ARCHIVING THE PAST FOR POSTERITY

Kudos to the National Heritage Board (NHB) of Singapore for preserving the nation's cultural heritage in apps, e-books and documentaries for the public to access. This will ensure that the old Singapore will be remembered by future generations. More similar projects are on the drawing board, and will be launched in the coming months.



One such project is the Heritage in Episodes. It is a series of short documentaries each featuring a dying trade in modern Singapore. Many of these traditional family businesses have fallen victim to the relentless onslaught of modernization and technology as Singapore moves into the 21st century. Included in the first season are the dying trades of a street barber and a rattan weaver which are posted here. For more, please click on this link Heritage in Episodes.



The second season which will be airing in April includes episodes on a knife sharpener and a second-hand bookshop.

Source: National Archives of Singapore

Those of us who grew up in the 1950s and 60s will recall the itinerant tradesmen peddling their wares and services - the satay-seller, the street cobbler, the ting-tong man, the petition-writer, and many more. They were an integral part of the Singapore landscape, and also of Malaysia then.

Some nights I can almost hear the loud cries of "Na...si le...mak! Ka...ri...pap!" from the young Malay boy going from shophouse to shophouse with his rattan baskets of home-cooked delights. At night for supper, I would wait for the old red bean lady who would ambled along the main street swinging her two big pots on a pole across her shoulders. I swear her red bean porridge was the best in the world.

Source: Straits Times

Music that we danced to, songs that we sang, games that we played, fashion that we followed, places that we visited during our childhood days - all these wonderful memories of yesteryears can now be compiled and archived for posterity, thanks to the wonders of digital technology and social media. We will have a record of the past to leave as a legacy for our grandchildren. Isn't that great?

I am so glad I found this book 'Vintage Singapore' at a book sale some years ago. It's a treasure trove of old photos of Singapore and of life back then. I bought it specifically for my 86-year mother who has Alzheimer's. From the smile on her face as she turns each page, I know she still recognizes and remembers some of the images she sees. I hope they bring back poignant memories of a time when she was young, and carefree, and life was for her to enjoy.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN - THE SINGAPORE MEMORY PROJECT

This book is a treasure trove of pictures that tell of a time passed but not forgotten.

One topic that invariably crops up whenever old friends get together is life in the good old days. The pranks we played in school, our teenage infatuations, childhood heroes, favorite songs, best foods - all these are now distant memories of an era when life was simple yet fun, and the expression "no time - too busy" was unheard of.

The man on the left shows the best sitting position to enjoy your cup of kopi kau (thick black coffee) or your favorite bowl of Teochew porridge. Note the spittoon under the table. (Photo credit: Singapore National Museum)

The original kopitiam - undoubtedly a man's domain 
(Photo credit: Singapore National Museum)

Remember these vinyl 33rpm records? They were breakable and would warp if left in the heat. (Photo credit: Singapore National Museum)

I thank my good fortune that I managed to get a copy of "Vintage Singapore" last year. I am not sure if it is still in print. It was first published in 2006 by Editions Didier Millet Pte Ltd. If you would like to order a copy, try contacting the publishers at their website at http://www.edmbooks.com/

I share this book with my mother who has Alzheimer's in the hope that it will trigger some memory recall as she pores over these pictures of a bygone era.

You can access all these memories of the past in images and articles at this link:
http://www.singaporememory.sg/

Alternatively, you can check out Singapore Memory Project (SMP). To quote from the website, SMP is "a national initiative started in 2011 to collect, preserve and provide access to Singapore’s knowledge materials, so as to tell the Singapore Story. It aims to build a national collection of content and preserve them in digital form, and make them available for discovery and research. The SMP aims to collect 5 million personal memories as well as a substantial number of published materials on Singapore by 2015.

How the project began. Read more at http://www.iremember.sg/   

What a brilliant idea to preserve the past! To date, 112,684 memories have been added, and more coming in even as I write.

One more link to share with you. If you enjoy western country music, and old photos that will definitely put a smile on your face, click here for an interview with Matthew Tan, Singapore's 'one and only bona fide cowboy'. And if you want to sing along, the lyrics are in the Youtube video below.

Click on http://www.singaporememory.sg/showcases/22/contents to listen to Matthew share about the early days before he hit the limelight with "Singapore Cowboy".

Enjoy happy hours browsing the websites.