Tiong Bahru Home & Friends

Civic Life and Tiong Bahru on Tour in the UK.....

2011-02-07T09:20:00.002+08:00

And now.... if you have missed the premier at the Renoir - here is your opportunity to see the film elsewhere in the UK - both in and outside of London.....

Check out this website for details of screenings! Pass on the word!

Civic Life in London .....

2011-02-07T08:40:00.010+08:00

Almost one week ago, on 31 January 2011, 'Civic Life' was shown in London at the Curzon Renoir Cinema - where the latest addition to the body of work by Chris and Joe - Tiong Bahru - received its London Premier!

Needless to say, during the Q&A, many, in the almost full house - were impressed by the body of work, and also how Tiong Bahru brought together many of the duo's earlier themes and concerns in a well considered and lyrical manner.... (more reviews in separate posting coming up soon!)

Here are some pictures of the event - kindly sponsored by the Singapore International Foundation, who brought over not just the taste of home - but also, lots of items that gave the UK audience an idea of the architectural and social heritage of Singapore (thanks to White Canvas Gallery for the posters of the sketches that was done last year!!! Big shout to you all there!) ...

and also of the multi-ethnic-lingual-cultural environment that we should be proud of and should cherish and nurture!

Amongst the guests were many ex-expats who spent time in Singapore, film buffs, and also those who were interested in community engagement through art.... and during the reception, many groups of Singaporeans based in London were seen discussing what was the meaning of 'home' in a globalised world...

Your correspondant here with Chris and Joe... who we have to thank for working with us in Tiong Bahru to realise the film...

And here is Ms Tan Shzr Ee, who provided the Mandarin voice-over for part of the film, with the poster of the film!

We were also very pleased that the event was graced by our High Commissioner H.E. Michael Teo... more pictures to follow!

In the meantime, wishing one and all - a GREAT START to the New Year!

Dog Found....

2011-02-03T19:06:00.003+08:00

Hello!

Just a shout out here on a lost and found.. do pass the word on!

Female white and brown fox terrier, young, found at Yong Siak Street, 2 Feb at 1030am.
She has a sprained or dislocated hind leg.

We are unable to keep her and would like to return her to her rightful home.
Owner please contact D. Tan at 96824806

Lets make our Tiong Bahru Bloom!

2011-01-31T23:38:00.003+08:00

Hello everyone! Have you bought your New Year flowers yet? Perhaps you might want to have nice flowers and plants all year round, or perhaps make your own front and back garden even nicer! (And there are lots of nice front gardens already in Tiong Bahru). Here is a proposal from a group of residents that was sent to the blog - and so, we share it with the rest of you - do join in if you can!

_____________

Just wanted to share that we are trying to setup a team to participate in Community Bloom project for Tiong Bahru and we are hoping for assistance to seek for project members through your blog.

Currently, we are at the initial stage of the project where we are reviewing suitable land plot. Garnering more project members is our next focus and this is where we are approaching various channels that already reach out to residents.

The team leader for this project is Gordon who can be reached at gtwork@singnet.com.sg. A similar posting has been put up at facebook on Tiong Bahru estate as below.

Facebook posting:

Are your green fingers itching to stretch itself? How about joining us to work on a community garden right here in Tiong Bahru?

If you are interested, please drop a note to Gordon, proj leader, at gtwork@singnet.com.sg or myself through fb.

Join us now!!!!

Tiong Bahru in Europe....and the British Isles

2011-01-29T18:16:00.006+08:00

Hello everyone... while you are all undoubtedly getting busy for the up-coming holidays, just an update on the film that is now beginning to work its way around Europe...

First, It appears in the Rotterdam International Film Festival:

Then this coming Monday, in London, it has a showing in Central London at the Renoir Cinema (known for art films!) where there is a special Q&A session with the film directors, and kindly hosted by the Singapore International Foundation.

So, that's all for now - and we will keep you updated!

Christmas!

2011-01-12T21:12:00.005+08:00

Now that Christmas is over (or actually, if you are a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church, it just started last Friday), time to put up pictures of the party that took place at the Seng Poh RC....

Wishing one and all a great New Year ahead!

___________________________________

Come to the party pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
At Seng Poh RC pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
They rocked the night for all pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
With carols to sing and sing pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
rum-pa-pum-pum rum-pa-pum-pum

And the folks love it pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
Rum-pa-pum-pum

We had carolling pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
The jester gave us joy pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
They gave us gifts and laughs pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
And lucky draws we won pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
rum-pa-pum-pum rum-pa-pum-pum

And Santa came pa-rum-pa-pum-pum
Everyone had fun

(photos by Lawrence, lyrics by Barnie)

Woof woof! Calling all Dog Lovers!

2010-11-10T20:38:00.002+08:00

Calling All Dog Lovers!!

Are you interested to learn about responsible dog ownership?

Hear from a vet about how to care for your puppy or an older dog? Pick up tips on grooming and feeding?

Meet other dog lovers in the neighbourhood?

Ask AVA about the latest regulations for dog owners?

If you think you will be keen to participate in a Dog Lovers Talk at the neighbourhood, that covers the above topics, please send an email to:

deanne.tan@gmail.com

with a gauge of interest - it would then be possible to plan for the event!

Do pass the word to your other neighbours!

Heritage Hunter....comes to Singapore!

2010-11-10T20:25:00.004+08:00

Not sure when this will show, but do look out for the episode with Singapore and Hong Kong in it!

Hong Kong and Singapore are 2 of the most dynamic cities in South East Asia - both ex British colonies, both predominately Chinese. Their skyscrapers are monuments to their economic success built on the backs of an immigrant population. In these cities are treasures which hark back to a different social and economic milieu

Wing Lee Street in Hong Kong sits on a valuable piece of real estate, caught in a time warp of neglect. Its tenement shop houses have been home to immigrant families for decades. Beneath the grime are treasures to be uncovered, stories to be told.

Tiong Bahru Estate is the oldest public housing estate in Singapore. Built before the war, the architecture of the low rise flats are a heady blend of the clean lines and elegant curves of the era of art decor. In its heyday it was dubbed the Hollywood of Singapore and a favoured place for romantic trysts.The Heritage Hunter calls on the Monkey God to help her find her treasures.

Channel News Asia International produced by Sitting In Pictures

Website: http://www.sittinginpictures.com
Starring: Linda Black
Written By: Catherine Lim/ Vincent Fong
Directed by: Vincent Fong/ Catherine Lim
Plot outline:

Heritage Hunter is a 6 x 30 mins. adventure series which explores historical, cultural and environmental sites in Asia and efforts to protect, preserve and develop them. In each programme the Heritage Hunter(Linda Black) will have to find 3 “treasures.” The treasures can be tangible - a relic, a rare plant - or intangible - a legend, a task. The clues are cryptic. The “treasures” are pieces of a puzzle which are significant to the narrative of the heritage story of the people who live there.

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/HeritageHunter

Tiong Bahru The Film - the Preview!

2010-10-05T14:14:00.006+08:00

For all of those who took part in the making of the film... read about the sneak preview that was held on Monday night....

Cast, crew, friends and family joined filmmaker Joe Lawlor for a sneak preview of TIONG BAHRU on Monday, one day before its official world premiere at the National Museum of Singapore. Over 300 people from the local community came along to see themselves and their friends on the big screen and the film did not disappoint. The stunning vistas taken from the roof of the carpark of the Tiong Bahru were matched only by the beautiful portraits Joe, Christine and Director of Photography Daniel Low had made of the community, whose appearances were met with sighs, giggles and excited whispers. Host Chua En Lai added a bit of extra sparkle to the evening while the first screening ended with a loud round of applause. Joe then answered questions about the film, alongside TIONG BAHRU producer Dan Prichard, and the film was then screened again, so that the cast could once again enjoy their Hollywood moment ... READ MORE

For those of you who could not make it, the film is having its world premier at the National Museum tonight, and will be showing at the National Museum 'Cinema' for the next few weeks... For details of the screening, go HERE.

Bring your family, your friends, your neighbours!

Tiong Bahru The Film - The Exhibition!

2010-10-03T20:24:00.004+08:00

Hi everyone, as you may know, the film will soon be launched....

In the meantime, to see the story behind the making of the film, do check out the following exhibition at the Market, where it all happened!

2nd Oct 2010 to 10 Oct 2010.
Tiong Bahru Market Foyer,
Seng Poh Road.

' Taking place at the Tiong Bahru market from Saturday 2nd October to Sunday 10th October, this exhibition documents the three days in June 2010 when Tiong Bahru market and hawker centre was transformed into a movie set, with the help of UK-based filmmakers Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, and 150 volunteers from the community.'

16th Day of the 8th Lunar Month - the celebrations commences!

2010-09-23T11:37:00.004+08:00

Everything is set up at Eng Hoon Street today, as the celebration for the Birthday of the Great Heavenly Sage commences - and it is also the 90th Anniversary of this particular temple.

Something to look out for this time would be the display of a wide range of historic sedan chairs for the temple that have been gifted by devotees over the decades.

The main prayer event for today begins at 4.30pm, if you are in the hood, come by too. Check out the Chinese street opera (Teochew) from this evening!

All are invited - note that the bamboo with the lanterns is a 'signal' to heavenly beings to come join in the festivities.

Tiong Bahru Tours

2010-09-18T02:33:00.002+08:00

Geraldene Lowe is offering the following tours for Tiong Bahru, based around the Festival for the Great Heavenly Sage:

23 SEPT Thurs - TIONG BAHRU WALK 2.30 - 5.30pm ending with Monkey God Birthday Procession - great photo opportunites!

24 SEPT FRI - TIONG BAHRU WALK 9.30AM - 12.30 Both Tours meet Holiday Inn Atrium Lobby - visiting Temples, famous Market Best Cake Shop in town - stay on to have lunch and see Opera Performance specially to entertain Monkey God!

Call Geraldene for details - afternoons 67375250 or leave a message and she will call you back.

You can also email her on : geraldenestours@hotmail.com

Do go if you live here, but have not yet been on a tour to understand our neighbourhood!

Enjoy!

Mid Autumn and Birthday of the Great Heavenly Sage

2010-09-18T02:09:00.004+08:00

Dear Friends and Neighbours,

once again, the Mid Autumn Festival rolls around, where we make time to mark the harvest, enjoy the beauty of the fullest Moon of the year, and make merry with goodies and beautiful lanterns.

While we no longer have most of the lanterns above - which up to the mid 1980s, were commonly on sale in Singapore, we can think of creating new ones of our own! Apparently such cellophane lanterns are unique to Malaysia and Singapore - and are not seen in mainland China itself.

Related to the season is the main Birthday of the Great Heavenly Sage - more popularly known as 'Monkey God'/'Monkey King' or 'Sun Wukong'.

His main temple in Singapore is right here in Tiong Bahru - the Qi Tian Gong Temple at Eng Hoon Street. This year, the temple celebrates its 90th Anniversary, as the street banner and decorations proudly proclaim.

As with each year, a full programme of entertainments for the Deity has been arranged for the 5 days of celebrations - from 24th Sept (16th day of the 8th Lunar Month) to 27th Sept (20th day of the 8th Lunar Month).

Details of the celebrations can be found on the website of the temple:

www.qitiangong.com.

If you are interested in a colorful folk festival, this is the time to come to visit Tiong Bahru with your camera to capture the festivities! Lion and Dragon Dances, Chinese Opera and Getai!

This is also when a tour by Singapore's noted tourguide - Geraldene Lowe - as featured in the National Day special of the Straits Times this year - will be conducted to share with all who are interested, the history of Tiong Bahru.

p.s. as with each year's festival, it is going to be a lively and somewhat noisy event. If this is not your thing as a new resident, the temple seeks your accomodation and understanding on this matter.

Snatch Theft and other alerts!

2010-09-07T01:11:00.004+08:00

Dear Neighbours,

just recently, we have had a report of an attempted snatch theft along Kim Pong Road. An elderly man who was walking with his grandchild was attacked from the back by a thief who ran past and wanted to snatch his necklace.

This happened at about 11.30pm on 1 September.

According to what we were told, the details of the suspect as follows:

Male, in the 20s.
About 1.7m tall, slim build.
Beige t-shirt.
Indian

Fortunately, it seems that the resident and his grandchild were not hurt.

In late August, there were also 2 reports of thefts from the Market - 2 stalls had raw chickens stolen from them between 3.30 to 4.30am.

Unfortunately, there are no details of the suspects in the case of the market thefts.

These events are quite unexpected given that our area has been generally very safe, infact, safer than most other areas.

Do be more careful when walking at night, and if you have elderly relatives, remind them to not wear valuable jewelry on them when not necessary.

Please let us all continue to be vigilant about public safety, and if you see or hear anything strange, call the police, or give shout for help to alert more neighbours! We are all safer when we come together to keep a look out for the safety of our neighbours and friends.

Tiong Bahru Mid Autumn Party and Recycling Exchange

2010-09-04T12:38:00.002+08:00

Dear Friends and Neighbours,

This Year's Mid Autumn Festival Party will be held once again at the Seng Poh Garden, (next to Block 48 Moh Guan Terrace).

Date: 11 September (Saturday)
Time: 7pm to 10pm

Tickets at $5 per person

Tickets on sale at the Seng Poh RC every Monday and Tuesday night from 8-9pm.

There will be food, games, lucky draws, and a talk on how to avoid Problem Gambling and avoiding Loan Shark activities.

Once again, there will also be a recycle exchange run by NEA - bring your recyclable items to be exchanged for food items!

The more you bring, the more you have to exchange.

We accept the following items:

Cans, Bottles, News Papers, Old Clothes.

Do make sure that the Cans and Bottles are clean though.

See you there!

Short film, nice prize! just 90 Seconds!

2010-08-31T00:38:00.003+08:00

WIN A CANON EOS 7D in just 90 seconds!

Show us WHERE YOU HEART IS and you could win a CANON EOS 7D and a trip to the UK's leading short film festival.

Click here for details.

We are asking you to show us the places in Singapore that matter to you, and already we have had some lovely work submitted.

See: http://civiclife.sg/competition-gallery-new.php

Check out details of the CANON EOS 7D, which has full HD video recording capability, here: http://www.canon-europe.com/cpn_eos7d/ and find out more about Encounters, the UK's leading short film festival, here: http://www.encounters-festival.org.uk/

Closing date is Friday, September 17th, so get filming!

WHERE THE HEART IS is a collaboration between the British Council, the National Museum of Singapore, Encounters Short Film Festival and the Singapore International Foundation.

The festival of the Hungry Ghosts

2010-08-17T23:20:00.012+08:00

Today is the 8th day of the 7th lunar month of the Chinese calendar.

Some of you would have seen these altars around the neighbourhood...

They are set out by either individual families, or by trade and neighbourhood associations who band together to offer food and drink for the wandering 'Good Brothers' - the respectful name for those who come back to this world for a month to enjoy themselves with the entertainments available on earth.

These associations often also stage a celebratory dinner for all its members. Tiong Bahru had one last week and it is one of Singapore's oldest recorded 7th Month Celebration Associations - SIN HOCK HENG SEAH:

The red bags on the table are full of useful goods to be distributed once a year to all who subscribe to the association. These would include - Rice, Oil, Sugar, Soya Sauce etc. the necessities of life!

Entertainments that include song and dance on stage - otherwise known as Getai 歌台. If you want to find out where there is Getai each night - and it happens all round Singapore - just by the daily Chinese newspaper - Lianhe Zaobao! And often, a grand dinner and auction!

Sometimes, the offerings take place on a grander scale, such as at the Buddha Tooth Temple in South Bridge Road. Tonight, long tables of offerings were laid out. Don't think that the faith does not move with the times! One of the offerings is of french fries and chilli sauce - can you spot it in the picture?

Finally, to check out the whole programme of events to explain why and how this month is commemorated and celebrated by Chinese who believe in their traditional faith, check out the event at Kreta Ayer Square, by Chinatown Complex Market and just behind the Buddha Tooth Temple. A very informative exhibition has been put up - Hungry Ghost Festival Cultural Exhibition - Free admission.

The Chinatown Business Association with the Singapore Tourism Board and the Taoist Federation, is also organising a series of talks and events for all who are interested. There is also the calendar on the blog - Chinese Temple Event Calendar.

Don't miss out what Tiong Bahru Market has to offer too - there are lots of seasonal goods on offer!

psst. For those of you who do not know, it is not polite to step on offerings or the ashes of offerings. Just walk around them.

The biggest festival day will be the 15th of the 7th month - 24th August 2010.

The YOG Flame is visiting Tiong Bahru!!!!

2010-08-12T19:44:00.003+08:00

Latest news!

The YOG Flame will come through our hometown around 11.30 to 11.45 tomorrow - Friday, and they will run thru Lim Liak Street!

Come cheer on the runners, and take a nice picture of the flame in our heritage estate.

They will be accompanied by the local Lion and Dragon Dancers!

Nice to know that we are seen as representative of Singapore by the YOG folks too...

Wonder if Merly and Lyo will turn up?

With each generation, there is something more to be grateful for

2010-08-10T00:46:00.003+08:00

Happy National Day neighbours and friends!

While the flats here in Corinne May's song are not of Tiong Bahru's vintage, Kampong Arang dates from the 60s when we underwent the heroic effort to rehouse our fellow citizens from tenements, slums and squatter shacks.

The simple architecture may not be considered much to shout about when compared to today's positively gleaming HDBs, but it is nice to see that these pioneer flats being celebrated, if nothing else, as a place where we started, as a place that evokes a feeling of home.

It is also good to be reminded of the role of the common-corridor - the five foot way of our Tiong Bahru flats - that was inherited from Raffles' planning rules, and transformed/brought into high-rise housing from the 60s to the 80s - that is is a place where community formation - as a result of friendships being formed - has a better chance of taking place. And its many small community/ies that come together to make a Nation.

Hopefully one day, we will have an equally nice ND song set in Tiong Bahru!

Majulah Singapura!

Happy National Day! I love Tiong Bahru, I love Singapore!

2010-08-09T03:02:00.006+08:00

Here's a wish for a Happy National Day to all of us here who live in, or are fans of Tiong Bahru....

Our first ever community banner with the signatures of the residents who came for the tea party. Do add yours in!

(pictures courtesy of Zaihan, of WCS) The Banner will be up on display for the duration of August.

Last weekend, we had our first ever party to mark the 'launch' of our special Community National Day Banner.

Instead of having a typical design that is generic, Seng Poh RC thought to ask if the White Canvas Gallery would consider contributing the outcome of the sketchwalk through the estate, to create a special National Day banner that would have a real local flavour.

WCS and the artists of the walk readily agreed, and it was put together into what you see above. The design of the banner was done by WCS, and we hope you will agree that it is really quite eye-catching!

On the day of the launch party on 1 August, even though it was overcast and drizzled, many residents turned up to see what the banner was all about, and we have to say that all of them were pleasantly surprised to see our home town captured first in an artistic form, and secondly, transformed into a banner!

Young and Old were excited to sign their name on the banner - often looking for that particular sketch that showed their block or their street.

(Pictures courtesy of Barnie Leow)

Even those who did not plan to come to the event, but passed by, were happy to see the banner, and added their name to it, and then joined in to have a cup of tea and a chat with their neighbours.

(Pictures courtesy of Barnie Leow) The little girl at the bottom left of the picture was looking for her sketch.

So, what else is there to say but that, we do love our neighbourhood, and we do appreciate how Art can make us recognize the beauty of our hometown! Seng Poh RC is thankful for the helpful folks at WCS, the 4 artists - Don, Tia, Miel and Paul, and all the other enthusiasts who turned up for the sketch walk and made the banner possible.

Happy National Day everyone - as we so love our hometown, we can then also love our country....

p.s. Seng Poh RC welcomes opportunities for collaborative events between all who are interested in the neighbourhood, especially where the event is an opportunity for residents and friends of the estate to meet. If you have any proposals, do drop us an email here - we will forward it to the RC.

Make a date with your memories this Sunday 8 August, 10 pm on OKTO!

2010-08-05T10:26:00.003+08:00

This Sunday, 8th August 2010, a new documentary film will be screened at 10pm on Okto.

Do you know, do you remember where this dragon is?

Okto's Special National Day Documentary Feature OLD PLACES – with support from NHB’s Heritage Industry Incentive Programme (Hi2P) - is produced by Chuan Pictures, directed by Royston Tan, Victric Thng and Eva Tang, and features the voices of Singaporeans as they recall their memories of disappearing places in Singapore.

Take a walk down memory lane and revisit Old Places in Singapore once again.

Reminisce yesterday's past today. Don’t forget to tune in. Tell your friends!

Have you entered the competition yet?

2010-08-02T23:42:00.003+08:00

The British Council sponsored Civic Life project is having its 'Where the Heart Is' film competition for all who live on this island of Singapore...

90 seconds is all it takes to get your chance to win a place to the world's most prestigious short film festival later this year...

read more about it on:

WHERE THE HEART IS

All the best!

National Day - Launch of Community Banner & Tea Party

2010-07-28T00:51:00.005+08:00

Dear Friends and Neighbours,

Come join in the launch of the 2010 Tiong Bahru Community Banner for National Day! This year's banner is made up of sketches created by sketchers from all walks of life who took part in the Tiong Bahru Sketch Walk on 17 July, that was organized by White Canvas Gallery. You can sign your name on the banner, which will be displayed for the next few weeks, for our National Day. Tea and Cake will be provided... do come! All residents, and friends of Tiong Bahru, are welcome to join us!

The Banner is going to look good!

1 August 2010
Sunday
1-3pm
Seng Poh RC
Block 48 Moh Guan Terrace.

See you on Sunday!

Next Art Exhbition at White Canvas Gallery... Fernando Escora

2010-07-18T14:13:00.004+08:00

If you have enjoyed the pen work of our sketches at the inaugural show at the WCS, here is the next show for you to consider ...

Do check out the show, which is on from 22 July to 7 August 2010.

For more details of the artist - check out the WCS website.

Its good to see more arts and cultural events in our neighbourhood - and if any one of you have similar events, do drop us a line with the details... we will be glad to post it up for you!

Pictures from the sketch walk....

2010-07-18T14:02:00.005+08:00

Many thanks to the White Canvas Gallery for organizing the first ever sketch walk in Tiong Bahru - it was very encouraging to see about 100 enthusiasts coming along to look, and to draw our hometown! Here are some pictures of the event....

they drew everything!

And guess what - we will be using the sketches to form our National Day Community Banner - which will be launched jointly by Seng Poh RC and WCG on 1 August at Seng Poh Garden (more details to come)

Some of the participants - who came from both Tiong Bahru as well as beyond (so glad to know that we have friends from all over Singapore!), have asked if it could be done again... well, lets see how it goes?

:)

Thanks to Barnie for the pictures!

Sketchwalk 17 July 2010 at Tiong Bahru

2010-07-11T12:07:00.004+08:00

A reminder of the upcoming community event organised by our lovely partners in the 'hood - White Canvas Gallery.

SKETCHWALK WITH TIA BOON SIM, PAUL WANG, DON LOW and MIEL.

Sketches by all participants - we hope you can also contribute your work to the creation of this year's National Day Community Banner for Seng Poh (Tiong Bahru) Estate.

WCG will help to take pictures of all the sketches that are created this coming Saturday, to be compiled, in collaboration with Seng Poh RC, into our very first special Banner that will be on display at the Seng Poh Tea Garden from 1 August 2010 (More details coming soon)

17 July, Saturday, 2 pm
SKETCHWALK by ARTISTS, OPEN TO ALL, MEET AT THE GALLERY.
FREE

BEGINNERS WELCOME!

For more information:
Call Ricky at the White Canvas Gallery: 62208723
or
Email: ricky@whitecanvas-gallery.com

Here is a preview of the sketchers at work.

Your thoughts on community safety

2010-07-11T12:01:00.003+08:00

Some residents have written back to share on their thoughts on the safety of the neighbourhood:

If we have to do it,carry a torchlite and have a vigilante group prowl around Tiong Bahru estate if necessary.I will be the first volunteer,good exercise for the legs and doing a good turn for the community bonding the estate,thus detering unwanted attention to our property.
The CC,RC,should look into such area where its more meaningful,I have experienced it in Taiwan,very friendly kind of atmostphere when we met them in a darken street near our hotel vincinity.
Report any people or person loitering near your area for more than half an hour or aproach them and ask if you are of any help thus taking note of features,dressings which might be of help during investigation.Rather we could ask NHP to make petrol on behalf,you hardly see any petrol cars around,only when trouble has happened.
Usually such cases happen around 3 to 4 am where most of us are sound asleep.If happen to wake up for the necessary,just keep alook out on the streets or back lanes call for help if suspicious sound or characters for no reason loitering in your scope of vision.
Make sure public lightings is in working order,especially staircase landings and entrances.

Thanks for the info,will be more alert.Being one of the targets hit three years ago six cases in all within 3 months,my shop was burgled in the heat of the night by likely tenants on the upper floor.Especially there are renovation going on.Units should be on guard,in the area.
I am more careful not letting anyone unfamiliar to enter my back portion of my shop thus observing the weak areas which we have patched up.Installed motion detectors in critical area suggested by the Police and Insurance agent.
Hope to keep Tiong Bahru safe for all.
Thanks again for the timely reminder,I almost forgot about the situation I was in nearly four years ago.Although its a few thousand dollars its heart breaking and tension for the family.

__________________

By the way, the reported house breaking occurred about 10 plus in the evening it seems.

If anyone wants to take part in possible neighbourhood patrols, do drop us an email and we will see what we can do to get something organised.

Fortunately, this estate is still safer than most, as we have more eyes on the street to look out around for each other. Still, as some of you have shared - nothing like helping each of us as neighbours and friends to keep the area safe for all!

Where the Heart Is - Civic Life - the Film Competition and More

2010-07-08T00:05:00.006+08:00

Hear from the 2 directors, on the motivation behind the filming in Tiong Bahru, and also, the launch of the Film Making Competition - 'Where the Heart Is'.

You also get a quick sneak preview into how some of the scenes will look!

So, get your digicams/cameras/mobilephone ready to make your film of Where your Heart Is, in Singapore... share with your friends and family....

And thank you once more, to all who took part in the film project, and to British Council and National Museum for bringing this project - Civic Life - to our hometown!

ALERT ! HOUSE BREAKING ! ! !

2010-07-05T23:54:00.001+08:00

Dear Friends and Neighbours

This is to alert you that in the last week, there has been a break in at Block 82, Tiong Poh Road, at night.

One of the flats on the 2nd floor had its bedroom window broken into and things were stolen.

It seems that the thief targeted the unit where the rear courtyard of the ground floor is roofed over - which enables the thief to walk over and into the flat.

The thief then left thru the front door it seems.

The Police is now investigating the issue, but they have asked all of us to do the following:

a. Do not leave rear doors/windows open when you are out of the house.
b. Keep valuables locked away.
c. Do note if there is suspicious sounds coming from the rear roof.

and MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL I would say -

d. Keep an eye out for each other and if in doubt, call the police.

There is nothing like knowing your neighbours and looking out for each other. Only in this way can we help to keep each other safe.

Civic Life - Tiong Bahru The Movie - Read all about The STARS

2010-07-01T16:44:00.006+08:00

Hello!

Some of you were seen at the filming over last weekend... I am sure all of you had fun! For the rest of you... find out more about how it looked - lots of lovely pictures shot by Samantha Tio....and on the Flickr Album here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48246027@N05/sets/72157624257551435/

The event was also covered substantially by many journalists, including The Online Citizen. Read all about TOC's review of it and their interview with the STARS from our community here, where the 'stars' from the community are featured!

From Left: Joe Lawlor, Christine Malloy, Leo Mak, Mdm Lim, and Veronica Patricia Rio
Picture by Samantha Tio

Sketches of Tiong Bahru - 30 June to 17 July

2010-07-01T15:28:00.005+08:00

Last night was the grand opening of the first local art show that is focused on our neighbourhood, at our new local gallery White Canvas Gallery. Run by Colin, Maria and Ricky, their gallery's first show is dedicated to our home town.

Through the eyes of Tia Boon Sim, Don Low, Miel and Paul Wang, the sketches, in the different styles, showcase the sometimes hidden beauty of our estate.

Do catch the show, the sketches are beautiful!

Most works are for sale, and you may consider getting something for your own flat...

2 other events that you can consider joining in as part of the exhibition:

3 July, Saturday, 2 pm
ARTISTS TALK at THE GALLERY

17 July, Saturday, 2 pm
SKETCHWALK by ARTISTS, OPEN TO ALL, MEET AT THE GALLERY.
FREE

For more information:
Call Ricky at the White Canvas Gallery: 62208723
or
Email: ricky@whitecanvas-gallery.com

A very Meowy evening at Seng Poh RC... 3 July 2010.

2010-06-29T00:18:00.004+08:00

“Ever since the Pharaohs we’ve been unable to agree about cats. And we still can’t really decide whether to love them or loathe them. How could something so innocent and beautiful be so divisive?”
Joanna Lumley

Dear friends and neighbours,

We'll be watching the second installment of the Catwoman show, and a slideshow of stray cats from Greece (by our very own resident photographer Mr Barnie Leow)

Come join us!

Bring your friends and family and feel free to bring munchies to share. We can go for a walk after the event to look at the neighbourhood's cats!

Sat 3rd Jul,
7.45pm onwards at Seng Poh RC
Block 48 Moh Guan Terrace

FREE

Suitable for all ages

2 More days to the FILM!

2010-06-23T23:50:00.005+08:00

Joe and Christine were interviewed this morning on Prime Time Morning , while an episode of Singapore Discovered, to air on Channel News Asia in August, will be shot this weekend in around the estate and will feature the film prominently the host of the programme will actually take part in one of the scenes, which will be featured in the TV programme)

The project also appeared in the Straits Times..

So glad to have local residents wanting to take part - and thanks to Mrs Chia for supporting her husband!

Reporters from Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao, Shin Min Daily News and TODAY will be attending the shoots, as will writers from the website ONLINE CITIZEN and YOUTH.SG.

How exciting!

Hope some of you have signed up....

One more week to go to the film!

2010-06-18T22:31:00.002+08:00

Just to share a message from the Tiong Bahru Civic Life project....

______________

With just one week to go before the shooting of Civic Life: Tiong Bahru, filmmakers Joe and Christine reflect on the consultations with the community of the estate over the past three months, and look ahead to the week to come, in a new post on the Civic Life blog.

Read their thoughts and a preview of the storylines that are emerging at

http://www.civiclife.sg/blog/

We hope you can be part of it!

Best wishes

British Council

June Block Party at Seng Poh Garden!

2010-06-10T00:14:00.002+08:00

Its time to get together again under the night sky at Seng Poh Garden for our next Block Party!

19 June 2010
Sunday
7 to 9 pm

Food, Games, Lucky Draw and

A RECYCLING DRIVE!
Bring your recyclables to be weighed and be exchanged for food items to take home.
We are looking for Glass, Plastic, Metal, News papers/Cardboard, Old Clothes.

Tickets are at $5 per person
Available Monday and Tuesday at Seng Poh RC
Block 48 Moh Guan Terrace
8 – 9 pm

Suitable for young and old, bring your family, friends and neighbours…
See ya!

Brought to you by Seng Poh RC and Recycling Drive sponsored by NEA

A very meowy night coming up this Saturday!

2010-06-03T00:20:00.003+08:00

Dear Friends and neighbours,

This coming Saturday, 5 June 2010,

Seng Poh Residents Committee is pleased to host a very meowy evening that is all about our community cats.

There will be a video about cats and then a slideshow of more cats!
7.45pm to 9.15pm.

Seng Poh RC
Block 48 Moh Guan Terrace

Feel free to bring your own nibbles and drinks.
After the show, there is ample opportunity to stroll around our lovely Tiong Bahru and view some of our own community cats in their habitat!

Our Market in the International Press

2010-05-27T01:20:00.005+08:00

Once more, our market and its food, and our estate, makes it into the headlines.

Well, they got a bit of the info wrong, and definitely did not try all that Tiong Bahru Market has to offer... but, we can offer to guide him the next time!

:)

Read more below on what the UK Financial Time's Mr Nicholas Lander has to say:

FOOD AT SINGAPORE'S TIONG BAHRU MARKET

The Community Photo Show is up! 16-30 May

2010-05-18T22:38:00.006+08:00

The Community Photo Show - Tiong Bahru Through the Years - is up now at the Tiong Bahru CC. It is kindly sponsored by the Tiong Bahru CC.
Mr Goh of Tiong Poh Road and his grandchild, glad that the Pre-War Estate was conserved.

Many thanks to all those friends and neighbours (you know who you are) who shared their pictures of their family, friends and also, personal artistic views of our Tiong Bahru Estate.

Come check out lots of old pictures of friends and neighbours having fun in the 'hood.

Read a unique story by long term resident Peter Lim about a forgotten story of our neigbourhood.

Also look out for 3 sets of work where 3 local photographers - Barnie, Lawrence and Marc explore the estate in terms of Infra-Red, Historic Trades, and the refreshing Mornings around us.

We even have a full feature on our feline friends!

Suitable for all ages, and it would be wonderful if you could bring your family, friends and neighbours along....

Dates: 16-30 May 2010

Venue: Tiong Bahru Community Centre Reading Room, Eu Chin Street

Hours: 10am to 10pm daily

Free.

We are also looking for more pictures old and new - send in yours and your stories to us!

We want the pictures to be part of Civic Life. And perhaps, a bigger show next year!

Lets all fall in love with Tiong Bahru all over again.

Up-coming photo-walks and photo class at Seng Poh RC

2010-05-09T14:16:00.007+08:00

For those of you who are into photography, here is a chance to take part in a photo walk that is organised in our neighbourhood... Those of you who live in the estate may have already seen the noticeboards.

More details are on the forum: www.tiongbahru.org

The first two Walks will take us to revisit Dempsey Road, and the Tan Tock Seng Grave site. Both are interesting places to go, the former a lot more gentrified while the latter is more mysterious (especially if you have no idea what there is there!) and if you are not familiar with who Tan Tock Seng is, beyond that he founded a hospital, you can read more about the great man here.

We've posted up the new PhotoWalks on TiongBahru.Org, and you can access them at http://tiongbahru.org/viewtopic.php?t=693 (remember, you need to log in to view the forum).

There is also an up-coming class on the post-processing of photographs. A minimum sign up of participants is needed.

Details here

Please spread the word and do sign up!

:)

Seng Poh RC is at the ground floor of Block 48, Moh Guan Terrace.

A show on Art Deco!

2010-05-07T00:35:00.003+08:00

If you wanted to find out more about Art Deco interior finishings, - the style which Tiong Bahru Pre-War estate is built in, don't miss this exhibition that is now on at the Alliance Francaise.

A rare opportunity to see the taste of the era.

And perhaps get some inspiration for your interiors!

Alliance Francaise
Societe Generale Private Banking Gallery
Sarkies Road

Till 11 May 2010. Don't miss it!

Tiong Bahru Market and the Movie - come join in!

2010-04-29T23:57:00.004+08:00

The Straits Times
Life!
Apr 29, 2010
By Magdalen Ng

London-based film-makers Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy were shocked during their first visit to Tiong Bahru Market when their order of carrot cake arrived.

Lawlor and Molloy decided on Tiong Bahru for their film project as it was one of the oldest Housing Board (sic) estates. They are now familiar with the popular food stalls at the market. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

'It looked nothing like the carrot cake that we were used to. But it's quite good, actually,' says Lawlor in a recent interview with Life! at the Tiong Bahru Market.

Now he and his wife are no longer strangers to the market and even know which hawker stalls are the most popular.

They have been speaking to store owners and visitors to the area as part of their research for the next short film that they are making.

Set in and around the Tiong Bahru estate, the movie is part of Civic Life: Tiong Bahru, a community arts project exploring identity, memory, architecture, a sense of place and civic space that will take place in the second half of this year.

The project is a collaboration between the British Council and the National Museum of Singapore with support from the Singapore International Foundation. There will also be an online film competition for Singaporeans.

'The British Council is a cultural relations agency whose aim is to create meaningful discussions around the ideas of creativity, culture and education. This project involves close collaboration with our Singaporean partners and a rich engagement between Singaporean and British artists,' says Mr Dan Prichard, director of programmes of the British Council in Singapore.

He adds: 'Joe and Christine's films are beautiful, but it is their commitment to the community and their engagement with the community at all levels in the project that make the Civic Life films so special.'

Lawlor and Molloy's movie, as yet untitled, is the third in a series of short films involving communities that they are making.

The first two Civic Life films were set in Dublin, Ireland, the duo's hometown. Moore Street was filmed along the iconic street where many migrant communities settle, while Leisure Centre focused on the leisure centre situated on Main Street Ballymun, which has long been associated with crime and poverty in the media. Both films were praised at various international film festivals.

For their Singapore film, they surveyed other places including Bedok before deciding on Tiong Bahru, because it is one of the oldest estates in Singapore, and is a place rich with history and culture. Also, almost every Singaporean they encountered seemed to have an opinion about Tiong Bahru Market.

'Some of the people we spoke to used to live here and have since moved away. But they still come back week after week to eat their favourite food,' says Lawlor.

Molloy adds: 'But there are others who refuse to come back after the refurbishment of the market, because they feel it's no longer the same place they remember.'

While filming is slated to take place in June, they are still working on the plot and script after three visits to Singapore. They plan to develop the script gleaned from conversations with residents and visitors in the area.

They are also inviting people to contribute their memories of the place to the project at the website, http://www.civiclife.sg./

'There are certain things that we will definitely include, but we don't know exactly what we want to do yet,' says Lawlor.

songyuan@sph.com.sg

Submit your memories of Tiong Bahru for this project at www.civiclife.sg

Tiong Bahru The MOVIE!

2010-04-29T00:43:00.005+08:00

Have you ever wanted to be in a movie?

A real film shot on real film stock?

Here is your chance to do so... to share about the neighbourhood that we all love and care for... what are your stories?

LONDON-BASED film-makers Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy were shocked during their first visit to Tiong Bahru Market when their order of carrot cake arrived. 'It looked nothing like the carrot cake that we were used to. But it's quite good, actually,' says Lawlor in a recent interview with Life! at the Tiong Bahru Market.

picture courtesy of NEA

Now he and his wife are no longer strangers to the market and even know which hawker stalls are the most popular. They have been speaking to store owners and visitors to the area as part of their research for the next short film that they are making.

Set in and around the Tiong Bahru estate, the movie is part of Civic Life: Tiong Bahru, a community arts project exploring identity, memory, architecture, a sense of place and civic space that will take place in the second half of this year. The project is a collaboration between the British Council and the National Museum of Singapore with support from the Singapore International Foundation. There will also be an online film competition for Singaporeans.

'The British Council is a cultural relations agency whose aim is to create meaningful discussions around the ideas of creativity, culture and education. This project involves close collaboration with our Singaporean partners, rich engagement between Singaporean and British artists,' says Mr Dan Prichard, director of programmes of the British Council in Singapore.

He adds: 'Joe and Christine's films are beautiful, but it is their commitment to the community and their engagement with the community at all levels in the project that make the Civic Life films so special.'

Lawlor and Molloy's movie, as yet untitled, is the third in a series of short films involving communities that they are making.

Read the full report in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times' LIFE!.

More from sktechwalk....

2010-04-22T23:29:00.004+08:00

Following up from the last post on the sketchwalk in Tiong Bahru, here are more works by one of the participants...

Lovely images of our Estate!
More of Paul Wang's sketches can be seen here.

The next walk is at another of our historic neighbourhoods - Geylang - whose historic buildings were given conservation status by URA in 1991 - check out the details if you want to join - here.

DISCLAIMER - THERE IS NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO NEIGHBOURHOODS!

The origins of the name of Singapore - an alternative take

2010-04-22T23:22:00.004+08:00

Something on the lighter side... see how Raffles and Farquhar came to decide on the name of our lovely island....

From 'Talking Cock - the movie'...

The names of our estate's streets ... what are their stories? Coming up soon....

Share your pictures of your beloved Tiong Bahru!

2010-04-03T12:38:00.004+08:00

Dear Friends!

Do you have good memories of your times in Tiong Bahru Estate, happenings and events with your family and your friends through the years?

We are calling for all residents, ex-residents, friends and supporters of Tiong Bahru Estate to share their pictures of the estate.

The 'Theme' is very simple:

JUST ONE LOOK AND YOU KNOW ITS TIONG BAHRU!

The 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and today?

Here are some examples of what we are looking for:

Family in Tiong Bahru. Courtesy of Mr Chan J.K.

The old entrance to the Community Centre. Courtesy of Mrs Wong of Eng Hoon Street

The old Bird Corner

Lunar New Year on Eng Hoon Street

National Day, Tiong Bahru Road

We folks at the Seng Poh RC would be really good to build up a ‘Community Family Album’ for this estate that so many of us love – to share pictures, memories and stories… for those of us who are here, or who used to live here, or who just love this place.

The Stage 1 of this project will be that the best 50 or 60 pictures will be selected for display for the Tiong Bahru Community Day on 16 May 2010. The venue will be the Tiong Bahru Community Centre.

All pictures submitted will also be put up on to the local Tiong Bahru photo website (being created - look out for it in the next weeks!) for all to view.

WE HOPE THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WILL SHARE YOUR PICTURES OF TIONG BAHRU!

Stage 2 will be to collect even more and see if we can build up a good community album to be turned possibly into another project...
___________________

How to do it?

Scan your image at 300 dpi and save it in a *.jpg format and post to:

tiongbahruhc@gmail.com

with the following subject title:

'Tiong Bahru Community Pictures'

Please include the following information:

Your Full Name

When was the picture taken

What was the event? (e.g. was it a birthday?)

Your contact details - address, phone.

______________________

Closing date for Stage 1 of the project is

24 April 2010 for us to get the pictures ready for the show.
______________________

If you have problems scanning the pictures, drop us a line and we will arrange to help you scan!

Happy Picture Hunting!

Residents' Alerts! Dengue and Theft

2010-03-30T23:14:00.004+08:00

Dear Friends and Neighbours,

two alerts for your well being in health and safety:

DENGUE:
The hot season is coming by again, and with it, plus the intermittent rains, the increased risk of dengue being spread by mosquitoes breeding in nooks and corners where you least expect it.

Please follow the preventive checks as advised by the NEA Dengue Prevention website - www.dengue.gov.sg - to keep yourself, your loved ones and your neighbours safe!

THEFT:
There have been recent reports of break-ins at the rear end of the pre-war estate - where the streets are quieter. Please remember to keep your front AND backdoors locked, especially the common door at the bottom of the back escape staircase.

While thefts are thankfully rare in our estate, it is better to take precautions.

One helpful way is to also look out for each other - that's what neighbours are for.
And even better, if you know the shops downstairs - they are not only convenient, but the shopkeepers, if you know them and they know you, are our 'eyes on the street'.

If you see anything suspicious - call your local police post:

Tanjong Pagar Neighbourhood Police Post
Address : Blk 144 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-1114 Singapore 160144
Tel : 1800 - 273 8999
Fax : 6 278 5695

Tiong Bahru Neighbourhood Police Post
Address : Blk 128 Kim Tian Road #01-123/ 125 Singapore 160128
Tel : 1800 - 273 9999
Fax : 6 278 5651

Keep safe and well!

Walk a Jog is here again!

2010-03-30T22:59:00.004+08:00

Some of you may have seen the poster on the notice board...
our Seng Poh RC Walk A Jog is back again.

Date: 4 April 2010, Sunday
Time: 7.30 am to gather, 8 am start.
Place: Seng Poh Tea Garden, at the junction of Seng Poh Road and Moh Guan Terrace

Suitable for all ages.

There will also be a RECYCLING DRIVE after the event, bring 3 plastic bottles to recycle and you can walk away with a prize, courtesy of the National Environment Agency. Learn more about how to become part of the Clean and Green Movement.

A special gift will also be given to all participants....

Come with your family, friends and meet new neighbours!

As with the Walk A Jog last year, it promises to be lots of fum...

See you on Sunday!

Lunar New Year Celebrations Part 4

2010-03-28T11:58:00.013+08:00

More pictures from the dinner...The dinner featured performers from Tiong Bahru and outside - our MC was the lively and funny Er Gu!

Our brave lions from Boon Tiong RC Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe... and their big drums...

Er Gu with one of Seng Poh's resident expert crooners...

This gentleman from China was so lively in sharing his tunes from Northern China that we could not get him in focus! He really livened up with his belting out of Northern Chinese folk tunes! Hope to see more of him too.

There were also the wushu experts from Boon Tiong RC's wushu classes (and yes, they are welcoming students to join)- they may be young, but some of them are National Schools' Champions...

An integral part of the event was of course, the presence of our Advisor, MP A/P Khoo Tsai Kee, who graced the event for the entire night..

Giving out awards...

And Lucky Ang Pows to the tables of Senior Citizens, whose tables were kindly paid for by anonymous sponsors... and who also sponsored the Ang Pows for the needy old folks - THANK YOU TO YOU KIND HEARTED SOULS.... they really did enjoy themselves...

Furthermore, our Advisor also got to meet some folks from the British Council who were running a community workshop - WORKLIFE - at the Society of the Physically Disabled near by, and whose participants from the UK wanted to experience a real Singaporean neighbourhood event....and so they bought a table too!

They tried out Yum Sengs and Yu Sang.... very unique for them.

Another group of guests were the table from the Friends of the Museum - who also wanted to better understand Singaporean community events.

Another uniquely Singapore event is how Belly Dancing has taken off here... and we have a resident sharing her skills on stage for the dinner... and yep, New Year Dinner entertainment need not always be 'traditional'... we can invent our own new traditions!

Maybe Boon Tiong RC may also start Belly Dancing classes for our residents...which by the way... to be a good dancer...

you need to have a belly.... one potential student here....

Then there was the all important lucky draw...

Prizes in all shapes and sizes... sponsored by Boon Tiong RC and Seng Poh RC, as well as from Eu Yan Sang, Estee Lauder, and Khong Guan... Thank you for supporting our event! These 3 brands are also cherished heritage brands of our country...

A little girl with her prize of an electric fan...

More pictures from the dinner tables! Do you spot yourself?

Until Next Year .... HUAT AH!

In the meantime, both RC's look forward to your continued support of our events for you.... look out for something BIG soon.....

Are you into sketching? Come join us!

2010-03-18T00:35:00.003+08:00

A local group that is focussed on sketching the city that they live in, will be organizing a 'sketch walk' in our neighbourhood.

27 March 2010, Saturday, 9am.

More details below.

Check out their blog!
__________________________

The upcoming sketchwalk will be around Tiong Bahru, one of the older neighbourhoods in Singapore and also a place where good food abound! Meeting point will be Tiong Bahru Market (a short walk from Tiong Bahru MRT station). Starting off time will be 9am sharp! Those interested in joining us for a leisurely breakfast, please meet at 8:15am instead. Please call Andrew 91070735 if you can’t find us. No need to sign up, just show up if you are attending.

Lunar New Year Celebrations Part 3

2010-03-16T23:33:00.004+08:00

On the 6th of March, Boon Tiong RC and Seng Poh RC got together to organize the annual Lunar New Year Dinner for residents of these two parts of Tiong Bahru Estate.

We had over 50 tables, a fantastic host, resident talent in various forms performing, lucky draw, residents (old and new) and friends from here and afar - including guests from Britain and a table from the Friends of the Museum group, joining us all in a very lively dinner.

Here are the pictures of the event - they will be posted over a few installments.
Many thanks to all the hard work by the RC members, and equally, many thanks to the residents and friends who supported the event by buying the tickets and turning up to ‘HUAT’ with everyone!

It was more fun than a wedding dinner.

Till the next year!

HUAT AH!

Continuing celebrations in Tiong Bahru – Part 2:

2010-02-20T16:58:00.007+08:00

The Lunar New Year period is always an occasion for the appearance of Lion Dances… Do you know that the Lion is not native to China, but was first introduced to China during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) by emissaries from Greece to the Chinese court. And since that time, they have been a favourite animal of the Han Chinese!

Here in Tiong Bahru, our Market is a great place to observe the appearance of the Southern Lions (characterized by a body made of layered fabric, unlike the Northern Lions – whose bodies are made of layered ‘hair’) who are engaged by businesses to ‘open’ their premises in a most auspicious way in the New Year. Today and Tomorrow, as well as next weekend, would be a good chance to come by and see the Lions.

Here are some lions from Boon Tiong RC Lion Dance Troupe that were performing at the Market today. Its a special version where by the Lions must break a set of 8 'sar po' or Chinese earthen ware brewing pots, to get to the plate of lucky greens.

Setting out the sar po pots.

Discussing the strategy...

Now that the pots have been overcome by the powerful lion's paws... time to tackle the greens!

After the lucky mandarin orange peel has been scattered towards the shop and the boss.... its the tricky task of arranging the rest of the greens....

Just what is going on in the Lion's belly?

And finally, what do we have? Lucky Greens and Lucky Golds (pun on the Hokkien/Cantonese/Mandarin term for Mandarin Oranges), spelling out: Forune!
Great Auspiciousness! and Great Prosperity!, and a lucky number for you to buy at 4D this week!

HUAT AH!

That's Hokkien for 'To Prosper and to Strike it Big!'

Continuing celebrations in Tiong Bahru – Part 1:

2010-02-20T16:40:00.001+08:00

We are halfway thru the Lunar New Year Celebrations today, and it is everyone’s birthday! The Chinese believe that on the 7th Day of the Lunar Year, it was the day that humankind was created.

If you think that you might soon miss the festive feel of this season, fret not, do look out for the upcoming Lunar New Year Residents Get Together Dinner on 6 March 2010.
Get your family, neighbours and friends together to form a table of 10 and come for the dinner, that is brought to you by Boon Tiong and Seng Poh Residents Committees (yes, it’s the GREATER TIONG BAHRU FAMILY here).

Don’t delay! Limited tables left.
See you on the 6th!

Dong Dong Chiang! Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

2010-02-16T12:45:00.006+08:00

In Tiong Bahru, the Lunar New Year is the occasion for seeing many traditional ways of celebrating the festival through Lion, Dragon and even Flag dances!

On the 2nd day of each LNY, at 10 am at Block 56 Eng Hoon Street, one will see an annual performance on the street, to celebrate the new year by one of our local businesses - Bao Sheng Trading.

This year, there is a special appearance by the Tiger....

A child from the neighbourhood watching the new flag being carried in for the flag dance.

The 2 southern lions performing, notice the 2 smaller kiddie lions in between.

href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ehjL1tTOfeQ/S3onT3gsoaI/AAAAAAAAASk/FKDeuQO4iAo/s1600-h/IMG_2101.JPG">

This is a particularly difficult move as the front dancer must jump upwards and be held aloft for up to 3 or 5 minutes.

The flag dance is quite rare in Singapore - here, the 3 storey high flag is carried by individual dancers on their heads, abdomen, hands and even their chin. The breeze makes the flag flutter beautifully, but also increases the challenge of holding it aloft.

The dragon, before it starts it dance, first travels to the Qi Tian Gong to pay its respects to the local deity, here, the Great Heavenly Sage (AKA Monkey God) before it dances.

and wherever the dragon goes, good luck follows!

Looking at the confetti - a replacement for the red firecracker paper of the old days - guess the good luck is also shared with the neighbourhood!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!

Film location needed! do you want to take part?

2010-02-16T12:42:00.003+08:00

Happy Lunar New Year to one and all....

lets open the year's postings with this call for filming location in Tiong Bahru, from a local production company - local in that, they are actually based in our neighbourhood!

If you are interested in helping out - do contact Nadia directly! it would be good to have TB featured more in the media, especially for children!

___________________

Hi there,

I'm Nadia Shah, an assistant producer at local production company Eyecon Production (S). We're looking for three households in the Tiong Bahru area as venues for the production of a children's programme for Mediacorp's Okto channel.

The production will be shot during the March holidays, two weekends in April, and the June school holidays. However, since not all scenes will take place at the same venue, we may only need each household for at most 10 days.

Of course, remuneration will be provided for the home owners: $75 for a half day shoot and $150 for a full day shoot.

Kindly let me know if you know anyone who might be interested in this. You can drop me an email at nadia@eyecon.com.sg.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you!

Best Wishes,
Nadia Shah

Tiong Bahru thru the eyes of a painter

2010-01-21T23:50:00.005+08:00

Have you ever thought how our SIT estate would look through the eyes of an artist?
You can now satisfy your curiosity, as well as perhaps buy one of the paintings of Tiong Bahru's backlanes, at the following exhibition.

It is good to know that our estate is the inspiration for many artists. If our estate was better maintained, it may attract even more attention, and have more art work created!

Perhaps one day, we will have a feature film set here!

In the meantime, do visit the show in nearby Kreta Ayer, South Bridge Road. This is also one form of 'community outreach'. By the way, Keng Hock is a local boy, who grew up in Tiong Bahru.

Do you recognise YOUR backlane?

UTTERLY ART cordially invites you to visit the haunts of the

BACKSTREET GIRL
TAN AI NGIN

THURSDAY 21st January 2010 7pm
Utterly Art Exhibition Space
(diagonally opposite the Sri Mariamman Temple, Pagoda St Exit)
229A South Bridge Road (2nd Level) Singapore 058778
Call Keng Hock for appointments Tel: 6226 2605 or 94872006
E-mail: utterlyart@pacific.net.sg
Mon-Sat 12 noon - 8 pm Sun 12 noon - 5.30 pm
The exhibition runs to SUNDAY 31st Jan 2010 .

About the exhibition:

While hardly reminiscent of a boy band, Singapore’s very own Backstreet
Girl wanders the quiet passages behind our older housing estates to get
inspiration for her own impressionistic compositions with paint and brush.
Capturing a facet of Singapore’s urban landscape rarely broached in local
art, Tan Ai Ngin finds artistic angles and viewpoints to romanticize hidden
communal spaces amidst dense apartment blocks. Venturing from previous
painterly forays into Tiong Bahru and Kampong Bahru, she now includes
glimpses of Geylang and Tanglin Halt. Painting plein-air might attract nosy
neighbours, but it allows her access to a diversity of atmospheres,
cultures, people, weather and scenarios to document the unique charm and
peculiarity of living in Singapore.

About the artist:

Tan Ai Ngin (born 1972, Singapore) obtained her Diploma in Fine Arts at the
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1996 and her Bachelor of Arts in Chinese
painting at the Nanjing Arts College, China in 1999. She went on to
complete a one-year course in visual arts at the School of Fine and
Performing Arts Constantijn Huygens, in Kampen, The Netherlands in 2001.
She has been collected by the Frans Walkate Archief in The Netherlands and
the Tokyo office of the Singapore Tourism Board. Backstreet Girl is her
fourth solo exhibition.

Kampong Silat SIT estate

Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre - what does a good Alsatian White wine go with?

2010-01-10T22:50:00.004+08:00

Its good to know that food and drink experts from overseas also find that our hawker centres are real treasures... read more in this blog entry where he talks about being shown this treasure of our multicultural cuisine, 'Enjoying Singlish & Hawker Centre lifestyle' by the head honcho of Hugel & Fils....

Drink up and Eat Up and be merry....

too bad there is no Indian prata stall at the market that would make the range of classics complete.....

Block Party at Seng Poh RC

2010-01-03T12:05:00.009+08:00

Dear Friends and Neighbours!

A Happy New Year to one and all!

Before the new year gets into its full stride, here are pictures of the last block party of 2009, brought to you by Seng Poh Residents Committee, to celebrate Christmas, and also, the successful completion of the repainting exercise.

Heres our RC members and their 'assistants' hard at work setting up the food.

Many thanks to all who could make it - it was not just the makan, but the company too that made the afternoon an enjoyable one, where neighbours could get to know each other better.

Here's Joseph and his flock (above)

We also had an interesting session viewing pictures taken by the Photo Interest Group for Tiong Bahru Estate and our nearby sights. Check out more on Tiongbahru.org.

There was also a special feature on CATS! Yes, Cats of Tiong Bahru... so, if you are interested in pictures of CATS - be it viewing or taking or sharing, drop us a line...

Last but not least, there was Karaoke - we have some really good singers in the neighbourhood!

Look out for the next Block Party at the RC and have a great year ahead!

:)

Merry Christmas to one and all

2009-12-25T15:43:00.005+08:00

Christmas in Tiong Bahru, 1951, Children of the Tan family decorating their tree.

Its been a few weeks of mad rush to finish work for all of us I'm sure. So, just a simple post to stoke some feelings of nostalgia, with pictures shared by friends of mine.... of Christmas in Singapore in the 30s and 50s....

Enjoy!

Christmas Menu from 1937, when this estate was built.

Apparently there was a Christmas Tree at the entrance to the Government House, today's Istana Negara. This picture is from 1953.

A year earlier in 1952, there was carolling on the City Hall steps, and they had a few hundred sheep join in the voices too. I guess the grass on the Padang afterwards was nicely and naturally trimmed!

And finally, the boys of Boys Town put up a Mad Hatter's Tea Party at the old Great World Amusement Park, just down the road from Tiong Bahru. Great Costumes!

Merry Christmas to one and all!

What were the window frames originally coloured?

2009-11-25T23:48:00.004+08:00

A new resident recently posed this query:

Before the last paint scheme of orange, for all the old window frames, what were their 'original' colours?

Today, we have a mix of white and grey - based on residents' preference I guess, and in keeping with the repainting scheme.

Can anyone share their recollections?

The old period B&W photo does not give enough of clues.

APEC visit - voices from the ground...

2009-11-23T22:23:00.002+08:00

After reading the mainline media report in the earlier post, here is the view from the ground - from a young Singaporean participant, as extracted from the APEC Voices of the Future Blog:

APEC VOF Day 4: Tiong Bahru Heartlands Tour

By: P4 (Joy Tan Yan Jun, Singapore)

Built in the 1930s, Tiong Bahru Estate is one of the oldest housing estates in Singapore. It was the first project undertaken by the Singapore Improvement Trust, a government body administered by the British colonial authority, to provide for mass public housing in Singapore. The estate consists of about 30 apartment blocks with a total of over 900 units. The apartment blocks are made up of two to five-storey flats and the units are assorted three to five-room apartments.

Although I am a Singaporean, I have to admit that yesterday trip was my first time to the Tiong Bahru heartlands. Before the trip I thought there was not different between the Tiong Bahru and any other heartland in Singapore. Yet, the trip there proved otherwise. It was an eye opening experience to see a part of Singapore that can rarely be seen around the fully developed city state.

Unlike the other newer towns in Singapore, Tiong Bahru heartland, although smack right in the middle of the city, emits a rustic and layback charm. A combination of pre-war art deco house, post-war low-rise HDB flats and modern 20th century high-rise flats can all be found within the area. What makes this more unique is the integration of these distinctive architectures all within a mere distances of five streets apart.

As our foreign delegate friends commented on how they can’t find these historic architectures in their cities anymore, I felt really proud that our government actually chooses to keep a part of our history but conserving these older flats. The fact that they did not allow the pressure of space crunch in Singapore to remove part of Singapore rich and vibrant history taught me the fact that even as we grow and progress in the future, we must still remember and celebrate our past. Just like the Chinese saying, 饮水思原, which means to not forget where the source of our success comes from, I believe that in we must remember our roots and the people who helped and nurtured us to be the person we now are.

As I spoke to a long time resident of the area, I can sense the pride in his eyes as he spoke fondly about his estate and how proud and grateful he was to the government for acknowledging the history in the area and for conserving them so that the future generation and understand and appreciate the lives of their forefathers. It was then I realized that history can bring and connect people together through shared experiences. I believe youth today lack an appreciation of their history and the struggles that the past generations have gone through to secure the peace and prosperity that we now enjoy and take for granted.

Before we, the youth of today, get about making some history of our own, I think that we should take a step back and reflect on the things around us, understand the spirits behind them and twine these spirit into our activities and work. In this way, we can connect with our older generation and at the same time pass on these spirits to our next generation and encourage them to do the same. In this way, I believe that we will be able to achieve another form of sustainable development.
--------------------------------

Hear! Hear! Nice to know that the visit made at least a few youths see some value in history....

While the Ladies went on the Wheel... the Youths came to Tiong Bahru..

2009-11-23T21:58:00.003+08:00

Now that the APEC whirlwind is over, time to share a happening that took place just over a week ago. The youth of APEC countries, as part of their 'getting to know Singapore' programme, were hosted by Tiong Bahru CC and treated to a walking tour by guides from URA and HDB, of the Pre-War, Post-War and the Boon Tiong SERS blocks, where they enjoyed the view over our estate from the top floor of Block 6A.

It all ended up with a visit to Tiong Bahru Market where they could eat local food with local people.

Here is the report and the video link to the event that day.

APEC youth delegates explore Singapore
By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 12 November 2009 2030 hrs

SINGAPORE: Youth representatives from the APEC economies got the opportunity to experience the lighter side of the APEC Summit on Thursday.

It may be non-stop action in the heart of the city, but in the heartlands, 116 youth delegates from the APEC Voices of the Future Programme got a different experience altogether.

In Tiong Bahru, they viewed the famed pre-war apartments and art deco style architecture of the neighbourhood.

"I discovered Singapore when I came and everyday I rediscover it. A new day, a new expression, a new feeling," said Vladimir Kusch, youth delegate from Russia, APEC Voices of the Future Programme.

The tour also showed them Singapore's achievements in community and town planning, and a better appreciation of the Singaporean lifestyle.

But the day's highlight was a dialogue with film star and philanthropist Jet Li.

The youth delegates came armed with questions, with some seeking advice on how to actively contribute back to society, while others were a little star-struck.

Mr Li said: "The future lies in the hands of the next generation. If we don't work together, generations after will suffer. This is the only way to ensure continuity."

The APEC Voices of the Future Programme allows participants from 21 economies to become youth journalists. They will have the opportunity to interview economic and business leaders, and observe APEC meetings.

- CNA/sc

Another feather in the cap for our well-loved heritage neighbourhood.

More reports to come....

p.s. does anyone know how to get the video report uploaded directly onto this blog page? thanks!

Noise Noise Noise!

2009-11-23T21:44:00.004+08:00

What do you do when your neighbours drive you up the wall with noise late at night?

Here's the response from the friendly local Police to a complaint on Guan Chuan Street - so, take note, and use them!

Dear Sir

I refer to your preceding email of XX November 2009.

The Police recognise that noise pollution at night is likely to cause
greater annoyance. As such, for noise pollution complaints at night (
typically between 10.30 p.m. and 7 a.m.) the police officer will attend to the scene.

Therefore you are advised to call the Bukit Merah East Neighbourhood
Police Centre at 1800-2369999 to seek their assistance if the noise created is extremely loud and intolerable. We have informed the Central Police Division to step up frequent police patrol in the vicinity.

Thank you and regards.

Esther Tan
for Quality Service Manager
Singapore Police Force

Don't forget, the email address to send your complaints to formally is:

SPF_Customer_Relations_Branch@spf.gov.sg

Singapore in the 1970s... in colour!

2009-11-19T00:48:00.005+08:00

Thought to help advertise one of my favourite films of Singapore's recent past - Peter Bogdanovich's interpretation of Paul Theroux's 'SAINT JACK'.

What will you see? Here's some hints:
Singapore River (before it was cleaned up)
Bugis Street (before it was cleaned up)
Ann Siang Road (before it was cleaned up)
Amoy Street (before it was cleaned up)
Orchard Road
Raffles Hotel, and some really interesting aspects of Singapore's history from the 70s that we have forgotten/not told ourselves.

This film was banned in Singapore until only a few years ago. Read more on this part of its history on Ben Slater's Blog.

Its showing on:

THU 26 NOV 2009 7:30pm &

FRI 27 NOV 2009 1:00pm

Gallery Theatre, Basement

National Museum, Stamford Road.

Here is the blurb from our National Museum's event site:

The only American film to be shot entirely on location in Singapore, Saint Jack was completed in secrecy in 1978 and then swiftly banned for nearly three decades. It’s an adaptation of an early novel by Paul Theroux about a middle-aged Italian-American drifter called Jack Flowers (played by Ben Gazzara), hustling a living in the seedier corners of Singapore. Director Peter Bogdanovich and his team set out to tell his story as authentically as possible, and spared no effort in scouting locations and casting locals. What they created was a vivid, colourful document of the swinging Lion City of the ‘70s, capturing the high and low-life, the gangsters, the towkays, the Brits, the Yanks, the good-time girls and boys, the glitzy hotels and the crumbling mansions with immense wit and style. Watching Saint Jack is a chance to return to a forgotten time and a vanished city.

Members of the cast and crew will be present at the screening on Thursday 26 November, 7.30pm, which will be hosted by Ben Slater, author of Kinda Hot: The Making of Saint Jack in Singapore.

Don't forget to join in the mystery tour!

A GO GO GO GO CHRISTMAS!

2009-11-19T00:22:00.006+08:00

The holiday season is soon upon us, and we are glad to announce two upcoming events at the Tiong Bahru CC this coming December.

19 Dec 2009
Tiong Bahru CC Womens’ Executive Committee presents a fun night of A GO GO.
Tickets at $10.
6.30 to 11 pm. Come dressed in your retro best. Food, Games, Entertainment, Prizes and Dancing!

26 Dec 2009
Jalan Membina RC brings you their annual Christmas Carnival.
1 pm to 5 pm.
Tickets at $5

Do bring your family and friends to both events.
Tickets available at Tiong Bahru CC Counter.
The Tiong Bahru CC is open from 9am to 10pm daily.

New at the Community Centre

2009-11-18T00:14:00.003+08:00

After a few months of work, we have finally put up the Tiong Bahru Estate Heritage Wall at the main lobby of the Community Centre.

Looks great doesn’t it?

The content tells the story of how Tiong Bahru SIT Estate came to be, and has some lovely old archival pictures as well as more recent images.

Now when your friends and family visit you and wish to find out more about the history of this estate, you can start them off at the CC!

Opening hours of the Community Centre are from 9 am to 10 pm daily.
The Tiong Bahru Community Centre is located at 67A, Eu Chin Street.

The Heritage Club would like to thank the CC and its Manager for showcasing our history, and for thanks to the members of the Club who put the pictures and design together. To find out more about conservation, do visit URA's website.

Upcoming - the information will be translated into Chinese, Malay and Tamil and also put up on the wall.

Christmas Fair - Support Tiong Bahru CC's Sewing Circle!

2009-11-17T23:48:00.003+08:00

A handcrafted bear from the Sewing Circle that I bought a few years back. I just love the ‘Singapore’ fabric. His hands and legs move too!

Some of you might remember Lynda Koh, our local volunteer heroine, who helps with the needy in our area.

Do you know that she also has a long established Sewing Circle, based at our local CC, that produces a whole range of hand sewn goods, lovingly handcrafted by female residents of our neighbourhood? One of them is my neighbor.

Every year, they will sell their products at the Ngee Ann City Christmas Fair. This year’s fair starts this Saturday, and the Sewing Circle stall will be manned from 10 am to 5 pm.

Check it out at the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza.

What will you get there? Bags, Bears, Quilts and more.

They will be Christmas presents, with a difference! Designed and made in Singapore.

Living culture on our street

2009-11-17T23:17:00.010+08:00

A stilt performer playing the role of Monkey - the Heavenly Sage.

Hello!

Now that the 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar is well underway, I’d better get the posting up for the last procession that was held in our neighbourhood.

Many thanks to Wai Kin for sharing his pictures of the street parade that was held to mark the birthday of the Monkey God whose temple is on Eng Hoon Street.

Such temple parades and performances are a part of the long lasting Southern Chinese folk culture. Recently, China managed to get UNESCO to recognize the Mazu Belief and Customs as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The temple medium as the Great Heavenly Sage, while in trance. This tradition is explained for the very first time, comprehensively, by Margaret Chan, in her ground breaking book 'Ritual is Theatre, Theatre is Ritual'. Now available at one of my favourite book shops - Select Books at Tanglin Shopping Centre.

A visiting friend from Beijing had not seen such events before back in China, and found it wonderful that we in far away Nanyang had preserved and sustained tradition in a way generally not seen back on the Mainland. See what she shared on her blog.

The devotees carrying the sacred sedan chair where the spirit of the deity is resting. It is said that the chair is lighter than normal when the deity is present in the chair.

The procession passing Chay Yan Street. The big headed doll is not so often seen these days.

By going around the estate, the procession renews the blessings of the deity to the estate. Believers see this as a form of spiritual protection for the estate. Minimally, the dances, dragons, cymbals - would create so much 'noise' - the louder the better - as the 'lau jiat' atmosphere serves to drive away all lurking spiritual baddies.

Perhaps one day, other forms of festivals and folk opera will be equally recognized.
Enjoy!

There was another parade recently... posting up soon....

Tiong Bahru (VERTICAL and HORIZONTAL) Challenge

2009-10-18T21:24:00.007+08:00

Hey folks!

Ever wanted to take part in a vertical race?

Well, on 13 December, Tiong Bahru will be host to our very own Vertical Race - up a 30 storey block of flats! There is a horizontal element as well - a 5 km run before we huff and puff up the new flats at Boon Tiong Road....

Online registration for the Challenge is available here.

You can also register at the Tiong Bahru CC personally.

Alternatively, a copy of the registration forms can be requested from TBChallenge09@gmail.com and payment for registration can be submitted via mail of a crossed cheque and duly completed registration form.

Great prizes to be had! See you at the Challenge!

The Birthday of Tai Seng Yah - a.k.a. Monkey God

2009-09-30T23:02:00.006+08:00

The flags are up along Tiong Bahru and Tiong Poh Road.... pointing to the up coming birthday of Tai Seng Yah - The Great Heavenly Sage, a.k.a. the Monkey God whose temple is at the corner of Tiong Poh Road and Eng Hoon Street.

Yes, flags along roads are a sure sign of a temple festival in Singapore. These flags have peaches embroidered on them, as they are His favourite fruit (and also the fruit that got him in to trouble with the Jade Emperor and his consort long long long time ago....)

This temple is over 80 years old, and the big birthday, on the 16th day of the 8th Lunar Month, just after Mid Autumn Festival is the major event for the temple.

So, if you want to catch sight, or join in the festivities that is a real local folk festival, do take note of the following schedule of events:

Sunday 4 Oct - 3 pm, commencement of festivities, with lion and dragon dances.
The temple medium may be in attendance.
7pm, Teochew Opera nightly

Monday 5 Oct - afternoon and night, Teochew Opera
8 pm, dinner for temple supporters, lion and dragon dance, auction.

Tuesday 6 Oct - afternoon and night, Teochew Opera

Wednesday 7 Oct - afternoon and night, Teochew Opera

Thursday 8 Oct - 8 pm Getai show

Throughout the days of festivities, there is likely to be visiting troupes of Lion Dances who will come to pay respects (representing other neighbourhood temples) in the afternoon.

To read a good description of the temple in the 50s, check out this link to Dr Leon Comber's pioneering work - 'Chinese Temples of Singapore'.

All in all, its a great event for culture and photo buffs - the opera and dances are a sight to behold. The temple has adherents locally, as well as from Malaysia and Indonesia.

And if you are NOT a fan of Southern Chinese Folk Opera, well, its time to spend a few nights in town... :)

Mid Autumn is coming soon.....and there is something up for our neighbourhood!

2009-09-22T23:09:00.003+08:00

Dear Neighbours and Friends,

Mid Autumn is coming soon, and its time to let the inner child, as well as those who are really still kids - have a chance to have some Mid Autumn fun with REAL LANTERNS - i.e. real candles in real paper lanterns....

This coming Saturday, Seng Poh and Boon Tiong RC jointly brings to Seng Poh Tea Garden, our annual Mid Autum Festival Celebrations....

All kids who attend will get a lantern for a procession around the neighbourhood.... remember when YOU were young and you got your annual lantern for the festival?

If you are somewhat older... we can still try to let you have your lantern too...

There will also be photography for kids who attend...

Tickets available from your local RC member (contacts at the local notice boards) or at the RC at 48 Moh Guan Terrace.

See you there!

Photography for you!

2009-09-15T23:43:00.005+08:00

Hello friends and neighbours!

Are you all getting ready for this coming holiday weekend?

If you are a fan of photography, and want to meet up with shutterbug enthusiasts in Tiong Bahru, do consider turning up this coming SUNDAY, for the first get together of the Tiong Bahru Seng Poh Resident's Committee Photography Interest Group Meet!

Seng Poh RC
Ground Floor
Block 48 Moh Guan Terrace
Facing Seng Poh Tea Garden

Spread the word around!

And now, the Residents Walk a Jog

2009-09-08T00:07:00.010+08:00

Some pictures from the recent Walk A Jog that took place at Seng Poh Tea Garden for our residents, organised by the hard working folks at Seng Poh RC.

Good to see young and old, locals and new residents!

More activities coming up.

Will broadcast them soon.

More on the bins.... and the mozzies....

2009-09-07T23:57:00.003+08:00

Dear Residents, please find the follow update for your noting from the Town Council. Do try to encourage your neighbours to use the right bins!

:)

________________

NEA's refuse collector had completed distribution of yellow bins last Saturday to all food establishments including confectioneries and small eateries. Their unit numbers were also marked on the bins. These bins were solely their responsibility and for disposal of their trade refuse. I had checked during the last few days and many were found using the bins. They are not suppose to discard their refuse into the round black bins as these are for domestic refuse. We shall refer to NEA if they do not comply. For other trades, I am writing to NEA to provide for them as well.

Meanwhile I had placed more black bins at the back lane. Would appreciate it if you could feedback if certain blocks required more. More were placed at gable-end and corners as these are areas where more rubbish are disposed.

I shall look into the problem at the Roast Meat Shop though there is some improvement and the five-foot way. The five-foot ways are managed by Town Council and the road by LTA. However, cleanliness on road by NEA.

Mosquitoes checks are conducted by both our Town Council Contractor and also NEA once a week. Total 2 from 2 agencies. So far this month there was no breeding found.

Tanjong Pagar Town Council

___________________________

Dengue Cluster this week is at:

Seng Poh, Lim Liak and Kim Cheng Streets.

Look out!

Have you ordered your bins yet?

2009-08-24T00:31:00.003+08:00

Some of you have contacted Mr Soh of the Town Council to order your bins, and some have not.

We are told that notices will be sent out soon to remind folks.

A gentle reminder to do so if you have not, to order your bin - and they should be placed at the back lane.

________________________

To discourage residents from dumping their refuse at 5 foot way and shop front, we have worked closely with NEA and ceased putting bins at 5 foot way and shop front. 3 summons were issued by NEA to residents for not disposing their refuse into bins being provided at back lane.

To encourage eating outlets to co-operate with us, new bins will be provided by public waste collector this week to the eating establishemnts in Pre-war estate. To prevent infestation of pest, shop tenants are required to cart their trade refuse in the bin to the bin centre opposite Blk 75 Tiong Poh Road daily.

For residential units, we will respond to any request for provison of bin for disposal of domestic refuse. The bin must be placed at the back lane of their units. Please ask them to contact Eric Soh at 64119418.

Its the 7th Lunar Month!

2009-08-24T00:25:00.001+08:00

And its time for the annual Taoist season of taking care of the needs of the dearly departed while they return to Earth for visits.

Its a time for public altars, wayang, dinners, auctions and the burning of offerings.

If you want to find out more about the origins of this season and its celebrations, do check out the upcoming tours organised by the Chinatown Business Association.

More can be found here - through the blog - BULLOCK CART WATER - 牛车水.

Do you want your door and gate painted?

2009-08-16T17:17:00.003+08:00

Hello... another neighbourhood service announcement -

if you own a flat in blocks 55- 82, you should have received the following notice - asking if you want your original door/gate to be repainted as part of the current redecoration exercise.

See picture here.

Do remember to respond by 18 August 09.

Cheers!

DENGUE ALERT!

2009-08-14T00:45:00.005+08:00

Dear Neighbours,

if you do not already know, there has been an outbreak of Dengue Fever cases in our neighbourhood.

You can monitor the situation at the following website - DENGUE - http://www.dengue.gov.sg/ - makes it look almost like Dengue is part of our govt departments.... (bad joke).

But jokes aside, do remember the simple tips -

DO NOT have stagnant water around the house that can become breeding ground for the mozzies.

CHANGE water in your vases every 2 days - and...

While the local doctor has advised that the dengue carrying mosquito has a flying range of up to 1km, we should still make sure that our own backyards and frontyards are clean.

Dengue is avoidable if we all play our part in looking after the housekeeping of our neighbourhood.

If you do see places where there are blocked drains or suspicious neglected sites where water may be gathering and mozzies breeding, do call the NEA Hotline at 1800-333-7777.

Take care now everyone!

And now, a view of something old and new...

2009-08-10T19:19:00.004+08:00

Walking out to Tiong Bahru Road a couple of days ago, it was really nice to see the effect of the new paint, the old green windows, and the profile and shadow of the old old Sea Almond Tree cast on the facades of the repainted buildings.

Hope that more owners will keep their old windows - the colours really work with each other. And it's charming too.

Also hope that the trees don't get chopped down and upgraded to new ones - the ones we have here have really seen the passage of time in this neighbourhood!

Walk A Jog coming right up!

2009-08-10T19:13:00.002+08:00

Happy National Day to one and all... and here is an upcoming event that we can all join with ease - and get to catch up with old neighbours and meet new ones too!

Its the annual Walk-a-Jog.

Hello!

See you there!

Bins Bins Bins - Part 2

2009-08-05T23:21:00.002+08:00

And we have here, feedback from a concerned resident for all to consider - who wants better recycling facilities? Thanks to Jason, for taking time to share!

Dear Fellow Residents & Town Council,

With the recent repainting & sprucing of our neighbourhood Tiong Bahru is taking Shape as an interesting Conservation Town. To those who has contributed in this effort, I Thank You personally for organising the rubbish for a start!!. But I have noticed the bins available are really too small & insufficient to cater to the mass amount of rubbish thrown out by the TB residents. Take Block 55 & 56 Eng Hoon St as an example , I have just thrown my daily bag of rubbish this morning at the back alley of 55 & 56 but have also seen piles of gypsum ceiling boards lying around but the 2 rubbish cart was no where to be seen.(assume to be towed to the dump sites for dumping)

We will first have to tackle contractors rubbish which should not be dump at these sites as they will easily fill up the rubbish carts. The problem is also the carts are located at a public areas which makes monitoring undue rubbish dumping difficult. There must be assigned locations with strategic public view to prevent illegal dumping for such purpose and signs that warn about illegal dumping to prevent illegal dumping like those in HDBs areas.

The mere “insufficient and undersize bins” will already contribute to reasons residents rubbish get left behind on convenient locations not meant for rubbish dumping .I am for the idea of recycling and the 3 tiny bins located at the hawkers centre ground floor entrance certainly is not a reflection of the town council strong support in this area. I have made several attempts to deposit plastic bottles and found the bins full or too small to put in Detergent bottles.They ended up on the floor nearby or crowding the bins areas.

We should make conscious effort in making recycling an easy task for resident wanting to participate to this worthy cause by incorporating such bins at convenient Public locations with Large bins and equally large depositing holes to cater to this effort with convenience.

Lets work together to make Tiong Bahru a better place to call “HOME”

Thank You & Regards,

Jason Choo

Blk 56 #02-58

Serving the neighbourhood

2009-08-05T22:59:00.003+08:00

A very inspiring model for all of us to look up to, and hopefully, to model ourselves - if you do want to help out in the same area - drop us an email - we will put you in touch with Linda. Every little effort is appreciated.

The Straits Times
Aug 1, 2009
By Melody Zaccheus

For 25 years, Linda Koh has served the needy

CALL her a village chief, of sorts.

Mrs Linda Koh, a spry 71-year-old volunteer, knows the name of every single resident she has been helping for the past 25 years at Tiong Bahru estate.

She can even rattle off their ages, family backgrounds and medical history.

Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, she packs and delivers food rations to seniors at Blocks 105 and 125 in Kim Tian Road in a Nissan Sunny that her sons gave her.

These days, she sees a growing number of younger people hit by the downturn.

Since June last year, about 40 more people have joined her group needing free rations - most of them young families.

A recent beneficiary is Mrs Zulaiha Abdul Wahab, 33, who was retrenched earlier this year as a factory production operator. She and her odd-job labourer husband often skip meals so that their three children aged five to eight can go to bed fed.
'This is a difficult time for my family. Even as my husband and I look for stable jobs, my children still need to eat.

Here, there's rice, canned food and sometimes Milo that we can rely on, when we run out of milk powder,' she says.

Mrs Koh is particularly moved by the plight of such families.

'I am willing to help these young people out because they are genuinely at their wits' end.

I allow them to join our food queues because I trust them and want to help them.'

Known to Kim Tian residents as 'Hui Tai' (Mrs Koh in Cantonese), she is well-known for her work with senior citizens as a volunteer at Lions Befrienders.

Since most of the seniors at Kim Tian Road live alone and are cooped up in one-room flats all day, she encourages them to socialise at the void decks.

She has even appointed a level representative for each floor of Block 124, and an overall block representative, to help them solve day-to-day difficulties such as buying provisions and running errands for the immobile and taking the sick to the doctor.

'They can keep a lookout for each other when I'm not around and forge a bond through their daily chats,' she says.

Several times a month, she charters a bus to take them to places such as the Singapore Zoo and the Jurong BirdPark, or lunch at the Goodwood Park Hotel.

Mrs Koh's sons fund her volunteer efforts. Dr Hsu Li Fern, 40, is a cardiologist at the National Heart Centre, while Dr Hsu Li Yang, 36, is an infectious diseases specialist at National University Hospital.

Her 80-year-old husband, a former businessman, continues to be supportive of her volunteer work.

She has always been a housewife.

The daughter of a businessman and a housewife, she started volunteering in 1984 when she taught handicraft-making to senior citizens at Tiong Bahru Community Centre.

Her heart went out to them when she found out they survived on meals of salted fish and rice.

She says: 'They needed proper meals and nutrition so I asked my maid to cook for them.'

But the food her maid prepared could serve only 10 elderly folk.

So she recruited 20 housewives to cook at Tiong Bahru and Kim Tian community centres.

'The old folk I met told me that they were waiting for death to come.

I said: 'No, this shouldn't be how you live your golden years',' she recalls.

'They needed to have meaning in their lives and with proper meals, I thought they would have at least something to look forward to a few times a week.'

Since then, she has roped in other meal ration sponsors like Zouk, Bo Tien Welfare Service Association and Tang Gah Beo Temple.

Her friends, as well as kind-hearted individuals who have heard about her efforts, also chip in at times.

Over the past two decades, she has also helped arrange funerals for almost 40 people in the area - including some samsui women and amahs.

She and her group of 10 volunteers, mostly middle-aged working adults, chip in to pay for the funerals.

The free-thinker attributes her giving nature to the example her mother set.

'I was brought up in a middle-class family and I learnt from my mother that it was always a blessing to give and help others, in cash or in kind.

'We're all Singaporeans so we should always try to help the needy. We can start by being friends with them,' she said.
melodyz@sph.com.sg

____________________________________________________
71, and still a volunteer

MRS Linda Koh, 71, has been a volunteer with the community group Lions Befrienders for the past 25 years and chairman of Tiong Bahru Community Centre for 15 years.

The housewife started out in 1984 as a volunteer teaching handicraft skills weekly to senior citizens at Tiong Bahru Community Centre. A year later, she started thrice weekly food drives for the elderly at Kim Tian Road, which has continued until today.

She recently started helping low-income families and young singles affected by the recession. She welcomes them to join her food queue, providing them with free food parcels three times a week at Kim Tian Road and once a month at Jalan Bukit Merah and Punggol.

BINS BINS BINS!

2009-07-29T22:57:00.000+08:00

Some of you would have noticed the issue with the reorganisation of the bins in the neighbourhood. Here is the update from the Town Council:

To discourage residents from dumping their refuse at 5 foot way and shop front, we have worked closely with NEA and ceased putting bins at 5 foot way and shop front. 3 summons were issued by NEA to residents for not disposing their refuse into bins being provided at back lane.

To encourage eating outlets to co-operate with us, new bins will be provided by public waste collector this week to the eating establishemnts in Pre-war estate. To prevent infestation of pest, shop tenants are required to cart their trade refuse in the bin to the bin centre opposite Blk 75 Tiong Poh Road daily.

For residential units, we will respond to any request for provison of bin for disposal of domestic refuse. The bin must be placed at the back lane of their units. Please contact Eric Soh of the Town Council at 64119418 if you need a bin of your own.

Lets all cooperate to make the estate a cleaner and more hygienic place for all of us! Please inform your help, your family, your tenants, about the new arrangement.

And there is nothing like social pressure - it would be good and right if you were to politely remind people you see, who are still leaving the rubbish bags, along the backlanes, that it is not the right thing to do. :)

National Day comes closer and closer

2009-06-30T23:38:00.004+08:00

As National Day approaches on 9th August, many physical signs appear in our environment. One sadly overlooked symbol is our national flower, the hybrid orchid that is Vanda Miss Joaquin.

Glad to say that the flower sellers at Tiong Bahru Market have some for sale! This hardy hybrid (how appropriate for Singapore!) is in bloom, and according to the flower stall, only comes on the market in the weeks running up to National Day.

Here is a picture of the flower.

It works really well on the balcony, and in full sun. Which is what we have lots of in Tiong Bahru, during this SW Monsoon Season.

A lovely Red and White orchid, with pink accents, it really is quite apt for our nation as our National Flower. Its origins as a hybrid, discovered by an Armenian lady - Miss Agnes Joaquim, who lived in a Chinese part of Twa Por, that had a Malay area name, is also appropriate for what Singapore is so unique for. That is was described botanically by 'Mad' Ridley of our Botanical Gardens in 1893, is also encouraging, for Ridley was a man who persisted in trying out new things even when few around him believed in the possibilities of success (can you imagine a world without rubber?).

Furthermore, its geographical origin at Tanjong Pagar, not so far from Tiong Bahru, should endear it to us here - half an hour's walk away.

Twenty years of Town Councils

2009-06-30T23:35:00.002+08:00

From the recent news report on the formation and the evolving role of Town Councils. Lets hope that the next 2 decades brings more positive evolution of this organsation and its relation with residents.

One possible improvement might be a way of scoping out the TC 'groupings' into more mentally recognisable units that are based on actual geography. That is surely how people identify with where they live.

SINGAPORE: It has been nearly 20 years since the formation of town councils in Singapore.

And Singapore’s Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong who was instrumental in setting up the Town Councils said they have been successful in getting the grassroots leaders to understand the linkage between what Town Councils can do and what the people must do.

In an interview with the Straits Times, one example is the service and conservancy (S&C) charges.

He explained that before Town Councils came into existence, each time S&C charges were revised by HDB, even grassroots leaders would join in the chorus to criticise the increase.

But having to decide with the Town Councils whether S&C charges must be increased, the grassroots leaders began to understand where the money was going to, where it would be spent, what provisions they were making for sinking funds and so on.

So that link between Town Councils and grassroots leaders in the housing estate has been successful.

Mr Goh said the next stage is to get residents to take a greater interest in the affairs of their Town Council.

The painting so far

2009-06-30T23:25:00.004+08:00

On a more positive note, the hard working folks of the Tanjong Pagar Town Council have continued with the repainting work in the estate.

These pictures of the before and after shows the difference a paint coat makes. Its all much brighter and fresher! Who knows, we may all even save some electricity bills from not having to turn on the lights in the day time because we can now 'borrow' the light reflected off the walls.

Glad to know that our Tanjong Pagar Town Council is one that has been open to engaging interested residents even before the recent comments by SM Goh on the gap between Town Councils and their constituents. Kudos to Mr Loy and Mr Soh for their hard work!

And Kudos too to those residents who live here, and those are not living here, but who care about this neighbourhood, for getting together to contribute positively to the neighbourhood's future!

Hotel, Brothel, Smothel...

2009-06-30T23:19:00.003+08:00

Another response to the letter on the hotel in today's Straits Times. Is it wrong to have a mindset that everything should have its place - which is a recipe for harmonious living? Is raising an issue of local concern in the public, in an objective way, not the sign of matured behaviour? To put it on record, the residents' concerns are not focussed on the monetary value of their neigbourhood, but about the way it should or should not evolve.

Read the comments on ST Forum online. Sigh.

Get with it, Tiong Bahru residents - it's a hotel, not a brothel

SADLY, Singapore still has a long way to go before it matures as a society, even if it has done well economically.

Hotel 81 - which is a hotel, not a brothel, by the way - in Tiong Bahru bears this out. Like the issue of housing dormitories for foreign workers in Serangoon Gardens, some residents are saying 'somewhere else, but not here'.

Presumably, it is okay in Geylang. It is also okay in Chinatown, and many other locations not considered inordinately prone to 'vice' (for the complainants have not, as far as I know, protested against the very existence of Hotel 81).

'But hey. I came to live in this pleasant neighbourhood. Put it somewhere else.'

Unfortunately, there is no social or government contract when you buy a property or choose to live in a particular location, for you to 'expect' things to be exactly how you want them.

Like the recent online letter by Mrs Bendjenni Udiana Jamalludin about how some men dressed well but lacked social graces ('They were well-dressed but behaved like louts', last Saturday), Singapore can develop economically but fall well behind in social development. Perhaps more can be done in school to ensure the next generation 'grows up'.

Kevin Kwek

Is the Hotel 81 issue about changing mindsets?

2009-06-30T23:12:00.002+08:00

One response to the residents' letter on the concerns over Hotel 81 in Eng Hoon Street. In today's Straits Times.

Hotel 81 in Tiong Bahru is a test about changing mindsets

ANOTHER furore seems to be brewing over a location for a budget hotel in Singapore. If this had been a major hotel development, I wonder if it would have invited such a reaction. If one goes to Tiong Bahru, one will notice many prominent hotels within a 2km radius. So why do we pick on a budget hotel to drive home a point of protest?

Hotel 81 is a local set-up, and its business caters to Singaporeans as much as to foreigners. It provides many employment opportunities for Singaporeans, especially during this economic downturn. Hence, to deprive it of a decent place to do business is to prevent a prospective employer from expanding its business.

From hospices to funeral parlours to pubs, Singaporeans are fast coming across as possessing a 'my-turf-is-my-turf' mentality. This siege mindset is harmful to the economy and will deter potential investors from doing business in Singapore. After all, if businesses are not located within the city, where else do we locate them?

Singapore is an island nation and space is a major constraint. We cannot build another island as we did for Jurong Island.

Given this constraint, we have no alternative but to change our mindset - be more open with the space we must share with others. The sooner we do this, the better we will be prepared for the future.

Because, in time to come, as the population expands and public buildings compete for more space, we can count our blessings if we find a hotel in our neighbourhood rather than something else.

Douglas Chua

The official reply

2009-06-30T23:08:00.004+08:00

Hi! Sorry for the delay, here is the reposting of the official reply from the authorities.

June 24, 2009
Hotel 81 in Tiong Bahru hasn't got a licence yet
WE REFER to the letter, 'Don't tarnish image' (June 13). We thank the residents of Tiong Bahru for their feedback.
On the feedback that the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has allowed Hotel81 to operate in close proximity to the Tiong Bahru residential area, we would like to clarify that no licence has been issued for the hotel to start operations in Tiong Bahru. Before they begin operations, hotel developments must be licensed by the Hotels Licensing Board (HLB), and applications to the board are required to comply with the requirements of the relevant government agencies.
A licence will be issued only if the application meets all requirements stipulated in the Hotels Act. However, HLB can also revoke the licence if there is any deviation from the hotel licensing conditions, such as evidence of vice activity in the hotel.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) had granted approval for a hotel use at 1-9 Eng Hoon Street, as it is located in a mixed-use area where there are existing hotel developments in the vicinity.
With regard to the heritage value of Tiong Bahru, URA is mindful of maintaining the unique charm of the area. In fact, this was the reason why URA decided to conserve the flats at Tiong Bahru. Regarding the concern on illegal operations of workers' dormitories, URA has already served Enforcement Notices on the persons responsible for converting the residential premises in Tiong Bahru to unauthorised workers' dormitories. If the unauthorised use does not cease by the stipulated date, court actions will be taken against the persons responsible for the infringements.
STB and URA believe that the residents' concerns can be addressed through collaboration with law enforcement agencies, and other government bodies to ensure that the Tiong Bahru area retains its distinct charms.
Muhamad Rostam Umar
Director (Communications)
Singapore Tourism Board
Peter Tan
Director (Development Control, Central)
Urban Redevelopment Authority

Enforcement on the way!

2009-06-23T22:52:00.005+08:00

We just wanted to share what might be the beginning of good news for the neighbourhood - reports have come in from residents that they have seen Govt officers going round on inspections on the suspected (!) overcrowded units and some have heard that letters have been served on the landlords!

So, do keep an eye out on these happenings on the ground - and if you see units that have been cleared out, but later on - REVERTING to overcrowded units that are no longer RESIDENTIAL, but are now WORKERS' DORMITORY, please do send in your observations to the authorities using the email addressess in the blog, so that they can take further action!

Just in case there is ANY CONFUSION as to what is a workers' dormitory - here are the definitions by the Govt:

A workers’ dormitory is defined as premises used primarily as lodging for workers unrelated by blood, marriage or adoption or legal guardianship.

A residential premises shall be deemed to be a workers’ dormitory if the total number of workers staying in the residential premises exceed 8 workers.

The location for proposed workers’ dormitory should also be located away from residential area and areas where the use is likely to cause amenity problems. Workers’ dormitories are not allowed in the Central Area.

Therefore, under this guideline, no flat in Tiong Bahru shall have more than 8 workers each. This is not unreasonable, given that each flat has only one toilet and kitchen, as well as with the lack of air-conditioning, any more would really be less than humane.

By the law, Tiong Bahru SIT Estate is a RESIDENTIAL ESTATE that shall not be put to uses that are not RESIDENTIAL in nature. (Unless they are the ground floor units that have existing government permission for the various kinds of commercial use)

We grew up here... Singapore

2009-06-23T00:32:00.006+08:00

Just wanted to share something that I came across, more cheerful like - on the Singapore that we grew up in - thru old pictures! First, I share one from my own collection... recognise this?

Check out this website.....

http://www.flickr.com/groups/singaporememories/pool/

Old pictures have a way to connect people and make memories seem more real... yet.... in this age of digital manipulation, I wonder how much longer will people trust in 'photographic' evidence?

Think 'Bladerunner' - the famous scene where Harrison Ford breaks the news to the android that she is but an android....

Anyway, here is the link to the trailer...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lW0F1sccqk

Another interesting coincidence (?) - Blade Runner is set in Los Angeles of 2019, Terminator 4 is set in Los Angeles of 2018. John Conner too has a photograph he hangs on to. I wonder which is the more likely future for humanity?

The letter by locals.... and do you know where the units are?

2009-06-17T23:35:00.003+08:00

Dear residents and supporters, it is good to know that both the mainstream papers have published the letter from some of the us who are concerned about the direction of the neighbourhood....

Lets keep the cooperation up!

The first thing that we can help ourselves would be to collate the units where we think there is illegal overcrowding of the units and compile them for submission to the authorities for action.

You can send the units you suspect of such overcrowding, to the blog address:
tiongbahruhc@gmail.com

A collated list is better than sending them to the authorities individually. lets have a first list by the end of next week? Looking forward to your contribution!

The Straits Times
Forum Section
June 13, 2009

TODAY
Letters page
June 17, 2009

Don't tarnish image

WE WRITE in response to recent reports regarding the declining quality of life in the conserved Tiong Bahru estate.

Since the gazetting of Tiong Bahru as a conservation site in 2003, committed residents have consistently collaborated with grassroots leaders and the town council to improve its heritage value.

We are deeply distressed that current developments will reverse much of this work, and are dismayed that government agencies have shown a lack of regard for the concerns of the community.

We are extremely concerned that the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has allowed Hotel 81 to operate in close proximity to the Tiong Bahru residential area.

Without prejudice to the hotel, we naturally fear the exposure of our families to potentially negative activities, which may be linked to the availability of hourly- stay rates.

We also do not want the image of our estate tarnished.

We are disappointed with the lack of response from STB when queried by the media, and call on STB to explain immediately.

We similarly call on Hotel 81 to clarify its intentions - to many of us, having this hotel adjacent to residential property is simply not acceptable.

A second concern relates to landlords and agents in the estate who operate illegal workers' dormitories without any thought of the noise, litter and fire hazards.

We request that the Housing Board, Urban Redevelopment Authority, National Environment Agency and Singapore Civil Defence Force respond urgently to enforce the law to eradicate what is a persistent and festering problem.

These issues continue to adversely affect the heritage value of this gazetted conservation estate which should, in fact, receive special attention from policy- makers and enforcement agencies.

The estate has already suffered a loss of heritage - the treasured and historic Bird Corner now relocated to the Link Hotel - due to poorly regulated commercial development and conservation efforts.

As a community, we hope to continue collaborating with both the private and public sectors to maintain the quality of Tiong Bahru estate as a national heritage.

We do not want to see a heritage site - Singapore's first public housing project - irreversibly destroyed.

We welcome urgent engagement by the organisations concerned and are eager to contribute constructively to reach a resolution acceptable to all.

Margaret Chung (Ms)

(This letter carries 33 other names)

Another community website to link to.....

2009-06-08T23:19:00.003+08:00

check out: http://tiongbahru.org/index.php

I was just introduced to this website for Tiong Bahru ....

More than just heritage - it covers many many topics ... including ... FOOD!

:)

and PHOTOGRAPHY.... and more....

Yet another hotel in Tiong Bahru - ironically, on the street of Virtuous Clouds (Eng Hoon)

2009-06-08T22:59:00.006+08:00

Uh Oh! I think that many of us are concerned BEYOND the issue of depressed property values. It is that this place may end up being devalued in all aspects - most importantly, as an area for residents who appreciate the community life that this estate has, which is family friendly.

We lost the authentic heritage attraction of old singing birds to one hotel,

and end up with new 'birds' being brought in by another hotel (no pictures needed, we can all imagine) on the street of Virtuous Clouds....

The Straits Times
June 8, 2009
By Jessica Cheam

Tiong Bahru residents worry that Hotel 81's presence might give area a sleazy image

AN ALMOST completed, nondescript building in one corner of Singapore's bustling Tiong Bahru estate is raising eyebrows within the community.

Several residents are concerned about the latest addition to their estate - a new hotel built by budget accommodation chain Hotel 81.

The prospect of an hourly-rate budget hotel in their estate has got them worried that the development might give a sleazy image to the neighbourhood, and depress the values of their properties.

When contacted, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), which approves the use of buildings as hotels, confirmed it had 'granted approval for a hotel development at 1-9 Eng Hoon Street' on Sept 12 last year.'

The proposed hotel development on the subject site is acceptable from the planning point of view as it is located in a mixed-use area where there are existing hotel developments in the vicinity,' it said.

Although a sign proclaims the name of the hotel to be 'Hotel 81 Osaka', it is unclear if the hotel will be an hourly-rate one or one that charges only a full-day rate.

Hotel 81 declined to comment when contacted.

The budget hotel chain has aggressively expanded in the past few years to a network of 30 hotels islandwide.

Most are located in the red light district of Geylang and other areas such as Joo Chiat and Balestier.

The chain has one hotel in a residential area - Hotel 81 Kovan.

Residents said they are hoping the hotel will at least be one that offers a full-day rate.

'Short-term stays lead to other social problems,' said resident Eugene Yip, 38, an advertising executive.

Another resident who declined to be named pointed out that there are already a growing number of female hostesses from China living in Tiong Bahru, due to the estate's proximity to bars - such as the Tiananmen karaoke lounge - in the Havelock Road area.

'At the moment, they live here and solicit their business elsewhere.We don't want them to start touting for business here too.We don't want it to go the way of Joo Chiat,' he said, referring to the district in the east which in the past saw an influx of bars, massage parlours and prostitutes together with hourly-rate budget hotels.

Recently, The Straits Times also reported the rise of illegal dorm use in the estate, where landlords have been cashing in on the demand for cheap housing by converting conserved pre-war flats into dormitory-style housing for foreign workers, leading to concerns over noise, littering and overcrowding.

The laidback, historic charm of Tiong Bahru has in recent years attracted a growing number of young professionals and expatriates.

It is gradually being gentrified.

'Many owners have invested heavily into rejuvenating their flats, and want to keep the estate clean,' said Knight Frank realtor Alvin Yeo.

So while mid-tier hotels, such as Link Hotel Singapore, have sprung up, residents want to know how chains like Hotel 81 get approval to set up hourly-rate hotels in residential areas.

The Singapore Tourism Board's hospitality arm, which gives the approval for the type of hotel licence, refused to comment when contacted.

The estate, which was designed in the 1930s in the Art Deco style, was gazetted in 2003, where 20 blocks of pre-World War II flats as well as 36 units of shophouses have been conserved to keep the charm and identity of the estate.

It has even been suggested, among Singaporeans, as a nominee for Singapore's first Unesco World Heritage Site.

Good Neighbours!

2009-06-01T22:05:00.005+08:00

Dear Neighbours and Friends,
This evening at the monthly Seng Poh RC meeting, I was informed of a really lovely award that we can all participate in. Its the Good Neighbour Award!

:)

Here's the blurb from the HDB website.

Good Neighbour Award

The Good Neighbour Award is co-organised by the Housing & Development Board and People's Association. Supported by the Singapore Kindness Movement and the Singapore Press Holdings, the Award aims to recognise residents who go the extra mile to be good neighbours.

Residents can show appreciation for their neighbour's efforts in making the community a better one by nominating him/her for the Good Neighbour Award.

The nomination exercise will be from 1 May to 31 Aug 2009. Please download the nomination form for submission...........

------------------------------------------------
There are prizes to be won - $100, $80 and $50 vouchers... but more importantly, its an opportunity to celebrate neighbourliness!

You can also pick up a form at the local CC.

But what makes a good neighbour?

This spiffy website shares some ideas....

Better ways of shading balconies

2009-05-26T22:28:00.007+08:00

I am attaching a couple of pictures of how, in the hot country of Spain, where many apartments have balconies, the residents create shade and shelter, accommodate their air con units, while also creating a unified appearance for their building.

First, there is the use of CURTAINS. All of the same design, same colour. Quite a nice bright approach I think!

Then, there is the use of vertical fixed awnings, here in yellow... again, creating a uniform appearance, even though not all the units have chosen to install awnings... I like the fact that the residents are made to put the a/c units within their balcony, so that they don't really jump out at you...

Finally, here is a high rise block, finished in brick, with a mix of vertical roller blinds and retractable horizontal awnings, in a nice dark green. Again, not all units have it, but it is enough that those awnings that are there, are of the same family. Plus, the balconies, being kept open, enhances the 3-dimensional depth of the facade. This not only retains the original design intent, but also cuts down on the amount of heat being absorbed into the apartment during the hot Spanish summers (much hotter than here!). The planting by the residents is another plus.

The above are all non-conservation buildings.

Wouldn't it be great if our estate could recover a better external appearance if there was some thought taken by all of us and our designers, when we 'work' on our balconies? Afterall, when one moves into a conservation estate, the historic appearance is something that both attracts us in the first place, and is something that we all should contribute to...

Imagine how much better if we could recover this appearance:

NEWS FLASH! - NIGHT BIKE HIKE

2009-05-26T22:12:00.003+08:00

Ever thought of biking around Singapore at night en masse?

Well, this coming Saturday night, a major Night Bike Hike will take off at the Tiong Bahru Community Centre at 9 pm!

400 bikers will commence on an overnight bike hike from Tiong Bahru to East Coast Park, and its all contributing to the run up to the YOG in 2010....and brought to you by the Youth Executive Committee (more on this next).

Participating in this hike are also students from River Valley High School, National Junior College & St. Andrew’s Junior College.

While the event is already full, do keep an eye out for the mass of riders on the night... and if you are driving in the neighbourhood - drive safely to avoid our young cyclists! :)

Or better still, come to the CC to join in the excitement of the setting off!

Request for help on INFO

2009-05-23T16:09:00.002+08:00

Dear neighbours,

I am sure some of you know that this estate was once known as (and probably is still known for it now), 'Den of Beauties'... due to the many numbers of beautiful women who were kept here as mistresses here by Towkays..... and of course, we have a new generation of freelance beauties these days....

If you do recall info that has been printed - let us know? I have a query from Hui Lian - reproduced below.... and all leads will be appreciated!

--------------------------------------
I chanced upon your blog on Tiong Bahru Esate and I am very glad for your enthusiasm in sharing with the public on the charm of the estate, of which I am also fond of myself. I am currently working on my dissertation for my university and incidentally my topic is regarding SIT flats. I would like to know more about the description of the "den of beauties" attached to the flats, and as to where I can obtain more insight into this, how it began, what happened etc. Most sources I have seen merely quotes it as it being "rumoured" to house mistresses of the rich. And also is there any books or sources that I can refer to? Your help would very much be appreciated. Thanks!

Hui Lian

--------------------------------------

Paint and bricks and Paint

2009-05-23T16:02:00.004+08:00

Hola Amigos!

Back from my hols and came away with lots and lots of ideas for how the physical environment can be improved in our hood.... but FIRST - the update on the news on how will the painting be done for the 'brick' at Chay Yan Street blocks....

TC has informed me that the reason they cannot recover the brick surface now is that the bricks, have not just been painted over years ago, but that there is actually a layer of thin plaster that was applied over them years ago too... so, there is no way of restoring them for now...

And taking on board feedback from residents who have voiced it, that the available paints make the painting to simulate 'brick' look FAKE, they will take the option of painting everything white.

So, that is that for now....

Let me sort out the images and post them up for your comments....

What will you fight (die) for?

2009-04-21T19:31:00.004+08:00

Hello!

sorry for the long silence... just got back from this year's ICT where I was privileged enough to have seen the beautiful landscapes of western Singapore - rolling hills, valleys, stands of trees and fields of long grass.. a sense of space... things that one does not associate with the Singapore that we know of 'everyday'...

Too bad that military restrictions do not let us take pictures to show you all the sights, but while beautiful, I wonder, would I fight for that beautiful landscape - if it is merely beautiful, but that I have yet to grow to love?

Would I rather, fight for (and implied, die for) this street, this estate, with both its beauty and its imperfections - because this is my little corner of Singapore that is HOME?, and which I have invested in emotionally?

Imperfections, in a parallel illustration, here:

What about you?

That's it for now, till I get back into the swing of things.. oh wait... there is THAT letter from the Town Council on awnings and planters... let me find out more...

Tiong Bahru CC

2009-03-30T23:45:00.005+08:00

Just a short post here - to show the old entrance to the CC at the junction of Eu Chin and Seng Poh Roads.

Photo kindly provided by Mdm Wong, who has lived in Eng Hoon Street since the day she got married, just before WW2.

Lovely quaint 'pailou' archway isn't it?