tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post7300874322033839919..comments2024-03-28T15:13:45.925+08:00Comments on Good Morning Yesterday: More than 1 type of kampong in SingaporeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-45700318125140987442018-05-19T18:38:13.690+08:002018-05-19T18:38:13.690+08:00Hi Gek Cheng. Sorry for not responding to your com...Hi Gek Cheng. Sorry for not responding to your comment after such a long time. I have not been monitoring my blog for a couple of years actually.<br /><br />Anyway, thanks for your inputs. I'm remember that row of shops that you mentioned. May I check with you; was that part of Braddell Rd known as Lina Buay or something close? I remember there was a char kuay teow vendow along that part of Braddell Rd. Across the road was a wayang stage that doubled as a school.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-76098573802664416782017-10-31T16:41:17.848+08:002017-10-31T16:41:17.848+08:00How amazing Chun See, I came upon your blog trying...How amazing Chun See, I came upon your blog trying to find a good reason why I should make paintings based on the theme of tropical pastorals intending to begin by first remembering the kampong environment I have lived in. When I saw your pic with your dog Nappie... I immediately recalled knowing your face ( squarish with defined dark brows?). So it is that you went to BRS as I did from 1960-1965...<br /><br />I stayed in the kampong with the name Lorong Kundang that is now just before the longkang next the CIDB (Construction Industry Dev Board), part of Bishan New Town. We stayed there till everyone moved to HDB flats in the late 1970s. At the entrance to Lor Kundang we had a couple of shops including a provision shop belonging to my fathers cousins, along with a coffee shop before it..and then after, it was a chinese chemist, a barber, a dentist and a timber yard selling attap leaves and planks, from which the village carpenter cum house builder bought materials to build most peoples houses. At the behind of the provision shop was a tall porkseller who came from Lor Chuan called Ah Chorh,, whose grandchildren we tutored. He had a daughter who became an early SIA flight stewardess and in that time I can say her reputation preceeded every mention of her.<br /><br />Of particular interest to me is the above longkang now being remade with alot scalfolding and hoarding running along to the Bishan MRT Depot. When we were children, it was a source of mystique and magic for me, this stream, because you can play with friends in it, catch blood worms/fishes or rather it had a frightening jungle on the other side from which<br />I have endless imaginings of all sorts of lurking spirits. This was probably now part of the CTE and the Aussie School and beyond further could well be your kampong.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04783053876259862913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-22067622124976044262014-01-03T15:01:56.330+08:002014-01-03T15:01:56.330+08:00Ish Singh. I have very vague (very young then) mem...Ish Singh. I have very vague (very young then) memory of and Indian or Sikh jaga at either South Country Theatre or the Pek San Teng Temple. What made him easy to remember was his reputation for being able to speak Cantonese, the main dialect of that region.<br /><br />But what I am very sure about is that we have an Indian; probably Sikh jaga at our school, the Braddell Rise School, which was very near to Kg San Teng. In fact my school mate Aii Chan made mention of him in my book, Good Morning Yesterday.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-63491487061827176292014-01-03T14:13:08.107+08:002014-01-03T14:13:08.107+08:00I just realised that i have a few family members w...I just realised that i have a few family members who use to work at Kampong San Teng Cemetery as jagas(guards)...did you recall any sikhs/indians living there?<br /><br />Thank you.Ish Singhnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-14757398014174834252008-09-07T21:32:00.000+08:002008-09-07T21:32:00.000+08:00Thanks for the information Zen. How would you writ...Thanks for the information Zen. How would you write Kong in chinese? I suppose the other two characters are 林院 or 林园? Or might be 林苑?Icemoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08174805596607457468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-59467483780377839582008-09-07T21:15:00.000+08:002008-09-07T21:15:00.000+08:00A noteworthy blog-post. Thank you for sharing with...A noteworthy blog-post. Thank you for sharing with me the differences between Malay and Chinse kampongs, and the differences between the different types of Chinese kampongs. Now I could appreciate what I have not experienced before better. Cheers. :)oceanskies79https://www.blogger.com/profile/15637499843542653266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-6320770715241650312008-09-07T21:08:00.000+08:002008-09-07T21:08:00.000+08:00icemoon - Common sense dictates that you can't pos...icemoon - Common sense dictates that you can't possibly replace RAF- chia keng, a precise indication of the location, to say RAF - London.Zenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07489706873295639555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-44720861764824082712008-09-07T21:02:00.000+08:002008-09-07T21:02:00.000+08:00icemoon - I forgot to provide some information to ...icemoon - I forgot to provide some information to satisfy your 'fertile' mind - that is whether kampong families indicated their surname at the homes (like rural Japanese) - as far as I can remember- mostly no, in contrast with ancient chinese practice. However, some homes installed family ancestor wooden tablet, displaying photo of deceased grand-parents on the wall above the tablet, placed on a small table at an auspicious corner. Such tablet was incribed with the family surname. My grandparents were an exception, they put up an arch in front of our land, and at the top it was written: Kong Lam Yuen - meaning the estate of the Lam family, something quite unique in our kampong at that time.Zenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07489706873295639555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-75193855231999593942008-09-04T19:52:00.000+08:002008-09-04T19:52:00.000+08:00I meant to say, Amoy Quee SAF Camp (used to be RAF...I meant to say, Amoy Quee SAF Camp (used to be RAF Amoy Quee in the 1960s), near the APPLE Computer factory.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-83051068785259689072008-09-04T14:03:00.000+08:002008-09-04T14:03:00.000+08:00RAF Chia Keng took after a name of a Chinese villa...RAF Chia Keng took after a name of a Chinese village nearby. There used to be a Chinese village along Yio Chu Kang Road, just before turning left into Serangoon Gardens on the left side of Yio Chu Kang Road. It was called Chia Keng Village. The wet market at the corner of Yio Chu Kang Road and Upper Serangoon was called Chia Keng Market. If my memory serves me, the bdlg looked a bit like the Macpherson Road Market, opposite the Macpherson Road Post Office.<BR/><BR/>We "took cover" at this place when we did "Ex. Red Beret" in 1974, so the place was etched in my memory. During the exercise we crossed over from Tampines Road to Anoy Quee via Yio Chu Kang Road (through the kampungs my friend not the main road)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-40518835688449813112008-09-04T10:41:00.000+08:002008-09-04T10:41:00.000+08:00Zen's description of attap houses has jolted my me...Zen's description of attap houses has jolted my memory. I recall visiting one neighbour who lived on the hill slope somewhere behind the temple. The floor of their attap house was not even cemented but bare earth. I also remember being tasked to buy noodles from one of our neighbours and seeing him produce the noodles from his home. Very interesting.<BR/><BR/>Ah .. now I have an idea to write about the cottage industries in our kampong.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-4918052985076311882008-09-04T10:18:00.000+08:002008-09-04T10:18:00.000+08:00Chun See - I forgot to relate an interesting episo...Chun See - I forgot to relate an interesting episode that happened in Plantation Avenue. One day a land owner decided to earn more money. He rented out his plot of land for a funeral parlour operator to build a small wooden warehouse for storing his coffins and related wares, whereby causing a big uproar to fellow villagers who protested vehemently saying that this senseless act would seriously affect the fengshui of the kampong, hence inviting ill fortune for everyone. However, the lessor did not give in, but after a year or so, when I paid a visit to the kampong, I found the parlour operator had already vacated, with much relief to the residents.Zenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07489706873295639555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-14165445266964745692008-09-04T10:10:00.000+08:002008-09-04T10:10:00.000+08:00But how come the British camp had chinese name leh...But how come the British camp had chinese name leh?Icemoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08174805596607457468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-59934832863429043452008-09-04T10:09:00.000+08:002008-09-04T10:09:00.000+08:00Wow, I saw the old aerial with labels like Yio Chu...Wow, I saw the old aerial with labels like Yio Chu Kang Road and cemetery. Then I surfed further and saw the Google Earth version. Didn't know the cemetery is the Japanese Cemetery. First time I see the old entrance of the cemetery.<BR/><BR/>The investigative skill to find the old camp is vintage Peter .. lolIcemoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08174805596607457468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-50044098478704767432008-09-03T22:32:00.000+08:002008-09-03T22:32:00.000+08:00Alternatively google search for "RAF CHIA KENG"Alternatively google search for "RAF CHIA KENG"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-85525190544586667512008-09-03T22:24:00.000+08:002008-09-03T22:24:00.000+08:00I am not sure whether anybody know this web site h...I am not sure whether anybody know this web site http://www.freewebs.com/roverjag/<BR/><BR/>It is made by my friend Derek Lehrle. He was working in this secret communication station when he was based in Singapore in the 1950s. Goto to his web site and you can find more kampong houses in the photo gallery as well as a description of Yio Chu kang area. I leave you to guess who collaborated with Derek to find his old camp.<BR/><BR/>Happy readingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-79929512721224631122008-09-03T17:28:00.000+08:002008-09-03T17:28:00.000+08:00Chun See - Talking about the kampong at Plantation...Chun See - Talking about the kampong at Plantation Avenue, off Lorong Chuan, the place was quite similar to our kampong, two bus stops away, along Lorong Chuan, nearer Serangoon Garden. It had normal 'facilities' like a few groccer shops, coffee stalls, repair garages, a temple which reared a large python, a wayang stage, maybe a small TCM shop which I did not see perhaps further in. Children mostly attended Sin Min Chinese Primary School at Yio Chu Kang Road (my wife attended primary school P L MGS at Boundary Road). The difference was that they had a rust red coloured rubber processing factory which you blogged earlier near the the main road, with a crocodile tannery just diagonally opposite the the factory. There could be a rubber estate near by - remember the Chinese primary school Chong Boon which you attended? I noticed rubber trees near the school. My mother-in-law related a frightful incident that happened sometime around 1970, whereby a couple of armed robbers sought refuge in a house inside the kampong. Wily CID detectives (mostly Malays and Indiands)dressed as technicians 'reckie' the house several times by hiding inside a PUB van. When they were sure of the fugitives presence, made a sudden raid napping all of them in one swoop, catching the criminals by surprise.Zenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07489706873295639555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-41955259653097403512008-09-03T14:53:00.000+08:002008-09-03T14:53:00.000+08:00no, i did not have any access to census or to chec...no, i did not have any access to census or to check the names on tombstones. i remember seeing at least two names in english on sign-boards outside the houses. some were in chinese characters and i got one of my colleagues, whose surname was also 'yeo', to verify it. my former colleague was a teochew and i wondered if those families living on pulau blakang mati were also teochews.yghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07054865524193859788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-38984029340841977322008-09-03T11:00:00.000+08:002008-09-03T11:00:00.000+08:00Generally Peter's description of Chinese kampong h...Generally Peter's description of Chinese kampong houses is correct, but I would like to add that those were quite decent dwellings, especially with wooden gates. One should go into poorer people huts or sheds - uncemented, hardened yellow layer of soil acting as floors, leaking attap roofs, staying next to pig-stys or cess pools (or near to 'sei kai hor for example), wooden toilet without even a bucket-just a hole in the ground, open-air bathing cubicle where peeping tom could view from a tall tree and the list goes on. All these hellish conditions, made these poor folks, after moving into HDB flats with modern amenities, relunctant or refuse to revisit the past. On the contrary, people like us, after experiencing the adventurous kampong life during happier time like: tree climbing, swimming and fishing in ponds, catching spiders in bushes, looking for fighting fish hide-outs, bird watching, self thought-out games - all these are worth reminiscing minus of course the toilets, but then town dwellers at that time also could not escape the bucket toilet system.Zenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07489706873295639555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-26628363271059773372008-09-03T10:52:00.000+08:002008-09-03T10:52:00.000+08:00Actually I'm interested to know how did yg find ou...Actually I'm interested to know how did yg find out about the surname. Did kampong houses show surname like Japanese residence? Or was it some census he had access to? Or was it a walk through a cemetery on the island, if there was one.Icemoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08174805596607457468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-52885717821767149582008-09-03T10:44:00.000+08:002008-09-03T10:44:00.000+08:00I realize yg is very careful with the names of old...I realize yg is very careful with the names of old Sentosa - Death Island and Long Island. I learnt from <A HREF="http://timesofmylife.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/lost-islands-of-the-singapore-river-part-2/" REL="nofollow">laokokok</A> that Javanese call Pulau Saigon "Pulo" and Indonesians call it "Pulau". Is this the case for Sentosa also?Icemoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08174805596607457468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-44459580375204989622008-09-03T08:09:00.000+08:002008-09-03T08:09:00.000+08:00actually there was a small kampong on sentosa when...actually there was a small kampong on sentosa when it was pulau blakang mati or even earlier, when it was pulo panjang. <BR/><BR/>we went for picnics a few times before the government decided to develop it into a resort island and i recall seeing a number of chinese families with the surname 'yeo' living on the island.yghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07054865524193859788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-85455316283829010552008-09-02T17:31:00.000+08:002008-09-02T17:31:00.000+08:00I also wrote something similar in the concluding p...I also wrote something similar in the concluding paragraph of my post on that <A HREF="http://goodmorningyesterday.blogspot.com/2006/09/tribute-to-humble-profession.html" REL="nofollow">Humble Profession</A><BR/><BR/><I>"It’s been about one year since I started this blog. Occasionally I find young people commenting that they wished they could be living in my kampong days. Frankly, I doubt they would want to do that if they fully appreciated the conditions that I have deliberately described in a nostalgic and light-hearted way."</I>Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-4900877927814156152008-09-02T17:04:00.000+08:002008-09-02T17:04:00.000+08:00Thanks Zen for the clarification. Seems that kampo...Thanks Zen for the clarification. Seems that kampong life is not so rosy after all, no wonder yg said in his <A HREF="http://ivyidaong4.blogspot.com/2008/09/kampong-life-was-not-all-bliss-lest.html" REL="nofollow">kampong article</A>:<BR/><BR/>"although we oldies always hark back to the good old carefree days in the kampong, it does not mean that we all would like to embrace that kind of lifestyle all over again."Icemoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08174805596607457468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-65062643650554775632008-09-02T16:06:00.000+08:002008-09-02T16:06:00.000+08:00There were also plantations at the end of Lorong C...There were also plantations at the end of Lorong Chuan just before the Shell petrol station. Now it's all semi-ds and terrace houses. <BR/><BR/>And all that lush greenery and forest of what is now Ang Mo Kio and the CTE that border Serangoon Gardens also had a few commercial fishing ponds for the hobbyist angler.<BR/><BR/>I also spent school breaks at my aunt's house which is located in small kampong near Recreation Road, off Upper Serangoon Road (between Serangoon Central and Boundary Road). That kampong was mainly a Chinese enclave but I do remember the cement floor and high A-roofs of he attap houses. The layout of the kampong consisted of individual houses as well as long wooden houses with cubicles of various sizes.pcwonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11707275063367102511noreply@blogger.com