Much has been written about KTM Tracks lately. A simple search on Google and Yahoo will bring you to numerous websites such as this and this. After all, this cantankerous relic was Singapore's brave new world in the early 20th century.
I have always been a believer of my secondary school's motto, "Rooted in Tradition, Equipped for the Future." We must track our past to find out about our roots and our purpose for everything we do. Then will we be able to set our goals and directions clearly.
Riding on the train for one last time
The Tanglin district used to extend itself into the backyard of Queenstown at Margaret Drive as the meandering road which led to Orchard would end off somewhere in Alexandra. The Keretapi Tanah Melayu trains, which commenced operations in 1903, would stop at several points in Queenstown, including Archipelago Brewery Company, hereby the name Tanglin Halt. It must be difficult to explain this to our future generations when the trains cease operations tonight and the tracks are removed. History and heritage have always been a second fiddle to the aspirations and dreams of the youths in their pursue of development and material.
Queenstown starts from 3:40
The KTM tracks along Tanglin Halt have always been a part and parcel of Queenstown residents. Some would walk across the tracks from Wessex to Tanglin Halt for a meal at the hawker centre or as short card to the Commonwealth Station. Some would play along the tracks by placing stones on the rusty metal to be crushed by the zooming trains. Some used the chooing of the first train at 5.30am as their daily alarm clock. Some were merely gossiping about the latest suicide death at the track.
So many stories, so many memories. The trains and the tracks have added colour and diversity to our estate and everyone has their own story to tell. All good things come to an end.
In Living Memory of the KTM Trains chooing along Queenstown =)
Archived Stories about KTM Tracks in Queenstown:
为了鼓励更多女皇镇的青少年阅读华文新闻，《我爱女皇镇》将推出全新单元 《女皇镇1周新闻快讯》，把这个星期观于女皇镇的主要新闻简略的描述。
写在华义中学创校55周年 40年前 华义发扬美学教育
对很多学校来说，拥有校友会是平常不过的事。但是，今年庆祝创校55周年的华义中学，却没有正式的校友会。上个世纪五十年代的华义学生虽然曾经组织一个校友会，不过并没有招募新校友注入“新血”。到了九十年代，一些会员已经逝世，校友会势力变单薄，无奈在五六年前解散。
这让许多华义校友感到惋惜，其中包括毕业40年却不曾加入校友会的黄美芬（58岁）和戴月英（57岁）。目前担任新加坡读书会发展协会会长的黄美芬受访时说：“协会经常和不同学校合作。我发现很多学校的校友会阵容都很强大，很羡慕他们，因为自己的学校连校友会都没有。” 华义校友会的“宿命”，很大成分是校舍多次搬迁和校风改变所致。华义中学原称“华义政府华文中学”，创办时是设在加东区法礼路（Fowlie Road）的临时校舍。
翌年（1957年）学校搬迁到纽顿区的蒙克山（Monks’Hill），1958年又搬到女皇镇的玛格烈通道，也就是黄美芬和戴月英就读的年代。黄美芬回忆道：“那时是华义最风光的时期。当时只要提到西部顶尖的政府学校，不是立化，就是华义。”
1982年，为了扩建运动场和礼堂，华义再度搬迁，这回是到德普路（Depot Road）。一年后，学校改制，原本是第一语文的华文变成第二语文，而华文也变成是唯一用华语为教学媒介语的科目。校名也改为“华义中学”。黄美芬感叹道，优秀的华校从此沦为邻里学校，而交通不方便也影响收生。学校成绩一落千丈，学生纪律又差，一出校门口就抽烟、满口粗话。每次路过学校都目睹这样的情景，让她感到心痛不已。
1999年底，华义搬迁至裕廊西现址，重新在2000年收第一批中一生。由于学校多次搬迁，加上风气的改变，不同阶段的毕业生像是从不同学校毕业，校友们缺乏凝聚力。
55年来，华义一共换了10任校长。现任校长梅慧华（50岁）决定助几名校友一臂之力，借学校今年的校庆活动，帮助他们号召所有的华义校友，重新成立一个校友会。华义其实不乏在不同领域有成就的毕业生，包括黄叔麟、萧作鸣、董农政、艾禺等文人、洪慧芳、方钟桦、吴刚和已过世的华亮等艺人，以及毛奉豪、陈晓明医生等。黄美芬说：“我们希望召集有成就的校友回来，作为现在的华义学生的榜样。希望现在的学生了解，只要肯努力，还是能够重现昔日风光。千万不要觉得邻里学校没有什么值得骄傲的地方。”
为庆祝创校55周年，华义将举办一系列活动，包括2月26日在国立大学文化中心举行的“华义公开演出”、7月2日在华义校园举行的“华义青年节嘉年华会”和校庆晚宴。梅慧华说，校方并没有刻意安排很多活动，把学生累坏，而是把他们平时的表演和校庆连在一块儿，借此给他们多一个表演的平台。
联邦西道 货车爆炸狂烧 司机跳车逃命
小型货车路旁爆炸,起火狂烧,司机仓皇跳车,及时保住一命。 这起火烧车的事件发生在昨天下午4时17分,地点在联邦西道与女皇大道的交叉路口。 据目击事件的吴先生(44岁,建筑工人)透露,当时他正在路旁的车站等
Mr Chen, 63, together with his wife Mdm Chan, has been running their dried product store at #01-16 Meiling Market. Mr and Mrs Chen lives in Queenstown, so travelling time is not a major problem for them to open their store at 6am in the morning.
Having running their business for over 30 years in the same market, the couple has more or less gathered their fair share of loyal customers and has already become common faces among market goers.
Mr and Mrs Chen
After Mr Chen arrives at his stall at 6am in the morning, he starts his day by shifting and unwrapping the big packets of dried products out for display. Mrs Chen will also help in the arranging and moving of the bulky packets. They have a wide range of dried products such as different coloured beans, spices and a huge range of bottled sauces.
Two of his provisions shops at the market
After a day of hectic work especially during weekend mornings, Mr Chen would close his stall at around 2pm. However, work does not end there as the couple still has to visit their usual supplies in Pasir Panjang and occasionally other smaller supplies around Singapore. They will be shopping for quality stocks to top up their depleting ones, as well as new products in the local market.
Mr Chen explained that they have to shop regularly and purchase in small quantities because they need to ensure that the products are of high quality and far from their expiry dates when they resell them.
Starting out as a dried goods supplier assistant at a very young age, Mr Chen knows the tricks and insights to the trade. Colour and texture of the dried goods can determine the quality of the products and they are all secrets of the trade.
Bottles of Sauces at his provisions shop in Mei Chin Market
Red beans, green beans, yellow beans, ...
On a final note, Mr Chen has no regrets entering the business and is glad that to have the support of his wife. He firmly believes that the services that he offers can be differentiated from those of major supermarkets that we so often see. The difference is that when shopping in a supermarket, one can choose but cannot ask.
The fragrant whiffs of dumplings filled the multipurpose pavilion at Block 83A Strathmore Avenue yesterday as Queenstown residents come together to celebrate Duanwu Festival.
Rows of Bak Zhang or Meat Dumplings at the Multipurpose Pavilion
Duanwu Festival is believed to be originated from China. A number of explanatory myths are connected to its origins. The best known traditional story holds that the festival commemorates the death of a particular patriotic poet, Qu Yuan in ancient China. It was mentioned that the Qu Yuan was accused of treason for opposing his emperor's decision to collaborate with a foreign Qin state. His country was later conquered by Qin during his exile. In despair, he committed suicide by drowning himself in Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar. Local folks then threw dumplings into the river so that the fishes would not consume his body and paddled out on boats to scare the fishes away.
Leaves for Wrapping the dumplings
Tying and selling the Dumplings
The folks arrived at the tiny pavilion located at the corner of Dundee Road at about 6am yesterday morning. They brought buckets of ingredients such as onion, glutinous rice, red bean past and meat fillings which they had prepared in the past two days. Some of them were lighting up the charcoal stove while the others were busy filling some 2,800 dumplings and tying them neatly into a pyramid shape. When the dumplings were ready, one of the helpers would lower the dumplings into boiling water. It takes about 3 hours to cook the dumplings.
Preparing the charcoal stove
40 residents from low-income families were invited to the pavilion at about 6pm in the evening for a dumpling feast. Well, it is great to celebrate a meaningful traditional festival in this manner, knowing that someone in your community do care about your wellbeing. Of course, these dumplings look good and they are delicious.
Double treat of Ba Zhang and Kee Zhang
