Notes Towards The Museum of Cooking Pot Bay: December 2008

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Midwife business in Telok Blangah

1987

Tang Maun Lee (1909-c.1988) ran a midwife business in Telok Blangah. (Read pages from Ak Ku and Karayuki-san: Prostitution in Singapore 1870-1940, by James Francis Warren, published by NUS Press, 2003).

Monday, December 29, 2008

Most number of demolished houses

1936

Telok Blangah Road and Alexandra Road together clocked 952 demolished houses , 40.9% of all houses demolished in Singapore between 1931 and 1936. (Read Census 1936)

Alfian Sa'at wins Young Artist Award

1992

Poet Alfian Sa'at, who lived and studied in Keppel Road in his first schooling years, wins Young Artist Award (Literature). (Read Alfian Sa'at's Wank Shed entry on Malays in Singapore, Telok Blangah, Utama, Merlion, Archeology and more, 19 Mar 2003)

Actor fined for drunk-driving

1997

Actor Li Nanxing was caught for drunk-driving along Telok Blangah Road. (read Business Times, 11 May 2007).

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Ong Kim Seng wins Cultural Medallion

1990

Ong Kim Seng wins Cultural Medallion. (Read artists' list of awards)

Friday, December 26, 2008

Celebrities shifted out

c. 2005

Celebrity couple Edmund Chen and Xiang Yun shifted from Telok Blangah to Marina Parade in order to get their son into Tong Nan. (Read Mediacorp form post, 14 Aug 2008)

Last surviving movie mural painter

1965

NEO Chon Teck, at 16, began training to be a copy artist under a master from Yang Guang Studios, which later closed down in 1985; he continued to be a movie mural painter to this day. (Read TODAY article, 12 Nov 2008).

Housebreaker caught

2005

Serial housebreaking suspect arrested. (Read Singapore Police Force news release, 31 Aug 2005)

Semi-Expressway opened

2002

Semi-Expressway at Telok Blangah Road opened. (Read LTA press release, 25 Apr 2002)

People's Association Youth Movement established

1971

People's Association Youth Movement established at 450 Telok Blangah Street 31. (See PAYM Wesbite)

Cheng Yap won tender for demolition

2001

Cheng Yap Construction awarded tender for the demolition of Blk 78 Telok Blangah Drive. (Read Housing Development Board Award Statement, 31 Aug 2001).

Leong Hin Seng won tender for demolition

2005

Leong Hin Seng Civil Engineering Pte Ltd won tender for demolition of Blks 80 and 81 Telok Blangah Drive. (Read Housing Development Board Award Statement, 14 Apr 2005).

Hwa Aik won tender for demolition

2002

Hwa Aik Demolition Works awarded tender for the demolition of Blks 70 and 71 Telok Blangah Heights. (Read Housing Development Board Award Statement, 23 Apr 2002).

SERS for Telok Blangah blocks

1998 & 2000

SERS (Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme) Announcement for Blks 78, 80 and 81 Telok Blangah Drive (13 Feb 1998), and for Blocks 70 and 71 Telok Blangah Heights (30 Jul 2000). (Read Housing Development Board Statement, 21 Jun 2006)

Telok Blangah Heights flats to be demolished

2006

Old blocks at Telok Blangah Heights slated for demolition. (Read Cut Waste entry, 30 Oct 2006)

Lollipop Tree

2008

Lollipop tree was found along Telok Blangah Drive. (Read Singapore Seen, 16 Jul 2008)

10 Most Amazing Bridges

2008

Henderson Waves named 1 of 10 Most Amazing Bridges by Oddee. (Read Oddee: A Blog on the Oddities of Our World, 18 Oct 2008)

Hainanese Taoist temple built

1880

Ban Siew San, a Hainanese Taoist temple, was built on Telok Blangah Drive. (Read Historic Chinese Architecture in Singapore post)

Two Telok Blangah rats acted in a short film

2003

Michael Lee and Edric Hsu acted in Tania Sng's short film, The Slipper Frame. (See Director's Filmography)

Edric Hsu was born

1972

Actor Edric Hsu was born, and has been staying in Telok Blangah Crescent all his life. (See Edric Hsu's Portfolio)

Geomancy reading: dragon, ox and crab

2008

Geomancy master Tan Khoon Yong gave his analysis of the "Western Dragon" lying on the western part of Singapore, including on Mount Faber; he also deciphered Telok Blangah as "sleeping ox land" and Mount Faber as "crab land." (Read WayOnNet, 2008)

Fengshui master cured speechlessness of a child whose past life as dog continued to haunt

2007

Fengshui master used chanting to successfully get Harry, a 6-year-old boy, whom he diagnosed as being haunted by his past life as a dog, who has not yet learnt to walk or talk, to utter his first word: "Ma!" (Read Zacken99 Weblog, 21 Dec 2007)

Graves shifted

1970s

Graves in Hiap Guan San Cemetery excavated and moved to Choa Chu Kang; some were not disposed but scattered across the hill. (Read API)

Tan Chwee Heng was born

1948

TAN Chwee Heng (Prof) was born and stayed in Telok Blangah; eventually became Chairman of Biology Society. (See National Archives, Singapore, Oral History Synopsis)

Fire destroyed Signalman's house

1876

Fire broke out and destroyed house of Signalman of Signal Station at Mount Faber. (See Infopedia: Mount Faber, 29 Sep 1997).

Sun Yat Sen stayed at Golden Bell Mansion

1911

Upon arrival from Europe, Chinese revolutionary leader Dr Sun Yat Sen stayed a night at Golden Bell Mansion (b. 1909) on Pender Road (Read Infopedia: Mount Faber, 29 Sep 1997)

Cemetery at Telok Blangah Hill

1882

Hiap Guan San Cemetery, a cemetery complex built for the Hokkien Yeo Clan, opened at Telok Blangah Hill; the graves were excavated in the 1970's and shifted to Choa Chu Kang. (Read API post)

Death of car thief

2007

Man found dead half an hour after stealing taxi at Telok Blangah. (Read The Straits Times, 8 Aug 2007)

Rohan Bin Kamis won 1980 elections

1980

Rohan Bin Kamis defeated Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam by 1,046 (6%) votes in the 1980 General Elections in Telok Blangah.

Book homage to Mount Faber

c. 1975

Writer TOH Chew Seng @ Du Cheng published essays in his book《花葩山随笔》(The Travelling Pen at Mount Faber). (Read National Archives, Singapore, Oral History Files Synopsis)

Month-old flagstaff struck by lightning

1851

New flagstaff erected a month earlier on Telok Blangah Hill struck and destroyed by lightning. (See Street Directory: Mount Faber)

Merlion escaped flying

2005

Merlion (named Mike) was spared a terrifying experience of flying to Venice, where it was proposed by artist Lim Tzay Chuen to be exhibited in the Singapore Pavilion of Venice Biennale 2005, as the application was disapproved. (Read TODAY, 13 Jun 2005).

Fishing village

c.1299

When Utama arrived, Singapore was a fishing village.

Book out by Telok Blangah publisher

2008

The Great Singapore Quiz published by Monsoon Books located at Telok Blangah Road (See book PDF)

Telok Blangah named

c. 1299

Telok Blangah (Telok is Malay for "bay," and Blangah for "cooking pot") named, as the shape of the area is similar to a cooking pot made of clay used by Southern Indians. (Read Wikipedia: Telok Blangah)

Telok Blangah Hill renamed

1845

Telok Blangah Hill renamed Mount Faber, after Captain Charles Edward Faber, of Madras Engineer, after he constructed the road and signal station up the hill. (Read Wikipedia: Mount Faber)

Telok Blangah Road named

1907

Telok Blangah Road officially named.

First urban resettlement

1823 (1826?)

The first urban resettlement: Founder Sir Stamford Raffles relocated the governor Temenggong Abdul Rahman from Singapore River to Telok Blangah (Read Wikipedia entry: Telok Blangah)

First Malay vernacular girls' school

1884

The first Malay Vernacular Girls' School in Singapore and the Straits Settlement at Telok Blangah Hill (Read Journal Article by LIM Peng Han, 1-15 Jul 2008).

First coal-fired power plant

1927

The first coal-fired power plant in Singapore supplying electricity to nearby shipyards, industry and residences, St James Power Station, was built; now a music and nightlife venue (Read Wikipedia: St James Power Station).

First and only restaurant on top of wheat silos

1977

The only restaurant in the world located on top of wheat silos, Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant, opens for business (Read The Prima Group Online)

Most successful landscaping

2001

"The most successful residential development conceived during the first decade of the HDB," Edmund WALKER (Landscape Planning Singapore, NUS Press, 2001; Read books.google.com)

Largest shopping mall

2006

The largest shopping mall in Singapore: Vivocity opens at Telok Blangah Road (Read: Wikimapia: Vivocity Singapore)

Highest pedestrian bridge

2008
The highest pedestrian bridge (at 36m above ground) in Singapore: Henderson Waves and Alexandra Arch (Read Infopedia, 4 Dec 2008)

Horror stories at the heights

c. 1988-2008

Telok Blangah Heights Horror (Read Singapore's Freakiest Online Ghost Stories, 2008)

Man haunted by ghost for 7 years

2000-2007

Riandi, a man haunted by the ghost of a long dead Chinese lady for the past 7 years. (Read The Shin Min Daily, 8 Mar 2007).

Psychic source to discovery of body

2004
Psychic vision led to discovery of the body of Huang Na at Telok Blangah Hill. (Read The Straits Times, 13 Oct 2008, Wikipedia entry on the murderer: Took Leng How)

Earliest natives of Singapore settled at Telok Blangah

1600s
Orang Selat, one of the groups that make up the Orang Laut, traversed the waters of Keppel Harbour, making them one of the earliest settlers of the island. Orang Laut eventually moved to Telok Blangah, amongst other locations (See Infopedia: Orang Laut).

Early painting of Telok Blangah

1849

Painting entitled Telloh Blangah, completed by John Turnbull Thomson from Pula Brani, portraying the area of the Temenggong's village at the foot of Mount Faber (Read Wikipedia: Telok Blangah)

Telok Blangah costume becomes royal fashion of Johor

1862

Baju Kurung Telok Belanga: Costume whose origin was in Telok Blangah was created and worn in Johor during the reign of Tememnggong Abu Bakar Sri Maharaja. (Read All About Fashion blog)

Lee Dai Sor was born

1913

The birth of Lee Dai Sor (born Lee Fook Hung, 1913-1989, Singapore?), Singapore's renowned Cantonese storyteller, in Telok Blangah.Watching Charlie Chaplin helped Lee improve acting skills. (Read Infopedia: Lee Dai Sor, 19 Aug 2007)

Ong Kim Seng was born

1945
Watercolourist Ong Kim Seng born in an attap house off Silat Road. Father worked at the Bata Factory. Studied at Radin Mas Primary School, where teachers noticed his artistic talent and encouraged him. His mother, however, used one of his early paintings to patch the roof of their home (Read The Straits Times, 20 Oct 2008).

Merlion designed

1966

Merlion, national icon of Singapore, was designed by Fraser Brunner. (Read Wikipedia: Merlion)

Michael Lee moves into Depot Road

1978

Michael Lee (born Lee Hong Hwee, 1972) moves into unit 939K (later #11-939) of Blk 110, Depot Road with his family.

Magic Mountain

2000
Magic Mountain? Injecting fun into Mount Faber (Read The Straits Times, 29 Oct 2000).

Mount Faber on Amazing Race 3

2002

Mount Faber was pit-stop for Leg 10 of Amazing Race 3. (Read Wikipedia: The Amazing Race 3)

'Lion' spotted by Sang Nila Utama

c. 1299

'Lion' spotted by Sang Nila Utama (though it was probably a Tiger, a Malayan Tiger instead) (Read Wikipedia: Sang Nila Utama).

Tiger spotted by Sang Nila Utama

c. 1299

Tiger spotted by Sang Nila Utama (though his chief minister advised that it was a Lion) (Read Wikipedia: Sang Nila Utama).

Tembusus tree on $5 note

c. 1900s/2000s

Tembusus (Fagraea fragrans) tree indigenous to Telok Blangah featured on $5 note. (Read The Straits Times, 9 Jun 2007, image of the tree on the $5 note)

Merlion on Mont Faber

1998

Merlion (2nd replica, 30m tall polymarble statue) placed on Mount Faber's Faber Point (Read Wikipedia: Merlion)

Python gets into flat

2002
Python slithers into 10th-foor flat in Depot Road...twice (Read The Straits Times, 5 July 2002).

Tembusus tree on $1 stamp

2002

Tembusus (Fagraea fragrans) tree indigenous to Telok Blangah featured on $1 stamp (Heritage Trees series) (Read image of the tree on the $1 stamp)

Mount Faber converted into fort

1857

After the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the Straits government converted Mount Faber into a fort for fear of revolt among local Indian sepoys (Read Wikipedia: Mount Faber)

WWII punishments and air-raids

1942-1945
Trying times of a wartime shipyard: Punishments and air raids at Keppel Harbour during WWII (read The Straits Times, 30 Oct 2000)

Floods

1964

Floods in Telok Blangah (See NHB Blog, 7 Nov 2006)

Cable car accident

1983

Accident on the Singapore Cable Car system between Mount Faber and Sentosa, killing 7 people. (Read Wikipedia: Singapore Cable Car disaster)

Arson attack

2000
Arson attack at Depot Road (Read The Straits Times, 24 Jan 2000).

Block on fire

2000
Senior Citizens flee from burning block (Read The Straits Times, 7 Sep 2000).

Girl thrown from block

2004

4-year-old girl thrown down from Telok Blangah housing block dies (ReadKeepTouch forum)

Box containing body of murdered girl found

2004, Oct 31

Box containing the body of Huang Na, an 8-year-old Chinese National, found at Telok Blangah Hill Park (Read Wikipedia: Huang Na, The Straits Times, 13 Oct 2008).