Does Yuhua bear any special significance to me?
In the 60s when I was staying at Bedok, the residents were affected by the land reclamation projects. Some of my neighbours who were farmers were reallocated to land in Jurong to continue their activities. I helped them move their things over and visited some of them from time to time. These people later were affected by land development and most likely are residents here. I lost touch with them. I hope to get contact with any one of them here.
When I was in the National Service (late 1960s), I was doing my SBMT, (today it is BMT), in SAFTI. Jurong was very ulu (backwater) then. There were kampongs, cemeteries and farms and forested areas. It was our training and camping ground. I can recall one instance when a recruit had very much wanted to ease himself. He went into a farm toilet. His excreta dropped into the toilet pool below with a splash. The next instant he was shouting that the liquid in the toilet pool had splashed onto his buttocks. Those days few carried tissue paper and in the toilet there was none. Water was not provided for washing too. He had to bear with his soiled buttocks and underwear till he got back to his barrack. I also read about a report of an army man who wanted to go to a certain check point in Jurong. Unfortunately, he was never seen or came back. A search was mounted. He was found dead in a cesspool of a farm.
When I became a Language Training Instructor to the new recruits in the same camp, I used to ride my motorbike every working day along Old Jurong Road. At that time the Pan Island Expressway was just in the making. The road was so dusty. To protect my eyes, I put a pair of gorgle over my sunglasses. Later, I was transferred to Taman Jurong. We had to stay in camp. So during off duty hours, we used to roam around that area.
When Jurong Drive-in Theatre had just started screening, I drove my special to view the show in the car. The head sets were located at the side of the car park. It was the first and only Drive-in Theatre in Singapore.
When I was a teacher in Gongshang Primary School in the 80s, I used to bring my pupils to Jurong Regional Library to participate in the Story Telling Contest.
When the Japanese and Chinese Garden were completed, I brought my sons and parents to participate in the activities organised by them. One example was the Lantern Festival. I would drive them around the area and have food after the visits.
When the Tang Dynasty Village was opened I took my sons to celebrate the Mooncake Festival. Traditional cakes were eaten and traditional games were played. There was a make-believe traditional magistrate court too where criminals were tried and punished.
When the Jurong Bird Park, Science Centre, were opened, there were much yearly activities for my Tanjong Rhu Boys’ and Gongshang Primary Schools’ children and my sons. At one time I was an instructor there teaching them ‘My Creepy-crawlies’
When the ‘Through My Lens’ Contest was in full swing, I studied the map of Yuhua thoroughly making sure that none of the important places were left out. On 5th May 2012, it was a Vesak Day holiday. I spent one whole day Yuhua, walking to those places which I planned to cover and photographed them.
I was looking out for those traces of landmark that I was familiar with. I saw old Joo Hwa gate at Yuhua School ground. That reminds me I rode past by that school when I was doing my National Service in Jurong Camps. I saw that the people are very interested in connecting the past. I saw signs such Yuhua Village Market and Food Centre, Yuhua Village. There are vegetable and flower plots at many blocks and residents are happily working on them.
