Category Archives: History

Revelations by my Youngest Uncle

Posted on October 4, 2022 by bookjunkie

Uncle S related that it’s very hard for him to recollect a lot of the past as he has memory lapses due to the seizures he suffers from. But I appreciate that he did try very hard to share his … Continue reading →

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My Childhood: Garden Stories & Jaffna Cousins

Posted on September 30, 2022 by bookjunkie

I miss our small tropical garden. Of course, as these things go, I didn’t appreciate it till it was reduced to just a tiny patch devoid of any fruit trees. I miss the Japanese roses my mum tended to in … Continue reading →

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Uncle A: My Grandpa at Work & Other Stories

Posted on September 29, 2022 by bookjunkie

Following my last post about one of my grandma’s specialities, fried mutton with potatoes, my uncle confirmed that it was one of his favourites too. I then asked him to tell me about what family meals were like back then. … Continue reading →

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Typical Childhood in the 1950’s (Uncle A’s perspective), with a Preamble About Recording Stories

Posted on September 26, 2022 by bookjunkie

I’m noting down family details and it’s all these little stories and varying perspectives that may come in useful for a story about a typical Singaporean family that have their ancestral roots in Sri Lanka, specifically Jaffna. Of course no … Continue reading →

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Typical Day in the Life of My Mum in the early 1960’s

Posted on September 25, 2022 by bookjunkie

She couldn’t recall exactly what time she woke up, but it was to the crowing of the neighbourhood roosters and not an alarm clock. They were extremely loud she said. She ironed her uniform the day before. Once adorned, she … Continue reading →

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Family Ties: Aunts, Uncles & Cousins

Posted on September 24, 2022 by bookjunkie

I recently asked my uncle how he felt when his son was just born. “Were you nervous being a father now? Nervous about having to carry a baby.” He said not really, and then I realised my baby cousin (I … Continue reading →

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Ocean Liner Stories from the Past

Posted on September 24, 2022 by bookjunkie

Had a chat with both my Uncle A and Aunt S since they happened to be there at the same time. They are siblings 7.5 years apart, but the age gap seems to be negligible. Wanted to gain more insight … Continue reading →

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What do you Admire Most about your Father? Question posed to my Uncle, Aunt & Mum

Posted on September 21, 2022 by bookjunkie

I’ve been exploring prompting questions to ask my relatives, and I thought this was a good one. It really doesn’t matter if the answer goes a bit off tangent as the key goal is to prompt memories about a loved … Continue reading →

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Conversations with My Mum’s Younger Sister

Posted on September 13, 2022 by bookjunkie

One of my role models of being an aunt is how my aunty was towards me growing up. She was young and vivacious and in my eyes stunningly beautiful especially in her saris. And she was absolutely doting and indulgent … Continue reading →

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Asking My 79 Year Old Uncle about his Childhood

Posted on September 12, 2022 by bookjunkie

My uncle used to swim in the Kallang River and rushed back home by 5.30pm when his father (the grandfather I never met, as he died a decade before I was born) would be home. My uncle (second eldest son … Continue reading →

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Asking my 76 Year old Mum About her Reaction to the Queen’s Passing and About Life Under British Colonial Rule

Posted on September 11, 2022 by bookjunkie

What follows is in my mum’s words: When I read the news about the queen I thought she looked much younger than her years. I was impressed that she didn’t age that much. I only wish she could live until … Continue reading →

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What it was like growing up in the 70’s and 80’s – corded, rotary and pay phones

Posted on August 17, 2022 by bookjunkie

To have privacy for my phone calls as a teenager, I had to pull the cord of the only home phone and I couldn’t even shut the door of my room as the cord was thick. You were restricted by … Continue reading →

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Her Grandma was Miss Singapore in 1960

Posted on September 30, 2011 by bookjunkie

As I was researching about macarons, I stumbled upon gold. A beautiful post by Aliya, a Singapore girl in Perth who writes about her grandma winning the Miss Singapore crown in 1960. The title was Miss Singapore City 1960. The … Continue reading →

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History: Singapore in 1957

Posted on April 7, 2011 by bookjunkie

I got interested at the 4 minute point onwards. It’s fascinating for me as Singapore seems an utterly different place. Even the Lion dances and satay were so much more authentic. The only thing that bothered me was the imperialist … Continue reading →

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Vintage Singapore 1961: Backstreets

Posted on April 7, 2011 by bookjunkie

Another really wonderful video shared by Michael Rogge on YouTube. He is now 81 years old and living in the Netherlands. My aunts and uncles would probably find the scenes familiar. I so love looking back to the charming era … Continue reading →

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Vintage Singapore 1960s: Street Urchins

Posted on April 7, 2011 by bookjunkie

I am absolutely mesmerized by this old video. I feel so lucky with my hot showers, when I view how the children are bathed. But it also seemed a more idyllic time or perhaps it’s my nostalgia for a charming … Continue reading →

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Singapore Food Trail: An Attempt to Capture the Past

Posted on March 18, 2011 by bookjunkie

I expected much more from the Singapore Food Trail which is the latest food attraction at the Singapore Flyer. At first glance I was impressed, as I am by anything novel, but after my inspection I was left wanting more. … Continue reading →

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Tourists May Be More Intimately Acquainted with our History than we are

Posted on February 24, 2011 by bookjunkie

I am quite bashful to admit that I am not as proficient as tourists armed with a guide book and internet research may be, when it comes to our little historical tidbits. For one thing I only discovered more about … Continue reading →

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Leave Bedok Hawker Centre Alone

Posted on February 17, 2011 by bookjunkie

All hawker centres in Singapore for that matter. Just as I was down about inflation and feeling that the one affordable thing we have left is hawker food, I read about the possible privatisation of hawker centres.  Oh the horror! … Continue reading →

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