"Readjust Our Time Zone"
"A moment in time; superimposed in the background a time of the future".There isn't any scheduled or fixed updated topics on my "Blog to Express". At any time or topic of independence blogged, but not indiscriminately or irresponsibly blog to express. Not necessarily by weather or by mood, but mostly by memories circuited suddenly, seen on the TV, read in a book, heard from a nearby gossip people purposely speak loudly (eavesdropping), a thought strike my mind while doing some business in the "comfort room", by dream or god help me, not by nightmare!
An ad slogan somewhere reads: "We want to welcome you back before you readjust to your time zone". "Time zone" in this context of the blog topic refers to a certain era or historical period of time; not time zone generally defined as a region of the earth that has uniform standard time.
I like that...somehow related to "A moment in time; superimposed in the background a time of the future".
That photo of my profile in a "blurred shadow" foreground and superimposed photo of the "Integrated Resorts"(IR) complex building under construction, taken a few weeks ago.
While watching the news on "Channel News Asia" , the IR is partially in business though. International investors are always watching how Singapore could deliver their parcel to promise, not simply by words of emptiness to business deals.
[Singapore threw open the doors of its second integrated resort Tuesday, giving a fresh boost to the city's tourism sector and raising its profile as a playground for the world's high-rollers.
The 5.5 billion US dollar Marina Bay Sands, built by US gaming giant Las Vegas Sands, opened at 3:18 pm local time (0718 GMT), which is associated with prosperity according to Chinese geomancy experts].
Just before going to bed while the images on the TV were in the process of unwinding my mind, the next shocking photos of tongkangs about Covent Garden in the 1960s received an email from "I grew up in Bukit Ho Swee" Group, Robert Yong on Facebook , an exchange of the following Facebook group discussions:
Yong Robert:
"James, the tongkangs you mentioned about Covent Garden.
Taken when I was at Havelock Sch.,1960. Sun at 5:39 pm" ·
James Seah:
"Its surreal, Robert. Thank you for a photo in front of this screen brought my memory to Covent Garden which I cannot imagine that it was the same place 50 years ago. Let others who grew up in BHS can remember about Covent Garden or studied at Havelock School".
My "dream of vision" last night was "koyak" (meaning "broken" in Malay) when awoke the next morning in a daze. Why?
As the title of the blog topic described:
"It was the readjustment of my "Time Zone"!
Have a fun at time and space zone, a virtual travel on this blog. Please share with us young ones, memories of old, of escapism and fun and what you have gone through in the 60's with us at:
Photo Credit: Robert Yong. The tongkang shipyard in Covent Garden, Havelock Road.
Photo Credit: Robert Yong. The Covent Garden attap settlement.
Photo Credit: Robert Yong. Covent Garden attap on stilt.
The Covent Garden destroyed after the Bukit Ho Swee fire later.
The Indus Garden after development of the Covent Garden fire sites.
The "crooked pipeline bridge" beside the Havelock Primary School.
Kim Seng Community Club along Havelock Road. Could you imagine that the Covent Garden attap settlement was located 50 years ago.
The background sprawling skyscrapers as seen today in the former Covent Garden area in 1960s. In the forefront, HDB flats at Jalan Bukit Ho Swee after redevelopment of the 1-room emergency flats.Please join me on this blog to "Readjust Our Time Zone". Thanks.
Labels: Readjust Our Time Zone
7 Comments:
first pic of the rotten tongkang, i see Great World in the background. Yes i remember this place because i saw as achild in the 1960s - boat building. The smell at low tide terrible like stibk bomb or shit. The colour of the Singapore so black. Boat builders burnt their boats here also.
Heh, if I ever entertained any romantic notion of "better days gone by" -- esp. the Tongkang boat yard-- the above comment from Dick, aka professor, has brought me back to realities :)
Thank you "professor" aka Uncle Dicko. Welcome Professor "Wise Old Owl" ; )
Like Ivan's romantic notion, but it should be "Better Days Tomorrow" - "明天会更好"!
I am getting old, so still confused with "reality and myth":
Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased.
[Quote]
He didn't know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuangzi.
But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi. Between Zhuangzi and a butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things. (2, tr. Burton Watson 1968:49) - Wikipedia.
[Unquote]
Have fun ;) I am the butterfly!
Thanks for sharing these photos James. Frankly I am quite surprised to see the conditions of these attap huts. Those in my kampong or the neighbouring Potong Pasir and Kampong San Teng didn't look quite so run down as far as I could remember. In 1971 when I started my NS, we passed through many kampongs in places like Marsiling, Bt Panjang, Hong Kah etc. They too did not look so bad as those in your photos.
Wah unker ... how come suddenly get so philosophical so philosphical. Must be the IR's fault.
Thank you for your GMY blog link of your kampong and neighbouring Potong Pasir and Kampong San Teng, Chun See.
The attap colony in the early days at Covent Garden near the tongkang shipyard was unsanitary as described by "professor"...different time zone at the same place in Singapore.
covent garden was terrible condition and fire hazard bcos ppl shit into the river (this is true), dispose waste water into the river. Somehow you can catch fish here bcos fish like to hang below the shit-hut. If u been to Batam for seaf00d, you can understand.
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