Shermaine

One Friday, a group of us went down to Katong to carry out a heritage trail in the area. Initially I thought that I already knew all there was to Singapore having schooled in the North, North-East and Eastern parts of Singapore before. Also, being such a small country, I always thought that we have covered all of Singapore’s history in school. However I was to be proved wrong in the hours to come.

Our first stop was to find the Katong mall marker which proved fairly difficult to find looking worn out with the words showing faintly on the marker. However, we finally spotted it blending in with its surroundings beside a traffic junction. Our trail had begun!

Our next stop was breakfast at Chin Mee Chin Confectionary. Entering Chin Mee Chin was like stepping into a coffeeshop from the 70s with marble tables and ceiling fans. The only things missing were the funky hairdo and the retro wear. Having heard about their famous kaya toast, we all decided to try this renowned delicacy which didn’t disappoint. We were served kaya and butter in raisin buns- something I have not seen before and though it seemed weird at first, it was alright in the end. The tea was also served in porcelain cups with saucers which brought out the feel from the past. One thing I found out about the shop is that apparently it is quite well known that even celebrities visit the shop rather frequently! During our short stay at the shop, we had the opportunity to see Adrian Pang rush in and out to take away breakfast. Having eaten our fill, we were now ready to embark on the rest of the trail.

The rest of the trail was filled with sights of unique houses and also learning their history. We even went to the site of the original coastline before reclamation took place to extend the shores. We were also immersed in the Peranakan way of celebrating Chinese New Year with the occasion just around the corner. However, we did meet a few setbacks due to this as a few of the stops on our heritage trail were so preoccupied with selling New Year goodies and setting up decorations that we could not talk to the relevant people.

Nevertheless I found the trail really insightful, and it taught me a lot about how much Singapore has changed from the past to now. I used to think there wasn’t much to Singapore history, because Singapore isn’t like Egypt with her pyramids and tombs of past pharaohs; nor is she like China with a rich history in warfare or the arts. However, going for this history trail really enabled me to see what life was like in the past where life was simpler and slower and people were content to shop at shophouses instead of mega shopping malls.

The sites chosen on the trail were also particularly significant to the Katong/ Joo Chiat area, proving to be rich in history with their own story to tell. Going for this trail also made me deeply regret not having the opportunity to experience for myself what it would have been like to enter the Redhouse Bakery and buy something from them, being so well-known in the area. One thing I learnt from this is that history is invaluable. As much as it can be preserved, it would only be to a certain extent. Seeing a part of history being left behind over the years but having lost its former life and glory is never quite the same as having been there and experiencing it for yourself at that point in time. History can never be truly preserved, and as such, we should really treasure all that has been left behind for us to find out about our past and weave our identity through these threads passed on through time.