A FOOTBALL DREAM

A little story about my football dream (by Reynold Pereira)

A recent trip back to Singapore, I was given a couple of plastic bags full of stuff by my sister. She had done some spring cleaning in the storeroom of our family home in Bedok South. These were stuff that I had hoarded over the years. 

Going through the stuff was almost like entering into a time machine and going back in time. Each little item seemed to evoke a certain memory from the past though I have to confess that there were some items which I had no recollection at all!

 Part of my football ticket collection

Among the items which I obtained were some match tickets from football matches that I had attended almost thirty five years ago. Sad to say I had no recollection of any of these matches but suddenly that sensation of this little boy who dreamt of one day being able to play in a major team in Singapore or even representing  Singapore one day, overwhelmed me.

 Cover of Soccer Annual 1977

It was a dream I had ever since I saw the likes of Quah Kim Song, Dollah Kassim and Mohd Noh mesmerising the throngs of people who used to flock to the Kallang Stadium (also known as the National Stadium) in the mid-70’s.

Many hours were spent playing football with my neighbours in Kembangan and acting out the moves of our heroes. Dollah Kassim, with his ‘gelek’ style was always one of the favourite players that we liked to mimic. There were also the players that we saw on TV like the English players with their stylish long hair (Of course, school rules did not permit us to sport those ‘stylo mylo’ hairstyles that they had.)

Me aged 9 (left) in 1973 with my brother, Wilfred (right) and neighbour, William (centre)

For some of us, the golden opportunity to realise part of our dreams came during the Lion City Football competition that was organised for the under 16’s from 1978 to the early 80’s. The first competition was held in 1978 and it featured a player who was to become a Singapore football legend, Fandi Ahmad.

A young Fandi Ahmad (Picture courtesy of the Canon Lion City Cup Facebook page)

I decided to try my luck when I was 14 and joined the training squad for the 1979 competition. Training sessions were held every Sunday at the football grounds in Dempsey Road. It was tough going but the opportunity to play with the best schoolboy footballers in Singapore acted as a spur to keep me going.

Dempsey Road football field

Funny enough, the highlight of each training was in fact the ‘Roti Johns’ that we had after each training at the Botanical Gardens hawker centre (Taman Serasi  food centre). No sure how the name, ‘Roti John’ came about, though!!

A typical plate of Roti John at Taman Serasi food centre near the Botanical Gardens

But alas during the final selection to select the final 18 out of 22, I was one of the four not selected. I recall the tremendous disappointment I felt. Of course, in my mind, I felt that the coach had favoured some players over me (typical sour grapes mentality!)

I gave it another shot in 1980 but this time round, I decided to leave the squad (I had a very strong chance of getting in) when I realised that the tournament was going to coincide with my GCE ‘O’ level preliminary exams. Decisions we make! Do I regret making this decision?

Singapore's 60's Music 'Guru'

This short blog is a small tribute to my brother, Joseph C. Pereira who has written three books on music in Singapore.

I was always curious about that large suitcase that my brother, Joseph Pereira (Joe) had under his bed. We slept in the same bedroom together with my other brother Wilfred when I was 11 until the age of 18. This was in Marine Drive.


One day when I was 12, curiosity got the better of me and while my brother was out, I decided to open that suitcase to find out what there was inside it. It was almost like opening a treasure chest in Ali Baba's cave. There were treasures from the 60's, bubble gum cards, magazines, photos and diaries. 

But one thing that struck me was that there were lots of newspaper cuttings of musical happenings in Singapore. So it was no surprise that I found out many years later that Joe wanted to write a book on music in Singapore. He had been keeping all these cuttings for a purpose!

Straits Times photo after the release of his first book

The first book, 'Legends of the Golden Venus' released in 2000 comprised of a series of interviews that Joe did when he doing freelance writing for several musical publications. He did interviews with Siva Choy, Terry Tan (Rotten Bodies), Chris Vadham (High Ground and Western Union Band), Vernon Cornelius (Quests), Ray Anthony (Ray Anthony Band), Dennis Lim (Straydogs), Patrick Lim & Gary Chand (Igta), Bernard Yeo (Calcutta Blues Experiment) and the Jansen brothers (Ashley, Atwell and Gordon) of Heritage.

His second and third books, Apache Over Singapore (The Story of Singapore Sixties Music Vol 1) and Beyond The Tea Dance (The Story of Singapore Sixties Music Vol 2) cemented his reputation as the Singapore 60's music 'guru'. 

I always admired his dedication in fact finding; locating many of the musicians he wrote about who were now in their sixties and even seventies and getting information from them.

In between writing these books, Joe has also assisted in the release of several cds featuring music from Singapore from the 60's. In 2009, he teamed up with Philips to release, '100 Greatest Singapore 60's - The Definitive Collection'.

He is also a regular speaker at events on music in Singapore.

Joe giving a talk at the National Library Board

And his sincerity and humbleness has endeared him to many people who admire his musical wisdom and wealth of knowledge.

Joe (centre) with Richard Khan (left)(formerly of the October Cherries) and  Jimmy Appudurai-chua (right) (formerly of the Straydogs) 

Joe is also an avid vinyl collector and can often be found scouring for old records in the backlanes of Chinatown and Sungei Road.

Some of his singles collection (Photo by Maria Clare Khoo)

I am certain that in years to come, his books will be stored in our equivalent of the American Library of Congress where they will further the progress of knowledge and creativity for the benefit of the Singapore people!

As for me, I still enjoy my 'kopi' and 'teh' sessions with him whenever I'm in Singapore. After all, he's still my big brother!!

 Having tea in JB

Joe has been featured extensively of many magazines and blogs. One such interview can be found in Bandwagon SG. 

Joe's latest book, Beyond The Tea Dance can be found at Select Books.

My Recollections of Singapore 60's Music.

This article has been contributed by Vernon Cheong, who calls himself 'a simple Rock 'n' Roll man'! Vernon has a blog called Singapore 60's Pop Music Hall of Fame.

 

Looking back through the years, the 60s was probably one of the most exciting periods for the post-war babies. Some of the events that captured my imagination and left lasting impressions until this day helped shape my life and destiny to a certain extent.

The first pop song that rang in my ears during my early childhood in the late 50s was Fraulein by Bobby Helms. That was also when Rediffusion began to eclipse Radio Singapore as my favorite broadcasting station. At that time, Rediffusion was the rallying point for teenagers who were hungry for western music, culture and more. A very competent and popular group of DJs helped its cause, with the likes of Mike Ellery, Larry Lai, Tan Swee Leong, Eric Lim, Peggy Ross, Noreen Sales, among others.

Programs like Top Tunes Of The Week, PO Box 608, British Top 20s, Stars On Wings, and Rediffusion Discovery Show etc. kept most of us glued to the music box day and night. The talentime shows brought some of the best entertainment value, not only during the show proper but also during the audition stages. The potential contestants were required to show their talents to a panel of judges before they could qualify for the competition proper. There was this guy who probably held a metal plate with a stick, waiting for the signal from the judges to “strike off” contestants in the midst of their performance with a loud “GONG!” I always wonder about the feelings of a 4-piece instrumental group that had spent weeks or months practising their song only to be struck off within a minute or less during their audition. Remember this funny bit?

There was another program titled “Feuding And Fighting”, hosted by two of the most popular DJs from Rediffusion, Mr Larry Lai  and Mr Tan Swee Leong. Each week there would be a contest between two pop groups or artistes and fans would phone in to vote for their favorites, e.g. Beatles vs Rolling Stones, Cliff vs Elvis, and each DJ would lend support to one of the two contesting parties. During the program, there would also be some contests where listeners were invited to participate by naming the title or artiste of songs featured and prizes given out to winners were normally the latest LP albums. There was this occasion during an evening show when the DJ announced that the first listener who turned up at the Rediffusion studios at Clemenceau Avenue would receive a gift. Not surprisingly, the winner was someone who turned up in a pair of pajamas! There was also a 15-minute program when listeners were given the opportunity to be the DJ and gets to select his/her own choice of songs. Those were really fun days, thanks to Rediffusion.
 

When I started my record collection, the first SP that I purchased from a shop along Middle Road was by The Fabulous Echoes from Hong Kong. The titles on that SP were Little Peanut Shell and Waray Waray. Rings a bell to anyone? Don’t think so because both were not hits at all! When the local groups came knocking at the door, Susan Lim & the Crescendos stood out prominently with hits like Mr. Twister, Waktu Fajar, The Boy Next Door, Besame Mucho, and the list went on and on. Don’t Play That Song by Keith Locke & The Quests was a major milestone in local music. The first time I heard that song, I thought it was by a foreign group! Another great vocal recording then was My Lonely Heart by The Thunderbirds. Of course, there were many other great recordings from the local scene, but I shall not attempt to name all of them for the simple reason that I may omit some inadvertently. They were all great tunes from a golden period, rich with local talents and strong support from fans.

Some of the songs that reminded us about the wonderful region we reside in included Singapura by Sandra, Oh Malaya by Anneke Gronloh, Midnight In Malaya & Sunrise In Malaysia by Boy & His Rollin’ Kids, Malaysia Wonderful by The Sundowners & The Tornados etc. Each time I hear any of these songs now, I would try and recall what I was doing during that period in time. A strong feeling of nostalgia.

The Xperiment also stood out after my two-year interval from the local pop scene, serving National Service. They were the resident group at the Lost Horizon, Shangri-La Hotel at Orange Grove Road. My colleagues and I frequented the joint despite our meager monthly salary of about $280. That’s when I was introduced to the “horns” or brass instruments, listening to songs like Vehicle by the Ides of March, We Got To Live Together by Buddy Miles, and some of the evergreen favorites like Let Me Try Again & Love’s Been Good To Me by Frank Sinatra, If I Could Reach You by Johnny Mathis, After The Lovin’ by Engelbert Humperdinck, among many others.

Besides live performances by local acts at the National Theatre and the Singapore Badminton Hall, there were also the more economical options, like the Musical Express Show at the Capitol and the Early Bird Show at the Odean cinemas. For an admission fee of only $2, you get to enjoy about 2 hours of live entertainment by some of our best local talents such as The Trailers, The Thunderbirds, The Quests, Sakura Teng, Rita Chao, Lara Tan, top comedians like Uncle Wang Sa & Ya Fung, Hamid Bond & Ah Leng, etc.

And there was Sungei Road where you could get second-hand items ranging from radios, magazines, watches, clothes, records etc, anything under the sun! Record stalls were in abundance, carrying local and foreign recording labels. The Mandarin pop culture was more dominant here, loudspeakers blaring out latest releases by The Stylers, The Travellers, Wang Ching Yuen, Lina Lim, Chang Seow Ying, Ling Seow, Suyin, Sakura Teng, Rita Chao, Lara Tan, Lam Leng and more. Among the goodies, there were also bootleg versions, selling at half the price or even less! I picked up several records by local groups and artistes from here, until this day. Time has moved on, and Sungei Road is no longer the same as it was during the 60s.

Well, these are just a few recollections of my 60's years which I hope would also rekindle your own favorite moments of those times. Do share them with us here. Cheers!

“CHAP GOH MEH” Celebrations at Havelock Road in 1958.

Next up is an article written by one of our highly knowledgeable members, James Seah who has shared with us his memories of Chap Goh Meh 57 years ago when he was living in the Bukit Ho Swee kampong. 

 

The above photo is a recent photo of the “Grand Old Building of Havelock Road”. The corridor was elevated above street level in the 1960s. The arrow points to the unit occupied by the Soh Beng Tee Construction Co.

Chinese around the world, including Singaporean-Chinese celebrate "Chap Goh Meh" to mark the closing of the traditional 15-day Chinese New Year celebrations.

It would be interesting to have a chronological record (by year) of first person experience stories about "Chap Goh Meh". "Chap Goh Meh Through the Ages" would serve as a historical record of the different ways people celebrate this traditional Chinese festival in different places around the world.

I remember "Chap Goh Meh" at Bukit Ho Swee kampung 50 years ago on 4th March, 1958 (Tuesday) when I was a 10-year-old kid. [The exact date is traced with the help of the Chinese calendar program on my Treo 650, not that I could remember the exact date so well].

The venue of the Bukit Ho Swee "heartland happening event” was at the 'Grand Old Building" (GOB) at Havelock Road, where shop Unit No. 715 to No. 745, Havelock Road, Singapore are located. I found a best-view spot at the corridor of the coffee-shop at Unit No. 719 beside the Soh Beng Tee Construction Co. office at Unit No. 721.

About 20 workers and the proprietor were having a grand "Chap Goh Meh" celebration dinner when I arrived at about 7:00 pm. There were crates and crates of firecracker stacked outside the office. 4 or 5 earthenware stoves with burning charcoal were also placed nearby.

At about 7:30 pm, I heard 3 rounds of rousing shout of "Yam Seng" from the diners to signal the completion of the company dinner to celebrate another year of business prosperity.

Several male workers then came out of the office. Their faces were red with too much brandy and beer and they appeared tipsy. They were laughing, apparently happy after an enjoyable and sumptuous dinner with alcohol drinks.

The crates of firecracker were quickly opened. There were a few hundred packets of firecracker. The wrapper of each packet of the red firecracker was peeled off at the edge to expose the flint.

The unpacking process was done by a group of 4 or 5 workers while another group lighted the firecrackers on the charcoal fire and threw them onto the road, packet by packet. It was a dangerous maneuver without any safety protection for the workers.

The sound of the firecracker was deafening. Very soon Havelock Road at the GOB was covered in a cloud of dark smoke. Cars which passed through this stretch of the road have to keep the windows wound up. Packets of lighted firecracker accidentally thrown into an open car window could explode and cause injuries to the occupants. Most other vehicles prefer to use an alternative route instead of traveling through the “war zone” for safety reason.

As the unpacking and unwrapping of the firecracker was completed, more workers joined in to throw the packets of firecracker. The tempo and speed of the cracker firing increased tremendously and I had to use my hands to cover my ears. I was also inhaling the toxic firecracker smoke.

After a while, I noticed that the workers at the woodmaking factory across the road have also started to throw fire crackers onto Havelock Road. The factory must have had a profitable year and celebrated it with a "Chap Goh Meh" staff dinner in the same way as Soh Beng Tee, I guess.

It was the first time in my life I had witnessed such a firecracker display.

The workers at Soh Beng Tee continued drinking beer while firing the crackers. They were in high spirit and appeared to be having lots of fun, shouting loudly above the din to the people at the woodmaking factory, "Lets see who can fire the most firecrackers, who can last the longest" ... Oh My God, it was not just an ordinary firecracker display. It was a competition to see who has the most money (Oops...firecracker) to burn.

When “showtime” was over at around 9:00 pm and the billowing cloud of firecracker smoke was drifted away by the wind, I slowly made my way home. There was a constant buzzing sound in my ears and I feared that I would become deaf. I was also stunned and shocked by what I heard and saw at the "Firecracker Fest".

After the firecracker smokescreen disappeared, the bright, the full moon above Havelock Road on that “Chap Goh Meh” could again be seen.

I did not know that it was the first and also the last time that I had the chance to witness such an event in Singapore.Please check out this website if you want to find out why firecracker was banned in Singapore.

We built this city

Here's an article from Lam Chun See, another one of our active members and also author of the book, 'Good Morning Yesterday'. He submitted this for an essay competition to celebrate Spore’s 50th year of self-government.

Sometimes I feel a little bit like King Nebuchednezzar.

Nebuchednezzar was the king of Babylon who lived around 2,600 years ago. He was responsible for building the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon. One day, as he surveyed the beauty of the city, he felt so proud that he declared in his heart; “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?”

Nowadays, I like to go for my brisk walking exercise in places like the MacRitchie Reservoir and along the Kallang River near Bishan Park. As I look at the clean and well-maintained Kallang River, I often marvelled to myself; “Isn’t this the same river that we used to label, 'The Dead Chicken River' (死鸡河or Say Kai Hor in Cantonese)?” 

For the first 22 years of my life, I lived in a small kampong near Lorong Chuan which straddled what is today the Central Expressway. The then smelly and filthy Kallang River used to flow through our kampong. In those days, half a century ago, whenever we passed this river, we had to hold our breath to avoid the stench of the rotting animal carcasses that the kampong folks had discarded into it. Sometimes, you can even see maggots crawling around the dead bodies of chickens, pigs and even dogs. Yet today, it is sparkling clean; like the rest of Singapore. Singaporeans of all races and ages, jog, walk, cycle and exercise along immaculate tracks beside this river, taking in the scenery and breathing in the fresh clean air.

Many visitors to our tiny island have expressed their admiration for we have done to transform this sleepy backward little island into a shining metropolis in one generation. For example, in 2004, the former governor of New York, Rudolf Giuliani, lauded Singapore for its ‘physical beauty’, saying; “It says to me something about self-respect … The physical condition of Singapore is magnificent.” 

Yes, I know Singapore is nothing compared to the natural wonders of many of the great countries in this world. Nevertheless, in many of our eyes, it is a mini Hanging Gardens of Babylon no less. And hence, as our country celebrates 50 years of independence, I feel proud that I was part of that generation which played a significant part in bringing about this transformation.

Note: Chun See's book, 'Good Morning Yesterday', is on sale at Books Kinokuniya @ Ngee Ann City, Popular @ Bras Basah and Popular @ Sembawang. Do get a copy. It's a wonderful book.

What part of our culture can really be saved?

Our third contribution is from one of our members, Gregory Charles Lawrence who has recently established a social endeavour project to help the Pioneer Generation via his site, Old Newspaper .

I lived on the island of Bali from 2007 till 2014, and while I was there, I blended in the local population very easily and seamlessly. I absorbed much of the culture and all the intricacies, such as the language, dialects and also the traditional and official mannerisms. I did really enjoy myself there but one thing was missing...Singapore food.

I remember one trip back to Singapore when a Customs officer, in a friendly manner, asked me about Bali, saying it must be wonderful to live there. I paused for awhile and replied that, while it was more relaxed and slower paced, I really missed Singapore food.

Each trip I make back to Singapore, I make a beeline for Char Siew Rice, Bak Kut Teh, Teh Halia, Roti Prata, Thosai and the likes. While some of these dishes are available in Bali, the taste and experience is a world apart. The flavour, sambal or chili, sauces and soups ARE Singapore and that is not easily replicated anywhere else.

So back to Singapore I come and find that so many traditional hawkers have given up their trade due to high rentals, rising food costs and also a lack of succession. This is a sad an unfortunate thing as our food is an integral part of Singapore society. What can we do to preserve our food culture?

I have taken on the task of reviving this aspect of our lives, in the form of a Social Endeavour which I call Old Newspaper. What will result is a fair and balanced working environment where the Pioneer Generation and the aged can work and fill up their time with activity. I will look for as many old hawkers as possible and invite them to set up shop in Old Newspaper with a radical new business system, that will improve their bottom line and profitability.

I love sitting with friends, enjoying a cup of 'teh' and reminiscing about old Singapore. I would greatly appreciate any help or suggestions for this mission of bringing back our great food.

Where did you go, my Singapore of old?

Our second blog features a letter written by one of our avid members, Vincent Paul Carthigasu to the Straits Times. This letter appeared in the Straits Times on 24 February 2009.

I am a 45 year old Singaporean much in love with my country which I am proud to call home. Over the years, I have visited a few other beautiful countries, but I cannot see myself living anywhere else but in Singapore.

However, as much as I call Singapore my home, there is nothing of it I can connect to when I try to look back in memory.

A few weeks ago, I decided to drive my parents around to revisit places to try to recapture the fond memories of our earlier years. There was almost no place familiar left to go. Almost everything has been eradicated. It was a sad morning.

I am sure, to the zealots of change and development, this means nothing at all, and others may say people like me are like a broken record (nostalgia) that gets stuck and play the same thing over and over, but I feel it is very sad.

The little we have left is also about to go: the last kampong in Buangkok, the New Seventh Storey Hotel and so on. Who needs the kampong in Buangkok when there is the shiny plastic version in Geylang Serai, right? After all, it is clean, safe and pristine.

With reference to last Monday’s letter by Ms Lisa Healey-Cunico, “Let Singapore shape itself naturally”, I fully agree that Singapore has lost much of its soul. It truly seems that we have an unquenchable to wipe out and develop anything and everything.

Alternatively, if a place is deemed worthy of heritage, redevelopment sets in with the original tenants, who contributed to the colour of the place, removed because of high rent and commercialisation.

Maybe I am just getting old, but I would like to be able to visit places with nothing added but a few coats of paint over the years.

I resort to flea markets for photocopy pictures sold at three for $10. I used these to share old stories with my parents and daughters. That is all there is. Needless to say, one of my favourite haunts is Sungei Road. I am certain it is already in someone’s plans for eradication.

I appeal to whoever can make a difference, please leave some things as they are.

I love you Singapore, but I fear I do not remember.

(Reynold Pereira: Sadly Vince's prediction about Sungei Road has come true. It has been confirmed that it will have to make way for the Sungei Road MRT station which is due to open in 2017.)