Old Fashioned Swing

Our National Parks marks 50 years of greening as shown in the above article in today's Straits Times. It stated that the playground evokes memories of the '70s and '80s ....the feeling of playing in the parks as children.  While reading the article the time machine transported me to the late '60s.

I had this old fashioned swing installed at my in-laws home at Nullar Road for my 4 children to play. My family did not live there. But, everymorning  I drove my kids there for my in-laws to look after them. The swing was quite safe for the kids to play and my family of six could squeezed into seats with 3 on each side. It is a joy playing with your own kids and laughing together. If only time could stand still. How time has passed. My little girl on the swing is now 50 plus.

Looking at the photos now I have second opinion about kids' safety playing at the old fashioned swing. Instead of sitting they were performng stunts. An accident could happen if any of them missed their grip on the steel bar. Picture shows my son Chris on the left. Next to him on the right is my nephew Peter. My daughter Anita is behind them . I cannot believe this. In the '60s Peter was a kid playing with my childen. Now he is a retiree.

                                Happy time playing at the old fashioned swing

year of the snake pictures

FOYers Meet

On Sunday 27 January 2013 friends of yesteryears (FOYers) bloggers met at Kreta Ayer Food Centre for the launching of Dr.Tan Wee Kiat's book depicting stamps of Japanese Occupation from 1942-1945. It also gave us the opportunity to fellowship and bonding.

I remember the first time I met the FOYers was in August 2011 at the Singapore Post Building food centre. The occasion was the lauching of Dr Tan Wee Kiat's book on Singapore bird series stamps and currency. It was there that I met my niece and her husband Yeo Hong Eng a fellow blogger. There was also an elderly kopi kia who served drinks only to our group. You can see him with wide grin in the picture below. He is a jolly good fellow.

The foyer's next gathering was on 24 September 2011 at the Eunos Bus Interchange coffee stall. Whoever suggested that location should be awarded the number one Star for it was a 5-star place. The site was away from the crowd and we could let our hair down without bystanders staring at us. The two ukulele players were basking without a licence. Someone with good humour put a cap on the floor to collect money for them. You can guess whose cap was used to collect money from the picture below.

The two musicians played actors. It was the practice session. Chun See was the director sitting in front of them giving directions. Wee Kiat was the assistant director. A video crew was busy snapping away Dick in action.

Our friend Lam Choon See of Good Morning Yesterday launched his book on 4th February 2012 at 39 Armenian Street adjacent to Peranakan Museum. It was another opportunity for the foyer to meet.

Chang Soh Kiat of Sitting In Pictures and a friend of the FOYers was returning home to Australia. On 25th April 2012 the FOYers gathered at Lavender MRT kopitiam to give her a send-off

Pictures below were taken on 27th January 2013 during the launching of Swee Kiat's book.

Philip Chew was chatting with James Kwok and Char Lee was getting ready his camera

Shaking hands with Dick the ukulele man

                                     One group photo for remembrance

It appeared that the FOYers met twice a year in 2011 and 2012. This year we already had one recently. I hope we can have one or two more gathering before the year end. Looking back the most memoriable get together was at the Eunos Bus Interchange coffee stall. We were able to have fun singing and clowning around. Nobody bothered us inspite of the noise. Hope our next venue will be like Eunos Bus Interchange coffee stall.

Moon Cakes

This year's Mooncake Festival reminded me of an article in the Straits Times Wednesday 20 September 2010 heading "Bribery? It's a piece of mooncake". Packaging inside the mooncake boxes could be found gold bars, expensive watches and jewelleries. It was also an excuse to build business relationship to gain favours between business associates. The bottom line is corruption.

In Singaopore the traditional mooncake came in a box of 4 mooncakes. Then the mooncakes started to have different colours and flavours such as green (pandan), purple (yam), orange and white. Still, the contents inside were green been paste with one/two egg yolks or no egg yolk at all.

In 2012 the world economy is not doing very well and the mooncake packaging has gone back to basic. It would be interesting to see the return of inovative packaging like in 2010.

                     Lady handbags

  Jewellery box mooncakes

     Double mooncake box

 Drawer box mooncakes

Gypsy Dance 1960s

Gypsy Dance at Bethesda Kindergarten

I was searching for some old photos and came across the above picture. My daughter was in K2 Bethesda Kindergarten at Frankel Estate. It was her class graduation day and parents were invited. Before the presentation of Graduation Certificate, her class performed a gypsy dance as in the above picture. This photo was taken in the mid 1960. My daughter is 3rd from the left. I hope to bring fond memories to the girls who are now very close to 50 years old or older. I believe they are mothers and one or two might even be grandmothers.

Jalan Besar Heritage Trail

On Saturday 4th August 2012 Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts launched the Jalan Besar Heritage Trail at City Square Mall. I met fellow blogger Lam Chun See as he was coming out of the stage enclosure. He was there as an invited guest. Anyway both of us had fond memories of the area. The quotation below is from him.

Chun See wanted to turn back the clock  and was trying to locate the former New World Amusement Park side gate so as to have another free entrance. I remember the side gate entrance and tried to get my bearing. There was an open canal running along the side of the amusement park. A wooden bridge across the canal led to the side gate entrance. The other end of the bridge led to the carpark. We looked around and found the open canal had been covered up with concrete. Part of it is now a walkway starting from Jalan Besar. The other half is a driveway and is named Kitchener Link. I could roughly guess the position of the side gate entrance and pointed it out to Chun See.

                                                 View from Jalan Besar
                                    open canal concreted over to form a walkway

                          The side gate entrance was at the end of Kitchener Link

I walked along French Road and then to Jalan Besar to see the buildings that have replaced the three abattoirs before proceeding to City Square Mall for the opening ceremony of the Jalan Besar Heritage Trail. Then my memories flashed back to the abattoir days and the job I was doing.

                                         Picture Story of Pig Abattoir

                                                    Photo from PICAS
                       Pigs brought by butchers were kept in the abattoir pig pens

                                                    Photo from PICAS
                                      Meat Inspector examing pig carcasses

                                                     Photo from PICAS
                           carcasses found fit for human consumption were branded

                                          Picture Story of Cattle Abattoir

                                                    Photo from PICAS 
                                       cattle brought to the abattoir for slaughter

                                                             Photo from PICAS
                                      skinning the cattle carcass before inspection

                                                       Photo from PICAS
                        I was inspecting the cattle carcass with the help of a labourer

                                                      Photo from PICAS
                               I was removing the localised infected part of the meat

                                                        Photo from PICAS
                                        cutting open the cattle liver for inspection

The three photos from the National Archives of Singapore surprised me. I did not expect to see pictures of myself doing meat inspection. I was not aware when the photos were taken in 1964.

Same Thing But Different Time - blood donation

The Straits Times 18 July 2012 published an article "Bloodbank gets boost on SPH Red Apple Day" The above article reminded me of an appeal by The Free Press dated 5 July 1955 with the opening sentence "Your blood may save a life".

I was then working in the City Council and the appeal for blood donation went to all the departments. The response was good for many of the staff signed up. One week later a mobile blood collection unit arrived at City Council. It was formed in 1949 to enable donors to give blood near their homes or at their workplaces. A year later the Singapore Blood Transfusion Service (SBTS) began giving out certificates, badges and  medals to recognise its regular donors.

The SBTS took 100cc of blood from each donor as stated in the Free Press. But in my case, because I had blood group "B" which was very rare and most useful to save life,  more than twice the amount  (220 cc) of blood was taken from me. I donated blood to save lives and also to find out my blood group. As a blood donor I was given a certificate which showed my name, blood group and the amount of blood donated.

Later when there was an appeal, I went directly to SBTS  to donate blood and was given a can of beer or stout to drink at each visit. I understand SBTS had stopped giving free beer/stout to donors sometime ago.