Silence of the tombs...

The agenda of the day was to visit the Kampongs( village with the old wooden houses ) - the last existing ones in Singapore as their days are numbered. And so I hailed a cab, to visit Buangkok Kampongs where few families still live the old fashioned way . 50 years ago Kampongs were a common sight in Singapore - more like slums. With time Singapore has turned into a country with sky-crapers, magnificent edifices which makes Kampongs now a historical monument!


When I saw the Kampongs it didn't  fascinate me much as its quite common in Indian villages. Small shabby houses made of wood, prone to decomposition or just mere uncomfortable living.But for Singaporean new generation it's definitely a sight to see. Before the last few Kampongs cease to exist, I had to see them with my own eyes to sink in what Singapore's past looked like. At the whims and fancies of the government the kampong may just vanish someday as soon as the government finds a good use for these lands..Here's a glimpse:

Mr. Poh Keng Ng( Joseph) , my cabbie showed me around and explained about the Government( better skip that part) and said even the cemeteries are no more safe. The burial lands are being claimed by you-know-who to build malls and Condo's irrespective of the public sentiments. The cemetery we visited is called "Lorong Halwa"near Bukit Timah road.I must say this - it took my breathe away. The cemetery looks like an untended garden neglected for years with wild bushes and shrubs. The graves are splattered all over the place also untended. An eerie feeling creeps in yet, the calmness of the place puts you at ease after a while. Of course not a place I would visit after dark. Singapore's past unravels right in front of your eyes while you walk around the graves and makes you wonder about the lives of the deceased.Discrimination doesn't end after death too. While the rich ones have a grand tomb the commoners tombs go ignored.

Joseph after seeing how pleased I was by the visit offered to show me another cemetery , a Japanese one! According to Joseph this cemetery is long forgotten. We headed towards the cemetery and this one was even better. The cemetery is located in Chuan Hoe Avenue, \Off Yio Chu Kang road. The graves of the Japanese prostitutes - poor Japanese girls who were sold off by their families for money to the British colonies a century ago looked serene and at peace.The Japanese soldiers killed during 1942 Japanese invasions are also buried here.Makes one wonder what torments those poor souls must have gone through while they were alive.Joseph says that every year during March, the descendents of the deceased fly from Japan to pay respects to the grave. 

Mr. Joseph Ng

There's more to Singapore than just sky touching buildings , it has a history every resident must know and relish. This visit to the cemetery inspired me to do one more thing- collect pictures of all the helpful taxi drivers and make a hall of fame right here in my blog!