Connie's reflections

Si Hui's reflection

a)     What was your impression of Singapore history and cultural heritage before going on the trail?

The heritage trail experience at Kampong Glam has brought many new insights to me and I was deeply amazed by the amount of rich history that Kampong Glam has to offer. Before hopping on this trail, my impression of Kampong Glam was partially based on a field trip back in Primary 5 where I could recall buying small intricate bottles of perfume from a shop situated along the streets. I also learnt that it was a place where Sir Stamford Raffles allocated the Malays in his town plan. As such, I had the impression that the Malays conducted their own trades within their community. In addition, the mosques reflect the culture of the Malay community while they visited the mosques to offer their prayers and also learn about their roots. Also, the presence of the several historical buildings felt like they were contained with rich cultural significance.

b)     How has your experience of the trail changed your perception of Singapore history and her cultural heritage?

After going through the trail, I felt enriched with knowledge about the past of Malay communities in Singapore.

I used to think that Kampong Glam catered only to the needs of the Malays. However, this was not the case. For instance, the trades were conducted not only within the Malays, but also to other races such as the Chinese. One example would be the Lee Loy Hin Blacksmith which was started out by a Chinese.

I was definitely surprised as I initially had the impression that Kampong Glam was a place with preserved cultural heritage. However, buildings such as Pondok Java and Lee Loy Hin Blacksmith, had been demolished. I felt that it is such a pity as such places were not being conserved and the rich history of these places has therefore been wiped out. This represented an erosion of cultural heritage.

As much as my perception of Kampong Glam has changed, I was heartened to see a makeshift barber at a back alley. 

After enthusiastically speaking to a customer of the barber, I got to know that such barbers were very popular during the olden days. It was also considered to be cost effective as the hair cut which costs $5, included shaving of side burns as well as beards. We were indeed fortunate to be able to encounter such a rare experience. Hence, I am immensely grateful to be able to witness one of the few remnant trades which is still ongoing. This shows that not all trades have vanished and that there are still some surviving trades out there. Albeit feeling that something should be done to preserve such heritage as well as protect our cultural roots, it seems regrettably far less probable to do so due to modernization and the growing trends of popular hair salons.

Another event that I had noticed was that the majority of the people that visited the heritage sites at Kampong Glam were mainly tourists as well as students from foreign countries. Apart from the Malays seen at the mosques doing their prayers, as sad it may seem, but there were barely locals spotted, appreciating and learning about the past. Instead, many were seen dining, shopping, and just walking by to get to another place. This occurred to me that the younger generations Singaporeans do not take the initiative to find out about the historical value of a place where two national monuments stand, the Hajjah Fatimah Mosque and Sultan Mosque.

c)     Share some insights (if any) about Singapore’s past and the way it is represented (symbolically and physically) that you have gained from the trail.

After that visit to Kampong Glam, it has brought about new perspectives of how I viewed of Singapore's past.

I personally feel that some of the History of Singapore has been embedded in Kampong Glam. Symbolically, Kampong Glam represented the Malay community as it was where the Malays were allocated to. As the Malays lived together through their way of life, cultures are being established as they mostly did similar things within the same venue. It can therefore be seen that Kampong Glam was a platform and had a part to play in forming new cultures within the Malay community.

In the physical aspect, the way people do their trades were represented by shop houses. These shop houses were important in ensuring that the community has their basic necessities such as groceries and also equipments which include furniture or cooking utensils made available to them. In addition, the shop houses were packed closely such that it established a lively and vibrant community. Also, the mosque was a representation of religion in Kampong Glam. People gather at a common place to do their prayers and indulge in their beliefs. 

I believe that all the Historical structues have a story behind them and the past had a part to play in the shaping distinct cultures and behaviours in the present day. It is sad to say that it is quite difficult to experience Singapore's past anymore. All the people could do is to reminisce the old and fragmented memories, which will be forever etched in the hearts of those who have went through those times before. 

Eileen's Reflection

This heritage trail made me see kampung glam in a new light!

I used to associate kampung glam as a place where hipsters go for a café hop, or the artistic feel and bars along Arab Street that was picture worthy. But I never once go beyond and take a good look at kampung glam as a historical site. It may be due to the lack of knowledge and assumptions that historical sites are ‘boring’ and all we can do is just ‘look’ at the buildings.

However, to my surprise, the trail was so different than what I had expected it to be. It was interesting and entertaining, especially when we have background information about the history of kampung glam. Our trip became more meaningful and as we walk along the streets, as it seems like everything have a story behind it. Knowing the past trades and events that happens along the street within kampung glam, it was fascinating to see how kampung glam had changed, developed and evolved to its current state.

Artistic and modern infusion at Kampung Glam.

In my opinion, kampung glam is a place where both tradition and modernization intertwined and connect. The progress of kampung glam can slowly be discovered as we continue along the trail. New shop houses that appeared also seems to link to the later development, trades and residency of the area. Most of the new restaurants were opened by Turkish or Middle Eastern which bring forth the possibility of the change of dominant immigrants at the later stage of certain streets within kampung glam. Even though most of the shop houses were replaced by new tenants and stalls, I could somehow imagine and visualize the bustling street it used to be when I am walking around. Many sites, architects, buildings, shops, streets and trades we always missed, neglect or kept unnoticed became a surprise factor throughout our trip. One example that left a deep impression will be the European design shop houses along Kandahar Street. Though the street may not be bustling like the others, the elaborate design and complex and detailed workmanship reflects the lifestyle and influence of the people back then.

 Our trip became a treasure hunt of historical traces that were left within kampung glam, and through this we discovered many interesting things and stories that we never noticed before. I would never expect to discover so much interesting facts such as the glass bottles lined under the dome of Sultan Mosque, the blacksmith shop that was burnt down by fire and the  Hajjah Fatimah Mosque that we claimed to be ‘Singapore’s version of Pisa’. It was definitely an eye opening trip that I never imagined it will be.

It was a pity that I did not came to discover all these interesting component of kampung glam earlier, but I definitely want my future students to be able to experience the joy, excitement and discovery that I had along this trail. From there, they would surely experience and understand the meaning of using (background knowledge) and learning (new knowledge gained on site) history in real world context.

Giving off Malay vibes at Malay Heritage Center

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With the modernization and development of Singapore throughout the years, it was undoubtedly that Kampung Glam had gone through a series of changes throughout the years. Traditional trade stores are being replaced by new shop houses. The infiltration of western culture can also be seen from the various cafes, bars, and fashion outlets along the streets. Though many changes had been made along the years, I think that the preservation of historical remains sites can still be deemed as acceptable, taking into consideration the limited land space in Singapore. Many of the historical sites still standing around are used as tourist hot spots. But it was disappointing that traditional stores were no longer/ rarely available at kampung glam, which reduces the ‘authenticity’ of the streets and life back than in the olden Singapore. I strongly believed that these remains are important as it represents the root of Singapore’s history. Reusing of old buildings and modernizing it to fit our current lifestyle is another way of conserving history as well, rather than demolishing it all for new development. Hence, with more effort with the conserving the preservation of the historical heritage, I believe kampung glam can be a good teaching tool where my students could learn and discover new aspect of Singapore history.

All of us enjoyed this trail to its fullest!