What It Rained at our Bedok kampong house

-
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 so therapeutic for a nice and long snooze. These sounds were really missed when we moved into our HDB flat in late 1974. We did not even realise it was raining outside when it did!

Found this wonderful clip that brings us back to those days

Notice the tempayan next to our Belimbing tree that collected the rain water for gardening purposes

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