Ways Done in the Past - Home Delivery

The steps from Blk 7 to Blk 9 at Jalan Bukit Ho Swee, Singapore.

Surreal...this photo of Blk 7 Jalan Bukit Ho Swee brings back my memories to my young days of BHS. Thanks to Shirley Wong who posted this photo to "I grew up in Bukit Ho Swee" group on Facebook.

Shirley said: "I have only taken this picture on my way to my relative house that day. Happen to carry a camera and took this picture for memory before it was demolished. As you can see most of the people have shifted out from the building".

At the location at the corner below Blk 9, beside this staircase and every night from 7 pm to 11 pm, a Teochew fishball noodle mobile cart stall which was my favorite supper snack for many years until I moved out of Blk 9. My favorite "Tar kuay teow mee" with fishballs at 20 cents per bowl...

"Lau Chua", the Teochew uncle was assisted by his two young grandsons. In the ways of "home delivery" in the past, Lau Chua's grandsons went around the estate with a wooden "tok tok", took orders and then deliver to the customers.

Photo Credit with thanks: Lao Kok Kok, Times of My Life.

Guess what is the above?

Find the answer from Lao Kok Kok, Singapore Blog Awards - Best Individual Blog 2009 winner here .

Five-foot way noodle pedler in the 1950s.
Fishball stall at the coffee-shop in the 1980s.
Mee stall at the roadside at Siglap in 1970.
Roadside stall for the convenience of lorry-drivers in 1950.
Uncle Dick Yip, the Wise Old Owl once quipped to me that during our kampong days, we do not need clocks to know the time of the day or night...not "Time for a Tiger" (Slogan for Tiger Beer) though!

At other times, the home delivery by mobile pedlers at the kampong were known by the unique sound of the "tock tock", "ting ting" or the ringing sound of the bell by the ice-cream seller every generation, every where!

How do children enjoy their ice-cream the ways done in the past like the way the children enjoy them now?

Another veteran blogger Philip Chew reminds kampong folks at the sound of "lor arh, lor arh" for "home delivery cum casino" at our kampongs as we revive our Singapore memories.

What other ways were done in the past for home delivery and courier services?

Happy Memories! Come share with us!

Note: Photos with watermark are acknowledged photo credit and thanks to National Archives of Singapore.