Cathay cinema

^ Memories of movies at Cathay.

^ Enchanting glow.

Protect our environment

Symmetry

Beautiful morning

Dewdrops

May this dewdrop be a sign of hope for the families and survivors of the recent natural disasters to rebuild their lives.

Shots of F1 Night Race 2009

Sharing with you some photos of the Formula 1 cars in action.

^ The Button from Britain. Jensen Button in his Brawn Mercedes.

^ Button negotiating the curves.

^ A view from the cockpit in the hot-seat.

^ Renault at the sharp bend.

^ Burning rubber.

^ Lewis Hamilton of McLaren Mercedes taking the victory podium.

And in case if you are wondering which part of the circuit these photos were taken, I wasn’t physically at the Marina circuit. Unable to afford the admission fees, it was just a dream to capture the action while sitting in front of my television set with my camera mounted on a tripod.

You’ve Got Mail

Typing a few sentences on the keyboard, a click, and your message is sent to your recipient in nano seconds. In the past, it was snail mail that sometimes took some weeks to reach your intended recipient residing in some faraway country…with a postage stamp pasted on the top right hand corner of the envelope.

^ A small red postage stamp album bought in 1972. Costing $1.50, the album is about half the size of an A4 paper and has pages with sleeves to hold postage stamps. Serious collectors will usually have albums of a larger size to segregate their collections of postage stamps according to countries, events etc.

^ Some of the common postage stamps collected during the early 70s during primary schooldays. These were stamps bearing images of Singapore’s culture such as the Indian dance, Chinese wayang, lion dance, flowers like the orchid collection, and the crayon drawings by children.

^ S.A.T.A, the acronym for Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association. TB (short form for tuberculosis) is an infectious disease caused by mycobacteria that can be transmitted between humans via sneezing, coughing, sputum. One protective measure is vaccination. Many may remember the BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) vaccination scar we received during infancy and another booster jab during primary 6. Ouch!!

^ A stamp commemorating the 10th Anniversary of NOL with a drawing of MV Neptune Spinel. She’s a 14,967 DWT General Cargo Tramp built in 1978.

^ During the days of our parents, units of measurement for weight, volume, distance comes in the form of lbs, ounces, cubic feet, gallons, inches, miles. All was changed to using metric when we started school at primary level.

The metric system was first proposed by Gabriel Mouton in 1670. He was the Vicar of St Paul’s Church in Lyons as well as an astronomer. He was given recognition by the authorities to be the originator of the metric system.

^ A postage stamp of six-and-a-half pence bearing the image of Queen Elizabeth. Some of these postage stamps from foreign countries were traded among classmates / neighbourhood kids for added variety to our collection.

^ An image of Pope Paul VI commemorating his pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1964. He was Archbishop of Milan and later became the head of the Roman Catholic Church (1963-1978). During his papacy, he encouraged and fostered ecumenical relations and was known as the “pilgrim pope” for his many pilgrimages to the various countries that spanned across the 7 continents. He also saw to the close of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) which was held from 1962-1965 in Rome.

^ A United States postage stamp bearing the face of Abraham Lincoln. He was the 16th President of the United States. During his presidency from March 1861 to his assassination in April 1865, he successfully led his country through the American Civil War and ending slavery.

^ Christmas 1974. This stamp was probably traded with someone else given that I do not have any friends nor relatives residing in Australia at that time.

^ Stamps from across the Causeway are also easily obtained. Corresponding with relatives and friends through letters especially during festivities like the Chinese New Year provided an opportunity to expand the collection.

^ This postage stamp bears the scene of Queen Elizabeth Walk during 1905-1910. Much of the landscape of Queen Elizabeth walk has changed after a century to its present. So were the use of stamps for pasting onto the envelope which holds the reflection of ourselves in the style and neatness expressed in our handwriting seen on the letters and postcards we send via postal mail…time to find that bottled ink known as Quink and the Hero fountain pen kept somewhere in the drawers.

Monster Guns

A little further after Changi Chapel Museum, there is another historical site which was a strategic location in the defence of Singapore against the Japanese invasion during World War II. Along Cosford Road, this was where the so called “monster guns” once existed. “Monster Guns” so named because of its colossal size.

^ The Johore Battery is a war memorial site in Singapore that dates back to the early 1940s. Some of the other major coastal batteries were the Pasir Laba Battery, Labrador Battery and the Fort Siloso Battery. The British had anticipated that the direction of the Japanese invasion would come from the sea. As such, the defence-plan was to strengthen the coastal defences of the island. This led to the building of the Johore Battery in 1939 as a coastal artillery gun emplacement site.

^ This old hut was sited near the fenced-up area of Johore Battery in Cosford Road. It was said that there existed a labyrinth of tunnels built for the purpose to store ammunition for the guns. The monster guns were the biggest and heaviest coastal artilleries and were able to pierce the armour of battleships. Before Singapore fell into the hands of the Japanese, it is said that orders were sent out to destroy the guns. Tunnels were sealed up after the war.

^ Below is the text from the display panel that makes reading easier on your eyes.

The Johore Battery comprised three guns. They were part of a group of twenty large coastal guns installed in Singapore in the 1930s.

The Johore Battery’s three weapons were among Singapore’s largest coastal guns. They were known as 15-inch guns, because 15 inches (38 cm) was the diameter of the shell they fired. Their gun barrels were 16.5 metres long and the shells stood 1.5 metres high. The guns were capable of hurling these shells at battleships over twenty miles away.

They were originally called “monster guns” when tested in England in 1934, before being sent to Singapore. When World War II started, there were only seven of these defending the coasts of the British Empire. Two were near Dover in England, and five in Singapore. Besides the Johore Battery, Singapore also had two 15-inch guns at Buona Vista Battery. They were located at the junction of Ulu Pandan and Clementi Roads, in the West of the island.

Each of Johore Battery’s guns had its own ammunition bunker. These were about 500 metres apart, arranged in a line that stretched from the present site onto what are now the runways of Changi Airport. Though these guns were originally intended to stop an attack from the sea, two of Johore Battery’s guns could turn around and fire to the rear, towards Johor Bahru. The third, the one located at this site, could only fire out to sea.

From 5th to 12th February 1942, the two guns of the Johore Battery that could turn around fired landward in Singapore’s defence. They shelled Japanese infantry positions from Johor Bahru, just across the Causeway, eastwards to the area north of Tanjong Punggol. They also joined in the battles for Bukit Timah Road and Pasir Panjang. The guns of Johore battery fired 194 rounds before the demolition by the British on the night of 12th February. This demolition, and the postwar upgrading of Changi aerodrome, means all that remains are the underground tunnels on this site, which once housed ammunition and power plants.

^ A replica of the “monster guns”.

They were the biggest guns to be installed outside Britain during World War II. The site was named Johore Battery as it was learnt that the Sultan of Johore made a donation to the British in support of the war effort during World War II.

Kampong Glam – A stroll during Ramadan

Last Saturday marked the beginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. This prompted me to take a stroll in one of Singapore’s historical site, the Sultan’s Mosque located at Muscat Street and its vicinity.

^ The Sultan’s Mosque is named after Sultan Hussein Mohammad Shah, the first Sultan of Singapore. After signing a Treaty with Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 ceding Singapore to the British Crown, Sultan Hussein Shah, with a grant given by the British East India Company, instructed Temenggong Abdul Rahman to build an Istana (Istana is a Malay word for palace) and a mosque at Kampong Glam where the community of Muslims can worship. The area developed into a thriving business community consisting of Javanese, Buginese, Boyanese and Arabs merchants trading in spices, cloths and many other goods brought from their homeland. By the early twentieth century, the mosque was in a state of disrepair. The Trustees of the mosque and the leading Muslim residents manage to raise funds for a reconstruction. Designed by Denis Santry of Swan & Maclaren, reconstruction works started in 1925 and the mosque was completed in 1928. From then till now, minor repairs were carried out as well as the addition of an annex in 1993. Largely, the mosque has remained unchanged till today. On 14th Mar 1975, the Sultan’s Mosque was gazetted as a national monument.

^ An old file photo of the Sultan’s Mosque. (Photocredit: National Archives of Singapore, circa 1950). You will notice the old pre-war shop-houses lining on both sides of the road. Today, the road has been converted to a pathway for pedestrians as seen in the previous photo. The shop-houses were refurbished but yet retaining an old world charm reflective of the community it was before.

^ Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar where Muslims are called to fast from dawn till dusk. Fasting is the 3rd Pillar of Islam where it is aimed to remind the believer on the more important spiritual aspects of the faith and to detach oneself from the material desires of life. The 1st Pillar of Islam is the affirmation of the believer to follow the righteous path with God’s guidance, that there is only one God and Prophet Mohammad is the Messenger of God. The 2nd Pillar of Islam is where a Muslim is called to pray 5 times a day facing the direction of the Ka’aba located at the holy city of Mecca. The 4th Pillar of Islam is known as the zakat (alms-giving) where Muslims are called to be charitable. The 5th Pillar of Islam is where every Muslim, financially and physically able, to perform the Haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. It is an opportunity for the believer to have a closer spiritual experience with God as well as to seek forgiveness and to forgive one another.

^ A beduk. The next photo describes more.

^ In the past, a call to prayer for Muslims living in villages were made by beating the beduk instead of the loud-speakers you hear nowadays. Muslims fulfill their daily prayers 5 times a day – at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and at night.

^ A map showing the historical sites of Kampong Glam where the Sultan’s Mosque is the centrality of the community living in the area. The street names in the district of Kampong Glam bear the influence of early Arab immigrants with names like Kandahar Street, Arab Street, Muscat Street, Bussorah Street, Baghdad Street, Haji Lane, Jalan Sultan, Sultan Gate.

^ Zam Zam Singapore. You may have experienced a great deal of perspiration from eating all that hot and spicy food without any air-conditioner in the past. At least now, the restaurant’s upper floors have been air-conditioned for its patrons for a more comfortable and relaxing meal.

^ Haji Lane…a walk back in time along this narrow street.

^ Along the corridors of shop-houses, fabrics, textiles, knick-knacks can be found.

^ The skills of such a trade like carpet-weaving are passed down from generation to generation. The family name synonymous of a specialized trade is upheld with honour and prestige.

^ An old file photo of Bussorah Street. (Photocredit: National Archives of Singapore, circa 1963). On display are cakes, sweets and other things you can find when Muslims prepare to celebrate the end of the fasting month of Ramadan…Hari Raya Puasa Adil Fitri.

^ Adding more variety to the bazaar…Ramly burgers.

^ The entrance to Istana Kampong Glam.

^ The grounds of Istana Kampong Glam which was once the seat of Malay royalty. This area is part of the conservation project of Kampong Glam. On 12th Mar 1999, it became the Malay Heritage Centre.

^ Umbrellas with floral designs on display on the grounds of Istana Kampong Glam.

^ Intricate designs on fabric that speaks a lot more than just shapes and colours.

^ For those who chew sireh, you will know what this is. The next photo tells a bit more of the…..

^ ….. Cembul.

^ An old horse-drawn carriage before the introduction of the electric trams and motorised vehicles on the roads of Singapore.

^ A prahu. Very fast sailboat. I came to learn that Kampong Glam got its name from a group of Orang Laut from the Glam tribe who resided by the sea. The prahu provided the orang laut a means of transportation not to mention some nefarious activities like piracy on the high seas. It is said that the bark from the Glam tree is used for making awnings and sails. The timber is used to construct the boat as well as for use as firewood. Its fruit is grounded for use as pepper. Its leaves boiled into a concoction as a form of medication to cure rheumatism.

^ A scaled-down model of a Minangkabau palace “Istana Basa” , West Sumatra, Indonesia.

^ If you would like to take a stroll soaking in the ambience of Kampong Glam or visit the bazaar, this notice will come in handy.

Taking this opportunity to wish all our Muslim friends, their families and the community…a meaningful Ramadan. May your spiritual renewal culminating in the celebration of Hari Raya Puasa Aidilfitri be one filled with love, joy, and peace.

Trishaw – san lun che

^ The trishaw made its appearance in Singapore in 1914. It had evolve from its predecessor, the rickshaw, which originated from Japan. With a passenger seat attached to the bicycle, this 3-wheeler, known in Chinese as “san lun che” proved to be a very viable means of transport that eventually phased out the rickshaw. Today, the trishaw serves mainly the tourist trade. Occasionally, you may have spotted tourists on trishaws where they are being wheeled around the historical sites of Singapore’s central civic district. It is learnt that the passenger pick-up point is located at Albert Street Market & Food Centre and a trip for two can be around $40 or depending on the distance travelled.