tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post6409953988153533873..comments2024-03-28T15:13:45.925+08:00Comments on Good Morning Yesterday: Where Have All The Wayang Stages Gone?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-42430172994583978892015-09-10T17:30:16.770+08:002015-09-10T17:30:16.770+08:00What happened to radio dj Benard Selosa and his wi...What happened to radio dj Benard Selosa and his wife? <br /><br />Doreen Fong<br />Swiss Cottage 75Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-77882591975693250492010-10-01T19:44:05.955+08:002010-10-01T19:44:05.955+08:00Hi,
The last Wayang Stage in Singapore can be fou...Hi,<br /><br />The last Wayang Stage in Singapore can be found at Balestier Road. The name is Goh Chor Tua Pek Kong Temple.<br /><br />Was researching for my module History and Theory module in NUS.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13164733827237623674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-81605645598950302662009-10-29T10:43:39.138+08:002009-10-29T10:43:39.138+08:00Just came across your post. About the coffin makin...Just came across your post. About the coffin making shop at Crawford Street, I can confirm it as my brother was living there then.PChewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01246226278619934355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-43047143498001805232007-07-19T03:54:00.000+08:002007-07-19T03:54:00.000+08:00I know where there used to be another permanent op...I know where there used to be another permanent opera stage. It was along Upper Thomson Road between what is now Shunfu estate and the former Lake View Shopping Centre. It is at the far end of the current soccer field of Thomson CC and the remnant of the road that used to lead to the stage is still there now (but blocked off). I think there was also a bread shop at the entrance of the road and I vaguely remember rows and rows of traditionally baked, top-burnt, freshly baked bread left out to cool. I remember all these because I went to a PAP kindergarten just next to the stage, and the stage was where we played during recess. I'll always remember an auntie selling snacks under the stage... and the last I knew the auntie was selling bee hoon and ngoh hiang at the Sin Ming Food Centre, just a few hundred metres from where I used to buy sweets from her every day... :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-31429393195672838922007-07-16T15:03:00.000+08:002007-07-16T15:03:00.000+08:00Bernard Selosa and Monica Lim were still in the ne...Bernard Selosa and Monica Lim were still in the news in 2003/2004 when they were battling to keep their mortgaged house in Holland Road from being seized by the bank. This was because of their failed business venture - the 36-room Alana Hotel in Lor 10 Geylang. They bought it for $6.6 million in May 1997. Because of the Asian economic crisis that followed not long after and then the Sep 11 attacks in 2001, business was bad. The hotel was sold for $2.4 million in early 2004.<BR/><BR/>But that stretch of road is dangerous because drivers tend to speed. I was recently given a <A HREF="http://victorkoo.blogspot.com/2007/06/it-feels-good-to-be-given-second-chance.html" REL="nofollow">second chance</A> there.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-54256268618899565852007-07-16T10:18:00.000+08:002007-07-16T10:18:00.000+08:00I have not been able to find any news about that T...I have not been able to find any news about that Thomson Road accident I mentioned earlier. I could be wrong. My apologies. Better not speculate.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-80782377368173655992007-07-15T09:40:00.000+08:002007-07-15T09:40:00.000+08:00I attend a how-to-star-a-business course some year...I attend a how-to-star-a-business course some years ago conducted by jovial trainer who was a retired accountant in a SME company. One memorable sentence he uttered was: "beware - there is a lot of smoke in the business world". On reflection, this guy spoke the truth because many people have the perception that to get rich quick they have to jump into business wagon, and this is really the quick-sand that traps many good people unwitingly drawn into. Many are left high and dry - especially the pockets. My former boss used to say: "If it is that easy to make big money in business, who would then be working?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-58544762815968407692007-07-15T07:21:00.000+08:002007-07-15T07:21:00.000+08:00Benard Solosa died? I didnt read about that. I w...Benard Solosa died? I didnt read about that. I was wondering what happened to him and his wife after they lost their house in Holland Road opposite to Sixth Avenue to a bank because of business failure some years ago. Vey sad indeed.<BR/><BR/>The St Theresa Home arch structure at the main entrance still there?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-8997670105609215792007-07-14T22:39:00.000+08:002007-07-14T22:39:00.000+08:00I believe the 'roadside' wayang will still continu...I believe the 'roadside' wayang will still continue esp during the 7th lunar month. As for the cantonese type, there are held on several months, namely, the lunar 2nd, 3rd and 7th month. There is a yearly opera staged at kreta ayer open file during the 9th month and last usually for 10+days.<BR/><BR/>I really missed those days whereby we can watched many shows at many locations, Kg San Teng, Toa Payoh, Telok Blangah, Katong, Chinatown etc...Purple loverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12752027054776313759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-9300899885788547612007-07-14T17:44:00.000+08:002007-07-14T17:44:00.000+08:00Back to the wayang theme, this part and parcel of ...Back to the wayang theme, this part and parcel of the Chinese heritage, brought along by early Chinese settlers to S.E.Asia. Many opera stages may go, but as long as the 7th month festival survives, the opera shows I believe would continue even on temporary constructed stages, with Getai shows playing only a supplementary role. What happen to a generation or two down the road? Would it be like the existing opera stage in the beijing forbidden city, reduced to staging shows only for the tourists? It is anyone's guess.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-83198604809952444372007-07-14T14:52:00.000+08:002007-07-14T14:52:00.000+08:00Talking about that stretch of Thomson Road, did yo...Talking about that stretch of Thomson Road, did you read the news about 2 years ago where a famous DJ of our time by the name of Bernard Selosa who was killed in a traffic accident? It was very near to my office at Jln Pemimpin at that time. <BR/><BR/>I think a truck was stalled on the left lane at the sharp bend, and the taxi carrying him and his wife came speeding round the bend and ... . Very dangerous stretch.<BR/><BR/>Hope I have not made a mistake.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-50071367750651096862007-07-14T14:41:00.000+08:002007-07-14T14:41:00.000+08:00Peter. I think it is still there but has been rena...Peter. I think it is still there but has been renamed; <A HREF="http://www.sainttheresahome.org/history.html" REL="nofollow">St Theresa's Home</A>. Just next to Lornie flyover in direction of Thomson Road on MacRitchie Reservoir side.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-71559132295942385552007-07-14T11:38:00.000+08:002007-07-14T11:38:00.000+08:00The old folks used to say when you see things too ...The old folks used to say when you see things too often, you would treat them as per normal. So the coffin shops and the other types of shops co-exist harmoniously side by side is based on this perception, but not other places. I remember when I went over to my mother-in-law house at plantation avenue, I heard a hue and cry over a certain villager who had the audacity to lease his compound to a coffin shop operator storing his inauspicious comodity, blaming that the whole kampong fengshui was being affected. The kampong folks felt as though they were suddenly struck by lightning out of a clear blue sky. Even the present govt is aware of such sensitivity, now the under-taker business is largely confined in certain locations like Sin Ming, certain part of Toa Payoh, Geylang Baru and the likes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-25202442272091987362007-07-14T07:12:00.000+08:002007-07-14T07:12:00.000+08:00chun seeDo you remember the Little Sisters of the ...chun see<BR/><BR/>Do you remember the Little Sisters of the Poor which was opposite Kg. San Teng? It was a prominent landmark to indicate the start of Thomson Road to Sembawang Teachers Estate. I read sometime last year that the Catholic nuns decided to retire to Australia and give up the Home because the old nuns were getting old and Singaporeans no longer chose on to become nuns and nursing vocation.<BR/><BR/>Do you have picture of that Home? I think there was an arch painted beige color at the main entrance looking down a slope towards Thomson Road circus.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-713606671618450462007-07-13T21:02:00.000+08:002007-07-13T21:02:00.000+08:00Fmchan - Peter (who commented above), gave me an o...Fmchan - Peter (who commented above), gave me an old British army map (circa 1950s) for which I wrote a blogpost <A HREF="http://victorkoo.blogspot.com/2006/06/british-legacies-1.html" REL="nofollow">here.</A> Did you know that the area around Lavender Street and Kallang Road was a tidal swamp? (For a larger map, click <A HREF="http://static.flickr.com/75/162414332_31c6331c8a_o.jpg" REL="nofollow">here</A>.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-18649381061071913202007-07-13T18:14:00.000+08:002007-07-13T18:14:00.000+08:00One engineering service firm along Lavender Street...One engineering service firm along Lavender Street which I remember was Kwong Soon Wing Kee. My father worked as a clerk there in 1948. The building is still there just before the SHELL Station if one is driving from Balestier Road. My father said this company was Cantonese-owned and was supplying the metal welding parts for the Kallang Gasworks.<BR/><BR/>I loved to see sparks flying out of the welding equipment but sad to sad i never became an engineer.<BR/><BR/>the next time I hanged around this area was in the late 1970s selling computers to hardware shops like Gee Seng Huat. That was when I approached Singapore Casket to buy computer. The Eurasian boss told me in the coffin business no need to computerise the inventory or GL because "one can count by the fingers".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-50945937714122073602007-07-13T18:09:00.000+08:002007-07-13T18:09:00.000+08:00Jalan Besar Stadium: went there because of Nationa...Jalan Besar Stadium: went there because of National Day Celebrations in 1966. There was the Joint Police-Army Tattoo demonstration of dogs jumping over fire, toy soldiers and traffic police riding on motor bikes, Blanks were used. <BR/><BR/>Next time I went there was to watch rugby in 1967 between RI and St Andrews School, then the HMS Malaya Cup the cousin of the malaya Cup but for the rugby game). In 1968 saw England came to play agianst 1st Singapore XV comprising SCC, British Army and Singapore Police players.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-77922443761047925242007-07-13T13:53:00.000+08:002007-07-13T13:53:00.000+08:00Fmchan,I lived in Cheng Yan Place near today's Bug...Fmchan,<BR/><BR/>I lived in <A HREF="http://victorkoo.blogspot.com/2005/10/vanishing-scenes-of-singapore-part-2.html" REL="nofollow">Cheng Yan Place</A> near today's Bugis Junction SC. It is not very far from Kallang. In fact, I sometimes walked to and from school (about half-hour walk) just to to save on the 10 cents bus fare.<BR/><BR/>I remember there was an Indian spice miller shop along Jalan Besar Road. You could smell the very strong and distinctive curry and spice aroma from quite a distance away.<BR/><BR/>Our school field was just next to the Jalan Besar Stadium. Don't remember any pig-slaughtering house but could recall that after school, we sometimes went to New World Amusement Park to play shooting games (the electro-mechanical type and not the first person PC shooting games Counter Strike, of course).Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-73491070234671239172007-07-13T12:47:00.000+08:002007-07-13T12:47:00.000+08:00Hi Chun Sun,Just confirmed with my mum on the actu...Hi Chun Sun,<BR/><BR/>Just confirmed with my mum on the actual location of the coffin shop. It's in 1 of the shophouses along Kallang Road. If you can recall, there is a fruit stall at the junction followed by a few other shops, book shop, pawn shop then this coffin shop,etc. The teochew family fabricate the coffins; that's why there are coffins 'displayed' in there.<BR/><BR/>Victor,<BR/>Do you live at Kallang too and ah ha! know your age :)<BR/>I lived there from birth till Pr 4 but I studied at Balestier! Yes, I also recalled the 松林sawmill which you've mentioned. I am more familiar with this stretch : Lavendar Street, Kallang but not the Jln Besar side though I knew there's the stadium there. Think there was a site for pig-slaughtering there too.<BR/>Got to go for lunch now. Do share with us more on this :)Purple loverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12752027054776313759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-43843048757348174542007-07-13T10:25:00.000+08:002007-07-13T10:25:00.000+08:00I have vague memory of those places around this ar...I have vague memory of those places around this area, but certainly not the Jln Besar stadium, which staged many memorable Malaysia Cup football matches, prior to the construction of the National Stadium. Being an avid fan, 'die-die' must reach it and get in, despite the discouraging long queues. Now the former ugly duckling (wooden floor stadium) has been transformed into a lovely swan, a worthy temporary substitute to the recently demised grand lady (national stadium), until arrival of the new lady in waiting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-62884129728385146382007-07-12T23:49:00.000+08:002007-07-12T23:49:00.000+08:00I was studying in Victoria School from 1969 to 197...I was studying in <A HREF="http://victorkoo.blogspot.com/2005/11/vanishing-scenes-of-singapore-part-6.html" REL="nofollow">Victoria School</A> from 1969 to 1974. It was very near the sawmill which Peter mentioned above. The biggest and most famous sawmill there was called Song Lim Sawmill(松林板厂).Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-11035775340976185342007-07-12T21:37:00.000+08:002007-07-12T21:37:00.000+08:00fmchan. Can you pls confirm my recollection of the...fmchan. Can you pls confirm my recollection of the location of those coffin shops. <BR/><BR/>BTW. If you go to the Picas site I mentioned, you will also see old photos of Kg Soo Poo and Kg Bugis - both places new to me actually.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-34076893459624807202007-07-12T21:06:00.000+08:002007-07-12T21:06:00.000+08:00Great to know that you guys know about this Kallan...Great to know that you guys know about this Kallang place. Yes, my maternal grandparents had a laundry shophouse while my patenal grandparents had a engineering firm both facing the gas works. Recalled once when there was a fire, my granny had to bring the few grandchildren to safety for fear that the gas work station will explode! Phew! Those were the days!<BR/><BR/>Kg SooPoo is just after the gas works. There is an Indian Temple at the junction of this road leading to a PA kindergarten and a clinic.<BR/><BR/>There are many things to write about around Kallang area. There were many shophouses selling little chickens, eggs, fruits, vegetables etc. Just like the wet market at 火成. <BR/><BR/>Hope those who know more of this place can exchange comments with me. Hee, then we'll know your age:)Purple loverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12752027054776313759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-43527494499753034402007-07-12T20:48:00.000+08:002007-07-12T20:48:00.000+08:00The huge China type that you often see in kungfu m...The huge China type that you often see in kungfu movies. <BR/><BR/>I quite sure that a couple were on the stretch of (sorry, should be) Crawford Street between North Bridge Road and Kallang Road; i.e. where the open ICA car park is now. Facing the former Kallang Gas Works. I think there were also one or two along Kallang Road opposite the ICA.<BR/><BR/>If you go to PICAS website (<A HREF="http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/picas/public/internetSearch/" REL="nofollow">here</A>) and key in Kallang River, or Kallang Road, you will see many old photos of those factories you mentioned.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-40680459989025513472007-07-12T19:18:00.000+08:002007-07-12T19:18:00.000+08:00chun seecan u refresh me which part of Lavender St...chun see<BR/><BR/>can u refresh me which part of Lavender Street was a "coffins row"? U mean the ang mo type like Singapore Csket or the China type? I know one side of Lavender Street was full of engineering service companies and the other side was hardware shops. <BR/><BR/>Kallang Road in the 60s was full of timber shop and sawmills. The Kallang River was full of logs floating in the river. The river had a terrific stench and water was black color. I dont think there was a shipyard in the Kallang Road unlike the Singapore River at Kim Seng Road (behind Copthorne Hotel) where there were many shipyards building tongkangs. I can't picture where is Kg. SooPoo - can help?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com