Monthly:December 2012
As I mentioned yesterday, about a month after I took this photo, the restoration order was published in the paper and over the next several years they set about restoring this row of former warehouses and stores into cafes, bars and shops. If you were to look at the same view today, you’d notice many of the rook lines remain the same but there’s a degree more homogenization and cleanliness about the place. No more bushes growing in the gutters.
About a month before I took this photo this area was gazetted for preservation and transformation to new business. Now the area looks well maintained, the roofs all made of a consistent red clay material replacing the rusted corrugated iron and other tile roofs and the area is a hive of restaurants, bars and shops.
I’ve no idea where yesterday’s photo was taken but I know that today’s photo shows part of Telok Ayer Street because the street name is on one of the buildings. You won’t find this scene now – these buildings are long gone.
I wondered how much of the brickwork the wooden safety barrier was intended to contain, and even how sturdy the boards were. Would they hold a brick falling from the roof or would it plunge on through the boards and onto the sidewalk below?
The Merlion was created in 1964 for the Singapore Tourism Board. With the head of a lion and the body of a fish resting on a crest of waves, it symbolizes the founding of Singapore. In the 11th century A.D., a Javanese prince thought he saw a lion on the island so he named the island Lion City – Singa Pura. The fish body of the Merlion symbolizes the city’s origins as a fishing village. This is one of five Merlions in Singapore today.
Clearly the laundry-pole-out-the-window is a local cultural thing. I wonder what happens if you lose a garment? On a street like Pagoda Street you could probably find it in the street but if it comes off one of those poles from Block 335B, it could almost end up anywhere!
