Thank You

Hi everyone,

Thank you for making this fieldwork a blast for me and my group members. We hope that you have enjoyed yourselves for the entire journey.

I had a lot of fun and learn new things from the 2 groups!!

Glad that I have taken Social Studies!! Hope we will continue to inspire many young lives..

Photos will be posted next week. Come back soon to check them out!!

See you!

Awesome!

I think as teachers, and teachers-to-be, it's important to encourage not only students, but our fellow colleagues.

Great job guys!

(:

Into the time machine

Every year...

There will be people transported to the past to complete the secret manual so that they can attain a special skill...

These people, in their modern outlook went into the lives of the people in the past.

If you are given the chance to go back to the past, what would you ask?

......

This year, would you be the one to be transported?

DO YOU KNOW?? Streets in Chinatown (Part 4)

Some historial information about Mosque Street..

In the Past





South Indian Muslims (a.k.a. Chulia Muslims) from the Coromandel Coast in India settled down in Singapore from the early 19th century onwards. The poorer South Indian Muslims settled down in the northern part of Chinatown, such as Mosque Street while the affluent ones lived in the southern part of Chinatown such as on the Market Street.



As women began travelling from India to Singapore only from the 1860s onwards, many South Indian Muslims who arrived here prior to the 1860s married local Malay women. Their offspring made up for a new race of people known as Jawi-Peranakan. To serve to the religious needs of the South Indian Muslims, Malays and the Jawi-Peranakan, the Jamae Mosque or Chulia Mosque was built on this street between 1830 and 1835.



Eventually, this street came to be known as Mosque Street due to the presence of the Mosque there. The exact time period during which the naming took place is unknown. Though located in the heart of Chinatown, Mosque Street was equally home to the Malays and the South Indian Muslims as well, apart from the Hakkas and Cantonese who set up shops on the street. The South Indians Muslims worked as small traders and money changers, the Hakkas usually sold second hand goods and the Cantonese set up restaurants or worked as jewellers and tailors.



The street in fact was a well-known food alley in the 19th century. Around 10 stables existed on this street in the 19th century, as Malays known to be good syces, earned their living handling horses.



In the Present Days



Today the street is under the Chinatown-Kreta Ayer Conservation Area as Chinatown was gazetted as a conservation area in 1989.Mosque Street runs parallel to a portion of Upper Cross Street and Pagoda Street on its either side. The street still retains its commercial flavour with shops set up inside the conserved shophouses lining the street. Part of the area bound by Cross Street and Mosque Street is lined with quaint 4-storey shophouses housing restaurants and shops within them.



As shophouses are usually one, two or three storey buildings, such 4-storied shophouses are not commonly found. Jamae Mosque, built in Chinese, Anglo-Indian and Malay architecture, adds to the old world flavour of the street. It is a gazetted national monument since 1974. As part of the efforts to revitalise Chinatown by the Singapore Tourism Board, many new eating places and bars have been set up on Mosque Street. The street currently bears a new look with traditional features of the street being blended into modern styles.







(Information taken from http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg)

DO YOU KNOW?? Streets in Chinatown (Part 3)

Some historial information about Temple Street..



In the Past




Temple Street was originally called Almeida Street after Joaquim d'Almeida who owned land at the junction of Temple and Trengganu Streets. In 1908, Almeida Street was renamed Temple Street.


Temple Street got its name from the Sri Mariamman Temple located at the junction of Temple Street and South Bridge Road. It is also probable that the street was named Temple Street due to the presence of many temples in the vicinity of the road around the area and not necessarily after Sri Mariamman Temple.


Sri Mariamman Temple, built in 1827, is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore.In the 19th century, the area around Temple Street was home to the Chinese although there were also Malay and Indians homes, thus explaining the presence of Muslim and Hindu places of worship in the vicinity. Indians and Malays lived in large numbers on the nearby Cross Street and Chulia Street.


Temple Street was popular for Cantonese Operas until 1927 notwithstanding the fact that it was supposed to be a Teochew enclave. The area bound by Temple Street and Smith Street was also popular for tinsmith shops. Temple Street also had a lucky streak as it was unharmed by bombs during the World War II.

In the Present Days

Currently, Temple Street is lined with quaint 2-storey baroque style shophouses, some of which have been rebuilt or renovated as part of the Chinatown conservation plans. In 1997, a part of Temple Street was converted into a pedestrian mall.







(Information taken from http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg)

About Samsui woman

Watch the video below.



Want to know more about Samsui woman and what they do?

Your questions will be answered during this coming Friday's fieldtrip to Chinatown Heritage Centre!

Get EXCITED. =)

DO YOU KNOW?? Streets in Chinatown (Part 2)

Some historial information about Smith Street.

In the Past



Smith Street was popularly referred to as hei yuen kai or "theatre street", a reference to the 834-seat Chinese theatre Lai Chun Yuen, which was located at No. 36 Smith Street. The theatre was built in 1887 and was very popular among the Cantonese community in Chinatown for Cantonese opera.

The popularity of the theatre gave rise to colloquial names for the streets surrounding it; Temple Street was hei yuen hau kai or "theatre back street", and Trengganu Street was hei yuen wang kai or "side street". Between the 1910s and 1920s, performances would play to a packed audience in the Chinese theatre.

Smith Street had a darker side, serving as a red light area between 1901 and 1930. There were at least 25 brothels on the street. It was only in 1930, after the Straits Settlement Ordinance No.15 entitled Women and Girl's Protection had come about, that prostitution was brought under control. The street was also popular as a place for those seeking jobs. Job seekers would congregate at this street for hire by prospective employers.

In the Present Days



The southern end of Smith Street has been converted into an outdoor eating area known as the Chinatown Food Street which officially opened on 13 November 2001. This was part of the Chinatown redevelopment project by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board and supported by various government and grassroots agencies. The attractions on this Food Street are the hawker kiosks and shop-house restaurants offering a variety of Chinese delicacies. This section of the street is closed to traffic in the evening.

(Information taken from http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg)