Neighbours - Kak Min

-

Here is a tribute to our Bedok kampong house neighbour diagonally behind us with whom we shared a common fence. Kak Min was the matriach of one of the few concrete double-storey houses where she and her family lived. From new information from her nephew, Mr Abubakar Ibrahim we now know the family (30 of them in that house) came from Gohga in Gujerat State in North India (sailors). His grandfather owned a Date shop in Arab Street. This house had modern sanitation (whereas ours was the bucket system) and a telephone. What made Kak Min so memorable to us was her kindness. She willingly gave us her house telephone so that we can receive urgent phone calls in cases of emergency. And not forgetting the delicious food we often get to enjoy every Hari Raya Puasa!

1957 pose with our paternal aunt Mary at Bedok Beach behind our houses

Dec 1958 and this bevy of ladies walk Bedok Beach (which include our mother and aunts/cousins) in front of Kak Min's house (ours is just behind with the black and white chik blinds). On the left is a 3-storey building neighbours call Sar Chien Lau.


October 1960. Mom and Dad's wedding day and our grandmother (with her niece behind her) and other relatives with Kak Min's house behind


1961. Our 11-year old cousin and a relative pose in the garden with
Kak Min's house clearly seen behind.

1967 - Us brothers (6 and 4) with mother posing in our garden and Kak Min's house in the background


1970. Here is Kak Min with Aunt Mary and our mother Margaret -
chit chatting in the evening at the fence separating our homes

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"I Play And Sing" at our Bedok kampong house

-
Image
Here is some ‘claim to fame’ for us: In 1971, we (at aged 10 and 8 then) were thrilled to turn on our black and white TV at our Bedok kampong house to watch Mel & Joe Ferdinands compete in the RTS Talentime then. We most remembered them singing the song “I Play & Sing”. At that time, they lived further up from our place at Bedok Road at the Bedok Walk area and we took the same bus to our primary school then, St Stephen’s (at Siglap Hill). Unfortunately by the time the school bus arrived at their place, all seats were taken and they had to stand but Joe was really friendly to us and smiled mostly! (these days standing not allowed but those were the days) (photos not ours)
Read more

Hair, There and Everywhere.. at old Bedok kampong

-
Image
“What?  You brought him back from the barber without him having his hair cut?”, this writer’s (the older brother) mother asked my father incredulously as he brought the by-now dried eyed little boy back from the ‘frightening’ experience at the barber’s to our Bedok kampong house. “He refused to have his hair cut, so I brought him back…” was my father’s honest reply. Babu (or Mr in Indian terms as explained by former neighbour Ronald Ho) was our preferred go-to barber for all the male-folk in the family, not the Chinese one situated a little farther along. Babu’s shop was located near (or next to) Ah Yam’s provision shop, along Bedok Road (Ah Yam's story was posted on October 16, 2024) and just where the bus stop is (now Cold Storage). He was mostly dressed in a white short sleeved shirt and had a genteel and calming way about him. He was great, but not the aura of his shop and equipment! As a little me recalled, I intensely disliked seeing the chair which had a fear aboding loo...
Read more

The Ritual of burning Kemenyan

-
Image
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)
Read more