A Visit to Toa Payoh on Saturday 16.05.2015

Old housing estates like Toa Payoh never lose their appeal. In fact, they age like vintage wine. Standing at the bend of tree-lined Lorong 7 which was utterly free of traffic, I could instantly feel the inviting quiet charm of this old satellite town.

Ron works at the Care Centre and was busy entertaining the elderly residents at the void deck. A bunch of NTU students had come to host some games and the happy folks were competing to give the right answers. The Centre has a kitchen and cooks 2 meals a day for those who are on their needs list. Project Awareness blessed the elderly residents with 40 boxes of Perk Beverages.

Mr. Kok was stressed out by his unpaid medical bills and expressed his frustration that he could not use his CPF monies to pay them. Born in 1949, he did not know at all whether he was eligible for the Pioneer Generation medical benefits. He was also worried sick about his imminent surgery to remove his bile and thought he might just die. After hearing some reassuring words, his mind was finally at ease. Initially reticent about receiving any favours, he finally agreed to accept some rations because he could not work and had no income. Noticing that his prayer offerings were pathetically placed on his floor, we offered to provide an altar table. He was surprised at what he thought was a very gracious offer but was more than happy to accept.

Old Granny Teo is a Hainanese and her husband is Teochew. Both are 83 years old and she has been passing out blood. She has 3 children who are almost all in their 60s and themselves in need. She is gearing up for surgery on Monday and was worried. Her husband, who has weak legs, was seated in the living room most of the time. Mdm Tan tried to put on a brave front but she soon could not control her tears as she shared her worries with us.

Margaret is 76. She lives alone and has been suffering from depression. Her aged father just passed away at 100 and her bedridden mother, aged 95, still does not know. Troubled by how to cope with her mother's persistent queries about her father, Margaret is constantly in tears. Her mother lives nearby and she knows her mother's days are numbered which adds to her feelings of melancholy.

Mdm Khoo has run out of help. HDB has told her that she has to take care of her internal spalling paintwork and she does not know who to turn to. When she saw us, she invited us into her flat and showed us the kitchen wall and toilet ceiling. The walls had traces of external seepage and the spalling toilet ceiling looked really bad.

Old Mr. Ayyakannu is 83 and his wife is 76. This gentle old Indian couple lives without their children who have moved to India. Even though they take their daily meals at the Care Centre, he  and his wife needed some dry rations. As we were talking, the Town Council's friendly plumber, Kannan, emerged from the flat with a smile. He had come to fix a leaking pipe and the old couple were happy with the job he had done. And more so with his friendly disposition.

She had her right leg amputated because of gangrene and lives alone. When we asked what we could do for her, she said all she needed was someone to help her clean up her electric standing fan. She invited us in and without ado, we got into action to carry out such the task which was difficult for her. Within minutes, the fan was in clean working condition and she was all smiles.

Mdm Du was opened her gate and invited us in. She was upset about how she and a group of colleagues were asked to leave the hotel where she worked a few years ago. She had reached 62 and the hotel did not pay them anything other than their last drawn pay. She rattled on about how the union had failed to protect her rights even though she had been faithfully paying the monthly membership fees. She asked if I could help her read some letters and produced them from her drawer. Her birth date appeared in a letter from the hospital and we realised that today was her birthday. Instantly, we burst into a birthday song and she was overjoyed. Perhaps, no one has sung her a birthday song for a very long time and she flashed the biggest smile we had seen.

The façade of Block 5 was colourful and surrounded by big trees. Walking from floor to floor, I noticed the corridors to be brightly lit and the residents had kept the floors clean. However, there were loose wires hanging out from electrical boxes and litter collecting on the parapets. Perhaps, closer attention could be paid to safety and hygiene by the relevant authorities.

At the close of the visit, we dropped by the United Temple. It consists of 5 smaller temples from the different dialect groups in the Chinese community in old Toa Payoh. We were warmly greeted by the organising committee of the Hokkien clan who were celebrating Tua Pek Kong's birthday. Overwhelmed by their hospitality, I made a small donation as a show of appreciation and support and was given a bag of festive goodies to bring home.

This was another chapter in my book of knowledge. Behind every door and fellow human being is a story that will help us to better appreciate our own existence. We learn that each of us walks a different journey in life. As we walk ours, let's just take some time to extend a listening ear and a helping hand to those in need and make our own journey that more meaningful.

Infamous Eunos hoarder

For the last 20 years, they hardly spoke to each other. His wife has turned into a serial hoarder, piling up trash in their home but he never left her. Mdm Soh has turned their flat into a dumping ground. Infested with cockroaches and bugs, Mr Lim tolerated everything she did and soon he was left with no room to sleep in. Not even a place sit down. His bed was the wooden sofa with removable cushions and he was always scratching his body. Bitten by the bugs everyday, he had said in his own words that "the cockroaches have become my friends".

I visited Mr. Lim a second time this morning with the pestbusters. Two weeks ago, a team of cleaners led by the RC came to clear out the trash. After that day, Mdm Soh was sent to IMH for treatment. A request was made to Project Awareness to step in to help restore the Lim's flat but before that could be done, it had to be fumigated.

I inquired after Mr. Lim's health and how he feelt about his now "empty" flat. Surprisingly, he did not sound as solemn as before and was more chatty. He even smiled to me. From his smile, I could see that he was happy that the trash was gone. Even his immediate neighbour, Mdm Ashikin, whose family was most badly affected by the infestation, noted that Mr. Lim (whom she calls affectionately "Uncle Lim"), was cheerier. But there was somebody whom he missed. And you may find it hard to believe. It was his wife, Mdm Soh.

One would feel surprised that he would miss someone who had turned his whole world upside down and gave him a living hell. I asked why he missed her and he actually said he wanted her to come home. It is hard to fathom matters of the heart but here is the man who stood by his woman all the time and never thought of leaving her. Even when she was the infamous Eunos hoarder.

NSP Unity Day on 17 May 2015

The National Solidarity Party (NSP) has been actively walking the ground on its outreach programmes. Most of the time when members meet, it's usually about reaching out to the people and promoting the party's initiatives. Members rarely had the chance to sit back and really get to know each other more and there was a need to look into this.

Today, we had our first ever NSP Unity Day. It was organized not only to show appreciation for our Malay Bureau but also to stress the importance of unity amongst members. To promote greater unity, members needed to improve on their understanding of each other. It has often been said: "United We Stand, Divided We Fall". Nothing could be further from this truth. 

I delivered a short speech on the purpose of NSP Unity Day. Everyone listened intently. Before lunch began, the facilitator invited the members to each blow a balloon. A long queue was then formed with the members separated front to back by their inflated balloons. The queue then started to move towards the Malay buffet lunch spread in the hallway. No one was allowed to touch their balloons with their hands and the result was impressive. Not a single balloon was displaced. Having accomplished this first act of unity, lunch began.

The Malay buffet was kindly sponsored by two good friends of mine, namely Mr. Elson Soh and Mr. Jacky Goh. Members enjoyed the lunch spread and thereafter engaged in quizzes and rapport-building games. The party's Asst. Treasurer facilitated this segment well and got the members psyched up for a game that tested their communication skills. The Sender & Receiver game required members to pair up. One gave oral instructions to the other to reproduce a drawing given to the first member. The reproductions were analyzed and several different styles of communications were revealed. 

The members were also quizzed on the identities of inspirational personalities who had repeatedly encountered failures in their lives but persevered to achieve great success. Most knew the right answers. Door gifts and prizes were given at this special event, all of which were kindly sponsored by: Maggie Thai & Chinese Restaurant, Bridal Concept, House of Seafood, Australian Natural Volcanic Spring Water.

The event closed after an open feedback from each member. Everyone supported the aim of NSP Unity Day and were inspired by the words and feelings expressed. All wished that there will be more such events to promote stronger camaraderie. Indeed, a members' retreat has been lined up for members to engage in self-analysis and critical thinking.

My Walkabout in CCK

NSP's outreach activity in Teck Whye last Sunday is a regular affair for the party.

Teck Whye is one of 7 neighbourhoods in Choa Chu Kang and the first block of flats in Teck Whye were built in 1980. If you are making your way into Teck Whye Lane to visit the market place there, be ready for the traffic jam along Jalan Teck Whye.

The coffeeshop at Blk 143 was bustling with people taking their Sunday morning breakfast and the human traffic flowed non-stop. The orange outfit of our members stood out from a distance as they dispersed to mingle with the crowd. NSP had come to greet the residents again and to promote the party organ, called The North Star.

I met lots of interesting people. Not all of them were residents of CCK. Some came to meet friends for their regular Sunday breakfast. Others came because of the food. There were people who were absolutely friendly when approached and  there were those who were shy and reserved. Generally, they were all typically polite. When I smiled and introduced myself, they returned a smile and shook hands with me. Some who were more outfront asked questions about the general elections.

There are a few who were clearly waiting to speak out. Generally, they were concerned about the costs of living and their stressful lives. There were some people who eyed our members with great reservation and were indifferent to the activity around them. Singaporeans, by and large, are beginning to get used to seeing political party members making their rounds in markets and hawker centres. In fact, if these party members are not seen to be doing so, their commitment could be viewed with suspicion.

After the walkabout, we sat down to fill out tummies. At this coffeeshop, I found a stall that sells an unusual black sauce version of prawn noodles. It tasted different and was good. At $4.50 per bowl, it was rather pricey. A nonya kueh stall at the corner sells a potpurri of delucious local pastries and curry puffs. I bought a packet consisting of 7 pieces of tapioca kueh for $3.50. That works out to 50 cents apiece.

Walking and interacting with residents provide party members with a better perspective of the real issues that are close to the hearts of the common folks. Politics is really about people and no politician worth his salt can claim to truly understand the people if they do not take the trouble to meet the people and speak with them.

Precious memories of old Singapore

It's one of those places which holds the precious memories of old Singapore and yet will be slated for demolition soon. Dakota Crescent has rental flats built during Lim Yew Hock's time and it has a quiet and serene surrounding with the Geylang river flowing through it. I met some really interesting residents there who kept me for some time. I had a very late lunch in Eunos together with my team of volunteers from Project Awareness.

Mdm Abi sells mee rebus at Blk 21 Old Airport Road. I was about to order her mee rebus but it was all sold out evev though it was only 10.30 am. She said it was her birthday and there had been a long queue at her stall and almost everything has been sold out. But she treated me to one last piece of what she calls her new "product" - a rice cake with shrimp and coconut gratings. 

She is 94 and lives on the 7th (highest) floor in her block, Old Granny Tan is from the Hing Hwa dialect group and was amongst the first people to move into the flats more than 50 years ago. She prefers to live independently by herself although she is the matriach of a 5-generational family. She insists on serving drinks and told us her legs are getting weaker and the lift breaks down often. She recalls an incident when her great grandchild was trapped in the life with his parents and cried. She loves where she lives and says she can't bear to move out.

She smiled and waved to me when she saw me behind the volunteers. She said she has been looking forward to seeing me and invites me into her flat which was located on the ground floor. However, she could not unlock her front door and so opened the back door to let me in. Just then, Annie, volunteer from the Lions Befriender came visiting and everyone gathered inside Grandma Tan's flat for a good chat like some old friends.

Grandma Tan is a sprightly 83 year-old who would laugh heartily at every joke until she coughs. She speaks Mandarin and lives alone. She spoke of how she loves the surroundings in Dakota Crescent. Many of her neighbours have moved out but Grandma Tan is happy to stay put. Although Annie has been visiting almost every Saturday, Grandma Tan enjoyed our company and wanted us to come visit her often. She likes food that is on the spicy and sour side and loves to drink coffee. And the volunteers from Project Awareness will soon be supplying her some of her favourite rations.

Old Master Wong is 83. He lives with his 75 year-old wife and has a son who runs a successful spare parts business. Old Master Wong's father ran a Chinese martial arts school and he himself is a trained pugilist. Although slightly hard of hearing because of his age, he was eager to talk about his experiences and to demonstrate his martial arts skills. And we soon found out that he has been a Chinese chiropractor since the age of 18. He used to have patients queueing up to see him in his heydays and now, he still sees about 10 patients a day. Noting that I had been busy visiting the neighbourhood, Master Wong kindly offered to give me a back and shoulder massage. 

It was another long day. Every home that I stepped into was like a new chapter in a book. And there are endless chapters to read and try to understand.