Our Bedok Kampong House Singapore

The author of this post was a 100-day cry baby in his first days from birth in 1961. My mother would remind me on how loud I would cry every night in the wee hours of the morning at our Bedok kampong house until neighbours like Sakoh across the house would remark to us the next day "oh how loud your baby cry last night ah!".. It was only upon consulting the medium when it was recommended my parents get godparents for me who have the same surname as mother, which is Heng but not directly related to her. The crying stopped when that happened. My godfather has since passed on but my godmother will soon celebrate her 84th birthday. Happy birthday Kai Neong from your Kai Jai.. and missing Kai Yeh, sharing a photo of his younger days 1961 - Noisy night baby in diapers! 1961 - Mother having hard time carrying this baby! Undated photo of godfather Heng in his younger days

Each Thursday evening around 6pm, our grandmother would have someone from the household burn some kemenyan incense on a holder and carry this burner to every room and corner in our Bedok kampong house. We knew this was a spiritual practice but just recently informed by our mother that this act appeases the spirit owners of the house.... can still recall the distinct smell and incense smoke as this post is written.... 1955 photo of our Bedok kampong house with our grandmother (58 years old here) posing.. Kemenyan incense burner/holder (photo not ours)

We brothers had a glimpse of what Singlish was like way back in the early 70's in that Bedok kampong house itself. We were between 7 and 9 years old but still vividly remember the interesting experience until now. Our mother would diligently curate our English reading for us then. Alas, our dear second cousin would come and stay with us every June school holidays for a couple of days to a week or so. She was Chinese educated but wanted to learn English too. But she spoke in English what she thought in Chinese and out came a literal translation of what was on her mind. So when we ate our meals and she wanted us to pass a dish over, it's "Boy bring come bring come" then it's "Please take go take go". I had wondered at that time whatever did she mean. Because only the three of us ate together while the adults ate at the main table, no one knew of our conversation.... Colourised by Nusan N

In July 1961, just 10 days before her firstborn came about at our Bedok kampong house, our mother complained of feeling hot in that kampong house (zinc roof and all), so Dad went to buy a Toshiba fan from his friend at Yat Lye. This fan still works today at her home! See it now and in 1964 when it became part of photos taken during our paternal aunt's wedding at the house! The fan still working in 2024! 29 Sep 1964 - our mother at age 26 with the fan behind her 29 Sept 1964 - prayers and offering to ancestors during our late maternal aunt's wedding inside the hall of the kampong house. The fan is in the forefront on the bottom right

Gold, especially yellow gold - all the rage those days and North Bridge Road seems to be the go-to place then. Especially Kwek Fah Goldsmith. Here are some receipts from our grandmother's purchases, and a vintage photo of her to share - this beautiful lady Circa late 1920's 1946 1957 1957 1957

We remember our late father today and the second hand car he owned since June 1957, the Morris Minor Tourer (he earlier owned a preloved Fiat Marvelette in 1955) Working at Radio Malaya on Caldecott Hill (travelling our Bedok Kampong house) with the ongoing cycle of early morning and late night shift duties coupled with his ailing mother needing constant medical attention compelled him to invest in a car. Here he is at age 27 in 1957 taking the car for a spin in West Malaysia to meet his Malaysian relatives. Nov 1957 at the KL Padang Nov 1957 at Segamat Jun 1957 receipt of purchase Nov 1957 at a rest stop The Fiat Marvellete was the first car (also second hand) our father bought for $1,500 in October 1955

There was always music in our Bedok kampong house - not surprising as our late father worked at Radio Malaya since 1953 (retiring 32 years later). In December 1962 he bought this Schaub Lorenz transistor radio for the family and listening to music on the radio was a daily thing. Some of our best memories of the kampong house was due to the music that was playing at that time, cementing those moments in time for us. Remembering so clearly that first day of January 1970 and listening to this radio at the corner of the house veranda with our cousin, the Archies' Sugar Sugar went to #1 in the local Singapore charts. Later in 1971, one night Rainy Days and Mondays (by the Carpenters) was playing on this radio which was just on a tabletop just inside the bedroom window you see in the photo. I was thinking at that time (just 10 years of age), what is to stop anyone from climbing into our house here and robbing us then? Photo taken from the original manual (still kept to this day) Origina...

This teapot was bought by our grandmother who travelled by Beca (Rickshaw) to Beach Road in the 50's to buy it, complete with an insulation warmer and in a nice rattan basket. All that remained was this pot that we used to store boiled water and placed at the kampong upper house pantry (see pic doorway's left side and immediately behind the planked wall). We remember this well as one day while brushing his teeth and next to this pot, a green snake slithered in and unwittingly scared the h*** of the older of us brothers! Teapot still exist today at our mother's house Pantry located at left side of upper house entrance just after you step up to the house. This 1970 photo colourised by Nusan N with thanks

Our grandmother and her loved ones used to enjoy this peranakan card game 'Chi Kee' (or Cherki) at our Bedok kampong house! 1964 - Our grandmother with her niece and grandniece (and grandson) pose for photos in their Nyonya regalia in the garden (early 60's) 1950's - Our grandmother, second from top and her sisters: elder above her, younger below her with her grandchild and daughter at bottom of steps

T reasures from our grandmother's collection of plates she kept in our Bedok kampong house ... always amazed at the Blue Willow plate (we have different sizes for this design), then found out the story behind it https://thebrooklynteacup.com/.../blue-willow-china-pattern

We've always been intrigued by that grand house so near our Bedok kampong house. From information from our parents, former neighbours Ronald Ho and Abubakar Ibrahim, this was the holiday home of the Sultan of Pahang then. Also notice the landfill over the Bedok river tributary and right up to the brick breakwater line around our place that made the ‘moat’ bridge redundant? (thanks Ronald for all the info). We have no direct photos of that house except for it serving as background for these shots we have. Also found out that Sultan’s grandson is now the current Sultan of Pahang, Malaysia (thanks Abubakar) 1961 shot with all the ladies in the house (plus a friend) posing.. see the bridge, the landfill over the former Bedok River tributary areas. Used to also be a garbage dumping area!. The beach is at top right, a short walk away 1967 - another shot with a better view of that single-storey house We believe this was the owner, then Sultan Abu Bakar Ri'ayatuddin of Pahang (1932 to ...

The weeks before each Chinese New Year festivities are always exciting, with everyone in our Bedok kampong house working together to make all the familiar favourites for our own consumption and for our guests. Favourites like the Kuih Tart (Pineapple tart), Kuih Bangkit, Kuih Belanda (Love letters), Kuih Bahulu etc are a mainstay. Some of these equipment of old still exist with us today! Our uncle helping with the love letters making (using charcoal fire)