WANDER MORE What makes Chinatown Chinatown? - Think - Urban Redevelopment Authority
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Think See Do
Urban issues that matter The city in new light Tips on shaping the city
WANDER
MORE What makes Chinatown Chinatown?
1
We seek to stay Explore
03 07 11 15
curious with Croc meat and
calligraphy
Birds’
haven
How do you
revitalise a river?
What if you could
cycle this island?
wanderlust
Step inside clan The birds are flocking Re-experiencing Singapore’s Photographer Joseph Nair
associations and wet back to Kranji Marshes, longest river, we catch a tries out 3 cycling routes
markets to uncover what Singapore’s largest glimpse of its past and unveiling stunning views that
makes Chinatown feel like freshwater marshland. We future. entice us to step on that bike
Chinatown. find out why. again.
and wonder in See
understanding
21 23 26 28
Drawing the If Tin Tin Physical spaces Who is
city: batman visits are more that guy
our city.
and dragons Singapore… than shells in white?
4 out of 33 artists reveal Inspired by Tin Tin and Artist Koh Hong Teng tells us How do you get people to
personal glimpses of Doraemon, illustrator Lee why we need to tell stories remember forgotten places?
Singapore’s cityscape with Xin Li draws us into an about buildings and places. By taking selfies…of a
their works exhibited along the alternate universe of this different kind.
sidewalks of the URA Centre island.
celebrating Singapore’s 50th
birthday in 2015.
31 35
Time Serangoon
travelling with Road is not just
Royston Tan ‘Little India’
Filmmaker Royston Tan 4 photographers and 30
on panda-hunting and students delved deeper to peel
preserving memories. away the rich layers of this
historic enclave in a year-long
The physical and living spaces around documentation project.
us are “not just shells that encase us,
but are an extension of ourselves,” says Think
comic artist Koh Hong Teng on what
fascinates him about buildings and 39 43 46 48
places. They are imprints in time and Lessons from Designing for Making streets From cooking to
space that hold stories and secrets of Tiong Bahru’s communities safer for the harvesting flies
what was before and what is to come. block 55 disabled
Intimately linked to who we are and
What can a humble block Enabling Village’s people- Debra Lam, co-founder of Meet Ng Jia Quan,
how we live, we seek to stay curious teach us about our past and centric design has been Society Staples, wants to create Singapore’s insect farmer at
with wanderlust and wonder in future? bringing communities more conversations and wider Citizen Farm.
together. sidewalks for people with
understanding our city. It begins with disabilities.
telling stories about our urbanscape.
Do
Wander More presents 16 stories from
the e-magazine, Going Places Singapore, 51 54
that capture places in Singapore that 3 ways to live How to grow
move us, buildings that teach us, waste free herbs at home
individuals who inspire us to rethink Writer Michelle Ng A novice gardener puts her
our physical spaces and ways we can get challenged herself to live green thumbs to the test
started as active citizens. waste free for a week. by growing her own herb
garden. Here are 4 things she
learnt from the process.
1
Explore
What makes Chinatown
feel like Chinatown?
How did Kranji Marshes
attract the birds again?
How do we revitalise Croc meat
the longest river? and calligraphy
What if we could cycle
Step inside clan associations and wet markets to
uncover what makes Chinatown feel like Chinatown.
around the island? WRITER
Daniel Seifert
PHOTOGRAPHER
Philipp Aldrup
We walked, we cycled. local identity and traditions continue to
Pop quiz: my shoes smell like a pungent
And we stopped. mix of stingray, frog, rambutan and fresh
pork meat. Where have I been walking?
evolve and fascinate us. Some businesses
and stakeholders have found ways to
retain its rich soft heritage.
The wet market at Chinatown Complex,
To rediscover another of course!
Sink your teeth into traditions
We are on a mission to capture the
side of familiar places essence of one of Singapore’s most well-
known neighbourhoods. It is less about
physical buildings, and more about the
What makes this place so evocative is that
it still smells like the things it sells. You
also get a free show whenever you visit, a
around Singapore. enclave’s ‘soft heritage’: an intangible mix
of traditions, crafts and businesses that
continues to make Chinatown intriguing.
whirlwind of activities behind and around
the counters. There is a butcher scraping
a hog trotter free of its bristles, as lovingly
Contrary to some of our perceptions of as a barber giving a high-class wet shave.
Chinatown as being highly sanitised, its And in a corner, a cageful of frogs, placidly
2 3
“We want to bring tea culture to people help clans foster a more open mindset
here, which is exactly what the founder that helps them put their message out
of Pek Sin Choon wanted. If we didn’t to the world.
want that so badly, we could have given
up 20 years ago.” So how is the business “One suggestion,” Yan Chang says,
managing to adapt to modern times? “would be to open up private events
For one thing, it isn’t avoiding the online to the public.” While some clans still
revolution — they now sell teas online, harbour a more private air, others
and have become part of TimeTracks have embraced opening up, and now
SG50, an interactive app that tracks a even accept members of different
user’s GPS and tells stories behind nationalities, races and religions.
local businesses.
In fact one of our volunteer guides,
Cleverly, none of these changes interfere signed up to be a member. I think she’s
with the vintage look and feel of the American, but she can proudly say,
shop, allowing for a sweet balancing act ‘this is my clan now’.”
between old and new. But at the end of
the day, “We have survived thanks to pure
perseverance and passion,” says Eng Wah.
Finding fresh faces
But for me, I’m fine
These small businesses still make up the with change. Things are
Blogger Victor Yue
prominent face of Chinatown, but there
are other stakeholders that have faded always changing. All you
can do is work hard.
shares his love for
Chinatown: into the background: clan associations.
When Singapore experienced an
immigration boom of mainland Chinese
people over a century ago, the clans
1
were a vital support system, offering
I have lived in or staring out from a sign that reads “4 for youngsters prefer to get out of the protection and contacts in a new city.
around this area all $10”. They’re next to a stall that sells business and find other work.” Chinatown Nowadays, the government plays an A 21st century clan
my life. As I grow
older, I get more “live snake head” and “freshwater eels”. is changing, she admits. increasingly active role, says executive
attached. Behind the counter is Yvonne, the third architect Lee Yan Chang, from the URA’s One clan that embodies just such
generation in her family to run this stall. “But for me, I’m fine with change. Things conservation management department. a balance of tradition and openness,
are always changing. All you can do is He and other planners have been focusing says Yan Chang, is the Gan Clan.
2 “Traditional dishes like this are still work hard.” more on outreach and place management Cleverly, they started a programme
popular,” she says, proudly gesturing activities in conservation areas. It’s not that encourages young schoolchildren
I love the typical
chatting of to her mini-zoo of wares. “Do you Things certainly are changing: a frog’s just the built heritage that architects and to serve as tour guides for a new
Cantonese (like sell crocodile meat too?” jokes the leap from her stall is a beautifully planners care for, it’s the soft heritage too. heritage centre that tells the story
old times) mixed photographer. “Of course! It’s in the antiquated shophouse next to a sign that of the Gan clan. It is a great way to
with other Chinese
languages. Of fridge,” she laughs, kicking the humming says “Free Wi-Fi. Log on to wireless@ As part of efforts to revitalise the profile of nurture the next generation to share
course, there’s unit with wet sandals. chinatown.” – Chinatown’s delicate dance Chinatown’s many still-existing clans, Yan clan stories from a young age.
English and the with tradition and modernity. Chang led walking tours around several
other foreign
languages too. Turns out she’s not joking. “Do you want associations. These tours are now led by Such measures are largely thanks to
the address where I get the meat?” She Yuen Eng Wah, assistant general manager URA volunteers. Stepping inside these Gan Ee Bee, vice honorary secretary of
whips out her mobile and promptly at Pek Sin Choon, embodies the hard fascinating associations, he said visitors the association. Previously, the centre
3
recites the location of a crocodile farm work Yvonne espouses. Working at one of “realised there are so many clans over consisted of a quiet, austere room
based in Singapore. Who knew? Singapore’s oldest tea merchants takes 100 years old here, still actively serving stuffed with thick curtains and solemn
There is still the old (It’s at 321 Neo Tiew Crescent, in case motivation. For Eng Wah, that stems from the community in terms of organising ancestral portraits. Now, a S$500,000
aroma of the typical
hawker food,
you’re peckish). providing a service to everyday people. events.” But, often clinging to traditional redesign has seen the centre
although more “It’s not about what Chinatown needs, ways, these clan associations struggle to brimming with audio-visual materials
northern Chinese Are other stalls here multi-generation it’s about what the store can provide for attract new members in a modern world. and historic artefacts (like a roof tile
food aromas are
taking over. too? Some, she says, but not all. “Many customers,” he says. Hence one of Yan Chang’s remits was to from Confucius’s grandfather’s house).
4 5
“At the same time I feel we should work
with social enterprises that support arts
and crafts, maybe done by handicapped
groups. I think that’s something that
really engages the community and
draws attention.”
Havens of traditional skills
Most importantly, perhaps, Ee Bee feels
that clan associations embody age-old
traditions that they can pass on to
the younger generation. Like dialect
language skills, music or calligraphy.
“Chinatown has so many associations.
If each clan could adopt a school by
introducing some unique cultural
programmes that would be great. That
way a premise isn’t left vacant, and it
helps clans survive,” he says.
It’s worth pondering the link between
Chinatown and the deep reservoir of
Birds’ haven
Chinese traditions and skills held by its
residents. The clans are a bastion of this
tradition, but if they don’t pass on their
skills, the loss of Singapore’s soft heritage The birds are flocking back to Kranji Marshes,
could be felt throughout the island. “For Singapore’s largest freshwater marshland.
example the lion dancers: their art is We find out why.
passed through many generations,” says
Yan Chang. “The father is a member of a
troupe in a clan and brings his children to WRITER
events, which gets them exposed early in Timothy Msir
life. They’ll take part and pass on the art PHOTOGRAPHER
Image above: URA Coupled with events that appeal to a to the next generation.” Mark Teo
executive architect
Yan Chang leading
younger generation like networking and
a tour at Ying Fo wine tasting nights, the clan is hoping to With organisations like the Gan Clan
Fui Kun. inject fresh blood into the group. “The adapting to the modern era, whilst
current demographics of membership are embracing their roots, Chinatown’s arts
quite worrying,” says Ee Bee. and festivals should be able to survive
Stepping into Kranji Marshes in the early overhead. It is a sanctuary for migratory
and thrive. As we are about to leave the
morning is like entering another world – and shore birds, and a respite from the
The clan has even rented out part of its building, the photographer asks if we
new sounds, smells and sights. I imagine city for the rest of us.
premises to a high-end restaurant, a should close the rolling partitions which
this must be what Singapore’s landscape
clever way to reroute young professionals Ee Bee rolled back to reveal the view of
looked like before it was transformed into Marshes are waterlogged low-lying land
and families who come for a meal, and Bukit Pasoh. “No, you can leave them like
a dense metropolis. areas that flood during wet seasons or
are then intrigued by the heritage tour that,” she smiles. “Sometimes it’s good to
during high-tide. They support a wide
right next door. There are even plans open up.”
Lying on the northwestern shore of Kranji range of aquatic plants, including reeds
to potentially work with designers who
Reservoir, there’s plenty to look out and grasses that function as natural
imbibe the rich, 2,500-year-old history URA has been collaborating with the
for in Kranji Marshes in the 20-minute habitats and shelter for a variety of fishes,
of the Gan clan, then design attractive community to organise free walking
walk through Neo Tiew Woods, from amphibians, invertebrates and birds.
products that weave in that heritage. “I tours and cultural activities at
the visitor’s centre at Kranji Gate to the While the public might be familiar with
think it could be something meaningful Chinatown. To find out more, visit
Marsh Station and core conservation wetlands because of the Sungei Buloh
that people want to keep,” Ee Bee beams. http://uraconservation.eventbrite.com.
area, including insects, monitor lizards Nature Reserve, a brackish (saltwater)
and birds perched atop trees or flying mangrove swamp, the freshwater Kranji
6 7
4 things to do at
Kranji Marshes:
1
Enjoy stunning
sky-high views from
Kranji Marshes’
raptor tower. Look
out for landmarks
such as the Moorhen
pond and the BBC
shortwave relay
station.
2
Have a one-of-
a-kind outdoor
learning
experience at
the Kingfisher
Burrow. And climb
to its arch for an
instagram-worthy
shot.
3
Construction began in 2014, and it took Bird-watch from
blinds and hides.
Image above: Marshes is dominated not by trees but by to return, they need the area to have a almost 2 years to clear and develop Spot shy birds
Second Minister
for National
grasses, sedges and ferns, resulting in an good balance of exposed water area and the area. like the Common
open landscape. vegetation,” Tuan Wah explained. Moorhen or the
Development,
marshes’ signature
Desmond Lee, Former URA executive architect Lim Chu bird, the Purple
spotted many birds
at the opening of
“Freshwater habitats are very rare in Opened to the public in 2016, Kranji Hwai who worked on the project said the Swamphen.
the Kranji Marshes. Singapore, and at 57 hectares this is the Marshes is substantial and harbours a agency approached the site differently
biggest one accessible to the public, so very rich array of marshland wildlife, in from how it plans parks or its other
4
you’ll see a lot of interesting birds not particular birds. The area is an important projects, as the primary user at Kranji
found anywhere else”, National Parks roosting and feeding area for migratory Marshes is nature – birds in particular. Indulge in your
Board (NParks) director of conservation shorebirds between August and April, “In this rather urbanised setting, parks inner child with
Wong Tuan Wah said. The marsh was and is home to more than 170 species are usually man-made where you can sticks and stones.
Kids and adults
created in the early 1970s with the of birds, 54 species of butterflies, and 33 put in structures and plant lots of things alike love the many
damming of the Kranji River that flooded species of dragonflies. One can also find to recreate nature. But here is a natural twig structures
the low-lying catchment area. It functions threatened species of birds like the Purple landscape formed over time, left intact lying around the
marshes. Think
as a natural filtration system, cleaning Swamphen, Red-wattled Lapwing and and nature has claimed it back, so the of all the fun
and filtering sediment-heavy water from Purple Heron here. consultants and engineers to restore primary idea is to keep and sensitively possibilities.
several canals that flow into the marsh and enhance the existing habitats, restore this old and pristine landscape
before draining into the Kranji Reservoir. A concerted effort provide public amenities and facilitate for the natural inhabitants. And only
Left untouched for many years, the visitors to learn more about the area’s after achieving that, to provide public
area became a habitat for many types Nature Society (Singapore) has managed biodiversity. “This is a very good example amenities and access so that the public
of wildlife, but the vegetation has since 2 ponds in the area since 2008, when of the ‘three-Ps’ model where nature can enjoy this area,” he said.
become overgrown, cutting off the it adopted the marsh under Public conservation involves the engagement of
water surface and preventing birds from Utilities Board (PUB)’s Active, Beautiful, the three sectors of the community – the The project team also engaged nature
foraging and hunting for food sources. Clean Waters Programme, but the public, private, and people, resulting in conservationists and ornithologists. “This
restoration of the marshes saw the the successful long-term conservation is important because there are some very
“If not maintained, the water surface involvement of public agencies like URA, of a substantial nature area,” Nature rare species here, and freshwater marshes
areas will not be left open for long, as NParks, PUB, and groups like Nature Society (Singapore) vice-chairman of the have birds that are disappearing from
water weeds grow very quickly. For birds Society (Singapore), as well as experts, conservation committee Ho Hua Chew said. Singapore altogether. Once the baseline
8 9
of the flora and fauna of the area was set, the scarcity of land, the government
we determined where the important areas has set aside about 10 percent of the
are, and fine-tuned the development country’s land area for nature, including
plan: where to put the footpaths, bridges nature reserves and parks. “In terms of
and hides, as we know where the sensitive biodiversity, it is important to have a
areas are to avoid,” wildlife consultant variety and network of different habitats
Subaraj Rajathurai, who also monitored complementing and supporting each
the bird and wildlife population of the other to form a rich and complex whole,
habitat monthly during its refurbishment, otherwise, fragmented parks and greens
said. “We made sure not to cut down are generally weaker and have less
certain trees, like the albizias, which are biodiversity on their own,” Chu Hwai said
very good for birds,” he added. about the importance of wetlands in
Singapore’s urban fabric.
To minimise disturbance to wildlife and
the marsh, an amphibious excavator was To minimise visitor and human impact on
used to clear overgrown vegetation in the reserve, parts of the core conservation
the ponds and to form new islets. They area will gradually be opened for public
created different habitats in the area, access, depending on how the birds react.
such as islands for birds and other places “We’re not just talking about a dense city
for them to perch, what Sungei Buloh itself, but a dense city with lots of greens,
Wetlands Reserve deputy director How and different types of greens. Success for
Choon Beng calls “mixed-use housing”. this particular project is how much nature
How do you
we retain, and how many birds we’ll be
The amenities and facilities, mostly able to keep at the end of the day,” URA
pre-fabricated offsite, include the 11-m director (projects) Teo Chong Yean said.
tall lookout tower, floating boardwalks
and 8 blinds and hides for bird watching Subaraj said he noticed a rapid increase revitalise a river?
and observing wildlife at close quarters. in bird life and other biodiversity as
The eco-friendly and sustainable soon as the habitat was cleared. “So far, Re-experiencing Singapore’s longest river,
we catch a glimpse of its past and future.
infrastructure and amenities – skylights, based on the variety I’ve found – I’ve
green roofs, and benches made from just did a survey a few weeks ago and
recycled tree trunks – blend seamlessly found 68 species of birds in one morning
into the natural surroundings. – indicates that it’s been successful,”
WRITER
he said. “The fact that URA is willing to Jennifer Eveland
Giving wildlife a boost come to a nature area to do planning and
PHOTOGRAPHER
design here, and got us [Nature Society]
Wilson Pang
Singapore has proven that a high-density to give advice and consultation shows the
living environment does not have to government’s commitment to preserving
come at the expense of nature – despite this place as a nature area for the public
to enjoy, which is a good thing. The
enhancement they’ve done will definitely
From Lower Pierce Reservoir in the the steady flow of time and the ever-
bring a larger variety of wildlife, birdlife
centre of the island, the Kallang River changing nature of life itself, the Kallang
especially, to the area,” Hua Chew said at
Success for this the opening of
begins its journey, winding its way past
high-rise heartland neighbourhoods
River is it.
particular project is how the reserve.
and low-rise industrial estates. It flows We re-experience the river’s rich history
much nature we retain, According to him, the best times to
dutifully through lush parks and concrete
canals alike, under massive bridges and
and biodiversity and learn how it can
continue to stand the test of time.
and how many birds visit are at the crack of dawn and in the
evenings, as there are more chances to
expressways with ubiquitous acronyms
Otters and purple heron
like CTE (Central Expressway) and PIE
we’ll be able to keep at spot the rare birds then.
(Pan Island Expressway) and a heritage
the end of the day. Visit Kranji Marshes 11 Neo Tiew Lane 2
bridge named for merdeka, the call for
the nation’s independence. Singapore’s
An oasis of lush growth amid the
cityscape, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is
longest river is 10 km long, but if ever a more than just an idyllic site for a river
river symbolised the power of nature, to run. It’s a testament to the will and
10 11
3 things to know the ability of people to reclaim their our natural heritage by literally digging
about Kallang
river’s history:
natural heritage. Where the river once deeper under the river itself.
passed through a gaping concrete gash In the NSS 2007 feedback on Bishan-Ang
of a canal, it now feeds 62 hectares of Mo Kio Park ABC Waters Programme, in
1 parkland frequented by wildlife, thanks which Hua Chew was involved, the society
to the Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters advocated for the removal of concrete
The Kallang river
in its early days was
Programme (ABC Waters) by the Public from the entire river bed and not just the
Utilities Board (PUB) and National Parks banks. “The uncovering of the mud-bed
The greening
home to different
communities, one Board (NParks). of the former canal, even to some extent,
of the river
of which was the
orang laut (sea
would attract wildlife that haunts the
gypsies), who lived “The greening of the river along this softer mud-beds at the shallow waters
in the vicinity
until 1848.
stretch is very effective in terms of as well as the river-bottom,” he says. along this
stretch is
biodiversity and aesthetics,” says Dr Ho “This will make the river more alive
Hua Chew, vice-chair of the Conservation and interesting as well as ecologically
2
Committee at the Nature Society
(Singapore) (NSS). Speaking from his own
beneficial.”
very effective
“Kallang” could
be a variant of the
experience, he’s noticed more marshland Living by the river’s edge in terms of
Malay word, kelang,
meaning “mill” or
birdlife feeding along the river and the
marshy banks. More than 800,000 residents live within biodiversity
“factory”. Industrial
activities were
“Very significant is the appearance of a
2 km from the river. Gently down the
stream in Geylang Bahru, residents
and aesthetics.
prevalent near the
mouths of various family of smooth otters, and the nesting can be seen fishing every day and, on
rivers in the 1820s. of a purple heron on an angsana tree by rare occasions, kayaking. When the Ng
the riverside,” says Hua Chew. “Frequent family moved here in 2007 they had no and that’s enough.” conservation in 2008. The airport was
and regular otter sightings indicate that idea how much they would enjoy the Singapore’s first purpose-built civil airport
3
they have made their home here and not river. They chose their block, which is Rich with landmarks commissioned by the British colonial
Kallang River just visiting or exploring. The nesting of nestled in a fork where a canal branches government in the 1930s. When it first
became highly the purple heron is a first for Bishan-Ang off towards Whampoa, in part for the
polluted until the To see Kallang Basin now, it’s hard to opened, it was touted as one of
clean-up in the Mo Kio Park and is very important, as unobstructed view that follows the path imagine the swamplands where early the most modern airport of its time
1970s and 1980s. nesting sites of this species are rare in of the river where it runs to the sea. On Javanese settlers, the orang kallang, with revolutionary facilities. Its runway
Untreated waste Singapore. It’s a good sign of the health a clear day you can spy tiny cargo ships
and sewage from lived on boats over 200 years ago. They is now Old Airport Road; its control
hawkers and and viability of the wetland at this on the horizon. This wouldn’t be possible were resettled long before decades of tower vacant.
market vegetable stretch.” if not for the river, says Bernard Ng. He land reclamation began in the 1930s,
vendors used to spends time with his family by the river
be dumped into permanently changing the river’s course. Remembering the old Kallang Gasworks,
the river. Hua Chew believes we can dig further into jogging, scooting and fishing. The 1960s saw kampong houses making Lim Leong Seng, the sculptor created
way for Housing & Development Board The Spirit of Kallang, using pipes
“In Singapore, there is so much water flats and industrial blocks. By the late and other fittings from the gasworks.
around us, but there is comparatively very 1970s, the water had turned to filth, Kallang Gasworks was built in 1862 by
little interaction with the water,” he says. prompting a clean-up that would spark the Singapore Gas Company to supply
There’s a lot of safety concerns about Singapore’s water story. piped gas for street lighting. Many locals
getting into the water but that issue can would avoid the Kallang area due to the
be explored progressively. “There’s no Over time, the area grew rich with strong stench of gas and fears of the plant
need for planned water activities, either,” landmarks. Still today, the circa-1888 exploding, giving it the name “fire city”,
he adds. “Just go in and dip your feet in Sri Manmatha Karuneshvarar Temple or huay sia in Hokkien. After over 130
welcomes Hindu devotees, and the years of service, supplying the nation’s
Merdeka Bridge, built in 1956, connects first piped gas to fuel streetlights and
the riverbanks via Nicoll Highway. The employing generations, it was phased
former Kallang Airport that hasn’t seen out in 1998. “Preserving memories of
a plane since 1955 is now used for these public places is important since
sports, recreation, offices or other forms it highlights the social obligation of
of community uses in the interim. The the citizenry and gives them a sense
terminal building has been gazetted for of belonging despite a relative short
12 13
historical heritage,” says Leong Seng. The river’s future
The kallang wave The river offers fresh possibilities for more to enjoy its
meandering streams, strolling, cycling and mingling
As the river nears the sea, its banks widen through neighbourhoods and communities and living and
to form the Kallang Basin, a large body of working close to the water’s edge. And for more to come
water made fresh after the construction out to play, with a wider range of sporting activities and
of the Marina Barrage in 2008. It’s hard community spaces, celebrating its spirit and beauty.
to miss the Singapore Sports Hub, the
massive complex built to house virtually URA planners reimagined the river’s future with these top
every sport facility Singaporeans can 10 ideas revealed in 2017.
What if
imagine. Kallang has been synonymous
with sports since the 1973 opening of the Green Corridor
original National Stadium. The new mega
sporting complex which replaced it in 1. Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park to Gardens by the Bay – greenery along
2014 will build on that legacy. the river can be enhanced, tapping on the rich biodiversity within
these two parks.
you could
“It’s unlike other stadiums which are built 2. Underpass below the Central Expressway (CTE) – this space
for the sole purpose of hosting major could be turned into a vibrant community space with better
games,” says Chin Sau Ho, Singapore headroom, lighting and seating.
Sports Club senior director of corporate
communications and stakeholder Bridging Neighbourhoods
management. “We have a long-term
cycle this
vision of serving as a catalyst for the 3. Across Kallang Bahru and Upper Boon Keng Roads – possible
emergence of sport in Singapore.” underpasses could be developed across these roads for seamless
access for pedestrians and cyclists.
Around the shores of the basin, joggers
run through shady parks and kayakers 4. Below Sims Avenue – a possible underpass link can be developed
launch their boats from palm-lined for greater connectivity along the riverfront to the Sports Hub.
beaches, and not a day passes without
island?
5. Across the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) – What if you can cycle or
spotting a dragon boat plying the calm
jog across the PIE? A possible cyclist-friendly crossing over the PIE
waters. “Kallang is the main venue for can make this a reality.
our events,” says Jason Chen, founder of
Dragon Boat Innovate, an events company
that organises corporate dragon boating New Homes & Communities
activities. For over 20 years Jason has 6. Kallang Distripark – close to the upcoming Geylang Bahru MRT,
been a competitive paddler, coach and this private industrial estate can be transformed into a quality
dragon boat advocate. “I live for dragon residential precinct in future, with park and recreational spaces.
boating,” he says. He launches his events
7. Kallang Industrial Estate – this 73 ha estate can be turned into
from a few of the parks surrounding Photographer Joseph Nair tries out 3 cycling routes unveiling
a vibrant mixed-use precinct with high-rise facilities to meet
Kallang Basin, which he says are very modern industrial needs, closely integrated with future residential stunning views that entice us to step on that bike again.
impressive to his clients, meetings, developments along the waterfront and parks.
incentives, conferences and exhibitions
(MICE) travellers. “They also get to see the 8. Kampong Bugis – a stone’s throw away from the Lavendar and
WRITER / PHOTOGRAPHER
Kallang MRT stations, the area is planned to be an attractive Joseph Nair
Central Business District from the middle precinct that supports active mobility and environmental
of the Kallang Basin, and the natural side sustainability.
of Singapore they don’t get to see from
the inside of a hotel room,” he says.
Enlivening the River
9.
Jason remembers when paddlers had the Kallang Riverside – this area is envisioned to be a vibrant mixed
freedom to travel upriver all the way to use district in the longer term. In the interim, the conserved
Bishan, exploring the network of canals Kallang airport terminal can be re-used for community sports and
that go through distinct neighbourhoods recreational activities.
10.
from the water’s vantage point. It is an Waterfront along Jalan Benaan Kapal – a possible 8 ha play zone
unforgettable experience for him. with recreational and sporting facilities for all ages is being studied
14
Route 1
I don’t own a car, so getting from point A
to B always meant a bus, taxi or MRT ride.
Cycling has never been an option for me.
Cycling, or so I thought, was only for the
Dutch and the Lycra-clad.
But with LOOP, an app designed by
students from the Singapore Management
University, a journey planner and route
tracker designed for recreational and
newbie cyclists like me, I borrowed a
foldable bike, dug up a helmet and hit the
streets. Thankfully, one cannot forget how
to ride a bike. 1 2 3
The commute test (route 1)
The first step: test how practical LOOP
is for a commute. Queenstown and
Aljunied seemed a reasonable distance,
so off I went. I fired up the app, entered
the coordinates, and picked between
the ‘shortest’ or ‘safest’ route. The latter
felt more suitable for me, the almost-
never cyclist, but I went a step further
and divided the route into two: from
Queenstown to Raffles Place, and then to 4 5
Sims Drive, where I had arranged to meet
a friend. Once everything was keyed in,
4
off I went. The map on LOOP marked the shop out the moon”) is popular for those seeking
6 things you at a corner of a HDB block nearby. So I love. A few photographs later, I set for From the eastern
can see/do on
cycling route 1: Unfortunately, there wasn’t a ‘Scenic wheeled the bike over and accessorised, Sims Drive to Marina Barrage before bank of Kallang
Basin, take a photo
Queenstown, Meander’ mode on LOOP – but that’s happy that the app creators added crossing over to the eastern side of the of Marina Bay
Raffles Place, where my photographer’s instincts kicked that very useful little touch. Soon, the Kallang Basin. Sands, Art Science
Sims Drive:
in. So for my first scenic stop, I climbed skyscrapers of the Central Business District Museum, the
Singapore Flyer,
up to the roof garden on the 47th floor (CBD) loomed over me. I decided to pay a Here, I found an amazing, and little-known, with office towers
1 of SkyVille @ Dawson. From this vantage visit to Yueh Hai Ching Temple or “temple vantage point: from the eastern bank of in the backdrop –
point, Indonesia’s Riau Islands peeked out of the calm sea”. the Kallang Basin, you can capture the 6 all in one frame.
Catch glimpses from behind the blocks of Telok Blangah, Marina Bay Sands, Art Science Museum
of Indonesia’s
Riau Islands from and to the north, the city of Johor Bahru Tucked in a corner off Raffles Place, this and the Singapore Flyer, with the CBD
5
the 47th floor of was visible. small temple has been standing here towers lined up behind them – all in one
SkyVille @ Dawson.
since the 1820s. It’s now dwarfed by office frame. Even the Geylang River and its wide in time. Enjoy the beautiful
After scouting out the rooftop – there’s towers, but back then it was the first port- park connector were unexpectedly pretty. Geylang river
and its wide park
2
a jogging path encircling it – I took of-call for migrants from the Chaoshan Once home to boatyards and traders, the I stopped at the junction of Lorong connector.
the lift down, hopped on the bike and region of Guangdong, China, after their river is now a lined canal. Bachok and Geylang Lorong 19 to see this
Check out the continued my journey. Or at least tried to. long sea voyage. shophouse, with its iconic painted plaster
jogging path also on
the 47th floor. The seat of my bike was too hard, and I I also got to meet, by chance, the people reliefs. A Sepoy sergeant in pre-World War 6
knew I needed to do something about it. Figures from Chinese mythology stand on who keep the waters clean. The Waterway II puttees and a Sikh guard adorn the front
Stop by the
Fortunately, I met a bicycle courier while the temple’s roof – these were only added Watch Society organises regular clean-ups, of this well-maintained 1929 shophouse. A junction of
3 waiting for a traffic light who pointed me after the temple underwent renovations like this one with students from Damai strange menagerie of animals plays across Lorong Bachok
to a bike shop nearby where I could find a in 2014. Among the deities the temple Secondary School. Leaving the slick park its beautiful façade. That was my last stop and Geylang
Visit the Yueh Hai Lorong 19 to
Ching temple at the padded seat cover. honours, Yue Lao (literally “old man under connector and entering Geylang, with before dinner and a train ride home – so admire a 1929
corner off Raffles its five-foot-ways, small temples and far, so good. Tomorrow, I would test out shophouse with
Place, around since labyrinth of back alleys, was like a trip back the cycling routes that LOOP users have its iconic painted
the 1820s. plaster reliefs.
contributed to the database.
16 17Route 2
4 things you can
see/do on cycling The air was
much cooler
route 2: Punggol
Park, Sungei
Serangoon,
Lorong Halus: here, thanks to
3 the casuarina
1
woodlands, and
is filled with
Enjoy the popular
Punggol Park, with
Pokémon hunters,
#fitspo people
and instagram
birdsong in the
boyfriends.
1
2 4 evening. The
Route 3 sandy main trail
crunched under
2
Check out the
iconic Lorong
Halus bridge and my tyres.
take a shot at the
popular photo spot
amongst the reed
wetlands.
3
Pedal along Sungei
Serangoon to reach 1 2 3
Coney island with
cooler air, filled
with birdsong and
sandy trails.
3 things you can
see/do on cycling
4 The crowdsourced route test (route 2) Over the Lorong Halus bridge, the The navigation test (route 3) Sidled alongside the reservoir, the golf route 3: Yishun,
temperamental sky almost forced me course of Seletar Country Club makes Seletar Country
Encounter monkeys Club, Punggol
In addition to recommending routes based to call off my trip. Further down from To test the navigation capabilities of LOOP, for some surreal night photography.
along the way Barat island:
via the western on coordinates you key in, LOOP has a the bridge, the reed wetlands of Lorong I decided I’d go on a night ride around LOOP has no robotic voice squawking
causeway. library of cycling routes that have been Halus are a popular photo spot when somewhere unfamiliar: Yishun. I set the out directions, which I appreciated for
crowdsourced from other cyclists. Users dry. They serve as natural filters of water app for Khatib MRT and set off. Crossing not disturbing the quiet of the night. It 1
can rate and comment on these routes, and that flows out the now-disused Lorong Pulau Punggol Timur, I passed migrant did give me a clear path to follow, but
the app ranks them by popularity. I picked Halus landfill into the Sungei Serangoon. workers as they made video and phone didn’t call me back to the route when Discover the lesser
known Punggol
the “North Eastern Riverine Loop”, a 16-km calls or brought groceries back to their I did wander off, which was often the Barat island.
route across park connectors in Sengkang I pedalled down from the wetlands dormitories. Directions on the app brought case on these 3 routes.
and Punggol. to emerge on Coney Island. The air me to a long, lonely path along Seletar
was much cooler here, thanks to the North Link, over to Punggol Barat Island As a photographer in search of new 2
Starting at Punggol Park, I weaved around casuarina woodlands, and is filled with and near Seletar Airport. I had no clue places and angles to shoot, the
Relax at Yishun
Pokémon hunters, #fitspo people and birdsong in the evening. The sandy islands like that existed until I saw them recommended routes feature let me Dam, where many
Instagram boyfriends. The route traced a main trail crunched under my tyres. marked out on the LOOP map. plan (at least a little) in advance. And families and
portion of the length of Sungei Serangoon, a After cycling about 2.4 km around the fact that the app displayed nearby couples sit and
mingle.
river dammed up to form a reservoir. Pandan the island, I made my way off it via I took a break to enjoy the strong breeze services – like the bike store on my
plants along the park connector made for a the western causeway while a troop at Yishun Dam, where many families and first trip – meant that maybe, cycling
pleasant ride. However, the popularity of the of moneys watched. And then it was couples had driven to sit in the quiet and might not only be for the Dutch and 3
route was also its undoing – I found myself back to the Sunday throng on the park take in the view. The navigation LOOP Lycra-clad.
stuck in pedestrian and bicycle traffic. I connector. My final stop on the route: provided was surprisingly accurate so far, Indulge in some
surreal night
decided to test the journey-tracking function Punggol Point, to catch the last rays of taking me around the area without much Download LOOP on Google Play and photography at
of the app, so I turned off the suggested path sunlight dancing across the surface of fuss. From the Dam, I followed the tree- iTunes. Seletar Country
into the quieter Lorong Halus. the water. lined Yishun Avenue 1 to Lower Seletar Club’s golf course.
Reservoir Park.
18 19Drawing the city:
See batman and dragons
4 out of 33 artists reveal personal glimpses of Singapore’s cityscape with
their works exhibited along the sidewalks of the URA Centre celebrating
Singapore’s 50th birthday in 2015.
“I wanted to just draw places,
WRITER
Serene Tng
people and memories that I have
of Singapore. It makes me realise How did you get started?
how much I miss home,” says artist
It was my mum’s drawing of a Power
Ranger for my birthday and finding a
stack of old (maybe hidden?) comic
Andre Wee who reconstructed a
book superhero sketches by my dad that
inspired me to pick up the pencil to draw.
My time in the army has also helped. They
version of Singapore from memory
used to say in Hendon Camp, “the only
easy day was yesterday!”
in a whimsical piece. Andre Wee
ARTIST, ILLUSTRATOR, VIRTUAL REALITY WORLD BUILDER
Tell us more about this piece. You have
Real and imagined, from Batman included Batman! Why?
I wanted to just draw places, people
to Tin Tin and carpark wardens, and memories that I have of Singapore.
Without a fixed plan of the drawing
in mind, there was room for nuance
6 artists, 1 filmmaker and 5 and play. I reconstructed a version of
Singapore out of memory, as I had been
Elliot
away for some years, depicting both the
photographers are doing more than real and factual with the imagined and
playful. Working on this image has been
STUDENT, PATHLIGHT SCHOOL
therapeutic, making me realise how Tell us more about this piece and what
just capturing poignant aspects much I miss home! Batman is a reference
I associate with Singapore. Whenever I
inspires you.
walk pass Parkview Square, it reminds This is a Merlion. I used the Singapore flag
of our evolving cityscape. me of Gotham City, home to the comic
character Batman. I always imagine
colours of white and red, as well as blue to
represent the sea, befitting of Singapore’s
Batman perched at the top. Not many origins as a trading port. I am inspired by
people know its actual name but smile anime and cartoons. Drawing helps me to
instantly with clarity when the ‘Batman relax but sometimes I just draw because I
building’ is mentioned. feel like it in the moment.
20 21If Tin Tin visits Singapore
Inspired by Tin Tin and Doraemon, illustrator Lee Xin Li
draws us into an alternate universe of this island.
WRITER
Serene Tng
Alice Lim
REGULATORY SPECIALIST (LET’S DRAW! SINGAPORE)
You drew a familiar scene from a HDB
flat. What’s the story there?
I wanted to share this gorgeous view from
a nearby Housing & Development Board
Don Low (HDB) flat in Marine Parade where I live.
ILLUSTRATOR AND DESIGNER (LET’S DRAW! SINGAPORE) This is the view you enjoy while waiting
for the lift. I slightly distorted it to include
Why did you draw this particular things that residents keep outside their
location? flats like potted plants, clothes hangers
and bicycles. It is a way of revealing a
It’s where I grew up. I walked this street peek into people’s lives.
to school every day when I was a student.
Back then, the shophouses were mostly What inspires you to draw?
residential and they looked pretty old. My
mum still lives nearby at Block 6 Everton I just need a pen and some paper
Park, which sits on a mound overlooking to start drawing. It is a great use of
this street. It was where I stood to draw waiting or traveling time. I like to seek
this place, which explains the higher out interesting shop fronts, signages
vantage point on this sketch. The white and buildings with unusual facades in
building on the left has remained fairly historical areas. Details excite me because
the same till now despite going through I love to capture everything I see. My
several refurbishments. I like how the philosophy is “If I can see it, I will draw it.”
current owner lined the five-foot-way I like it when people look at my sketches
corridor with pots of plants, giving the and comment how they had left out these
building a human touch against its white- details even though they had known the
washed walls. place all along.
Tell us more about yourself. What
inspires you to draw?
I used to be an engineer but my love for Illustrator Lee Xin Li’s works draw you in with his imaginative
art compelled me to become an artist. I layers of Singapore, blending the real and the dreamlike.
am currently self-employed as a freelance Self-taught, he started producing illustrations in 2013. He has
illustrator and designer, working in both drawn iconic buildings from the former Kallang Airport, the
digital and traditional mediums. I also National Theatre, to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. Perhaps
teach part-time as a drawing and painting his most poignant work is of a jubilant Mr Lee Kuan Yew at the
instructor. Drawing provides me a means to Commonwealth Close Estate, based on a photograph taken by
express myself freely without having to find photographer Larry Burrows from LIFE magazine.
words for my thoughts or feelings. I like how
my drawings can help record a moment in We catch up with him on his drawings and how we can we keep
time in our ever-changing world. our heritage alive.
22 23Why do you draw?
Drawing enables me to go deeper to
rediscover colours, shapes and flavours;
from the seemingly common kueh (local
snack), to going on an imaginative journey
back into an alternate Singapore where
Neo Tiew remains a quaint little estate, or
if Tanjong Pagar Railway Station became a
high-speed railway station.
Who is your inspiration?
Herge’s Adventures of Tin Tin and the
Fujiko Fujio’s Doraemon series.
Tell us about your favourite drawing.
It’s Neo Tiew (image on the top right) –
because it meant so much to me when
I was a child. Neo Tiew is a small public
housing estate in Lim Chu Kang built in
1979. The estate is now being used for
military training. But back in those days,
my mum and relatives used to work at
the coffee shop there, selling drinks and
food such as chicken rice. My dad would
drive my siblings and I in his van to Neo
Tiew where we would play at the circular
playground. It has a small village feel,
quite like Changi Village. It is a pity that
the place is no longer inhabited after 2002.
The drawing itself is an alternate universe of
what Neo Tiew could have been.
How do we balance between managing
change in our landscape and keeping
our heritage alive?
We need to continue to be sensitive
to the historical context and present
circumstances beyond pragmatic needs
and superficial applications. There is also a
need for active and effective engagement
with stakeholders like architects, historians
and residents. I am envious of what I see
in Kyoto in Japan or Yilan in Taiwan, but
I don’t think it is possible to simply take
their model and plant it in Singapore. We
need to develop our own unique model
for Singapore that can accommodate both
our development aspirations and create a
landscape with a soul at the same time.
24 25Physical spaces are Tell us about your growing up years.
more than shells
I grew up in Kampong Chai Chee in the
early 1970s, living in a big compound,
in wooden houses with attap and zinc
Artist Koh Hong Teng tells us why we need to tell roofs. When I was 6, I moved to Bedok
stories about buildings and places. New Town where my family operated
a provision shop. That was where I
WRITER first came across a hawker centre as
Serene Tng
it was situated just next to the row of
shophouses I lived in. It was there that I
had the wonderful experience of eating
Mee Rebus for the first time. imprints in time and space.
We ask ourselves why a particular
How has your neighbourhood building was designed this way. We can
influenced your work? also learn to identify the period when it
was built by looking at the architectural
There was a tailor living next to our style. It gives suggestions to the type of
shophouse and I remembered playing dwellers and users of this space and how
hide and seek with his son and other they maximise their use and comfort.
kids in the neighbourhood. He had a full What is interesting to me is that these
length window that displayed his clothes spaces are not just shells that encase us,
on half torso mannequins dressed with but rather an extension of ourselves.
‘洋服’ (yang fu), meaning Western-style
clothes. There were other fascinating You say it’s important to tell stories
shops in the neighbourhood which was about our buildings and places. Why? Image above:
A drawing of the old
the major influence when I created the National Stadium
painting series “BLKS&NOS” depicting It is important because it is not just your as remembered
these unique shop spaces. Sadly, some of personal memory when you tell them, by ex-national
footballer Malek
the shops I painted like the watch shop but it becomes a collective memory when Awab, featured in
and television repair shop are no longer others get to read them. And we can grow the book, “Building
around. as a community only if we share and care Memories – People
Architecture
for one another. So I would say the best Independence”
What is one building you would like to way to get started is the willingness to and a No. 01-667
bring back? share. Of what tools and techniques to (BLKS&NOS Series),
Acrylic on Canvas,
employ are secondary. The important 900 x 1200 mm
Definitely the old National Stadium. It thing is the authenticity of your story and (bottom)
holds wonderful memories for two of my
passions: football and art. I remembered
watching Au-Yeong Pak Kuan, Terry
Pathmanathan and Malek Awab playing
when my grandfather brought me to the
stadium for the first time. As for art, it
was the venue for the art competition
hosted by Singapore Airlines that I took
Image above: Comic artist and illustrator Koh Hong Teng is known for part in when I was in the second year of
Comic pages from
“The Prodigy”, with
tackling issues close to Singaporeans’ hearts from hawkers Junior College.
writer Dave Chua. to generational gaps between parents and children. He
combines fact and fiction in thought-provoking graphic Architecture is the backdrop where
forms that reflects our changing urban landscape. He talks things happen. What fascinates you
about how the neighbourhood he grew up in influences his about it?
work and suggests that telling stories about our physical
spaces can help us grow as a community. When we look at an architecture, we see
26 27Who is that guy in white?
How do you get people to remember forgotten places?
By taking selfies…of a different kind.
WRITER
Serene Tng
Tell us about your 50th shot.
(image on the left)
This is my grandparents’ old Housing &
Development Board block at Bukit Merah
View. I was raised by my grandparents
for the first 2 years of my life, spending
my childhood at this very block. My
time was spent playing games of chase
and catch, and hide-and-seek with my
brother and cousins along the corridors. I
even remember riding my bike down the
stairs and falling, resulting in a very bad
swollen bump on my forehead. I started
the Yesteryear project inspired by my
grandparents’ flat, wanting to recapture
such places with vivid memories. It is
apt that I am ending the series with this
personal space. This single image sums
up the entire series.
What are some of your most
memorable shots?
The 41st image is one of them. This
place has one of the last un-dammed
rivers in Singapore. It used to be a
kampung before the villagers were
evicted in 2007. It is a mangrove forest
and the villagers used to build their
houses along the mudflats and river,
rearing prawns and fish. It was quite an
experience for me to navigate my way
through in the mangroves, with my feet
What started out on just a simple whim to ‘cure boredom’ has completely submerged in the mud. It
turned into a memorable Yesteryear project that has captured felt like it took forever just to walk a few
people’s imagination about forgotten places in Singapore. A steps forward. It was slippery and there
liberal arts student from the Nanyang Technological University, were shells, rocks, and crabs that made
Sean Cham took 50 surreal photographs of abandoned places walking in the mud much harder. I had my
in 2015 as a tribute to Singapore turning 50. Why surreal? Sean toe stubbed in the process of taking the
places himself in all of the photos, dressed in all white from photo, standing in my own pool of blood
head to toe. He does everything by himself, from researching as I viewed the images on my camera.
and selecting each place to planning and capturing each shot.
The project has helped him gain a new appreciation for places
and spaces as vessels of memories.
28 29Any interesting stories behind
the places?
So places to you are like vessels
of memories. Time travelling
Each place has its own unique story and
contributes to the larger Singapore story.
The success of Singapore in transforming
from a third-world country to a first-world
with Royston Tan
There was a shoot-out between the police metropolis in a mere span of over 50 Filmmaker Royston Tan on panda-hunting
and 2 convicts in the cemetery featured years is an incredible one. We owe this and preserving memories.
in the 44th photograph. Both convicts success to our forefathers and the pioneer
subsequently committed suicide with generation, without which we would not WRITER
gunshots to their heads. As for the 31st be able to enjoy gleaming skyscrapers, Vicki Yang
shot, it was rumoured that the Japanese beautiful streets and greenery in our city
soldiers used prisoners of war as chess today. We have progressed so much as a
pieces; hence I recreated this in the nation. But as with progress, there will be
photograph. And in my 43rd image, it change. It is important for us to strike a
was actually taken within the National balance between embracing change and
University of Singapore campus, right preserving the old. Every single building,
behind the Science block. I doubt many place, and space has its own unique story,
students will know about that. This place a story forged by the people who live
witnessed the grotesque battle of Bukit and work there, a story of the change it
Chandu where the Malay Regiment fought has undergone, a story of the events and
against the invading Japanese army. happenings revolving around it.
Filmmaker Royston Tan is charged with a mission:
to document the passing of things before they become history.
His feature-length film, 3688 (2015), gives the much-maligned
local parking attendants their day in the sun — for the first half
of the film at least. Parking attendant Fei Fei, played by singer
Joi Chua, is constantly undermined by a wily band of ‘summon
aunties’, as parking attendants are known in local lexicon, as
they patrol in the Dakota Crescent neighbourhood. Soon, the
plot unfurls the uneven road to stardom as Fei Fei joins a singing
competition. But it isn’t about the transformative dreams of
a girl from the suburbs (or car park) that takes precedence on
screen. The film’s preoccupation is with the forceful march of
time — the reminiscences of Fei Fei’s dementia-ridden father,
his ritual of hawking Rediffusion radios as a former door-to-door
salesman and the ‘summon aunties’ retrenched and replaced
with electronic gantries.
30 31“A lot of people summarise the film as the of time came to Royston during a lunch something Royston repeats constantly as when the 7-year-old left the kampong life
passing of an era and the ownership of at Maxwell Food Centre. “This parking we chat and chronicle his filmography. of Lorong Kinchir, today Lorong Chuan in
the past generation,” surmises Royston. attendant came in and everyone ran away From documentaries of old landmarks the Serangoon district, to HDB life in the
One scene that found particular favour very fast, screaming ‘Fong Fei Fei’ and and suburban shops in Old Places (2010) early 1980s.
with the older generation was what he all kinds of names, but she only went to and Old Romances (2012), to a short
called ‘the simple sound design’ of the the toilet to change into another outfit film on the oldest Hokkien opera troupe “I was from the transitional period — the
Rediffusion radio knob being turned by so that she can buy lunch!” says the like Sin Sai Hong (2006), one might infer last generation to stay in the kampong,
Fei Fei. “It triggered something in many filmmaker, almost desperately. “A lot of that Royston’s filmography is deeply the transition from non-digital to digital,”
people.” times, I find them sitting in the back alley, entrenched in nostalgia. However, he says the filmmaker. “It was traumatising
eating lunch where I like to go to shoot for doesn’t shoot with rose-tinted lens. To the for me to move. The air was different, the
Race against time my Instagram. If not, they will be getting filmmaker, these works aim to highlight people would not talk to each other, the
stares and all kinds of verbal abuse. I one’s roots for those who have forgotten. doors were always closed. I grew up with
Included in this archive of sounds from thought: “they do have a story to tell.” fresh water from the well, and when there
long ago in 3688 is the yelling of the “I cannot fight the change but I can was water coming from the tap, it felt very
name, “Fong Fei Fei”, a reference to Co-written with writer Lim Fong Wei, document these things before they are strange,” he recalls.
the famous Taiwanese songbird from saw the shadowing of 2 parking gone,” says Royston. “Right now, people
the 1970s, known for her multitude of attendants to observe their day-to-day in Singapore are very desensitised, like From one generation to another, the
hats. More importantly, it’s yet another encounters. That was when Royston it’s better not to feel. But when you stop reminiscences of kampong life have been
name hat-clad parking attendants realised that these female street wardens feeling, that’s the moment you start passed down verbally (aside from a visit
are known by. It’s also used as a were being replaced by machines and dying. That’s why I’m doing this.” to Pulau Ubin or Lorong Buangkok), so
call in neighbourhoods to warn the men. “Those we spoke to had the attitude I ask him to draw the village map from
unsuspecting public who are away of ‘let’s take one day at a time’. A lot of The village boy his memory.
from their cars, a trait of “a distinctive things were changing, so I thought I have
Singapore culture” to Royston. to archive this as soon as possible, don’t The loss of places is something Royston Under a pen dripping ink, the lines of the
wait already!” feels most keenly about, in part due to a houses and trees blur into each other, but
The idea to create a film around a parking consequential episode in his childhood Royston is only too happy to go into the
attendant haplessly against the march This ‘don’t wait already’ phrase is details of the sketch (image below) from
left to right: the communal toilet that was
very scary to visit in the dark (“sometimes
got pervert”); the Teochew neighbour
who sold tau suan and other desserts
with the use of fresh tapioca from the
trees around; Royston’s family provision
shop fronted by tables surrounded by
old uncles drinking beer, “just chatting
32 33You can also read
