Lets make our Tiong Bahru Bloom!

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!!!!

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

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.

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!

Sketches of Tiong Bahru - 30 June to 17 July

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

June Block Party at Seng Poh Garden!

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

Tiong Bahru The MOVIE!

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!.

Lunar New Year Celebrations Part 3

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!

Block Party at Seng Poh RC

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!

:)

Noise Noise Noise!

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

Walk A Jog coming right up!

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!

Twenty years of Town Councils

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

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!

Better ways of shading balconies

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:

The new blog is up!

Hello!

This is the first attempt to have a blog for the residents and friends of the heritage and culture of Tiong Bahru. How will it go? I am learning as I type this - on how everything works!