leaves, coconut halved and yellow cucumber.

Young members of the family are given gifts and "kaineetam" that is a small amount of money which is supposed to bring prosperity all year through.

Dressed in their best, many Malayalees congregated at the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre for the show, performed by amateurs as well as professional dancers. Artistes from India were also invited to perform in the show. Tradition runs strong and deep in this community in Singapore!

Alas for me, because of prior engagement, I had to miss the show, but from looking at the artistes - children to professionals - I know I will miss an interesting event and a chance to get to know the community better. Next year perhaps. (^^) Still, it was great to drop by, ate the Vegetarian Wadeh (fantastic), coffee (somehow tasted different and better) and bought two Ladu, which I was told once I eat it, I will be coming for more. I will try it later.

The Origin

With kind permission and thanks to James and his friend, here is a very nice picture of the bullockcart, and with the water on it, presto, it is the bullockcartwater, probably sounding more correct in Malay - Kreta Ayer or Chinese - Niu Che Shui.


Could anyone recognise or identify where this picture was taken? Would be great to take a picture of the same place (no chance of a bullockcart though) today, if it is still around.

Nan Yin at Tian Hock Keng 天福宫

It's Guan Yin's birthday today (2M19) and Hokkien Huay Kuan with Siong Leng Nan Yin group staged a Nan Yin concert in front of the Hokkien Huay Kuan building with the Tian Hock Keng opened for worship.

By 8pm, almost all the seats were filled up and some spare chairs were being placed.

For this concert, the troupe spared no efforts in getting the performers to dress in Tang Dynasty dresses - wow, they looked good, especially on the ladies!

The first song was in dedication to Guan Yin, singing praise of Guan Yin and telling about the three importants dates of celebration in honour of Guan Yin, 2M19, 6M19 and 9M19 (in lunar calendar, month-date)

This night was a night of the younger generation. The older members only performed on the first song dedicated to Guan Yin. The younger ones took over from there with the songs, ensemble and even one with a dance, all very beautifully cheorographed.

Thanks to Kevin Ang, he has produced an English edition pamphlet explaining about Nan Yin and Tian Hock Keng. I hope to be able to get his copy in pdf so that you could also download to read. In the next performance, perhaps, a similar copy in different languages could be made available in the internet.

An ancient song and music, an ancient language - the origin of Tang and the Hokkiens - have been preserved and today, thanks to the dedication of the Siong Leng Musical Association, we get to enjoy what our grandparents have been enjoying in the early years in Singapore.

Thanks to Kent of SOH,

http://soch.wordpress.com/2006/05/30/a-historical-perspective-on-nan-yin/ , you can view the concert. More at youtube.com

See you there on 6M19? 1st August 2007. Bookmark in your diary!