tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post3403988190247396925..comments2024-03-28T15:13:45.925+08:00Comments on Good Morning Yesterday: Money Change ….. Hello Johnny, Long time no see (by Peter Chan)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-48051819714269900152014-02-21T09:26:05.231+08:002014-02-21T09:26:05.231+08:00Didn't know the origin of the term Dai Yi Loon...Didn't know the origin of the term Dai Yi Loong dated back to the early rich history of Singapore's past. Interesting! Not many people will know.Tah Chongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-48850632788689439572014-02-18T19:22:32.540+08:002014-02-18T19:22:32.540+08:00Hi Peter,Do you know J. A. Parker 20/21 Winchester...Hi Peter,Do you know J. A. Parker 20/21 Winchester house?Jude Lobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15918236049598237436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-27224328176618362182008-10-14T17:17:00.000+08:002008-10-14T17:17:00.000+08:00Peter, I think what Icemoon meant is that the term...Peter, I think what Icemoon meant is that the term "Dai Yee Long" (literally "big ear hole") originated from the Chettiar's practice of wearing earrings which are so heavy that they caused the holes in their earlobes to become very big.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-22167001860283062302008-10-14T17:00:00.000+08:002008-10-14T17:00:00.000+08:00Icemoon-Chettiar not the same as Dai Yee Long. Ch...Icemoon-<BR/>Chettiar not the same as Dai Yee Long. Chettairs are licensed money lenders under the Money Lenders Act of MAS. Ah Long San comes under the Geylang Act. Chettairs always take post-dated check, your IC and one guarantor. He pays out cash and charges >10%/yr in those days, not sure now days.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-18321156812024825512008-10-14T16:50:00.000+08:002008-10-14T16:50:00.000+08:00Fighting fit & Peter,Yes, the Indian man menti...Fighting fit & Peter,<BR/><BR/>Yes, the Indian man mentioned is an Indian Muslim Haji, with the shop name Dinky. He is now at Golden Landmark. He moved there after the landlord redevelop the place. His shop is full of interesting things, many USSR products, ship compass, watches, kris swords,etc.alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08922085204885727908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-2612775312819825512008-10-13T14:19:00.000+08:002008-10-13T14:19:00.000+08:00Sori mistake, I mean metal railings.NINAI Mohd Sdn...Sori mistake, I mean metal railings.<BR/><BR/>NINAI Mohd Sdn Bhd was the sole agent for S26 infant formula milk in Singapore/Malaya then, and HEINZ baby food. I know it because my sister was on that kind of diet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-12490073965544384122008-10-13T14:16:00.000+08:002008-10-13T14:16:00.000+08:00If I am not wrong there was a HILDA's inside The A...If I am not wrong there was a HILDA's inside The Arcade. HILDA's was a lady's boutique with another outlet the old Fitzpatrick's Supermarket or Cold Storage Supermarket in Orchard Road. I think "Handlooms", a carpet shop was there too.<BR/><BR/>If you waqnt to imagine what the old Arcade was like then, go down to the present Arcade and look up the ceiling. There was a huge void and metal railways around each floor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-55668888010257458652008-10-13T14:04:00.000+08:002008-10-13T14:04:00.000+08:00Wow, compared to the pictures from then to 80s-90s...Wow, compared to the pictures from then to 80s-90s and recent years, changes really been made over the past decades.<BR/><BR/>When I am still a little kid, my mom always brought me there with her whenever she went to my aunt's office which located inside "The Arcade" to work. I missed those good old times..<BR/><BR/>Too bad the changes been made so rapidly, the good old things have been changed.Dreamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14220066202663561556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-10190286258154414392008-10-13T12:27:00.000+08:002008-10-13T12:27:00.000+08:00Hey, those Chettiars. I think they gave us the ori...Hey, those Chettiars. I think they gave us the origin of the word "dai yee long" right?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-74030704790992698292008-10-13T12:06:00.000+08:002008-10-13T12:06:00.000+08:00Actually Raffles Place quite interesting in those ...Actually Raffles Place quite interesting in those days. Next to Robinsons was a row of shops (2/3 storey). I remembered Naina Mohd Sdn Bhd was there. FJ Issacs the optician, Silvaroyal the agent for OMEGA watch (still around but I think now in Marina Square), Winston's Golf Shop in Ocean Bdlg area.<BR/><BR/>Chun See:<BR/>I very kapoh those days and use to follow the money-changer around. I find their HQ in Market Street (the former Tat Lee Bank Bdlg and Golden Shoe Carpark area), side by side with the Chettiars, One day must also blog about those Chettiars (money lenders). If one thinks money-changer hides his money in the wallet attached to the belt, that is a decoy. I see them hide under the sarong. have you wondered why those Indians sometimes fold their sarong short and next moment let it down like a saree? Your answer is there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-11157205877503254942008-10-13T11:57:00.000+08:002008-10-13T11:57:00.000+08:00No it was not Motion Smith. Motion Smith was in a...No it was not Motion Smith. Motion Smith was in a building which I think could either be on the present # 79 Anson Road (which was the former CPF office = the former Phoenix Bdlg) OR the M Hotel site. My best guess is #79 because opposite was a row of shops with a long driveway (now Tunas Bdlg?). <BR/><BR/>Next time I tele you < is shall speak like someone from Mumbai and then you judge whether sounds the same like Indian.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-71817471567007309572008-10-12T21:54:00.000+08:002008-10-12T21:54:00.000+08:00Tom said ... I remember Change Ally I use to go...Tom said ...<BR/> I remember Change Ally I use to go there after I had afew Tiger beers at the Brit.Club with some ofthe lads, we would look around to see if we could get some think on the cheap, I remember two Indian lads, they came up to us trying to sell some gold rings, then we would start to barter, they always called you Sab,and we would sing them a wee scots song , and every one around us would start to smile, people were alot friendly in these days, at the end of day we went back home to Selarang with agood bargainTomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00283468129139631266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-92179188706438958782008-10-12T21:24:00.000+08:002008-10-12T21:24:00.000+08:00Hey I know that name Motion Smith. When I was doin...Hey I know that name Motion Smith. When I was doing my Industrial Engg prog at Prince Edward Campus, I once went to a shop called Motion Smith to buy a plastic template for drawing Work Study sysmbols for my Flow Process Charts. I it was located along Anson Road near to Palmer Road.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-35805481671348706222008-10-12T20:58:00.000+08:002008-10-12T20:58:00.000+08:00Peter, was the name of the shop that sold surveyin...Peter, was the name of the shop that sold surveying equipment called Motion Smith?Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-22863271593555034242008-10-12T20:31:00.000+08:002008-10-12T20:31:00.000+08:00I am quite amazed by Peter's power of observation....I am quite amazed by Peter's power of observation. As such a young boy, he was able to appreciate the bargaining process adopted by the shopkeepers of Change Alley and their British customers. What Peter described in this article pretty much echoes what Derek Tait has written in his book, <B>Memories of Singapore and Malaysia</B>. In page 68 he wrote:<BR/><BR/><B><I>"Change Alley was a great place to barter and you always ended up with a bargain. The shopkeepers would do anything to get you into their shops and once you were in, they nearly always managed to sell you something or other. Every time you would walk away, the price would get lower until it was so low, you bought whatever it was anyway. Probably most people didn’t want the stuff in the first place though it was a great place to buy watches, cameras and electrical goods.</I></B>"Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-35544062061171879592008-10-12T19:01:00.000+08:002008-10-12T19:01:00.000+08:00Tom said ... icemoon I click on to your secret,...Tom said ...<BR/> icemoon I click on to your secret, I thought it was very good know we all can see the photographs alot better haha.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00283468129139631266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-62671556700525465332008-10-12T18:03:00.000+08:002008-10-12T18:03:00.000+08:00The second photo in Fig 1 has come alive. There w...The second photo in Fig 1 has come alive. There was on the ground floor an office stationery shop with a large window display - the shop sold those "SAF RSM walking stick" which I think were used in land surveying. Aiyah I wish I can remember the same of the shop. <BR/><BR/>Boon & Company was to the right of this shop after passage way. <BR/><BR/>NCR (national cash register) the computer company was I think on the second floor. Still can imagine sales men carry those mechanical cash registers in and out of the building.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-68749371724830256912008-10-12T16:34:00.000+08:002008-10-12T16:34:00.000+08:00Hmmmm why is every one commenting on the size of t...Hmmmm why is every one commenting on the size of the pictures.<BR/><BR/>Guess size does matters. :)<BR/><BR/>The name Change Alley brings back memories. It did add colour and excitment to the other wise boring area. That was my perception as a child.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-50758258827731990332008-10-12T10:39:00.000+08:002008-10-12T10:39:00.000+08:00Rather than a large picture in the blog post (whic...Rather than a large picture in the blog post (which may break the layout, be bad for slow connections etc. and is generally a bad design idea) why not link the picture so that you can click on it to see it in a larger size rather than having to get the url of the picture...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-71634515452838264952008-10-12T00:13:00.000+08:002008-10-12T00:13:00.000+08:00Icemoon, I know how to meddle with the "s" (not se...Icemoon, I know how to meddle with the "s" (not sex but size hor) parameter but would prefer to see a big photo directly on the blog.<BR/><BR/>Many years ago, I saw a shop selling old ship lamps, Russian watches and other stuff on the overhead aerial plaza near Change Alley. I don't know where it had moved to now.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-73860288619403753152008-10-11T21:12:00.000+08:002008-10-11T21:12:00.000+08:00Victor, here is the secret to reading those very s...Victor, here is the <A HREF="http://tinyurl.com/5xgbod" REL="nofollow">secret</A> to reading those very small signs.Icemoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08174805596607457468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-61697259782753564782008-10-11T14:52:00.000+08:002008-10-11T14:52:00.000+08:00Fighting FitI know you refer to that antique shop ...Fighting Fit<BR/><BR/>I know you refer to that antique shop operated by an Indian. I am not sure whether they are the same people. There is one which sells similar stuff at Golden Landmark. The shop is facing Ophir Road and a bus stop. The next unit is a PRC massage parlourAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-49911048958451697362008-10-11T13:43:00.000+08:002008-10-11T13:43:00.000+08:00The Change Alley Overhead Pedestrian Bridge with i...The Change Alley Overhead Pedestrian Bridge with its two rows of shops were most interesting. It had tailors, money changers, eateries, souvenirs, and my favorite--the few that sold all kinds of stuff, cameras, old watches, clocks, things taken from ships. I reckoned a lot of sailors must have brought stuff there and traded them or sold them to the guys. They had lots of old Russian watches. If you know your watches, you might run into a gem now and then. <BR/><BR/>But they are all gone now. Anyone has any idea where they are now?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-79320634204852881892008-10-11T12:45:00.000+08:002008-10-11T12:45:00.000+08:00Peter/Chun See - The photos in the montage (1st ph...Peter/Chun See - The photos in the montage (1st photo) are so small that they look more like stamps to me. Can't see much details leh. Can post larger ones?Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-84697751312524645702008-10-11T05:35:00.000+08:002008-10-11T05:35:00.000+08:00although there are money changers all over the isl...although there are money changers all over the island, and even in hdb estates, i still go to the arcade and change alley to change money.yghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07054865524193859788noreply@blogger.com