Our Bedok Kampong House Singapore

Taking family photos have always been something our late father would often do, many times with him taking the shots so he would not appear in the frame. But during each Chinese New Year on the first day, and since 1973 he began a habit of having the family pose together where he would activate a self-timer on his tripod for the annual shot. Sometimes outdoors but mostly indoors. The tradition continued even after we moved out of our Bedok kampong house into our HDB. Now looking back we realised how wise he was in commemorating each season of our lives to see how far we have come, from us brothers marrying and having children and seeing the family extended as the years went by, and everyone growing and maturing. Here is a clip bringing all those photos together and having one of his favourite artistes, Paul Mauriat and Orchestra to provide the soundtrack. 1973 taken in the garden of our Bedok kampong house then

1967. One of the interesting things that we did when we visited the Tay Ban Guan Shopping Centre in Katong when it first opened was to have photos taken at the ground floor’s coin-operated photo taking booth. It was such a novel idea at that time. Of course, our 2-year-old cousin was mostly bewildered at the continued flashes coming her way! 1967

That oh-so-famous Haw Par Villa attraction, like many others, also received visits from our Bedok kampong house family – one per decade of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Our father and his friend in 1955 circa, then he brought us along in 1967 and again in 1973 – all free of entry fees at that time. Most unforgettable and dreadful part of the trip was always the courts of hell tableaus. Our mother would explain to us what each court was about and how we should behave less suffer the consequences! Most effective parenting technique we must say! 1955 1955 1955 1955 1955 1967 1967 1967 1972 1973 1973

The recent incessant raining all over Singapore has brought back memories of our Bedok kampong house when it rained, especially so when we were growing up as kids in the late 60’s and early 70’s. The earthen road pathways outside our house would turn into ferocious brownish streams, and the downpour would flow into the overhead metal roof drains, pouring into the ground below and overflow when the drainage could not cope. We have a tembayan (earthern urn) that would sit just under one of these drain endings to collect water so we can use for watering the garden (see photo). One time the rains were so heavy our cousin who was staying with us could not leave the house to attend to a birthday dinner, giving rise to an unhappy misunderstanding. The water was surrounding the house, thankfully not flooding! However, the best part when it rained in our house was the loud sounds of the pitter patter onto our zinc roof. Very loud and disturbing at first but then it becomes white noise and just ...

This 1972 photo of our Bedok kampong house sees our father (seated on the right) enjoying a meal with his older cousins, and younger nephew on the left. This was our front door, even though this side of the house was not actually the front but nonetheless was our main entrance from the gravel road outside. Each morning a family member (our mother or paternal aunt) would open the door (it opens outwards) and this door would remain open until night fall. After opening the door and securing it, the pavement ‘foyer’ just outside would be swept with a sapi lipi broom (squat and swept left to right) signalling the start of the day and hubs of activity through this door. Neighbours passing by would call in for a hello especially when they pass by to or from the wet market nearby. We ourselves would come in and out throughout the day. Later in the mornings fellow kampong residents (many we are not familiar with) would come by to ask if we could spare some of our belimbing for their cooking (ye...

It is January 2nd and it is back to school again. These 1970 photos detailed our preparation at our Bedok kampong house for afternoon school at St Stephen’s School at Siglap Hill (but totally rebuilt) – one of us in Primary 3, the other Primary 1. Photos taken in the garden of the house and at the stairs of the upper house facing the lower section/kitchen. Our bus driver, we call him ‘Nano’, would fetch us to and back again. Nano would a few years later start his own night-time wanton noodle business at the newly opened Bedok Corner food centre 1970 and photo taking in the garden before we went off to school via school bus 1970 - another pose but it was a Monday thus we wore our school tie 1970 - Getting ready for afternoon session, and the make-believe graduate hat was a fun idea!