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

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!

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)

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

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

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

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.

Tiong Bahru Mid Autumn Party and Recycling Exchange

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!

The festival of the Hungry Ghosts

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!!!!

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?

National Day - Launch of Community Banner & Tea Party

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!

Lunar New Year Celebrations Part 4

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.....