My Queenstown 我爱女皇镇

“生活公市”摊主李马才先生（58岁）是这家油条摊的第三代。 祖父自中国南来便炸油条为业，后来其父亦继承了祖父的业务。“生活公市”自1969年起，正式迁入玛格列熟食中心营业。李先生从小便跟随父亲学手艺，在油锅边打转。
李先生的油条，以香脆爽口闻名。在80年代初，李先生每一日几乎可炸近200条油条。李家一家五人总要齐齐上阵来应付顾客的需要。

In 15 hours, the new community leader rose from an unknown figure to the representative leader of Singapore's first satellite estate. Although he is a president scholar and a lecturer at one of prominent medical college in Singapore, he does not live in Queenstown and do not know about the challenges, demographics, history, grassroots activists, community issues, so on and so forth. 
He is a "back-up" candidate from the ruling party and is not their first choice. So how will a second choice candidate be "good" for Queenstown? If he is that "good", why is he not selected in the first place? Without political competition, there is no way residents and volunteers will know how "good" he is!

Queenstown residents can expect a brand new candidate put forth by the ruling party tomorrow. At 10pm last night, MyQueenstown Team understood that the current community leader, Baey Yam Keng, will be leaving Queeenstown to campaign in Tampines GRC according to reliable sources within Queenstown. It is confirmed that he will be replacing another candidate who had pulled out of the election campaign. The new candidate, Dr Chia Shi Lu, has not been introduced to the mainstream media so far.
Being a new candidate, older residents in Queenstown may have to spend a little while to acclimatise to his or her new ideas and practices if he is elected unopposed. Grassroots activists and business associations in Queenstown have collectively expressed their disappointment over the sudden and "last minute" decision, believing that residents should be given a longer period of time to understand and scrutinise the candidate. 

Last week, MyQueenstown team interviewed Mdm Chan about her life in Blk 15 Holland Drive. Under SERS, she was assigned a new apartment in the newly developed blocks just a stone throw sway. Today, we visit Hisham Suni, 38, who moved over from Blk 17 to his new apartment in Blk 18C Holland Drive.
Hisham Suni and his son =)
Hisham is delighted by his new apartment as there was a pleasant shift in his living environment, which was worn down in its terminating stages. In addition to the larger dimensions, Hisham exclaimed that he did not have to top up any extra cash for his new house! He upgraded from a 3 room flat to a 4 room. Even the process of changing houses was hassle free. He liked the way HDB handled the shift and he only had to visit the main office 2 to 3 times over the entire process.

Established in 1931 by German businessmen, Archipelago Brewery Company was the first commercial brewery in Singapore. It was located next to the Malayan Railway, which provided convenient transportation for exporting the beer in Tanjong Pagar.
Archipelago Brewery Company
One of the more popular beer produced at Archipelago Brewery Company was Anchor Beer. In the 1930s right up to the 1960s, Anchor Beer outsold Tiger Beer by 9 to 1. It had a familiar tagline “Life needs an Anchor.” Tiger Beer was mainly drank by the British Military whereas Anchor was popular among Singaporeans.

Shameless! Treacherous! Plain Stupidity! A certain "leader" uses the the state media as his "official media" to explain his flawed ideas this morning about public housing. While ideas from the other group of representatives may not be the best, it is plain stupidity for this leader to be persistent about his policies claiming that the HDB flats are affordable!
Examples of High Prices of HDB flats
The latest BTO flat introduced in Dawson, Queenstown, costs $550,000 between $650,000 for a five-room flat. This translates to 33 years of housing loan and the couple is required to pay slightly more than $2,100 each month. (Figures quoted from the resident). 

New Series in May:
1) Lost&Found@MyQueenstown features the memories and old pictures of residents who lived in estates no longer exists in Queenstown and activities which have ceased. We have interviewed residents living in Ballater Close, Boh Beh Kang villages and Queens' Crescent as well residents from the former Boys' Brigade. Look out for the Blog posts!
Boys Brigade from Queenstown Lutheran Church
2) Ever wonder where does your fish and fruits come from? Another brand new column, Pasar@MyQueenstown, features lives of hawkers and vendors in wet markets around Queenstown. 

Boh Beh Kang was relatively remote for its earliest residents to sought escape from the chronic congestion of the city. Prior to its development, this area was dominated by two hills known as Hong Lim and Hong Hin Hill, with a swampy valley and “Boh Beh Kang” running in-between them.
Villagers at Boh Beh Kang
The name arose from the simple fact that locals were unable to identify the stream’s source and assumed there were none.

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。
URA15年内发展至少10k住宅 
市区重建局(URA)将在未来10年至15年,在联邦道、女皇镇和碧山地铁站周围发展至少10,000个单位的30层楼高组屋和私宅项目。 考虑到我国未来四五十年人口增加、老龄化及人民向往更好的生活,政府也会重新发展和扩充榜鹅和盛港。
中年无业男子夜里身体不适，蹲在地铁月台尾端，结果失衡坠轨，惨遭到站列车碾死。事故发生在去年11月29日晚上8时许，地点是女皇镇地铁站。月台闭路电视拍到的画面显示，当晚约8时，死者独自蹲在月台一角，等候西向列车到站。不久，他起身摇摇摆摆地走到月台最尾端蹲了下来。由于视线被档，列车司机看不到李德明蹲在那里。有两列列车到站后又开走了，司机们都没有发现他。约8时零9分，第三列列车到站后停下，李德明把身体靠在列车车身。一分钟后，列车离站，他立即失去平衡，跌落轨道上。
画面显示，死者尝试坐起身，但起不来，便躺了下来，把头枕在轨道上。他跌下约3分钟后，第四列列车到站撞上他。调查报告说，根据录像画面，死者是自己跌落轨道，没有被人推倒。
涉案的列车司机说，当时他开着列车看到一个黑色物体在轨道上，定睛一看，发现那是一个人，头枕在轨道上，身体靠在轨道右边。司机立即紧急刹车，但列车还是撞上死者。SMRT公司的调查显示，列车当时是以53公里时速行驶，紧急刹车后 估计要行驶约75公尺才会完全停下，而司机发现死者并紧急刹车时，列车头离他仅约13公尺。
死者生前无业，他的哥哥告诉查案人员，弟弟平时留在裕廊西41街第456座组屋住家里，照顾生病的母亲。他从小患有癫痫症，最后一次发作是在两年前。他哥哥还说，死者曾经嗜毒，并因拥毒而在1996年被判入狱两年，出狱后首四五年他远离毒品，但过去三年，每当他口袋里有钱时，常常带着神志“迷糊”的样子回家。验尸结果显示，被告体内含有的镇静剂成份，已超出一般药疗水平，他的血液和尿液都有酒精。报告认为，死者有可能是在服药时喝酒，导致他走路不稳，影响四肢运动能力。
陆路交通管理局较早前回复媒体询问时说，在36个高架地铁站中，目前15个地铁站已完成安装月台玻璃屏门。
女皇镇 少年'烤'鸡块 厨房被烧毁 少年声称没开火 
 青少年把鸡块放在炉灶后下楼,回家时却发现厨房失火。 这起火患发生在昨午2时55分左右,地点是女皇镇史德林路第169座组屋16楼的一间3房式单位。 记者接获通报赶到现场时,受访居民纷纷表示,事发时,失火单位冒出滚滚浓烟
女皇镇购物中心 为了储值卡 男子商家争执 
男子申诉购买的数据配套储值卡货不对办,上门找商家理论,还报警求助,惊动警方到场调解纠纷。 这起事故发生在本月6日下午2时许,地点是女皇镇购物中心1楼的一间手机店铺。 事主陈先生(30多岁,资讯科技业)受访时说,他5日到上述商店买一张iPad数据配套预付费SIM卡。

Blk 15, Holland Drive looked vacant and cold when MyQueenstown team visited this morning. The shop houses under the apartment block were all covered with card boards and all that was left were traces of glass panels, which could possibly be a beauty parlor in its place before. The lift was still working.
Mdm Chan - a long time resident at Holland Drive
A curious looking Mdm Chan 陈彩菱, 50, greeted us at the door. She was cooking almond paste desert for her children and the delicious nutty scent was overpowering our senses. She started chatting about her 15 years of staying in Blk 15.

It seems like everything around you has become more expensive. Food prices have rocketed recently. So does home prices and electricity tariffs. Like other Singaporeans, some residents in Queenstown struggle to make ends meet, particularly those from the lower income group and the elderly population. While the social safety are available, many residents shunned them because of the social stigma involved while receiving monthly payouts from the state. Today, let's find out about the extent of increase in prices of necessities in Queenstown.

If you are resident living near bus stops and MRT Stations, you are liking to marvel at the convenience and accessibility of public buses in Queenstown. Journeys to Town or work places in the industrial estates are relatively short and bus frequencies are usually reliable and fast. Shenton Way? 25 minutes. City Hall MRT Station? 12 minutes. Orchard Road? 15 minutes. Boon Lay MRT Station? 17 minutes. At most bus stops along Queensway and Commonwealth Avenue in Queenstown, residents can hop onto a bus service that bring them to their destination directly. However, if you are a resident living in the heart of districts such as Commonwealth Crescent, Commonwealth Drive or Mei Ling Street, you may not benefit from the transport services at all.

The front door was wide open when MyQueenstown team visited Mr Lee, 78, at his apartment in Blk 74 Commonwealth Drive. Feeling curious, we knocked onto the door and was greeted by a sleepy looking Mr Lee.
Mr Lee who lives alone at Block 74
Retired more than a decade ago, Mr Lee is living alone as he prefers being independent to tagging along with his children. Having lived a great half of his life in the well-known 'Chap Lau Chu', Mr Lee is well aware of his surroundings and the changes around it. He recalls the attap houses then, in the place of the current Tanglin Halt market area. The old gas tank behind his flat was also a prominent feature in the past. Housewives and teenagers used to work odd jobs in the many textile factories located just under the blocks of Commonwealth Drive.

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。
女皇镇大整形 小贩中心拆 咖啡店拆 居民吃饭要走15分钟 
女皇镇进行“大整形”,小贩中心和食阁先后被拆除,居民现在要吃顿饭,都要步行15分钟。 第27A座的咖啡店和40A座的小贩中心被拆除后,住在女皇镇地铁站附近的居民,要走上一个车站的距离,才能抵达下一个最靠近，位于美陵一带的熟食中心
踢死六岁男童 男子误杀监16年打8鞭 
 被告莫哈末佐罕承认在2009年11月20日,在女皇镇美岭街第151座组屋7楼一个单位内,踢和踹男童莫哈末拉莎帝(小名艾迪...男童家过夜。隔天下午,被告带男童出外。 后来,被告把男童带到女友在女皇镇美岭街第151座组屋7楼的租赁单位。 
阿窿跑腿被捕 
警方在前天凌晨时分,逮捕一名涉嫌协助大耳窿放高利贷的年轻男子。 这名嫌犯(26岁)是在凌晨时分,在女皇镇史德林路第117座组屋的地面层,因行踪鬼祟,被刚好巡逻经过的金文泰警署警员截查。 警员怀疑他协助大耳窿放高利贷,当场将他扣留,过后在他的身上搜获5000元现金。
我们需要有盖走道 
在地铁站连接史达拉摩道(Strathmore Avenue)的另外一边,却没有提供同样的方便。 除了史达拉摩道的居民,附近还有女皇镇小学、圣公会善牧堂(Church of the Good Shepherd)的幼儿园、位于史达拉摩道大牌82座组屋的托儿中心免受日晒雨淋

Forfar House
整个中学生涯，兴许是我人生轨道之另一转折，亦系跟女皇镇结缘的启端。有几个中正分校（校址仍在金炎路阶段）的同学，便住在“新生”不久的女皇镇建筑群——著名的Forfar House（俗称：十四楼）附近几座七层高的组屋里。彼时的我，依然是匹难驯的野驹，除了上课时段，多数系“东奔西跑”的。今天到甲同学的家讨论功课，明天就搭住在乙同学的窝里夜宿，渐渐地变成了另类“翘家人”。迄至转入总校念高中（1960 年）后，由于身陷洪流中，特别是（1961年杪）“反华文中学改制”罢考那一年，高歌“今天不回家”更是破记录啦！而相反的，与女皇镇之接触倒越加频密起来。
1962年高三毕业后，曾怀过一丝上大学的梦想，乃先报读了教会学校修习英文；然则，没多长时间即迅速地遭一场人为大火给摧毁掉。那被烧光了的，当年就叫万基山（俗称：亚答万基，位于现在振瑞路斜坡上“和丰山”的隔邻 ），正是在下呱呱坠地之‘摇篮’，亦属青涩少年翻滚跌爬、吃喝拉撒过的‘巢穴’，更系中学时代曾经‘招兵买马、论谈国是’的‘老殿堂’，一下便这么没了。（时间点：1963年3月初的某日，我的二十岁生辰尚来不及过，不少‘个人文物’和几册‘私家日记’也无法抢救出来；吊诡处：那些曾经的左邻右舍，虽早已离散各地另起炉灶，却偶尔在些大街小巷或婚、丧场所，经常不期而遇，互问别后，缅怀的竟是那份依存的山村恋念情愫。）而身为林府之长子，尽管哀伤、失落、彷徨过，却又不得不拾掇起灾后疮痍的心境，义无反顾也无从选择地帮老爸分挑了重建家园的担子，一边拜师学些电工技术，一边兼教家庭补习。趣且巧的是，我的第一组补习：兄妹俩，居然就住在女皇镇十四楼的一间三房式单位内。至若交通工具，则系一匹在大火中幸运‘获救’（当天我正巧骑了它去上课）、后由老爸‘过继’给我的‘老爷’铁马。但跟我的学电‘课程’一样，只不及一年时间，即因改换另份工作所需，筹钱买了一辆簇新的中国（生产牌）‘铁骑’。它身高马大、年轻潇洒的，从此伴随我这主人闯了几乎半辈子天下。那可也是我当年的最爱呀！踩着它，我于女皇镇走南闯北，除了兼职教补习，还为该区的一个团体开办过（夜间）文化班——来听讲的多数系年轻女工和低教育者；而地址呢，恰巧就离ABC啤酒厂不远，亚历山大医院的对面。
虽然1963年后，我工作的地方是远在裕廊工业区的一家外资砖厂，但负责载送我往返的依然是那辆可爱的‘铁骑’，而捷径正好可从那时的中峇鲁（灾后‘新居’），穿越女皇镇沿着阿逸拉惹（Ayer Rajah）路直达裕廊工业区。那个年代，靠紧ABC啤酒厂一带应该是女皇镇最繁华的市区‘边陲’，住家、工厂、商店、咖啡座、街边摊贩栉比鳞次，医院也有一间，就是亚历山大医院。由于时常需途经亚历山大村ABC啤酒厂路段（那时交通圈还在），方能就近截取阿逸拉惹公路，遂顺道在附近的街边摊位蹓跶蹓跶，尤其轮值夜班时，总会停在一处卖印度羊肉羹配尖头面包的三轮车位前，先大快朵颐补充一下精力（当然，时而也会换换口味），再续程赶路。其时，这儿的夜市还挺热乎的，且软、硬件不一而足，因此，往来人流不绝于途。有时候，尚偶然会遇着些旧相好、“前学生”们，聊上几句别后的境况。其实，这里的村民绝大多数属中、下阶层，处事接物均温良、纯朴、敦厚，极富人情味。而我的众多莫逆之交亦皆散居于此。
总之，世事多变。随着南洋商报社、ABC啤酒厂（连同那座地标式酒厂廊桥的消失）、新加坡纸品厂等的徙置，还有曾经“宠爱集一身”之十四楼、加上那群足以零售我少时记忆之大馆小铺的拆除，那些稍堪疗治文化贫血症之影院、书肆的相继凋零与易相，……诸多昔日的繁闹、丰姿、故事与失落，尔今尽皆成了历史的修辞和追记。诚惜哉痛也！另据考证：早年新加坡河的源头恰好即位于已然荒废多年之皇宫戏院门口，特此带上一笔，也算是给自己‘恶补’了一堂史、地课吧！

On a Friday afternoon three weeks ago, several Bangladeshi workers, presumably from the Town Council, took their tool boxes to the lift lobby of Block 39A. In less than half an hour, they carried a metallic frame on their shoulders and placed it on a lorry parked in front of the apartment block.
Farewell Block 39A
The letterboxes
The stretch of corridor was once our playground

Its is just another typical weekday afternoon where children can be heard playing outside after school, and delicious scents of home cooked food can be detected from a block away. Mdm Yati, 38, is a mother of 6 children and lives in Blk 55 Commonwealth Drive. Living in Commonwealth Drive for more than a decade, she has brought up her children into teenagers in the place where they now call home.
Yati and her Family at Block 55 Commonwealth Drive

2011 is the year when numerous familiar buildings in Queenstown will be demolished. MyQueenstown Blog, which captures the memories of residents, students and ex-acquaintance of the estate, has seen a substantial increase in our daily blog readership. 
Readership on April 1 11:11 to 13:10
In two hours on a weekday morning (where ratings are usually very low as many are working and studying), MyQueenstown Blog recorded an average readership of about 10-13 unique visitors per minute or about 1500 readers in 2 hours. Exclusive features on places such as Commonwealth Avenue Cooked Food Centre (Margaret Drive Hawker Centre) are among the most popular.