My Old Katong
My Old Katong
Singapore Streetscapes 1950s - 1980s
Di Tanjung Katong
Geylang Serai - Sepanjang Jalan Kenangan
Aziz
I lived
in a kampong in Jalan Eunos. Wooden house with zinc roof and asbestos ceiling.
Mosquito nets every night. And bucket latrines system.... ooh the smell still
lingers. Cant forget the pet spiders, longkang guppies, cockeral fighting and
kite "fighting".... oh the good old days! We had our own chicken, ducks and goose!
Fruits like rambutan jambu chiku jackfruit
banana and coonuts were there to to be
picked.
Our main doors were wide open
and children go in and out our neighbours homes quite freely. We shared out iftar with our immediate
neighbours during ramadan.
During Malay
weddings, the whole neighbourhood chipped in - gotong royong.
Bee Ngah
Red House
still there though, offering other type of business.
Katong
Shopping Centre still same sleaze
Between katong
laksa or 328laksa both
claimed to be original
The Marine Parade mrt is stiĺl under construction
Those days, we play tag and hide and seek with no fences
Chin Kong
Red House
is still there. Renovated.
Tay ban
guan I dunno.
Chin Mee
Chin closed down business.
Iconic
1960's places
Old Sea View Hotel and adjoining supermarket are now
condominiums since 2004 I think
Sigh...(buildings of Bedok Boys’ School demolished). Boys
and girls schools were side by side. My mom taught in the girls school. There
was the tuckshop we had to climb the stairs to reach.
I recall a kampung at one end with a gate to the school and
there was a shop that sold stuff to the kids. Lovely memories.
Some teachers stayed in the kampong.
The Armenian Church has a similar history archive to Jewish
community in Singapore. By appointment only. Names like Sarkies, Joachim (the
national orchid) are Armenian origin.
There was a temple opposite the school (Haig Boys) and I
stayed near there.
I never went to Orchard Road till secondary school!
We (my family) moved to East Coast Area after going to RI.
After that we shifted house 4 times all within 1km radius.
(Talking about bola hentam) Nowadays the kids will have to
wear eye protection. Equivalent is nerf gun.
Devinder
I remember the small bridge too; still there I believe - if
it’s the same one Dhanraj referring to: from Haig Road, you turn into Haig
Lane, cross the bridge to get to Marshall Road, then there’s a 90 degree bend
and the name changes to Pennefather Road which brings you to Ceylon and Onan
Roads - as young boys on our chopper bikes; Ashok and I used to consider the
bridge like a “secret find!”
We lived in Fair Drive along Haig Road in those days. We
went to Haig Boys’ and St. Hilda’s Kindergarten in Marshall Road before that!
Ravi Christie was with us too from St. Hilda’s to Haig Boys and then to RI. It
was a good way to get to the bicycle shops in Joo Chiat to pump tyre for free
from the back to avoid “car traffic” : )
Ravi lived in the upper Haig Road.
Geographically the whole area is so tiny - but when we were
kids, it seemed like such a big area to explore! Going from Haig Road to the
beach on Amber Road near CSC was already a treat - not even near Katong Park.
Dhanraj
Yes! I remember those times! I lived on Haig Road and went
to Haig Boys’ Primary. So many memories! I really enjoyed those days! Carefree
and simple!
I’ve been to Sea View hotel when the Tamil mega star MGR
was shooting his big film! Katong Shopping Center is still there, right?
The
Laksa place at the corner of Ceylon Road and East Coast Road is a chain and
it’s taste is ok.
Yes, Kok Thai did live on Carpmael Road.
Do you guys remember gula tarik at the tuckshop? I loved
it! No wonder I have diabetes now! Lol!
Hope to see Haig boy’s, Haig girl’s and TKGS old building. to
see it before they are gone!
My aunty had a stall in the tuckshop at Fowlie and
they also lived at the school as my uncle was the caretaker of the school. I
remember the field in between the two schools. The drain in the back and the
small bridge to get to Ceylon Road etc.
Remember kuti-kuti? Tikam, spider fights, roundus,
bus ticket collection and many more! Wonderful memories! Such
freedom we had! Not locked up in our flats like now (Covid-19 lockdown)! We trusted
neighbors!
I was Haig Boys.
I think I had gone to Orchard Road with family especially
to the Hindu temple where the Dhobi Ghot MRT station is now. It is
called Sivan
Temple. Now it’s in Geylang near sims. I did go to the temple many times especially
when we have Thaipusam!
(Sagoff asked: The kavadi procession then was to that
temple (Sivan Temple), not the Chettiar temple at Tank Road?)
It’s always been to the Chettiar Temple as the final
destination. It starts at the temple on Serangoon Road which is Perumal Temple
near Serangoon Plaza. Along the way they stop at several temples and one of
them is the one which was on Orchard Road.
It’s always been to the Chettiar Temple as the final
destination. It starts at the temple on Serangoon Road which is Perumal Temple
near Serangoon Plaza. Along the way they stop at several temples and one of
them is the one which was on Orchard Road.
Kok Keong
Any of
you remember the coffee house in Tay Ban Guan
at east coast road?
Red House.
YOu have to go through a short alley beside the
shop. they serve ice cream and sandwiches. My primary school teacher brought a few of us
there when we did well in the PSLE exams.
I think
the coffee house operate independently of the TBG supermarket.
Which is original?
katong laksa or 328laksa
The glass
coated string of kites flown those days do inflict pretty bad cuts
Joo Chiat
is infamous for their gangsters too
Katong Shopping Centre has mainly maid agencies and
photocopy shops. Teo Heng KTV studio is also there at basement 2
I envy my classmates who live in kampong. my earliest
memory is a tiny one room flat with a long common corridor. life will be miserable if u live opposite a
quarrelsome neighbour. the next block is so close I can see or hear my
neighbours brushing and gargling their teeth in the am. imagine their reaction
if I walk up to them to tell them I know them.
My feathery friend for company. I
lived in Dakota crescent off Old Airport Road.
Besides noisy neighbours, I also have to bear with mahjong
sessions which sometimes went past midnight. in Cantonese this is known as 'tong siew'
Jerry
Chin Bee Chin was next to Holy Family. On the side of
Chapel Road. It is a pity they have to close. Will always go to the Red House
or Chin Mee Chin when I am in Katong. Nowadays, the Katong Laksa is still
around opposite Roxy Square. Still go there to eat.
I believe TBG was one of the first few supermarkets in
Singapore. The other one was in Orchard Road Fitzpatricks or whatever. Selling
hams, salamis..... Love to go to TBG. Love salami.
So enchanted with the Red House coffeehouse. I believe it
was the first time you tasted Sundaes or Milk Shake . Yes , very memorable.
Always celebrate Birthdays with Sundaes.
I only love the Chicken Curry Puffs sold at the Laksa shop.
Later shifted to Marine Parade Hawker Centre. Nice chunky chicken with lots of
butter in dough. Childhood favourite. Still frequent them until 2000. Only
operated half a day. Fully sold out
IF ers
are all East Coast Kids. The IC s are
all the Chinatown Cantonese kids.
Easy Go
Lucky Guys IFers
I think
the Presbyterian Boy’s School became Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary and
Secondary School in Bishan. You should join their Alumni. My primary school's name is no longer in existence but
the building is still there. It is now
an old folks home in Mattar Road next to Fandi Ahmad Football Academy.
We are
the privileged ones who lived through the age of Singapore's transformation
from small port to financial centre.
Only 3M
of us living Singaporeans left to tell the tale of The Singapore Story. After
we passed away, no one else would be able to relate what happened before the
1990s. After 1990, great changes were took place. Those below 40 now will not
know anything of the past.
I stayed
in Kampong Ubi. Can walk to Tai Seng. For 2 years. The road heading to Paya
Lebar Airport. Was in the same class at
Elling South Primary School with Lewis Lee , Tan Beng San and Syed
Ahmad. Afternoons were spent playing
Cowboys and Red Indians with wooden guns and bead plant bullets. Keeping
guppies in urns behind my house. Walking to Tai Seng through those kampong
lanes. Evenings were spent listening to stories told by our Peranakan Neighbour
Aunties at our verandahs. Our landlord will occasionally do the slaughtering of
pigs. Will hear the squeals and go in to witness the cutups , the innards and
the rivulets of blood. It was my 2 years of Kampong Daze but with tomes of
Kampong stories to tell.
Razak,
remembered we were digging around in the backyard around our class balcony and
we found old military uniform buttons,
bullet shell casings and war paraphenalia. You took them , then you told me
your father said not to hold onto them. You should have kept those for posterity. Can contribute to the
Raffles Museum.
MT
It was a much better world. No commercial fishing. Fewer
cars. Lesser tourists. Less people. More nature habitats. Nobody talk about
carbon footprints. Sometimes wonder if progress is really progress.
Probably our whole class stay in the East. I was staying at
Teng Tong Road before shifting to Marine Drive after the land reclamation. My
grand dad used to bring my brother and I to Katong Beach. The Marine Parade
library and beach became my regular haunts. When I in primary school Kim Choo
was still doing her Ba Chang in Joo Chiat Place. I was fascinated by some of
the Nonya houses around Koon Seng Road and can't help being in awe everytime I
was going by Chan Villa as the bus ply along East Coast Road towards
Mountbatten. While most of you carried on in RI for your preU I would be at St
Patrick. Now everything seems so far away.
I took a look at the map. I did not realize that a MRT
station is there. Is it already build.
Yes I remembered TBG. My granny brought my brother and I when it first
open. To this day, I remember the Bird Eye's Cod Fingers from the TBG
Supermarket.
I remembered going out the gates into either Ceylon Road,
Onan Road or Carpmeal Road, where there was a Indian dhobies laundry business.
I remembered that Kok Thai stayed at Carpmeal Road
Kallang Airport and Paya Lebar Airport
My primary school was Presbyterian Boys School. The
building is gone along with the Zion Presbyterian church. Both were in same
compound at Koon Seng Road.
Zion Presbyterian Church
Joo Chiat Road and Joo Chiat Place was probably named after Chew Joo Chiat
This was Koon Seng Road
You probably heard of Choon Guan School. Lee Choon Guan was
one of the son-in-law of Tan Keong Saik (familiar with Keong Saik Road?). Lee
Choon Guan’s father Lee Cheng Yan and son Lee Peng San were also prominent figures
in the business and community (familiar with Cheng Yan Place and Peng Seng
Road?)
Well Kok Keong, before Marine Drive I was staying at Teng
Tong Road. Always embarrassed to mentioned road name. In hokkien means crazy.
Got a taste of it when our neighbours both front and to the right have their
own hubby and wife quarrels. Apparently it was the fashion those days for men
to show that they are virile.....
Razak
Haig boy’s, Haig girl’s and TKGS old building date still
there. The black and White House are still there. But not for long. They were
told to vacate by this year but because of the COVID, it’s extended to next
year. I was from Fowlie School along Haig Road. That has changed, Seraya is
gone too. It’s now called Tanjong Katong Primary with new buildings.
I remember a coffee house there called Reno 37. Just before
the overhead bridge across Palace Cinema.
I remembered Dhanraj’s uncle (He was a crocodile breeder). I
used to wonder behind the school where the quarters are and there is a resident
just over the fence who reared crocodiles. We liked to take a peek at the
Crocs.
One of my classmates, lived there. They skin the Crocs for
the leather and the meat for food!
Haha.. yes, I was at Jalan Batu from P1 to Sec 4. A one
room flat with a central corridor before moving to a few blocks away at Kampong
Arang - a 2 room flat. Enjoyed walking along Kg Arang where they unload and
store charcoal from boats along the river and Jalan Benaan Kapal where they do
ship repairs. Good old times!
Roland
I went to Kembangan Integrated Primary Sch, up the hill of
current MRT.
School end at noon but only go home for dinner as there is
so much activities or games to play.
Not just fly kite but the process of stamping glass to
powder so can line the kite string for kite-flying.
There is no readymade kite fighting string so everyone must
made their own. Florescent lamp is best but must be careful
Katong
Shopping Ctr - my son like to buy ice cream at B1.
I have not
try so it was closed when we went there.
Aziz and
my kampongs, Eunos and Kembangan, were next to each other.
How we
enjoy all the old activities, no need to use money.
During
rainy days, my Malay friends would play in the rain but our parents do not allow
us. So envy them.
Also
cannot forget being chased daily by goose on the way to kindergarten.
Never got
opportunity to see pig slaughter. What an experience.
I have to
hold the wings and legs of chicken when my mum slaughteted it. Experience of chicken
slowly running out of strength and breath as my mum cut the neck.
I followed
my mum to market to help her carry the basket (no wheels).
Stallholders
got PR skills like they dont call them Auntie but "Big Boss Wife".
Agree
mahjong is noisy but it meant the kampong is alive.
Our
residents at Lengkong Dua in Kembangan caught bats and made porridge with it. No
coronavirus yet. "Hantan Bola" ie throwing ball to hit someone was
common, pkaying with our Malay friends.
Sagoff
The old Bedok Boys’ School is now Bedok South Secondary
school. It occupies the ground of all three bedok schools. The single storey
building have gone. Nothing left of old schools, except the field.
Chin Kong and I were from Bedok Boys School. I don't remember any
of us from schools further east like Changkat Changi or Loyang. Was there?
Katong area were considered quite urbanised. For me going
to Palace theatre or Roxy was like going to town.
I see. In those days, going to the other side of the island
seemed to be so far away.
Razak, I remember going to your house at Kg Arang at least
once
Roland, It's hentam (not "Hantan Bola"). In fact
we call it bola hentam
Wee Teck
This was the front of the open-air cinema, where I watched
The One-armed Swordman and Bruce Lee's The Big Boss. Free seating, so if you
want seats or good seats, need to come early. Sometimes it would rain but the
screening would still continue. So instead of watching the movie, you would be
watching umbrellas.
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