tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13809763730194265112024-03-11T17:19:07.800-07:00My Chew Joo Chiat StoryChew Joo Chiat 周如切 is my great grand-father. My family tree in Singapore begins with him. The purpose of this blog is for my children and grand children to know their root's humble beginning. Secondly, there are inaccuracies and gaps I discovered published in books, articles and websites about Chew Joo Chiat. I also want to talk about some lost landmarks in Joo Chiat.Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-34851135588884821562022-07-01T20:51:00.000-07:002022-07-01T20:53:18.576-07:00BACK TO MY ROOTS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Chew Joo Chiat's descendants from his grand-daughter, Chew Poon Neo. She married Teo Geok Peck. Picture shows Poon Neo's grand-children from sons George Teo and Michael Teo/ Poon Neo was my father's (Ann Siong) elder sister. They were born in China and came to Singapore in 1915 with their parents (Joo Chiat's eldest son Chew Cheng Liam and his wife Yap Kim Neo).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5NCrxwzzmzS0NikjQ33R3zNae1rEhkO9DfEW8TEAEKwhkS0nIyn0Q2Qw5cE022S1O4Ky4kYTyXMflqTMYciTNUDVK2gbu26ju3VbgJLZ1kpucUr1r4oWxkCu1YOOdJooODecBxXRkph9xR6ZvwDUXAUsr4Vq3Pm6X7X39UVRx97-8kfb7eGVMF8dEw/s2048/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-04-25%20at%202.15.15%20PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5NCrxwzzmzS0NikjQ33R3zNae1rEhkO9DfEW8TEAEKwhkS0nIyn0Q2Qw5cE022S1O4Ky4kYTyXMflqTMYciTNUDVK2gbu26ju3VbgJLZ1kpucUr1r4oWxkCu1YOOdJooODecBxXRkph9xR6ZvwDUXAUsr4Vq3Pm6X7X39UVRx97-8kfb7eGVMF8dEw/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-04-25%20at%202.15.15%20PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div> The group leader is Winston Teo, son of Michael Teo</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8of0Jz-XcTVgbGOUiI4-DUdk4222WrRsn3K2124QNNnnm7tx6HXiOdcpnrUahzuTx7x9ZUCWJY1bk5CCdJnGoBiRD3YDcfPF32UYaZvCFrYQj7FrMJeWX8WUWfW72UggUFAQgi42fR7iQGuj78tYnkkURqcQZVQkrrXpVLc-Qdq_Rm1pwvExVangqQ/s2048/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-04-25%20at%202.15.14%20PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8of0Jz-XcTVgbGOUiI4-DUdk4222WrRsn3K2124QNNnnm7tx6HXiOdcpnrUahzuTx7x9ZUCWJY1bk5CCdJnGoBiRD3YDcfPF32UYaZvCFrYQj7FrMJeWX8WUWfW72UggUFAQgi42fR7iQGuj78tYnkkURqcQZVQkrrXpVLc-Qdq_Rm1pwvExVangqQ/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-04-25%20at%202.15.14%20PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div>A double tomb: Chew Joo Chiat tomb is on the right and his second wife, Tan Quan Noe is on the left. Her tomb is empty as she is buried at another plot of Bukit Brown.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJo94Pu6RHfmmRl704wOn1PgeilMsXcfNvBgJ2SAnStzRHFU2_MTp2i8kpk1Pc4oXqpk4A0cvN2HiEqCZtlpD0tZ8t-AXf7QN3zhCD3JfpJFSEIfkNlFMrhUWETZ8vRNvBfKlPrcoI_My3i4oAw15bK9MOSpOzHKgiMlpXX_DzZIP5Rq6pPFst-C07w/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-04-25%20at%202.15.15%20PM%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJo94Pu6RHfmmRl704wOn1PgeilMsXcfNvBgJ2SAnStzRHFU2_MTp2i8kpk1Pc4oXqpk4A0cvN2HiEqCZtlpD0tZ8t-AXf7QN3zhCD3JfpJFSEIfkNlFMrhUWETZ8vRNvBfKlPrcoI_My3i4oAw15bK9MOSpOzHKgiMlpXX_DzZIP5Rq6pPFst-C07w/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-04-25%20at%202.15.15%20PM%20(1).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div> Paying respect by cleaning the tomb</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWsRgFApRaKfgKbXdkp1Ji5YRYC95dS_sjIAXDy8EURJmGEjQ08Z_f8i9EExoz75ybf0yfn8ZNXkWNbfN85CJLBXiARXi16J1iEuIFhrcF-AiTDkzXfBB3H45Xe3b7pbdsTRR7A1KzfLCmzeGFyz_Rinstpa6fsJHGwbfgujdxMW5_sXDTJsgYVjSDQ/s2048/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-04-25%20at%202.15.15%20PM%20(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWsRgFApRaKfgKbXdkp1Ji5YRYC95dS_sjIAXDy8EURJmGEjQ08Z_f8i9EExoz75ybf0yfn8ZNXkWNbfN85CJLBXiARXi16J1iEuIFhrcF-AiTDkzXfBB3H45Xe3b7pbdsTRR7A1KzfLCmzeGFyz_Rinstpa6fsJHGwbfgujdxMW5_sXDTJsgYVjSDQ/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-04-25%20at%202.15.15%20PM%20(2).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />http://timesofmylife.wordpress.comPhilip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-81040570754381379962018-10-07T17:23:00.000-07:002018-10-07T17:53:39.745-07:00Katong Laksa<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Which
One Is The Real Katong Laksa</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Walk
along East Coast Road from Haig Road to Still Road, you'll come
across a number of Katong Laksa shops. I understand you can find
Katong laksa not only in other parts of Singapore but also in China.
Who started the Katong Laksa?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
origin of Katong laksa was started by one guy popularly known as
“janggut”. Janggut is a Malay word which means beard. Actually
the laksa seller had only a few strands of hair beside his chin. I
know this guy personally because he lived on our land at Tembling Road nearby
Joo Chiat Terrace. He also came to play poker at my home in Joo
Chiat. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Janggut
was an itinerant hawker, moving from place to place in Joo Chiat
area. Later he found a niche at the 5 foot way of a coffee shop at East
Coast Road /Ceylon Road junction. After business hours moved away his
makeshift stall home. Some time in 1970, there was an exercise by the Ministry of the Environment, to
move street hawkers into markets and food centres. Janggut's niche
was affected. He could no longer sell his yummy laksa on the 5 foot
way. He moved into the coffee shop and had a roaring business
everyday for Katongites loved his yummy laksa. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After
Janggut passed away, his children splits the business and competing
with one another in Katong. That is the reason there are so many Katong laksa
along East Coast Road. But they cannot claim the name of “Katong
Laksa” as it belongs exclusively to George, who has registered 'Katong Laksa' with the Registrar of Companies. I understand that Janggut and George have a common ancestor. So all those that wanted to be known as “Katong Laksa” added
words to their company chop such as 328 Katong Laksa, Katong(Tong
Kee) Laksa, Singapore Katong Laksa, Original Katong Laksa (Janggut
Laksa) and so on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">George's Katong Laksa has been operating for 25 years at the
junction coffee shop between Telok Kurau Road/Changi Road. The
coffee shop closed recently and he has moved across the road between Lorong
Sarina and Jalan Eunos. I visited him on Sunday and his laksa quality remained the same. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span>Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-49248916626859381132017-07-30T20:00:00.003-07:002017-07-30T20:20:20.719-07:00<h3>
A Penniless Boy Chew Joo Chiat book launch on 29 July 2017 at the Marine Parade Public Library</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">A
Penniless Boy, Chew Joo Chiat book was successfully launched on 29<sup>th</sup>
July 2017 morning at the Marine Parade Public Library. All the seats
were fully occupied and overflowed to the cafeteria at the back. Many
sat on the barrier boxes while others stood to one side as shown in
the picture. I wish to thank all present for their interest and
support.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Speech
at the book launch</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">This
book started modestly as my chewjoochiat blog.</span> It was intended
to put right all inaccurate accounts about my great grandfather, Chew
Joo Chiat found in newspapers, books and websites. It was very
annoying to read these fictitious accounts of him. I was even more
frustrating and embarrassing to then realised that I too knew very
little about my great grandfather.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">It
is by no means a comprehensive account of the man.</span><span style="color: #ff33ff;">
</span><span style="color: #111111;">At </span>the moment I only have glimses
of him and his achievement. There is still a lot more to do after
this publication.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Joo
Chiat is known for its food, Peranakan architecture, local b</span>ars
and nocturnal activities. I am glad that the latter activity has
since calmed down and more creative type businesses have sprung up
giving it a more gentrified and bohemian feel. </span></span></span>
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Very
few Singaporeans know about the man whose name is synonymous with the
area.</span> The reason is because during Chew Joo Chiat’s life
time, he kept a very low profile and he was not prominent in
Singapore society. I could not find his name in the book of Singapore
Pioneers, One Hundred Years' History of Chinese in Singapore, Early
History of Chinese Community and other books.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Chew
Joo Chiat was </span>from Xiamen.He came here for his Singapore
Dream. Eking a living in the late Qing dynasty was very tough. He
landed in Singapore as a penniless young man. But with grit,
determination, good foresight and business acumen, he soon became a
very successful business man.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My
research showed that his business interests were pretty wide ranging
– he was a planter, a property developer , a ship chandlery
business, a timber trader, founder of a bank amongst others. He was early
pioneer who made significant contribution to the nation in the area
of economy, commerce, finance and development.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Joo
Chiat died on 5</span><span style="color: black;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="color: black;"> February
1926 a</span>nd left behind his name as a legacy in Joo Chiat. To
quote a Chinese metaphor: When a tiger dies, it leaves its
skin. When a man dies, he leaves his name.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Refreshment
and autographing books</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Together with ESM Goh Chok Tong at Joo Chiat CC</span></span></span></div>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-26677890978802641182017-06-30T10:18:00.001-07:002017-06-30T23:46:09.354-07:00<b>Book Launch</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My
book 'A Penniless Boy, Chew Joo Chiat' will be launched on 29<sup>th</sup>
July 2017 at the Marine Parade Public Library. It has been a long
journey since March 2008 when I started to trace my roots, Chew Joo
Chiat who was also my great grandfather. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
first stage of my journey was at the Lee Kong Chiang Reference
Library. <br />Besides books, periodicals, journals and other printed
matters, it had digitised newspapers on microfilms from early 1800 onwards.
I made many discoveries about him. An article in The Straits Times
11.02.26 stated:</span></span></div>
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“<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
striking example of the resourcefulness of the Chinese of making a
fortune in Malaya, writes a correspondent, is recorded in the life
Chew Joo Chiat ......</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">He
was a Hokien and landed at Singapore from Amoy, some 50 years or
more, a penniless boy..............” Chew's life story is a
rags and riches story.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
book title 'A Penniless Boy, Chew Joo Chiat' is from the newspaper's
article. I also discovered that Chew Joo Chiat was a jack of all
trades. He was a housing developer, a planter (rubber, coconut and
spices), a tin miner, a trader, a banker and many others. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">From
the library I moved on to the National Archives of Singapore (NAS).
There were books and micro films too. I found building plans of shops
and dwelling houses submitted to the building authority by Chew Joo
Chiat. I also listiened to the recordings from past Joo Chiat
residents at the Oral History Centre. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
search for my roots also took me to the Nanyang Chew Clan Association. It has moved from
Chinatown to Lorong 24A Geylang. I talked the clerk in charge, who
told me that all the records were lost when the clan association moved to
Geylang. My visit there was in vain. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ho
San Kong Hoey is at 574A/576A Geylang Road. Its large signboard is
facing the main road behind a bus stop. Every Sunday morning on my way to
the church at Geylang, the bus I was on passed the premises, not
knowing that it had connection with my roots until I visited Chew Joo
Chiat's grave. On top his tombstone were two large Chinese character
</span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>禾山</b></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(HoSan)
which was the name of his village in China.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
went to Ho San Kong Hoey to sign up as a member. The association had
conducted tours to Xiamen. I interacted with the members and learned
from them that the village had merged with Xiamen when Xiamen city
expanded. All the villagers had been resettled to another location.
Ho San village had been replaced by highrise buildings. A road named
Ho San Road was there to indicate the site of the village.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
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T<b>he journey to my roots</b><br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
2015 I visited Xiamen with my wife and my younger son. From the hotel
we took a taxi to Ho San Road. Ho San village had indeed disappeared.
On both sides of the road were tall buildings with shops on the ground
floor. The residents were from other areas and did not know the
history of the place. Xiamen was my last destination and it concluded
the search for my roots. See more...
.....<a href="http://mychewjoochiat.blogspot.sg/search/label/Xiamen">http://mychewjoochiat.blogspot.sg/search/label/Xiamen</a></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
book A Penniless Boy, Chew Joo Chiat is a record of my journey to my roots. </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">T</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">he
aim is for all Chew Joo Chiat's descendants to know their roots and heritage in Singpore. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><br />
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-81590249511032542982016-11-06T04:31:00.000-08:002017-03-12T06:29:25.914-07:00Tongmenghui<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Tong Meng Hui (TMH)</span></b></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">The
</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Tongmenghui
aka </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">the
</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Chinese
United League</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>
</b></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">was
a secret society and underground resistance movement organized by </span></span><a href="http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Sun_Yat-sen"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Sun
Yat-sen</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">
in </span></span><a href="http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Tokyo"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Tokyo</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">,
</span></span><a href="http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Japan"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Japan</span></span></span></a><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">,
on August 20,1905. Its aim was to overthrow the Manchu Dynasty and to
establish a </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Chinese
republic.</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">
In 1906, a branch was formed in </span></span><a href="http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Singapore"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Singapore</span></span></span></a><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">,
following Sun's visit here and it was known as the Nanyang branch
covering South-East Asia. The Singapore Nanyang branch Tongmenghui
had only 250 members and my great grand-father Chew Joo Chiat was one of them. </span></span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chew
Joo Chiat's family suffered hardship in China. He came to Singapore
to find wealth, to better the lives of his family back home. He was
a patriot and supported the society, hoping the Qing Dynasty would
collapsed and China would be restored to the Chinese. In1908 Chew had a
ship chandler business which supplied provisions and hardwares to ships that called at Singapore port. His shipping business was
probably used by the society to ship provisions and firearms to the
resistance forces in China.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chew
was a man who kept a very low profile. It was a personal secret and nobody in the family knew his membership in the TMH. In 2013 a relative who visited the exhibition at San Yat Sen Memorial Hall at Tai Gin Road found out his TMH membership. He prompted me. By the time I went there, the
exhibits had been removed. Later, Raymond Goh, gave me a copy. The list had his name in both Chinese and English as indicated by a red arrow..</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Name list of Tongmenghui memebers</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">On
Saturday 5 November 2016 evening, I attended the opening ceremony of
Wan Qing Culture Fest 2016 at San Yat Sen Memorial Hall, at Tai Gin
Road. Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean was the guest of honour. I
met him at the reception hall and I had a picture taken with him. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On
that evening there was also exhibits of “One Night In Wuchang”
1911 Revolution and Nanyang. My purpose of attending the function was
actually to see the TMH name list. Secondly, I hope to find Chew Joo
Chiat's picture among the group photo. As he kept a very low profile,
it was unlikely I would succeed.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While
other guests were busy on the ground floor, I went upstairs to check
the name list of TMH. Instead I found another name list written in
Chinese. Red arrow pointed to Chew Joo Chiat's name. As for the photo I had search in vain.</span></span></div>
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TMH name list in Chinese</div>
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With Dy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A Chew Joo Chiat's secret had been discovered. Has he another secret we do not know? Watch out for my next posting.</span></div>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-70690990079661200812016-06-05T02:17:00.000-07:002016-08-31T07:44:43.183-07:00A Lost Grave 120 Years Old<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPgxj1QWmEa_9qk8iV4VtcH0cMUON8k6vd9EZVRaoPMLz87D3A-ixKG98hw0eI6wnmlEDVhgUqP7hDuj-y1WWcYXg7n4lf36Z5RM3Fa2szscUQ8upYD27Vlphd9h9OHjQmcSEA2kEbCmY/s1600/ogawa+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPgxj1QWmEa_9qk8iV4VtcH0cMUON8k6vd9EZVRaoPMLz87D3A-ixKG98hw0eI6wnmlEDVhgUqP7hDuj-y1WWcYXg7n4lf36Z5RM3Fa2szscUQ8upYD27Vlphd9h9OHjQmcSEA2kEbCmY/s400/ogawa+15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Grave of Lim Heon Neo, wife of Chew Joo Chiat</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The above grave is 120 years (1896) old. It belongs to Lim Heon Neo, Chew Joo Chiat’s first wife. She is also my great grand-mother. In 2010 I was building Chew Joo Chiat’s family tree, I did not know her name and date of death. As I was just starting the family tree, it did not matter to me then.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Search No 1.</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.In 2011 the Singapore Government announced the construction of an 8 lanes dual carriageway cutting through Bukit Brown Cemetery (BBC) and works would begin in 2013. Searching for my great grand-mother’s grave had become urgent. No living relatives knew her for they were not born then. I went on line browsing through the Ministry of the Environment BBC death registry, hoping to get a lead. It was like looking for a pin in the hay stack. It was a useless attempt and I soon gave up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Search No 2 </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Raymond and Charles Goh were Heritage Guide at Bukit Brown Cemetery. They had been documenting graves affected by the proposed carriageways. I was afraid Joo Chiat first wife’s grave might be affected and I sought their help to look for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The reply was almost immediate. Raymond said that he had found Mrs Chew Joo Chiat’s grave nearby the proposed carriageway. On 10 December 2011 he brought me to the site. The tomb stone showed that the grave belonged to Chew Joo Chiat’s second wife Tan Quan Neo. She died on 19<sup>th</sup> April 1927. I was disappointed at first that it was not my great grandmother's grave.. But on hind sight I was glad that Tan Quan Neo's resting place was discovered.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Search No 3</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. In mid 2012 there was an announcement by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in The Straits Times that all the graves affected by the construction of the new carriageway at Bukit Brown Cemetery would be properly documented together with photograph of each grave. Works would be completed by the end of the 2013. The news gave me hope to find her grave as it could be affected. <br />
<br />On 5th December 2012 I wrote to LTA telling them the possibility of my great grandmother's grave being affected by the proposed new carriageway. I also stated that I was prepared to search through the photographs of the all affected graves.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My request was granted in early January 2013. I was mentally prepared on the strategy of going through the photo of each tomb stone. First I would be on the look out for the tombstone of a woman that showed <b>Her San</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">和山</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> as her home village where my root originated. Next was to check for <em><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Chew door</span></b></em> </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>周门</b></span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">which would be below the name of the deceased</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. A </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Chinese woman, when married to a man with the surname Chew, it means she entered the door of Chew (her husband). The tombstone would indicate her name followed by her husband's surname. Her surname would be after</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>周门</b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. The final stage would be to check the deceased' s children/grand-children' s name on the tombstone. Once their names tally with those on Chew Joo Chiat's tombstone then I could safely say that the tomb on the photo belongs to Chew Joo Chiat's first wife.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">At the LTA Hampshire Road Office, I browsed through 36 photo albums. Each album had 108 photos. Altogether I browsed through 3888 photos of tombstones documented. My search for Chew Joo Chiat's first wife's grave from the photos was in vain. However, I was glad that her grave was not affected by the construction of the dual carriageway. It means that I still have hope of finding her grave in Bukit Brown Cemetery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Break Through</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Raymond Goh remembered that I sought his help to search for Chew Joo Chiat’s first wife's grave. On 21<sup>st</sup> May 2016 he sent me a message and we chatted:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Raymond</b>: </span><span style="background: #d9d9d9; color: #4b4f56; font-size: 14.0pt;">Managed to find Mrs Chew Joo Chiat (first wife) at the Hokkien Cemetery next to Bukit Brown. She passed away in 1896<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Me</b>: </span><span style="color: #4b4f56; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hi Raymond, finding Joo Chiat's first wife's grave is the greatest news. Thank you so much. Now I can complete my family tree. Can you please show me her grave? Thank you once again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Raymond</b>: </span><span style="background: #d9d9d9; color: #4b4f56; font-size: 14.0pt;">Sure, can bring you on weekends<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Me</b>:</span><span style="color: #4b4f56; font-size: 14.0pt;"> I am free on weekends. Please fix an appointment to meet at Bukit Brown Cemetery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Raymond:</b> </span><span style="background: #d9d9d9; color: #4b4f56; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ok let u know, should be next Sunday 9 am<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Me:</b> </span><span style="color: #4b4f56; font-size: 14.0pt;">Where shall we meet on Sunday 29 May ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Raymond:</b> </span><span style="background: #d9d9d9; color: #4b4f56; font-size: 14.0pt;">Bukit brown Blk 1 just after the gates<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Me:</b> </span><span style="color: #4b4f56; font-size: 14.0pt;">. See you then.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Raymond</b>: </span><span style="background: #d9d9d9; color: #4b4f56; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ok see u then<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Lim Heon Neo's tomb </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On Sunday 29<sup>th</sup> May 2016, I and my friend Ogawa Konamoto met Raymond at Bukit Brown </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Cemetery. Raymond drove us to the site which was at another Hokien cemetery hill,</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">abutting Bukit Brown Cemetery. The cemetery ground was like a jungle with dense </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">vegetation. There was no foot path or trial to follow. It was an uphill climb, stepping onto</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">abandoned graves, up-shoot roots, vines and undergrowth.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">At last we arrived at the </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">site and I saw my great grandmother’s grave for the first time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Visibility was poor due to obstruction by vines, twigs, plants and leaves. Only the 3-piece</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">tombstone and the front altar stood out. Behind the headstone, the shape of the tomb could not be figure out</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> as it had blended with its surroundings. I had the tombstones and the altar </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">cleaned. Raymond applied some white powder into the grooves of the Chinese characters</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">to make them more visible to read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The tombstone showed Joo Chiat first wife’s name was <b>Lim Heon Neo </b></span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>林香娘</b></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">She had 3 sons </span><strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Chew Cheng Liam </span></strong><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>周</b></span><span style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: bold;">清</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>廉</b></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">, <b>Chew Cheng Swee</b></span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>周</b></span><span style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: bold;">清</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>水</b></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">, <b>Chew Cheng Hao, </b></span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>周</b></span><span style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: bold;">清</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>浩</b></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> and 3 daughters<b> Chew</b></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <b>Sian Nian</b></span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">周</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">羡</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>娘</b></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">,</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">Chew Lan Nian</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">周</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">兰</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>娘</b></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b> </b>and<b> Chew Sit Nian</b></span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">周舌</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>娘</b></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>. </b></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Her date of death was based on the reign of Qing Dynasty Emperor.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">According Raymond</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">she died in </span><st1:metricconverter productid="1896. A" style="font-size: 14pt;" w:st="on">1896. <span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A</span></st1:metricconverter><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 14pt;"> friend said she died on the third lunar month.</span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 14pt;">Finally I am able to fill up Chew Joo Chiat's family tree with his six children's names instead of four as shown on his tombstone. It is assumed that two of his children </span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Chew Cheng Hao, </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;">周</span></b><span style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 18.6667px; font-weight: bold;">清</span><b><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;">浩 </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">and <b>Chew Cheng Sit</b></span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>周清舌 </b></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">died before him.</span></div>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-6750284316483636682015-10-01T05:05:00.000-07:002015-09-30T19:11:51.470-07:00Chew Joo Chiat's second legacy<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Joo Chiat,</b>
Singapore’s First Heritage Town is fast
becoming a tourist spot. There is a walking trail guide and map known as The
Secret of Joo Chiat launched recently and supported by Singapore Tourism Board.
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Joo Chiat a living legacy</b> is the title of a book by Lily Kong published in 2001. Many road names such as Joo Chiat Road, Joo Chiat
Terrace, Joo Chiat Place, Joo Chiat
Lane, Joo Chiat Walk and Joo Chiat Avenue are named after the late Chew Joo Chiat. In
fact, he had the most roads named after him in Singapore. Buildings named after him were Joo Chiat Market, Joo Chiat Post Office and Joo Chiat Police Station. Joo Chiat Market had been demolished and replaced by Joo Chiat
Complex. Joo Chiat Post Office site is now a drive way connecting Joo Chiat Road
to a car park. Joo Chiat Police Station has ceased functioning. It will
be a hotel soon but the building will be restored to its past glory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The boundary of Joo Chiat
District was reported in the Straits Times on 8 October 1948. It stretches from Changi Road/Geylang
Serai junction to Joo Chiat Road, Marine Parade Road, Telok
Kurau Road, Changi Road and back to Geylang Serai to form a square. Katong has no district then and now. It encroached
into Joo Chiat after the death of Chew Joo Chiat in 1926. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mangala Vihara Buddhist Temple at Jalan Eunos is another legacy of Chew Joo Chiat. He owned most of the land at Kampong Eunos which was then a coconut plantation. His two coconut plantations at Joo Chiat and Kampong Eunos were adjoining, separated only by a narrow Changi Road in the early 1920s. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">After his death in 1926, the land at Kampong
Eunos was divided among his children. Chew Quee Neo, his youngest
daughter inherited a parcel of land
facing Jalan Eunos MRT. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZQLe47z-woUqVjEzTR5sFPsshj4jJA2I4yfgpko0ln5jJ8kaGefpfK_Lphlt55LugNPUN4cyKFkzieQTvpkpCiwnSEkXePdhxfhHswlu4U8mae5dHlfFCVcP1dfCCbxL7Ax5mXVUzAzu/s1600/Chew+Quee+Neo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZQLe47z-woUqVjEzTR5sFPsshj4jJA2I4yfgpko0ln5jJ8kaGefpfK_Lphlt55LugNPUN4cyKFkzieQTvpkpCiwnSEkXePdhxfhHswlu4U8mae5dHlfFCVcP1dfCCbxL7Ax5mXVUzAzu/s320/Chew+Quee+Neo.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1959 she donated her land to the Venerable Mahaweera, a young Buddhist monk to build a Buddhist temple. It was to fulfill her vow made earlier. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1960 Mangala Vihara Buddhist Temple was born with a humble
beginning. A single storey worship hall was built and officially opened on 31</span><sup style="line-height: 115%;">st</sup><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">
March 1961. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQ6Z-KuF4G5-1Jo0LHCz-3_Zg-x4sSmKgXzyXgUnrNuTpmJ1Ak0BhWXddw1Q7eRJaf02R8ZhFygCs0vQk7TejaUQMH-hpZj2N1BmTJODpvo7wDTkPdR965IOS1KXqmaBdrveyjvkrWJdc/s1600/CQN3eo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQ6Z-KuF4G5-1Jo0LHCz-3_Zg-x4sSmKgXzyXgUnrNuTpmJ1Ak0BhWXddw1Q7eRJaf02R8ZhFygCs0vQk7TejaUQMH-hpZj2N1BmTJODpvo7wDTkPdR965IOS1KXqmaBdrveyjvkrWJdc/s320/CQN3eo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1981 the temple started to erect a three storeys extension building.
It was completed in 1983. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqIVpE7_p38XdGB0_smJP2bk1-M4uih7LeS328f7GclbifpUrYqYkptXjg6ZiCU55gAYvwF_nfCSJe52XRF53SZl96DkrEb6z7AfsXQ0CyzR4oEqhhhjsXQrJjyr3BykBYx4rAYm6bfbl/s1600/Devan+Nair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqIVpE7_p38XdGB0_smJP2bk1-M4uih7LeS328f7GclbifpUrYqYkptXjg6ZiCU55gAYvwF_nfCSJe52XRF53SZl96DkrEb6z7AfsXQ0CyzR4oEqhhhjsXQrJjyr3BykBYx4rAYm6bfbl/s400/Devan+Nair.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Opening
ceremony by Mr Devan Nair </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In July 1991
an old building was demolished to make way for a new shrine hall. It was
completed in 1994. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoLR0ZTy2HVfrp5H6iLd2MW2N0GYb71uwwrKJFNJRYEO5DpvzmLtT7MQAHhs1A-TXq5D1TG4i0lb235fEUdxnA3QT7F9m4tAI-OTv5mmX-e7OqODiuYYT_akpf40YqoDYwkLNKDTkH34N/s1600/Wee+Kim+Wee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoLR0ZTy2HVfrp5H6iLd2MW2N0GYb71uwwrKJFNJRYEO5DpvzmLtT7MQAHhs1A-TXq5D1TG4i0lb235fEUdxnA3QT7F9m4tAI-OTv5mmX-e7OqODiuYYT_akpf40YqoDYwkLNKDTkH34N/s320/Wee+Kim+Wee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> Opening
ceremony officiated by Dr Wee Kim Wee</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 21.4667px;">Bangala Vihara Buddhist Temple had the honour of two former Presidents of Singapore to grace the two separate ceremonies. First was for the extension building on 23rd November 1983. Former President of Singapore Mr Devan Nair was the Guest of Honour who unveiled the Opening Commemorative Plaque. Next was the opening of the New Shrine Hall Building on 11th July 1999 by former Singapore President Dr Wee Kim Wee who unveiled the plaque.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chew Joo
Chiat second legacy through his daughter Chew Quee Neo has come a long way from
its humble beginning. Today the temple has full facilities. There is a Shrine Hall, a multi-purpose Chew Quee Neo Hall, an administrative office, Rooms for</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sunday school, kitchen cum dinning area, living quarters for monks, library etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 21.4667px;">Mangala Vihara Buddhist Temple has a colourful history. It celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2010 and it is looking forward for another 50 good years.</span></div>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-8503793744821847962015-09-06T10:06:00.001-07:002015-09-06T20:07:32.931-07:00Ancestor land<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">厦门</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Xiamen China<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last month
my wife and I went on a free and easy holidays with my youngest son to </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">厦门</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Xiamen China. Hersan </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">禾山</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> village nearby
Xiamen was where my great grandfather Chew
Joo Chiat was born in 1855. During his growing up years, China was ruled by the
Qing Dynasty. Below is an old city map of </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">厦门</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Xiamen.
The fortified walls had gates opening to the north, south, east and west . </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">禾山</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Heshan village is not on the map as it is to the north of the city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfJn-6Qb5asZgx0midBrec4PyX19JUZpHeqLF64j0ChEbdhZEMEMsc7u-9eb3EgJTG4gjT5aG_tnbVCnhijBIRZmuUiuCpnQsRtrEiJirLLFE7V0dB1-584pUaYlaicBRQ0zNWS0_-BfJ/s1600/Amoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfJn-6Qb5asZgx0midBrec4PyX19JUZpHeqLF64j0ChEbdhZEMEMsc7u-9eb3EgJTG4gjT5aG_tnbVCnhijBIRZmuUiuCpnQsRtrEiJirLLFE7V0dB1-584pUaYlaicBRQ0zNWS0_-BfJ/s400/Amoy.jpg" width="323" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Picture credit to Ho San Kong Hoey Singapore.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjmqJkzDHjIVwcEKY8UQuMwPA4fRtpsGcd4nsOFUzClhRWRt1u9VeIZ8BycjDTDCCkKWEsDwkqVJL4s_HCMsP47uW90ZItwXsqusuMPmaXe2Ol0w0Vnmbe5iw4pPpDx-T6ttUpKozlvr2/s1600/IMG_5871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjmqJkzDHjIVwcEKY8UQuMwPA4fRtpsGcd4nsOFUzClhRWRt1u9VeIZ8BycjDTDCCkKWEsDwkqVJL4s_HCMsP47uW90ZItwXsqusuMPmaXe2Ol0w0Vnmbe5iw4pPpDx-T6ttUpKozlvr2/s400/IMG_5871.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Silk Air flight time to Xiamen was about 4 hours</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Day 1<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_gb8XMTIpZkjy2eRN-SceRNAPub5XYq7gPjvFEiGvMMeI5kP2zhWkEmek5QXbVWpYKWFHiQZBwWYBVqNYyVMO-qqYe6znEKK8rnuDj41BooHodSZ3b4_knhMmW-J4oecxBSneiOoCLRU/s1600/IMG_5891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_gb8XMTIpZkjy2eRN-SceRNAPub5XYq7gPjvFEiGvMMeI5kP2zhWkEmek5QXbVWpYKWFHiQZBwWYBVqNYyVMO-qqYe6znEKK8rnuDj41BooHodSZ3b4_knhMmW-J4oecxBSneiOoCLRU/s400/IMG_5891.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><b> </b> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"> Xiamen Swiss International Hotel</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We arrived
at Xiamen late in the afternoon and checked in at Xiamen Swiss International
Hotel. It is directly opposite the tourists’ island </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">鼓浪屿</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(Gulangyu). We
took a cab to a hilltop restaurant overlooking the beach. The weather was hot
like Singapore and the beach was very crowded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaz8HQkWgE0i6vGrkKnYcN6VRUyznZbsadWUEkVz1_WX63N6iKM9r4pTOL8bRVMJn2pE_2s3myXzFWvgtnQBGRPG-AFP4nRz1_ca1fAbpKHqWbbhqAjq-j8l2Pxa9UFEg3ANfrZd8Ht-L/s1600/Dishes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaz8HQkWgE0i6vGrkKnYcN6VRUyznZbsadWUEkVz1_WX63N6iKM9r4pTOL8bRVMJn2pE_2s3myXzFWvgtnQBGRPG-AFP4nRz1_ca1fAbpKHqWbbhqAjq-j8l2Pxa9UFEg3ANfrZd8Ht-L/s400/Dishes.jpg" width="355" /></a></div>
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Yummy food</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4kIkTUo6ilCu3FcyHr6xytibVlWD2f_0vqZ-cAHl4JIwdoUB3ektuWYCjr2vZ_34xtt2Q_J5Kizzc8CCqRSlhTy6LcWbuI02aS764e6HmhKsrzWFCMGghZKZ-glohoG2O-lEpH2_FtIke/s1600/IMG_5894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4kIkTUo6ilCu3FcyHr6xytibVlWD2f_0vqZ-cAHl4JIwdoUB3ektuWYCjr2vZ_34xtt2Q_J5Kizzc8CCqRSlhTy6LcWbuI02aS764e6HmhKsrzWFCMGghZKZ-glohoG2O-lEpH2_FtIke/s320/IMG_5894.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Beach at Xiamen</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had dinner at the restaurant overlooking the beach</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Day 2<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We thought
of going to Gulang Yu but could not get ferry tickets. The cruise centre was
very crowded with tourists and school children on holidays. Since we had no
fixed itinerary, I suggested to visit Heshan Road, hoping to find my great
grandfather Chew Joo Chiat’s home village.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18MUGcaKvzqPw1YOi01PqEOiLUKPUbXn-51104D4oJXCnaWDWevJeEwOMzOl6ak8UhkrHCMQiA94VY32ounEPuoe0EDj0n-AZgT0j6Bdft7MIPpcBAqS2ox2mlFBCAV1X7G4V7eWx5vxL/s1600/IMG_6111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18MUGcaKvzqPw1YOi01PqEOiLUKPUbXn-51104D4oJXCnaWDWevJeEwOMzOl6ak8UhkrHCMQiA94VY32ounEPuoe0EDj0n-AZgT0j6Bdft7MIPpcBAqS2ox2mlFBCAV1X7G4V7eWx5vxL/s400/IMG_6111.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My visit to
Xiamen was partly to trace my family history in China. I was not prepared then but
simply hope something would materialise. I was totally wrong. Chew Joo Chiat’s
birth place, </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">禾山</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(Heshan)
has been merged with Xiamen city. The place is now criss-cross by highways and
multi-storey buildings. Searching for Chew Joo Chiat’s birth place was like
looking for a pin in a haystack. Heshan village is not as before and after
about an hour’s walk, we gave up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rfOlYEdztPcO4yUU2djR6RW9I7L75jnUarzZbVGsz4UJbAyW4X43BYHuxKLgckc8KC48Gm5AUi8Tbw-z2bUTAxrOXFNsIc7i2fyctQSBhq1phMOJYFM-eSWmJvEmLJJowzgdLWLgPZXa/s1600/IMG_5916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rfOlYEdztPcO4yUU2djR6RW9I7L75jnUarzZbVGsz4UJbAyW4X43BYHuxKLgckc8KC48Gm5AUi8Tbw-z2bUTAxrOXFNsIc7i2fyctQSBhq1phMOJYFM-eSWmJvEmLJJowzgdLWLgPZXa/s400/IMG_5916.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">禾山路</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Heshan Road </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mL9_tEAkz954I9i63ayyK6Q6OyHGvPn3dJQUOrAxObK_4bh5-Nhfw4lnA4yW_GGL7Jm5xh636Y6kLv0tAAdcUfHs64Kp9CgWizn1-9ddRVUYvM9TJ6-d7M0gIcTY95ybeP3Le8TQv6ip/s1600/IMG_5920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mL9_tEAkz954I9i63ayyK6Q6OyHGvPn3dJQUOrAxObK_4bh5-Nhfw4lnA4yW_GGL7Jm5xh636Y6kLv0tAAdcUfHs64Kp9CgWizn1-9ddRVUYvM9TJ6-d7M0gIcTY95ybeP3Le8TQv6ip/s400/IMG_5920.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-SG; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Another view of Heshan Road</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-SG; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHHZ2yjPGHV2rZFbWExy7FG-tZuVXOrH7LuKtv-t7BnBa0ekGCzqh9OOQdokjDgjkKE5ryd4wj8J-F650Mgf0yfxAOCqe_F0mGaX-FlktDeMGKMQsYGtiX7_SQZvWKk8a0O6yKZpompIm/s1600/img057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHHZ2yjPGHV2rZFbWExy7FG-tZuVXOrH7LuKtv-t7BnBa0ekGCzqh9OOQdokjDgjkKE5ryd4wj8J-F650Mgf0yfxAOCqe_F0mGaX-FlktDeMGKMQsYGtiX7_SQZvWKk8a0O6yKZpompIm/s400/img057.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-SG; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Mary</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> needed rest to ease off the pain in her leg. A cab took us to SM
City Plaza, a shopping mall nearby. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWY41hXN5CVCgWhRXp1pmH94a6AecRdQ1I36_iUi6svvuFdiz4aZRmdLnCUvKyWGGnsbjIoZs1peOSscEZqDmmTNkFW560mUf9uu2f2Wc-CaPnYm6l2Th1ffkZUVdqxsxxs_DChOqW40K/s1600/IMG_5921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWY41hXN5CVCgWhRXp1pmH94a6AecRdQ1I36_iUi6svvuFdiz4aZRmdLnCUvKyWGGnsbjIoZs1peOSscEZqDmmTNkFW560mUf9uu2f2Wc-CaPnYm6l2Th1ffkZUVdqxsxxs_DChOqW40K/s400/IMG_5921.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">SM City Plaza Xiamen</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The cab
driver stopped us on the wrong side of the shopping mall. We had to walk a
short distance to the building. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">Mary could not walk and rested outside a restaurant. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"> Mary could walk again</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Day 3<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">We visited
the Overseas Chinese Museum as it was near the hotel. See map </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">Entrance gate to the Overseas Chinese Museum</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Overseas
Chinese Museum contains exhibits mainly from overseas Chinese. It show-case the
story of Chinese migrant workers to south-east Asia during the Qing Dynasty. At
the museum, I was hoping to find clues or pictures of my great grandfather Chew
Joo Chiat but in vain. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Majority </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">of the overseas Chinese then had no education. They worked hard as manual workers</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">such </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">as cooks barbers, tailors,
dealers, hawkers and various other jobs. Some succeeded to be employers,
teachers, doctors and lawyers, traders</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">etc. Many </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">entrepreneurs had made
a name for themselves such as Tan Tock Seng, Lim Nee Soon, Tan Kah Kee, Chew
Joo Chiat, Dr Lim Boon Keng and </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">Chinese migrant workers on board a Chinese junk</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 21.4667px;">Zhongshan Road is the main commercial area in Xiamen. A large section of the road is now</span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 21.4667px;"> a pedestrian mall. We went hunting for souvenir and gifts for friends. As it was dinner time we had our meal at a seafood restaurant.</span></div>
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Dinner at a seafood restaurant</div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 21.4667px;"><b>Day 4</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We booked a
ferry ticket in advance from the hotel for Wed 19 August 2015. Mary had problem
walking and was given priority to jump queue. Although inside the barrier she
could not move due to the pain and had to wait for the pain to go off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"> Passengers queue up to go to the ferry</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Gulang Yu island is a tourist spot. It was once an international settlement in China beside Shanghai. Hence, there are many colonial buildings of Victorian era. We covered less than one percent of the island and returned to Xiamen due to Mary's condition. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">Gulang Yu Islang</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"> Church</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">Anglo
Chinese College Xiamen in 1898. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"> Yang Villa built in 1935</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"> Roadside artist</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"> Mary on
wheel chair at Cruise Centre</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Day 5<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Home Sweet
Home<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;">View from our hotel room</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Good bye Xiamen.
Hope to see you again<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-88209948114897335892015-03-15T01:15:00.000-07:002015-03-15T01:21:53.846-07:00Rediffusion Talk Show SG50<div class="yiv2407073778msonospacing" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Rediffusion on its SG50 celebration will
film a collection of 25 stories shared by the nation’s pioneers through interviews at the talkshows. The program will
be filmed at 7 community centres. At
each talkshow pioneers would share their personal stories during the last 50
years.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">On Saturday 14 March 2015 the talkshow was
held at Joo Chiat Community Centre Theatrette. The Theme -</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: SimSun; font-size: 14pt;">我最喜</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: MingLiU; font-size: 14pt;">欢的广播员和节</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: MingLiU; font-size: 14pt;">. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I was one of the pioneer generation paticipants
and also a past Joo Chiat residents.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">It had an audience of about 80 people. The
show started with a brief history of Rediffusion given by Ms Eeva Chang Mei
Hsiang, a former Rediffusion DJ who bought over the Rediffusion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> Ms Eeva Chang Mei Hsiang</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> Pioneer Generation Participants</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> Interviewed by Ms Eeva Chang</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX_9Soe_x2mqO_h5gtwCpNo_0JisYsC_CaNXGMyfIe083eSUTXq8GGNjEU2zCGY8ZakuxzX2MSdQERqBer7uUYgqr1IuGdasBnZ4O_ALcbHk2_vW_ztFFzGtJc5pmApgkaY7hVo4VcLQy/s1600/IMG_5331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdX_9Soe_x2mqO_h5gtwCpNo_0JisYsC_CaNXGMyfIe083eSUTXq8GGNjEU2zCGY8ZakuxzX2MSdQERqBer7uUYgqr1IuGdasBnZ4O_ALcbHk2_vW_ztFFzGtJc5pmApgkaY7hVo4VcLQy/s1600/IMG_5331.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> Audience at the show</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Each participant
shared their nostalgic story. Some was quite emotional. The lighter part was singing
old favourite in English as well as in Chinese such as “It’s Now Or Never” by Elvis Presley and a
Hokien Song </span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #222222; font-family: SimSun; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; padding: 0cm;">望春風</span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; padding: 0cm;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; padding: 0cm;">I talked about the Rediffusion in Joo Chiat. In the
1950s Rediffusion arrived in Joo Chiat.
Most houses had a Rediffusion voice box including the attap huts kamong behind
my house. Rediffusion had only 2 radio
channel. Turn the knob left or right for English or Chinese which included
Chinese dialects. My uncle liked Chinese songs and I listened to English songs.
Sometimes our timing clashed. But when it came to Ong Toh’s action packed story
we had a common interest. The kungfu story was very captivating. Whenever it
was Ong Toh story time, I took down the Rediffusion box hung on the wall to the
table top for closer listening for I did not want to miss any part of his story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; padding: 0cm;"> Listening to Rediffusion's Ong Toh's story</span></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; padding: 0cm;">I also shared about the hawker food in Joo
Chiat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; padding: 0cm;">Tau Kua Pow</span></b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #222222; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; padding: 0cm;"> The
best ‘tau kua pow’ was not at Joo Chiat Road/East Coast Road junction coffee
shop (now Alibaba). It was at a small coffee shop opposite Joo Chiat market
(now Joo Chiat Complex). The secret for good ‘tua kua pow’ is in the sauce. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">
<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-SG; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; padding: 0cm;">Katong
Laksa</span></b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-SG; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; padding: 0cm;"> The hawker who was selling Katong laksa known as ‘jangok’ because he had a few strands
of hair on his chin. The name Katong laksa was not coined by him. His customer
gave the name for easy reference. He was an intinerant hawker selling laksa in Joo
Chiat, Marine Parade and finally he found </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">a place on the 5 foot way of a coffee shop at
the corner of East Coast Road/Ceylon Road. His customers loved his laksa and
was referred by words of mouth as ‘Katong laksa’. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Jangok was a squatter on our land at Tembeling
Road. He carried his laksa stall on a bamboo pole. On one side was a charcoal
stove with a pot of laksa gravy on top. On the side was the cockery, laksa
noodles, etc. In early 1970s The Ministry of the Environment wanted to clear
all itinerant hawkers in Singapore.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">His hawker stall was affected. The coffee shop owner saw the benefit of a popular laksa stall in
his shop and rented a small space next to a pillar for him to continue his
trade. Today Katong laksa is found in many parts of Singapore.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Objective of the project:</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Commemorate 50 years of Singapore through the stories shared by the nation's pioneers.</span></div>
<div class="yiv2407073778msonospacing" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Allow younger generations to rediscover the history and heritage of Singapore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">The Rediffusion Talk Show can be viewed at:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Website: www.rediffusion.com.sg</span></div>
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Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/eevashowproduction</div>
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Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/user18428569</div>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-3890083945707747832015-01-30T00:39:00.000-08:002016-04-19T20:53:30.102-07:00Reason for Blogging<br />
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Chew Joo Chiat<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I believe I
am the oldest blogger in Singapore. Many people including the Straits Times
reporter had asked me why I blog about my great grandfather Chew Joo Chiat. I
have two reasons to do so. First I want my children, grandchildren and those
after them to know their roots who had a humble beginning and through hard work
and successful business he became wealthy man. The Straits Times on 11 Feb 1926
reported “<i>A striking example of the
ressourfulness of the Chinese of making a fortune in Malaya writes a
correspondent, is recorded in the life of Chew Joo Chiat ………………. He was a Hokien and landed at Singapore from
Amoy (Amoy is in China) some 50 years or more, a penniless boy but by hardwork
and endowed with keen business foresight he left an estate estimated to be
worth millions of dollars</i>……..” The moral of the story “Chew Joo Chiat
our roots had a humble beginning”. Inspite of his wealth he kept a low profile
and frugal in his spending.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">ST 2 April 1999
published an article from an interview stated that Chew Joo Chiat died in 1950s
and he had only a daughter. The informations given to the reporter was incorrect as Chew Joo Chiat's tombstone in
Englsh showed he died on 5<sup>th</sup> February 1926. His main tombstone in Chinee characters showed he had 2 sons, 3 daughters and 8 grandchildren. There were also factual
errors in the internet websites and books etc. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">My second reason was to correct
all the errors and tell my own story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">During my
research I found Chew Joo Chiat had many other businesses besides being a housing developer and
owner of plantations such as spice, rubber and coconut trees. In his early days at the turn of the 20<sup>th</sup> century he was a ship chandler and a
timber trader owning a sawmill at Beach Road. His office was at No 5 Philip
Street. In the early 1920s he owned 2 tin mines, The Trengganu Corporation and
The Ulu Pacca Corporation as well as 2 banks. He founded the Pacific Bank in 1919 and
was its first chairman. He was also a major shareholder of Batu Pahat Bank.
Again many questions were asked. What had happened to all his wealth? Well the
juicy part will be in the book “The Story
of Chew Joo Chiat” which will be published in December 2015 or January 2016..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Trengganu Corpoation Ulu Pacca Corporation<br />
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Batu Pahat Bank<br />
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Pacific Bank<br />
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<br />Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-38856784269447354432014-12-03T02:08:00.000-08:002014-12-05T00:46:12.040-08:00Tracing The Roots By Younger Generations<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">On Saturday 20 September 2006 I gave a talk about our great
grandfather, Chew Joo Chiat at my home. Many relatives were invited but only my nephew
Andrew Chew and his sister Dawn were
present. I gave him the book “Joo Chiat a living legacy” before he left.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">In November 2006 I gave Andrew our family tree website to kindle his
interest in tracing his roots.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Andrew Chew</span></div>
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<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">It took 8 years from 2006 to 2014 for the seed I planted to germinate.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">On 19 October 2014 Andrew wrote to me:</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hi Uncle Philip<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its been a while, how have you been?</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Recently there's a urge for me to trace back my roots as well. For a start, I
think it is good for me to pay respect to our ancestor. Understand that you had
been to Joo Chiat's grave before. Do you know how I could get there? (I only
have a brief outline of a map I found online)</span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I replied </b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi Andrew, it's a pleasure to show you Chew Joo Chiat's grave. It is at Bukit Brown Cemetery. l was there in August 2014 with my son and his family from US. Contact me when you are ready. Get more relatives to come along if they are interested.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We fixed the date Saturday 29 November 2014 to visit Chew Joo Chiat’s grave. He told me 6 other relatives would be visiting too.
We arranged to meet at Toa Payoh Bus Interchange. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the appointed date I was surprised to see a dozen relatives including 2 of my cousins. They were 4th 5th and 6th generations of Chew Joo Chiat. We boarded bus service No. 157 which took us there. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">At Bukit Brown Cemetery everybody was happy walking on metal road until they reach the foot path that led to Joo Chiat's grave. We could see large tyre tracks of truck. It was muddy with puddles of water here and there. We moved very carefully forward until we reached the marker. We walked up the slope a short distance and was glad to see our ancestor's grave. It was my first attemp leading such a big group at BBC.</span></div>
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At Toa Payoh bus interchange<br />
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Walking towards the cemetery </div>
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Inside cemetery ground</div>
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Chew Joo Chiat's grave</div>
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At Chew Joo Chiat's grave</div>
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On the way out of the foot path.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">The group wanted to explore the area and Dominic who was there to assist me took them to see Ong Sam Leong'grave.</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ong Sam Leong's grave</span><br />
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<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">We were fortunate that the weather was kind to us. After we left the cemetery ground there was a heavy rain.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Comments below were collected by Andrew Chew and forwarded to me on Wed 3rd Dec 2014.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just to consolidate on our thoughts after visiting the grave:</span></span></span></h3>
<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Joanne Lim: </b>It's a great feeling to gather with our different generations to visit and pay respect to our great great great grandfather tomb and understand the history.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lillian Chew: </b>Today after visiting my great grandpa, I feel very happy and also give the chance give to meet my cousin, nephew and niece. We chat and laugh together and have our lunch together.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mei Yan: </b>A very enjoyable trip. Meet up with cousins and pay respect our great great great great grandfather.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Joseph Lim: </b>It's a fruitful experience for the younger generations like us to learn more of our ancestor and the root of our origin.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Andrew Chew: </b>Thinking on how our ancestor came to a foreign land and settled down, live and died here. It's nice that the descendants are able to visit the grave, each living and continue the path forward.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ivy Chew </b>wrote: helo thank you Philip. It was good to meet the other relatives really unfamiliar. Thanks for arranging the trips and meetings. Look forward to the book.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bellra Chew:</b> Really thankful to Philip uncle fo bringing us to visit our ancestor grave and sharing his knowledge with us. It's a very meaningful experience to be able to hear stories of the past and learn to appreciate our roots.</span>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-55082511828700223732014-07-23T08:28:00.001-07:002014-11-30T01:21:11.628-08:00Chris' Family Tracing Their Roots<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My son Chris and his family arrived here from California on Wednesday 9<sup>th</sup> July 2014 for a month’s holidays. The next day I
was taken aback when he told me that they wanted to visit Chew Joo Chiat’s
grave. I was lost for words. It was my joyous moment that my son had shown
interest in his roots. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-SG; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">We arranged to visit
Bukit Brown Cemetery on Saturday 12 July 2014. I visited the site many times
and was quite confident of finding my great grandfather’s grave easily. I
remembered a ‘<b><span style="color: red;">No
Entry’</span></b><span style="color: red;"> </span>sign board and a foot path
beside it. When we arrived at the site I noticed the scenery there was
different compared to before. Previously the foot path was narrow, wet and
soggy, and both sides of the path were covered with trees and thick foliage (picture
1). That day the foot-path was dry and well-trodden. There was less foliage and
a few graves at the sides of the foot-path were visible (picture 2). Chew Joo
Chiat’s grave, a double tomb up the slope could not be seen from below. </span><br />
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picture 2</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">I
was disorientated by the change of scenery and had problem finding the grave.
We walked to and fro the foot-path a number of times plus climbing up a few slopes. I was very sure of the ‘No Entry’ signboard
and the foot-path beside it. Fortunately I remembered an additional clue. Along
the foot-path on the left hand side was a tree trunk with a patch of red paint. My great
grandfather’s grave was directly opposite it on the right hand side. We found
the tree with the red paint (picture 3). The girls were tired and waited at the foot path. I and Chris walked up the slope directly opposite
the tree. Within a minute we saw Chew Joo Chiat’s double tomb. We could not
find it earlier because we were facing the wrong side of the grave. Furthermore, the
tomb was completely covered with vegetation except for the front tombstones. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAYtOPxExOXtaG-NQ_Xr0XnVG7jCsGEWod38d6vEp-hRiM4fgYEXmSYKcai59AQjbGyXo1SK-HFk0_McdmKp7iOmQ3dCfdHitE0YU_XChLwbSUXbD-f4nPth1v1RU1Arzz_5Y_Jr3IGlu/s1600/tree+with+read+paint.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAYtOPxExOXtaG-NQ_Xr0XnVG7jCsGEWod38d6vEp-hRiM4fgYEXmSYKcai59AQjbGyXo1SK-HFk0_McdmKp7iOmQ3dCfdHitE0YU_XChLwbSUXbD-f4nPth1v1RU1Arzz_5Y_Jr3IGlu/s1600/tree+with+read+paint.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">picture 3</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Chris announced the good news to the girls and led them to the site.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">picture 4, 5 & 6</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All of us were very happy and smiling. Chris said
“mission accomplished”. We took a few pictures standing beside Chew Joo Chiat’s tomb (picture 7 & 8). It was our
momentous hour discovering and getting connected to
our roots as the 4<sup>th</sup>, 5<sup>th</sup> and 6<sup>th</sup> generations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">picture 7 & 8</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Picture (9) shows the double tomb. The tomb on the left
belongs to Chew Joo Chiat’s second wife Tan Quan Neo who was a Peranakan. For
some reason she was not buried in the tomb reserved for her. Instead, I found her grave at another location quite a distance away from the double tomb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> picture 9</span></div>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-88737177659517677412013-12-29T22:21:00.000-08:002013-12-29T22:21:14.674-08:00CHEW JOO CHIAT ORIGINAL PHOTO <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgxkHvaZ_oQNMh-Ztb3rMzv2iu3GJf8k0832VPESJzEW8OTvp9GYx0yuJH4pU0dMoeA0vblPN99jL2kK0Qr6qP-K7XST4TI0b3l4Smq_iwdWimk80UjqYQ8pLMoMLtbZ3WY5cG6jgOSXU/s1600/ChewJC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgxkHvaZ_oQNMh-Ztb3rMzv2iu3GJf8k0832VPESJzEW8OTvp9GYx0yuJH4pU0dMoeA0vblPN99jL2kK0Qr6qP-K7XST4TI0b3l4Smq_iwdWimk80UjqYQ8pLMoMLtbZ3WY5cG6jgOSXU/s320/ChewJC.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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CHEW JOO CHIAT</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is only one original photograph of Chew
Joo Chiat. It is in the home of one of Chew’s great grandson. Ancestor worship
has been passed down from generation to generation and the duty now falls on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chew’s photograph is a full body portrait. It
was taken in a photo studio as shown above. It shows him dressed in a western attire
- coat and pants with a bow tie complete with a topee or hat on the table. The
photo gave the impression that he was an educated man with an illustrious
career and standing in society. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">After Chew Joo Chiat’s death his
photo was put in No 73 Joo Chiat Road for ancestor worship by his eldest son Chew
Cheng Liam. When Cheng Liam died in 1946, his photo was placed next to his
father. Ancestor worship was continued by the next generation</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Now the duty falls on the fourth
generation living at Chai Chee.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
saw Chew Joo Chiat’s half body photo in books, magazines, newspapers and
webpages. It had been crop and used without permission. In one instance I
noticed credit for the photo was given to a person who copy it. In fact, that person should not take credit for himself. Many people are not aware of copyright. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYUhzhUmvHQsgo9uLtn0kKRLKKgZLVnjc3b1ql-Bfp5Ag-m5PM3ue9NKV5MrGI1TeHsBdcSo95t3cpxPNraI2PLpRIvA9xD7Xk6m1qLrHe73rftCCGY8GLqY228vs7UbWc5n9BpVRKozY/s1600/chewjoochiat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYUhzhUmvHQsgo9uLtn0kKRLKKgZLVnjc3b1ql-Bfp5Ag-m5PM3ue9NKV5MrGI1TeHsBdcSo95t3cpxPNraI2PLpRIvA9xD7Xk6m1qLrHe73rftCCGY8GLqY228vs7UbWc5n9BpVRKozY/s320/chewjoochiat.jpg" width="219" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Half body photo Chew Joo Chiat crop from the top photo</span></span></div>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-34898006975124834342013-08-21T21:06:00.000-07:002019-07-03T05:21:25.252-07:00Is There A Katong District?On National Day 9 August 2013, The Straits Times published a special section called <i>Secret Journeys Singapore, National Day Special 2013. </i>There were more than 10 interesting articles. I could relate with one of them very well. The story 'The Past is Still Present' by Serene Goh.<br />
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She took a trip down memory lane at Katong. She talked about Katong Odeon Shopping Centre, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery and the old eateries where there were zi char and tau kwa pow stalls. She was yearning for the old Katong and she reminisce the family raised terrace house at Onan Road and the St Hilda's Girls' School at Ceylon Road. </div>
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I enjoyed reading her article for it evoked memories of yester years. In the old days hawkers came to your house. Now you go to them at coffee shops or food courts. At that time all zi char hawkers used opeh (palm leaves) to tah pow (wrapped) their take away orders. The best tau kwa pow was not at Joo Chiat Road/ East Coast Road junction coffee shop but at a coffee shop opposite Joo Chiat Market. The author's family house at Onan Road and my house at Joo Chiat Road were at opposite ends of an unnamed lane. I had a few friends living at Onan Road raised terraced houses. One used the premises as a dwelling cum temple. The other, a butcher sometimes kept his caged pigs under the floor boards.</div>
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In the article she also talked about Katong District and said it was loosely bound by Changi Road and Geylang Serai, Marine Parade towards the south, Tanjong Katong in the west, Still Road in the east.</div>
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<strong>IS THERE A KATONG DISTRICT?</strong></div>
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Katong is normally referred to by words of mouth for areas on both sides of East Coast Road. There is no Katong Road on the map or street directory. How come there is a Katong District? Katong encroached into Joo Chiat from Tanjong Katong in 1928 (ref: Singapore House by Lee Kip Lin). According to an old Katong resident Foo Kee Seng, Katong had extended to Telok Kurau Road (NAS Oral Hisitory recording 1998). Katong has moved eastwards towards Siglap but never northwards to Changi Road and Geylang Serai.</div>
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The loosely bound area in the article is actually Joo Chiat District but its eastern boundary is Telok Kuara Road and not Still Road. (ST 8 Oct 1948)</div>
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Incidently ST 23 June 2013 published an article "Changing face of Joo Chiat" by Walter Sim and Lim Min Zhang. They said "Joo Chiat estate, loosely bordered by Still Road to the east, Changi Road to the north, Haig Road to the west, and East Coast Road to the south, .............."</div>
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Joo Chiat District </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdfSyGITlcNpkrOQDGphu6gXayroy90Y3TFBHcMytW-5n_SMLw25hvjIDii_L_NejED5C5r0iTNRbg8mFOSJx17svnE4CtyKceMCvPI4N8wCPJdBx-iF4CQfaeyU3nFuvib6sH5s1YyMM/s1600/Joo+Chiat+loose+border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdfSyGITlcNpkrOQDGphu6gXayroy90Y3TFBHcMytW-5n_SMLw25hvjIDii_L_NejED5C5r0iTNRbg8mFOSJx17svnE4CtyKceMCvPI4N8wCPJdBx-iF4CQfaeyU3nFuvib6sH5s1YyMM/s320/Joo+Chiat+loose+border.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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ST 23 June 2013 </div>
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Katong District</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3NZL_JMjPoHacQUi3JQ8KNu36_QyPIqGqKPOB2mp4BE_ArfF8_M9VpHSzJicoUv5ZNnjeKAXC-OoYFXr0m4E2zXasXU7_lodgG33Li2lvvp9Cesy3kpGF39LVCPTWWYFqY_2aFmnI-C3/s1600/Joo+Chiat+loose+border+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3NZL_JMjPoHacQUi3JQ8KNu36_QyPIqGqKPOB2mp4BE_ArfF8_M9VpHSzJicoUv5ZNnjeKAXC-OoYFXr0m4E2zXasXU7_lodgG33Li2lvvp9Cesy3kpGF39LVCPTWWYFqY_2aFmnI-C3/s320/Joo+Chiat+loose+border+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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ST 9 August 2013</div>
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The above two areas refer to the same place according to their loosely bound borders. Both articles are from the Straits Times but each gave a different district name. It should be interesting if the newspapers can offer an answer.</div>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-85737487319738748282013-07-03T08:26:00.001-07:002013-07-10T23:22:06.823-07:00 Chew Joo Chiat seaside house<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I always reminisced the good old days where things moved
slowly with plenty of nature around. During my school days there was no Marine
Parade Road. So the houses that faced the sea, each had a house number and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marine Parade as the address. I visited the
beach quite often with classmates<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
Joo Chiat kampong<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>friends. We went there
to swim, dug the beach for sea shells, built sand castles and played in the
sea. It was also there that I learnt to swim and swallowed a fair amount of
water from the sea. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">One end of Joo Chiat Road was opposite Geylang Serai. The
other end stopped at Marine Parade beach. I remembered the beach were dotted with bungalows on both sides of the road. At the junction of Joo Chiat
Road and Marine Parade was a large house with metal gates. Each side of the
gate had a golden lion head with a ring in its nostril. The metal rings were
handles for opening and closing the gates. I was told the house belonged to a
Ong family. I remembered the building well because I went to the beach to study
for my O Level examinations. My favourite spot was outside the wall fence
shaded by plants. It was quiet and the sea breeze was excellent. Opposite the
house across the road was Tung Ling English School. It was a private school.
Since then the school building had been upgraded a few times and is now used as a place of worship by the Church of
Singapore. Two doors away was a compound house. It was a residence but after the war it became a
coffee shop. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I remembered two itinerant hawkers thereat. One was an
Indian migrant<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>named Ah Pow. He was
selling ‘kachang puteh’ with a makeshift stall. I knew him well because of my
regular patronage and we were like friend. He was single and lived with other
Indian migrants in a shophouse at Joo Chiat Place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other hawker was a Chinese. He was the famous Katong laksa hawker
known as ‘Jangot’. That was before he had a stall at Ceylon Road coffee shop. He lived with his family at Tembeling Road, close by Joo Chiat
Terrace. I knew him because he was a squatter in my grand father’s property. Furthermore, he ever come to my house at Joo Chiat Road to play poker.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">My grandmother told me that her father-in-law Chew Joo Chiat
owned holiday houses at Marine Parade. One was built over the sea. Those houses
built over the water were all destroyed by Japanese bombs during the war.
Recently I was curious to know where all Chew Joo Chiat’s seaside bungalows
were located although I knew the old buildings were no longer there. I made a
search at the National Archives of Singapore and found a 1934 building plan
submitted by his son-in-law Lee Tian Seck for alterations and additions to the
building. Its address was 119 Marine Parade. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtjQSQOUeifkY0hozPjw2vPr9BpmI-AUvdaQU-N17wo8jLc7cnf8_kQ9LN8VMz4DQtx2ODascwpX9sH_k9Q3wSSuq0ujV-6qIPLFRgRLglzIhvgKA7884-3fW7KbFZ8XDAM9jfeLc709O/s1600/119+Marine+Parade+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtjQSQOUeifkY0hozPjw2vPr9BpmI-AUvdaQU-N17wo8jLc7cnf8_kQ9LN8VMz4DQtx2ODascwpX9sH_k9Q3wSSuq0ujV-6qIPLFRgRLglzIhvgKA7884-3fW7KbFZ8XDAM9jfeLc709O/s400/119+Marine+Parade+a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> <span style="font-size: large;">119 Marine Parade</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Chew Joo Chiat’s grandson Lee Beow Guan in his oral history
recording said his mother Chew Quee Neo inherited most of her father Chew Joo
Chiat’s properties. My grandma also told me the same story. So 119 Marine
Parade originally belonged to Chew Joo Chiat. According to the site plan the
building was sited at the junction of Joo Chiat Road and Marine Parade. The
site is now occupied by a new condominium Parc Seabreeze</span>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkjjeQuOl7Kk7bNzcw1u50OkJcXX7WHZKIi7evL3MqjfT96yK9DAG_T4q9PL_qRvLauDu2j1a_kiy4lT80hOOfGAX8PMTxng72zIFBH208ixur_vYSW9dcWxe_xJg-czsCDih65kWInCS/s1600/Parc+Seabreeze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkjjeQuOl7Kk7bNzcw1u50OkJcXX7WHZKIi7evL3MqjfT96yK9DAG_T4q9PL_qRvLauDu2j1a_kiy4lT80hOOfGAX8PMTxng72zIFBH208ixur_vYSW9dcWxe_xJg-czsCDih65kWInCS/s400/Parc+Seabreeze.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Parc Seabreeze</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now I know my favourite spot for studying during school examinations was at the fence of a Marine Parade bungalow that once belonged to my great grand-father Chew Joo Chiat.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-47004605946742366932013-06-28T21:07:00.002-07:002019-08-20T19:57:41.265-07:00Joo Chiat Road<span style="font-size: large;">Joo Chiat Road is in the news again. The Sunday Times on 22nd June 2013 published an article "<strong><em>Changing face of Joo Chiat</em></strong>". It was stated that Joo Chiat has shaken off most of its sleaze that has come to be associated with it. The karaoke pubs and massage parlours which had proliferated in the last decade bringing scantily clad women and intoxicated patrons to the area. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The sleaze has scaled down due to a number of factors. One was the enforcement actions by the police vice squad. It was reported in the newspapers on June 24th 2011 exactly 2 years ago 20 naked Vietnamese hostesses were caught during a police raid at Joo Chiat Road on Wednesday night. They were found by policemen serving the customers naked in a lounge with some having sex. Another factor is the ecomonic restructuring in Joo Chiat. It was reported that the seedy establishment at its peak in 2004 had 44 karaoke bars and 38 massage parlours. According to the newspapers report there were about 15 such bars and 3 massage parlours left.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfvHy5DUiw2pqN9dXoI_clKAASwlTjyqPCf4HKQRLERtk-LTsDxlnsTwThpQrueRNemhIArU389vYQRvzbkt23InJb7JS56GX5otZMte5nufkrWLbzrWRtuWtwEjY2AXWCwZfm5fck_1Y/s1600/KTY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfvHy5DUiw2pqN9dXoI_clKAASwlTjyqPCf4HKQRLERtk-LTsDxlnsTwThpQrueRNemhIArU389vYQRvzbkt23InJb7JS56GX5otZMte5nufkrWLbzrWRtuWtwEjY2AXWCwZfm5fck_1Y/s400/KTY.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Joo Chiat Road KTV lounge</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpD6XWUIBSlIgxJGG1OEAvng01qOGABcCYz-tUa58Ja3vb1beT4tyyWzU4dd05YGFL7w5J8vGcb8dGagEZdJwD6-4sYcJt6_DZz0DUOegObKxNgZwxxkerjtHpEpe3AZDGnxDK86LefzTL/s1600/viet+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpD6XWUIBSlIgxJGG1OEAvng01qOGABcCYz-tUa58Ja3vb1beT4tyyWzU4dd05YGFL7w5J8vGcb8dGagEZdJwD6-4sYcJt6_DZz0DUOegObKxNgZwxxkerjtHpEpe3AZDGnxDK86LefzTL/s400/viet+girls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Police raided a karaoke lounge at Joo Chiat Road</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Vices in Joo Chiat is not new. Before the war there was prostitution in the area. Hotels doubled up as brothels to provide accommodations for the flesh trade. Some were caught and convicted in courts as shown below</span>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPbZ7T_A4QFp9SQ_z7JXSDJvk6IAkpgnkwYTuJ_n8GZcg5BO2KlBDUNDnjUapajrt4yfpl1fTIA_D4FPbmwTS9wn1Lzmvd64sz6e0bTJjHEADyHbno9NUyDeWimshUSQJZWi118R13AZN/s1600/brothel+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPbZ7T_A4QFp9SQ_z7JXSDJvk6IAkpgnkwYTuJ_n8GZcg5BO2KlBDUNDnjUapajrt4yfpl1fTIA_D4FPbmwTS9wn1Lzmvd64sz6e0bTJjHEADyHbno9NUyDeWimshUSQJZWi118R13AZN/s400/brothel+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the 1950/60s there were more hotels/brothels in the area. Girly bars lined both sides of Joo Chiat Road and Joo Chiat Place. The bar girls were mostly from Malaysia. Cigarettes were very cheap then and almost everyone smoked inside the bar filling the room with thick white smoke. Above the bars were rooms for massage and other services from the bar girls. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Operators of the vice trade were very innovative. They opened up man's hair saloon shop usually opposite the girly bars. Services in the saloon were hair cut/wash and body massage. Beer and stout were also available though illegal. If a client wanted privacy there was a curtain to go round the barber chair for seclusion. Who knows what went on behind the curtain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There were licensed massage parlours too. Each room door had a rectangle glass window as a requirement. It was to allow the licensing inspector to see inside the room from a distance to prevent hanky panky business. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then music lounge was introduced in Joo Chiat. There was a little stage with 3 piece live band and singers. When karaoke came to Singapore, the bigger bars updated to karaoke lounge with bright neon lights at the shop front. That was when the sleaze was seen openly on the five foot ways, roadsides etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">New businesses such as Art Galleries, Design Studios, High-end Fashion and Décor shops have moved into the area. </span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> All Joo Chiat residents wanted to have a peaceful environment. Hope the sleaze in the area will die a natural death.. </span><br />
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-36923587879108414502013-06-12T05:47:00.000-07:002013-06-12T05:47:08.128-07:00Joo Chiat Past & Present <span style="font-size: large;">I started mychewjoochiat blog in 2008. Over the years many new residents wrote to me about Joo Chiat area especially about the past. They wanted to know more about the site where there were residing. I have posted Joo Chiat 'then and now'. I shall continue to post the same topic with pictures but at different sites. I am starting with he oldest building in Joo Chiat which was built in 1916. Joo Chiat Road was then known as Confederates Estates Road. It was renamed as Joo Chiat Road in 1917.</span><br />
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The 1916 building is at the junction of Joo Chiat Road/East Coast Road</div>
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Photo credit to Lee Kip Lin and NHB Picture taken in1993<br />
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The 1916 building has been upgraded. Picture taken on 12.0-6.2013<br />
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<span id="goog_1106631875"></span><span id="goog_1106631876"></span>Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-33582370462344170702013-05-21T02:34:00.001-07:002013-05-21T02:42:34.553-07:00Joo Chiat Road MemoryIn August 2011 my son and his family flew in from US to visit us. I took the opportunity to show my grand daughter Joy her Joo Chiat heritage. I walked down memory lane with her. It was a sentimental journey to relive the past. The vacant land between Joo Chiat Terrace and the Joo Chiat Complex evoke fond memories. On that piece of land once stood a block of 2 storey shophouses where I lived. Chew Joo Chiat's 3 storey house and my house were two different blocks of building separated by a narrow lane which was also my childhood playgroung. <br />
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The narrow lane led to a kampong behind my house. The community consisted of Chinese, Malays and Indians and they lived in harmoney with each other. I had two closed Malay playmates and I learned to speak Malay from them. I also learned how to play dum (Malay board game) with them. Ramli's father made very good chepak (leather slippers). The chepak was made to order. I ordered my first pair and found them so confortable that I stopped using other type of slippers. He also made songkoks for sale and he supplied them to shops in Geylang Serai. Yusof's mother spoke good hokien and teochew. She not only spoke Chinese dialect but also played si seks (4 coloured cards) and mahjongs with her Chinese neighbours. Yusof became a police detective and Ramli a postman in southern islands. <br />
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I lived in Joo Chiat Road from 1935 to 1957. It was also my growning up years. The Pacific War ended with the return of the British to the island. Singapore was then under the British Military Administration aka BMA. There was food rationing and black markets were thriving. Many people was out of job. There was a sudden mushroom of hawkers, especially cigarettes stalls. They were at street corners, roadsides and pavements. <br />
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Joo Chiat Road from Joo Chiat Place towards Geylang Serai was a very busy place. There were 2 wet markets side by side. One was facing Joo Chiat Road and the other was facing Changi Road. Lining both sides of the road were shops selling a wide variety of consumer goods including Chinese medical shops, clinics, dentists, tinsmiths, photo studios etc etc. <br />
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There was also an open air cinema known as Lily Cinema. It showed third run Chinese, Malay and Indian movies. It had wooden benches without back rests. An unwritten rule allowed movie goers to reserve seat by tying a handkerchief to the bench. During a popular movie show the benches were full of handkerchives. Late comers were frustrated at such a sight resulted in quarrels and fights.<br />
My house was at Joo Chiat Road and my bedroom was facing the road. Each morning about 5.00 am onwards I could hear the 'click clock' noise from the wooden clogs worn by housewives on their way to the markets. As the morning got brighter the noise increrased in intensity as more housewives charged to the markets. I got used to the noise disturbance and made it my alarm clock each morning to get ready for school and later for work. <br />
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My house frontage had a recess from the road. Food hawkers set up stalls for breakfast. Housewives gathered to socialise and gossip. Some remained until the announcement of 'chap jee ki' result. I observed their faces. Very few smile but majority frown with disappointment. <br />
Nearby my house was a sidelane crowded with hawkers selling fresh fish from the kelongs, vegetables and fruits from our local farms and cooked food such as mee siam, bachor mee, prawn mee soup and others. Our family owned the land. Each hawker paid a fee including water supply. On week-ends and public holidays I was on duty. Occasionally I barter with the hawker for a plate of mee siam, or a bowl of mee.<br />
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During the night a popular hawker stall selling satay and porridge aka choke in Cantonese occupied the frontage of my house. Every night after the open air cinema show ended, streams of movie goers walked pass my house. Many stopped by to have supper. Due to its popularity the hawker stall had become an icon in Joo Chiat Road. <br />
My next door neighbour was a tyre shop. The owner had a Ford car and every morning drove his car to his other shop in town. In the morning on my way to school I had the opportunity to watch him starting his car. Today we started the car engine by the turn of a key. It was very laborious then. First the driver took a crank rod from the car. The metal rod had a 'z' shape with one end longer than the other. Next he walked to the front and pushed the longer end through a hole under the radiator to connect it to the main shaft. He used the shorter end as a handle to crank start the car engine in clockwise motion. He could never start the car engine with one go. Strength was needed to crank up the car engine and doing it continuously a few times could be very tiring. Once the car engine started, he pulled back the metal rod and put it back to the side the car. Finally he drove the car away. It was a daily ritual for himFinally he drove the car away. It was a daily ritual for him. <br />
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I lived in the second house of the 2 storey block of shophouse. Chew Joo Chiat's house was next to the building in the foreground.Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-26209426330170287122013-02-08T03:47:00.001-08:002013-02-08T03:47:03.605-08:00<a href="http://blingee.com/blingee/view/131885718-Lunar-Year-of-the-Snake" target="_blank" title="Lunar Year of the Snake"><img alt="Lunar Year of the Snake" border="0" height="269" src="http://image.blingee.com/images19/content/output/000/000/000/7dc/796881052_216264.gif" title="Lunar Year of the Snake" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="http://blingee.com/pictures/year-of-the-snake" target="_blank" title="year of the snake pictures"><span style="font-size: x-small;">year of the snake pictures</span></a><br />Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-71158120227812716252013-01-07T03:26:00.000-08:002013-01-07T07:20:19.690-08:00An Unknown Singapore Pioneer<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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Chew Joo Chiat</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Chew Joo Chiat was an unknown Singapore Pioneer. He helped in the economy and development of Singapore, especially in Joo Chiat area. He was a housing developer in Geylang opposite Paya Lebar, building shops and residential houses before the turn of the 21st century. He was a planter owning spice plantations producing pepper, nutmeg and gambier. His coconut plantations produced copra. All the products from his estates were exported to Europe and America. In the early 1920s there was a migration of population moving to the east coast area known verbally as Katong. Chew Joo Chiat saw a housing need. He cleared his plantations and divided his lands into parcels of building plots. He became a housing developer once more. He also owned three rubber plantations and the largest was 64 acres. They were at Bukit Timah, Mandai and Changi, all with factories producing rubber sheets for export to Europe and America. As a planter and housing developer he provided jobs to the people. The goods exported overseas brought in foreign exchange to the country. Therefore, he made significant contributions to Singapore across the various sectors such as in economy, commerce and history. But he was an unknown Singapore pioneer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In 2008 I chanced upon a list of past Singapore pioneers buried at Bukit Brown Cemetery. The list of names were compiled by the Asia Paranormal Investigators (API). Chew Joo Chiat’s name was not there. I wrote to them in April and May 2009. Raymond Goh replied favourably. After some verifications Chew Joo Chiat’s name was put on the list of Singapore pioneers buried at Bukit Brown Cemetery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Sunday Times dated June 10, 2012 published an article "New book features famous Hokkiens" </span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-SG; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">A new book to celebrate Singapore’s prominent Hokkiens will be available from November. Published by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (SHHK), the 400 pages book will feature 150 Hokkien Singaporeans.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>I checked SHHK’s website for the list of 150 famous Hokkien Singaporeans but Chew Joo Chiat’s name was missing. I was not only disappointed but was also overwhelm with anger and frustration. How could a well known Hokkien son who had contributed so much to the country be excluded from the list? After my intervention I was informed by the manager of SHHK that his name would be in the publication. <br />
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Recently the Minisry of Education was going to produce an educational video entitled "More Than A Name" and asked me for permission to use Chew Joo Chiat's photo. I gladly gave my permission. <br />
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Shooting movie at Chew Joo Chiat's tomb</div>
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A documentary ‘History From The Hills’ about past Singapore pioneers buried at Bukit Brown Cemetery in 8 episodes will be telecast in <strong>okto</strong> channels starting Wed 9 January 2013 at 10.00 pm. <strong>Chew Joo Chiat’s story</strong> will be featured in the 4th episode on 30.01.2013</div>
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Finally Chew Joo Chiat has been recognised as a past Singapore pioneer.</div>
Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-6052627202643989362012-11-15T01:53:00.001-08:002012-11-15T01:53:34.878-08:00Joo Chiat Changing Scene 5<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9p792Xv98rqH8lnZ9YEAltFJ6egHq0LnqrE5Lvda28eyDgfYlGBcrP2DNZozHCw_oguW8oAB2-X9J9qKCxMPuurSMit4oepy0cSr1Ac4BbAAwQdhKXl2bgF5soOuZvnib8YXHARCWnRK/s1600-h/Temple+n+wayang+sites.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335879573283669714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv9p792Xv98rqH8lnZ9YEAltFJ6egHq0LnqrE5Lvda28eyDgfYlGBcrP2DNZozHCw_oguW8oAB2-X9J9qKCxMPuurSMit4oepy0cSr1Ac4BbAAwQdhKXl2bgF5soOuZvnib8YXHARCWnRK/s320/Temple+n+wayang+sites.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 256px; width: 324px;" /></a><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #ffcc00;">Site map of the wayang (opera) stage and the Chinese temple at Joo Chiat Place</span></strong></div>
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Last week I took a walk down memory lane to see the changing scenes. At Joo Chiat Place opposite Kim Choo Bak Chang shop there was a permanent wayang (opera) stage of timber and brick with tiled roofing. Its back was towards the road and the front was facing a Chinese temple. The original owner of the two builidings was Chew Joo Chiat's son, Chew Cheng Swee. The wayang or 'teochew hi' (Chinese opera) was performed during the birthday of the gods in the temple and also on certain Chinese festivals. The most popular opera troupes then were the <em>'lau sai toh'</em> and the <em>'sar chiak soon'</em>. I understand both had been disbanded some time ago due to poor patronage. The present generations prefer 'ker tai' (singing troupe). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8S__H6iY18JH94QCRXrQv1XowMAzhhwA7G8kFb3I0thTuWnc0Jo576TRGgfyGI0BYiAUlZhryiSqe5MgdpcTXaKun7KDvnN-4Aa7Y5NONUBbSmG5SohbABWwvSb7wD-qlZy1-U7o7QhiU/s1600-h/sugar+art+figurines.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335878820044169218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8S__H6iY18JH94QCRXrQv1XowMAzhhwA7G8kFb3I0thTuWnc0Jo576TRGgfyGI0BYiAUlZhryiSqe5MgdpcTXaKun7KDvnN-4Aa7Y5NONUBbSmG5SohbABWwvSb7wD-qlZy1-U7o7QhiU/s320/sugar+art+figurines.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #ffcc00;"><strong>Sugar Art Gold Fish<br />Photo from Samm's blog post</strong></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUyW8nIQMxi4XIYTfOAKoyKupMBrfGXVFprZACUBFrzkLkp3B6r5Q_jloz-0p_t-TkstBrZH4ofUCFZHYCMKj6WTaihcIJgCYYgC6-r6r9S0l68h8tFXdbcOAsFWpvbtHpAj63a8aINZ1/s1600-h/dough+art+figurines.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335878602422460162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUyW8nIQMxi4XIYTfOAKoyKupMBrfGXVFprZACUBFrzkLkp3B6r5Q_jloz-0p_t-TkstBrZH4ofUCFZHYCMKj6WTaihcIJgCYYgC6-r6r9S0l68h8tFXdbcOAsFWpvbtHpAj63a8aINZ1/s320/dough+art+figurines.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br /><span style="color: #ffcc00;"><strong>Dough Figurines</strong> </span><strong><span style="color: #ffcc00;">Photo from Samm's blog post</span></strong><br />
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During school days I went to the Chinese wayang not to see the performance but to mingle with other kids watching Chinese artists making sugar art figurines and dough art figurines. For sugar art figurines, moulds were used to make the required shapes like gold fish, rabbit etc. As for dough art figurines no mould was needed. The artist made characters from Chinese stories such as Journey To The West, The Three Kingdoms as well as animals. They were very colourful too. The cheapest one was the figurine of a cockerel because it was the easiest and fastest to make. The sugar figurines were edible. The usual way was to lick it like an ice cream. It could not be kept as it would melt or attract ants and insects. The dough figurine was not edible and also could not be kept too long. When the dough dried up the figurine became brittle and pieces of dough dropped off. It became mouldy very fast.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgfh7xnKE6CpPxZ-cbpAUgu37IuvnSaVETpTrwGBlu-K_sttZgQEgiFUKAgKs-QNWMch4H0qCajHEJ3oz-ZRH9QAq6bUec-MDcL3hmrn_X5cpG1WxJbFMrplu_1uYVW0U0kJHiC4mB6Nb/s1600-h/wayang+stage.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335686904597416978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgfh7xnKE6CpPxZ-cbpAUgu37IuvnSaVETpTrwGBlu-K_sttZgQEgiFUKAgKs-QNWMch4H0qCajHEJ3oz-ZRH9QAq6bUec-MDcL3hmrn_X5cpG1WxJbFMrplu_1uYVW0U0kJHiC4mB6Nb/s320/wayang+stage.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 260px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<strong><span style="color: #ffcc00;">Actual architectural drawing of the wayang stage</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #ffcc00;">Acual architectural drawing of the Chinese temple </span></strong></div>
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The wayang stage has been replaced by an apartment building block with shops on the ground floor. Joo Chiat Gospel Hall has replaced the Chinese temple.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bqhOhlTIIGFrYLg6dnFG3ChBwodhNpnQWVVEVNMd4Q6-Y_AGar06C3ukMbv41fnuB-5vL78J5LvBA5K3mzessBhy-cSdSftYiityfljuRFxmOL0bQ1ntGtcZQVOqlc8iPDosSqEqdqF2/s1600-h/former+stage.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335684619848338530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bqhOhlTIIGFrYLg6dnFG3ChBwodhNpnQWVVEVNMd4Q6-Y_AGar06C3ukMbv41fnuB-5vL78J5LvBA5K3mzessBhy-cSdSftYiityfljuRFxmOL0bQ1ntGtcZQVOqlc8iPDosSqEqdqF2/s320/former+stage.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #ffcc00;">Apartments block with shops on the ground floor<br />The site was formerly occupied by a Chinese wayang stage </span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0V8GJ4o8nMewIEVs9WRaBclqtZPJEOzQZi5Ekrxnnvb-Bj0WRb-oaI0hh54t-4k5b7CXsDiu4fNb45KKexNuRNqeDfH-0JXmZxjsgWolmtCAwqL_NJTgI_8xxnw9Cxo_LxcFO5HxbLVlw/s1600-h/temple+site+1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335684235742771602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0V8GJ4o8nMewIEVs9WRaBclqtZPJEOzQZi5Ekrxnnvb-Bj0WRb-oaI0hh54t-4k5b7CXsDiu4fNb45KKexNuRNqeDfH-0JXmZxjsgWolmtCAwqL_NJTgI_8xxnw9Cxo_LxcFO5HxbLVlw/s320/temple+site+1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a> </div>
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<strong><span style="color: #ffcc00;">Joo Chiat Gospel Hall<br />The site was originally a Chinese temple</span></strong></div>
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Another such wayang stage was opposite No 65 Joo Chiat Road where Chew Joo Chiat had his residence. The wayang stage was built by him so that he and his family members could watch the 'teochew hi' (Chinese opera) performance from the third level front balcony. His residence is now an empty field. The wayang stage site is now occupied by a block of shophouses as shown the picture below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHciQZL8FEISWTwXe_WxdCaSi9XiIGGAJFTEwiWjibDOD1q0tWWT56PsCMSEJRFxXlDUsgchjD16A_BfkMAlsj6j-NhFgDNVMuGxN22g7u6YjgRJtTOwQFJxGlvY-HsNKkK0u6HvuuKMaB/s1600-h/jc+temple+site+2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335682149202699874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHciQZL8FEISWTwXe_WxdCaSi9XiIGGAJFTEwiWjibDOD1q0tWWT56PsCMSEJRFxXlDUsgchjD16A_BfkMAlsj6j-NhFgDNVMuGxN22g7u6YjgRJtTOwQFJxGlvY-HsNKkK0u6HvuuKMaB/s320/jc+temple+site+2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #ffcc00;"><strong>The green field was the site of</strong> <strong>Chew Joo Chiat's</strong> <strong>residence</strong> <strong>and across the road, the</strong> <strong>shophouses behind the street signboard was the site of the wayang (opera) stage</strong></span></div>
Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-68265346712596209462012-11-15T01:51:00.001-08:002012-11-15T01:51:27.318-08:00Joo Chiat Changing Scene 4 - The Jetty<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXITrDnDpo3H50TNZDb3FfcrfejVnDyFWdS5uNlBEkvBnhQzYGIyd2U6zMQZkpPBLpLt82JOxTIQ1a1zYNgUw110xaH2n1aThNoAwVH9c4jTecmfbyRBK87Zhye0LOdJ-7Mx8fzUTPXtFp/s1600-h/JC+jetty.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="220" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200168946816134466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXITrDnDpo3H50TNZDb3FfcrfejVnDyFWdS5uNlBEkvBnhQzYGIyd2U6zMQZkpPBLpLt82JOxTIQ1a1zYNgUw110xaH2n1aThNoAwVH9c4jTecmfbyRBK87Zhye0LOdJ-7Mx8fzUTPXtFp/s320/JC+jetty.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 235px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 373px;" width="358" /></a><br />
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Joo Chiat Jetty was similar to the above picture<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mOdUPUISx8lXUPHDULMj9MjZj9mhDbKqJ9Zim3xpBw9szJQHT8WZHquL51Der3qvIgSrWd4z4feDzszXeKukND5Ohyjmp8oz8rIZ2HcdEvT99uBhMlVo4Mh0aWeMQp8jp6tT7XJfFaJU/s1600-h/Joo+Chiat+jetty.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191894300428075170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mOdUPUISx8lXUPHDULMj9MjZj9mhDbKqJ9Zim3xpBw9szJQHT8WZHquL51Der3qvIgSrWd4z4feDzszXeKukND5Ohyjmp8oz8rIZ2HcdEvT99uBhMlVo4Mh0aWeMQp8jp6tT7XJfFaJU/s320/Joo+Chiat+jetty.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div>
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Photo from PICAS - Night Scene At Joo Chiat Jetty</div>
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How many of us today can still remember the Joo Chiat Jetty? Before the land reclamation at the east coast in 1966, there was no Marine Parade Road. The beach was right in front of the Church of Singapore. I swam in the sea there during my school days. When I was in the upper secondary school, I went to the beach to study under the shade. I enjoyed the ambience which was quiet and breezy during the day. An Indian 'kachang puteh' man named Ah Pao was selling 'kachang puteh' in front of Tung Ling School (now Church of Singapore). I patronised his stall so often that we became friends. Most school children in Katong knew him too. He was an icon to those who frequented the beach. </div>
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Joo Chiat jetty was built in late 1950s. It started from the end of Joo Chiat Road and extended into the sea up to where the former Republic Theatre building now stands. The end of the jetty was a square with railings and lightings. In fact, it was a jetty cum restaurant. It functioned as a jetty during the day and seafood business at night. The seafood restuarant was very popular with the people who lived in the area. They, not only enjoyed a good dinner but also the sea breeze, and the waves providing music to their ears. It holds fond memories to those who partied there, especially the night revellers. Unfortunately, the jetty had to be domolished owing to the land reclamation scheme at the east coast in 1966.</div>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-83607459942028685382012-11-15T01:50:00.001-08:002012-11-15T01:50:15.623-08:00Joo Chiat Changing Scene 3 - Story Teller<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4zdLVIhj6iKRI4yHnfw4WccVZ5c1Y5qnwSezMOvx4LdZd57xMPU91s-N-cZjBlScvQeE1N2pxT8-3IRryXnfy_AAYjuydwlu_LS2xcki7MtMgt9Dmw1nwAlwYjwZfHXV5GVKncqRhqKr/s1600-h/story+teller.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188353084382428338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4zdLVIhj6iKRI4yHnfw4WccVZ5c1Y5qnwSezMOvx4LdZd57xMPU91s-N-cZjBlScvQeE1N2pxT8-3IRryXnfy_AAYjuydwlu_LS2xcki7MtMgt9Dmw1nwAlwYjwZfHXV5GVKncqRhqKr/s320/story+teller.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><br />
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<strong>Story Teller picture from PICAS</strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVp6zEZnWbLB8D1yGUEvlPAMwQUgn8CH5hqJZfmp26_D8Ne9ruwqslIPSt7PC58Qv12fnqsXbDVigqE6Qg7nPr_EbAn5hn_Wr4sYhOTtT9Su6O1dy2Mk0D2hIzXRDJtF9EafxX4a1cfqLu/s1600-h/JooChiat+Square.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188351611208645794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVp6zEZnWbLB8D1yGUEvlPAMwQUgn8CH5hqJZfmp26_D8Ne9ruwqslIPSt7PC58Qv12fnqsXbDVigqE6Qg7nPr_EbAn5hn_Wr4sYhOTtT9Su6O1dy2Mk0D2hIzXRDJtF9EafxX4a1cfqLu/s400/JooChiat+Square.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a> <strong>Joo Chiat Square</strong><br />
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Joo Chiat Square is located at the junction of Joo Chiat Road and Joo Chiat Place. It is a cemented vacant land as shown in the above photo. On 23 Decembeer 2006, Joo Chiat MP Chan Soo Sen launched Joo Chiat Square that will be a gathering point for the community for weekend activities every Saturday for the next several years.<br />
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Before the place becomes Joo Chiat Square, there was a Shell Petrol Station which was one of Joo Chiat Road's landmark since 1950s. Illegal car rental was very popular then, especially in the eastern part of the island. They were also called Pa Ong Chia in Hokkien. Unlike the pirate taxis, they did not cruise on the roads to pick up passengers. The cars were parked at the petrol station waiting for hirer. When business was at its peak, there were about 40 cars for hire. Car rental rates were $1.50 per hour or $15.00 per day on week days and $2.00 per hour or $20.00 per day for Saturday and Sunday. Car models were Morris Minor, Morris Oxford, Hillman Minx and Vaxhual. They were all British made cars as there was no Japanese car then.<br />
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To hire a car was easy. You only had to show your identity card or a driving licence for record purposes in case the hirer absconded. The cars were usually hired out for social uses. But there were instances that such cars were used for robbery. A friend of mine who had a 'pah ong chia' business there, had the unfortunate experience. He was not aware that a robber had hired his car to rob until detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department called on him. Pa Ong Chia business stopped a few years before Shell Petrol Station ceased operation.<br />
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Before the second world war, Joo Chiat Square was a vacant field. Every evening men gathered there to listen to story telling. They sat on improvised benches around the story teller just like the top photo. My grand uncle was an avid listener of Chinese stories. I was about 4 years old then, and every evenings I would ride on his shoulders to the story telling site which was within walking distance from my home. When the story telling started, there was complete silence and the audience were captivated. I was bored sitting beside my grand uncle with nothing to play. Anyway, I enjoyed the two way trip riding on his broad shoulders.Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-12669726425785130862012-11-15T01:48:00.001-08:002012-11-15T01:48:50.707-08:00Joo Chiat Changing Scene 2 - Post Office<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbBPa-GLN4k7_4Si9xfh0LBPq3Sl4MAknvjgorM0wjQHm0_IaMp0NRNdGaghzxtMoHqUVCTiVJUvQ0Bg1RXSKsjjLwxcGZz19gszRBUH95zcM2bg7EyG_zFfvSyxwTxhbzyHb6HgGXiQv/s1600-h/Joo+Post+Office.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182017610556826642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbBPa-GLN4k7_4Si9xfh0LBPq3Sl4MAknvjgorM0wjQHm0_IaMp0NRNdGaghzxtMoHqUVCTiVJUvQ0Bg1RXSKsjjLwxcGZz19gszRBUH95zcM2bg7EyG_zFfvSyxwTxhbzyHb6HgGXiQv/s400/Joo+Post+Office.jpg" style="cursor: hand;" /></a> </div>
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Photo from Joo Chiat A Living Legacy</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhWDStgQwea_VVDTQu7sOYHzG9odlNBUfPsJ0Qu76rqoFtYssiuWCngq8mfZ-BpanVk5Y-f9z7-4yoSJd641c4itxJeuAaX-MeZFWxOhnQS5plp5ASF06_aPY2Mn0RLPM_nhmqfDsC7qJ/s1600-h/Access+road.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182021364358243394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhWDStgQwea_VVDTQu7sOYHzG9odlNBUfPsJ0Qu76rqoFtYssiuWCngq8mfZ-BpanVk5Y-f9z7-4yoSJd641c4itxJeuAaX-MeZFWxOhnQS5plp5ASF06_aPY2Mn0RLPM_nhmqfDsC7qJ/s400/Access+road.jpg" style="cursor: hand;" /></a></div>
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An access road to Tembling Road Carpark<br />
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Joo Chiat Post Office was the only stand by itself 2 storey building at Joo Chiat Road. It was situated between No 159 and No 169, and was one of the landmarks in Joo Chiat Road. The building had since been demolished and the place is now an access road to the carpark at Tembling Road and Joo Chiat Place junction. </div>
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The building itself has an interesting history. It was build before WWII and was first used as a licensed retail opium shop. Joo Chiat at that time had migrant Chinese workers and many were opium addicts. Opium could be bought by individual to smoke at home, as my grand uncle did or by opium den operators to cater for poorer opium addicts. Smoking paraphernalia consisted of a long pipe with a small bowl fitted near the end of the pipe. An oil lamp is needed to heat and melt the opium as the addict inhaled the smoke from the pipe. The shop ceased selling opium since the Japanese occupation period.</div>
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After WWII the building was converted into a toddy (palm wine) retail shop. Toddy is an alcoholic beverage obtained from the saps of coconut trees. The saps collected were allowed to ferment for a day to turn it into toddy. It catered mainly to the Indian daily rated workers. A municipal labourer quarters was just behind the toddy shop. Majority of the occupiers were Indians who worked for the Municipality. The toddy shop opened in the afternoon, usually after the labourers working hours. Drinking toddy was a way of life for them, especially after a hard day's work in the hot sun as road sweepers, trench diggers, pipes layers and as mason. It was a common sight to see some of them falling to the ground, lying on the roadside and five foot ways, dead drunk.</div>
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The final occupant of the building was the Joo Chiat Post Office. The ground floor was used for postal services and the upper floor was supposed to be living quarters for the Post Master. I am not sure if he and his family ever live there. The above photo of Joo Chiat Post Office was taken in 1970.</div>
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Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1380976373019426511.post-72576500395527658212012-11-15T01:46:00.001-08:002012-11-15T01:46:09.603-08:00Joo Chiat Changing Scene 1 - Old Railway Line<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhs_1HCuR92t4cKZnJTDvV0dXVtywRdJuHxdCZ0ZWwXHrRTikzthq8Gt4KZQ-gRI3j7Yjco0hevG_M0DfFlSgvSkwCJOiEEaw0MmN0kpxE4IEm4bJ5hU-ZjRMPR8CGXwD5AXplIv9a49e/s1600-h/Rail+line+joo+chiat.jpg"></a><a href="http://pchew-nostalgia.blogspot.com/"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182409423243371602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhs_1HCuR92t4cKZnJTDvV0dXVtywRdJuHxdCZ0ZWwXHrRTikzthq8Gt4KZQ-gRI3j7Yjco0hevG_M0DfFlSgvSkwCJOiEEaw0MmN0kpxE4IEm4bJ5hU-ZjRMPR8CGXwD5AXplIv9a49e/s400/Rail+line+joo+chiat.jpg" style="cursor: hand;" /></a><br />
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<strong>Railway line in Joo Chiat</strong><br />
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I was brought up at Joo Chiat Road near Geylang Serai. In 1957 I moved to live at Kg. Eunos. Since then, many landmarks in the area had changed. The house where I grew up had been acquired by HDB and is now a vacant land. Joo Chiat Market was replaced by Joo Chiat Complex. Nearby was an open air Lily cinema. In its place, now stands a multi-storey car parks for the shopping complex. Nam Wah coffee shop where I used to have beer with friends is now Joo Chiat Hotel.<br />
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Some very old land marks in the area had been lost completely. Before WWII there was a railway line in the area. Guillemard Road was then unknown. The whole stretch was a railway track. It cut through a few roads before joining the railway track at Joo Chiat Lane. After passing Tembling Road (opposite the temple) it made a turn behing a two storey house and continued towards Everitt Road/Joo Chiat Place junction. From there it went all the way to Jalan Eunos quarry.<br />
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During the Japanese occupation there was no train service as some of the railway tracks damaged by bomb was not repaired. After the war the disused railway land was replaced by housing developments. The railway line in Joo Chiat is now history.Philip Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00471104380601032313noreply@blogger.com0