Monthly Archive for July, 2007

Los(t) Pintos

Published
by
acroamatic
on Tuesday, 31 July 2007
in Heritage and Personal
. 15 Comments

My family has always been somewhat of a mystery. Both my grandfathers died relatively young. My maternal grandpa passed way before I was born. My paternal grandfather, when I was in Primary Two.

Both were educated. Both married women who were not. Both did not have many siblings. And my parents, uncles and aunts don’t have a clear recollection who’s who in the family. It didn’t help that their elders scolded them when they asked about relations.

Thanks to en-bloc, I’ve reclaimed a bit of my father’s family history. My mum and aunts have been helping my dad’s mum to move to a new flat. In doing so, they chanced upon some documents. Here’s what I’ve gathered:

My grandfather’s name is Cyril Pinto (as stated in his baptism certificate). He had an alias, Alexander Pinto (according to birth cert), which he officially merged through a statutory declaration in 1955.

His father, my great-grandfather, is John Albert Pinto. His mother - Nelly (alternately spelt Nellie in her death certificate) Mary Pinto.

Cyril Alexander Pinto was born on 2 August 1919 in Singapore. His parents lived on Bencoolen Street at the time. On the birth certificate, an ‘informant’ is listed: Alfonso Pinto (possibly his uncle).

My grandfather was baptised at St. Joseph’s Church, Victoria Street (where I was baptised too) on 17 August 1919. His godparents were Paulino (or Paulina - can’t make it out) de (looks like ‘do’) Rozario and Mary Ess.

That’s about all the information that I could extract about my family tree. Unfortunately, the clerk who filled in my grandfather’s birth certificate did not list my great-grandparents’ country of birth. Under ‘Nationality’, the clerk wrongly listed ‘Eurasian’.

All this is much more than I knew before this evening. I’m a third generation Singaporean. I wonder where my great-grandparents were born.

UPDATE | 2nd August. I’ve just scanned a few of my grandfather’s documents. It would have been his 88th birthday today.

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Tiong Bahru Estate Blog

Published
by
acroamatic
on Monday, 23 July 2007
in Heritage and Review
. 9 Comments

Tiong Bahru Estate Blog

You’d expect most property agents not to bother about the estate in which they specialise. Alvin Yeo is not your average real estate person.

The Tiong Bahru Estate blog is Alvin’s labour of love. He set it up to highlight property (particularly the SIT flats) in Tiong Bahru, which he calls “Singapore’s oldest and most charming neighbourhood”. By design or by accident, his blog has taken on a heritage bent as recent posts reveal that he lives and breathes the area:

What I feel sad about and at times even angry is that I’m constantly being asked if there are En-Bloc possibilities for these OLD flats. Why are SOME people so determind to see this place go? I was asked this question this morning by a delivery man. Just last night, someone called to enquired about Tiong Bahru and the reason why he wants to buy is based on a rumour that this place will go under the wreaking ball soon.

Alvin intersperses practical advice about home-ownership between posts about Tiong Bahru past and present, media articles about the estate, and interior design tips and suggestions. Make no mistake, his blog is a PR/marketing tool - one which is more effective than typical mailbox flyer. In sharing his passion for this housing estate, the blog has transformed into something much more.

If you’re reading this, Alvin, thank you for the effort. Please consider enabling comments on your blog.  Comments now enabled! =)

Cheers to Dexterine Ho for alerting me to the Tiong Bahru Estate blog.

P.S. If you’re interested in the Tiong Bahru blog, you might also want to check out the Jalan Kayu Trail, a project blog by a group of students from Pei Hwa Secondary School. They have done a marvellous job in documenting stories from the area.

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A parting letter from Ang Sar Nah

Published
by
acroamatic
on Wednesday, 18 July 2007
in Heritage
. 1 Comment

Another day, another Angsana post. But this time, it’s a ST Forum letter. I had to reproduce it because it was very well-written, covering this debacle from various perspectives - history, biodiversity, geography and politics - in the tree’s eyes. If only other forum letter writers can be this creative. Sometimes, the standard of letters ST chooses to publish…

Well, that’s another story. It’s a pity this one was only fit for online publication. I’m reproducing it here so that it does not disappear into the ether. Copyright, schmopyright.

Continue reading ‘A parting letter from Ang Sar Nah’

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Heritage Tree Nomination

Published
by
acroamatic
on Monday, 16 July 2007
in Heritage and Personal
. 5 Comments

I can’t do anything about the Braddell Angsana which was chopped down yesterday morning. So much has been said in opposition to this move, yet the tree wasn’t spared.

What I can do (and have done) is this: I’ve nominated another Angsana tree for Heritage Tree status.

Angsana

This grand Angsana tree is located along Victoria Street, in between the former Saint Anthony’s Boys’ School and St. Joseph’s Church. I am not sure if it fits all the criteria, namely “a girth size of 5m, rarity of species, aesthetic, historical significance, cultural reason, social and educational value”, but I hope that my application is successful.

The Victoria Street Angsana has provided shade to generations of students and churh-goers, myself included. According to the Saint Anthony’s Primary school website, the tree has been around at least since the 1920s (scroll down to the black and white photos). It was already the same height as the school then - 3 storeys high.

The tree kept up with the school when it added a 4th level! Now, it has grown past the former primary school, matching the height of St. Joseph’s Church’s rooftop.

I have scraped my knee underneath its shade. The tree has sheltered many Children’s Day and Teacher’s Day celebrations. It has shaded my father too - we are both Anthonians. The tree was there when I was baptised at St. Joseph’s! Many Portuguese Eurasians associated with the church and the school will remember this tree with great affection.

I hope that this wonderful tree will be declared a Heritage Tree.

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Goodbye, Angsana

Published
by
acroamatic
on Sunday, 15 July 2007
in Heritage, Photos and Singaporeana
. 8 Comments

Each branch was like a mini tree

It was a cloudy, windy morning when they cut you down.

I watched from a distance as they removed your branches.

You still looked majestic as they stripped you of your crown.

Each branch looked like a tree in its own right.

You must have seen so many things over the past 80 years.

Countless vehicles. Maybe even Japanese tanks during World War II.

The cemetery behind you made way for a housing estate.

The greenery next to you gave way to a junior college.

The changes must have been amazing.

Did you wonder if you might have to go too?

When they put the concrete barrier around you, you must have felt safe.

Protected.

Little did you know that it was to become your tomb.

What were the motorists thinking as they drove past?

A funeral procession.

I stayed for about an hour and a half, witnessing your slow demise.

It was painful to watch.

The workers were not even close to cutting you down when I left.

That’s how big you are.

Or were.

The next time I go by, there will be nothing but a stump.

Eventually, your tomb will be removed so that the forked road can be rejoined.

Which is the point of all this.

Also read Braddell Road Angsana cut down this morning at Habitatnews and Poor thing at Lekowala.

More photos here and a short video, taken from inside a bus, of the removal crew.

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