Still Palais Grandeur To Me

Chinese New Year is here once again, we are blessed with fine weather and clear skies making our family outing to our relatives place more enjoyable. Some dread the New Year and some celebrate the occasion with great aplomb. Tag along with me for a visit to a special place which we go almost every year on our rounds of visits. Our relatives happen to be caretakers of this heritage building and it feels like stepping back in time at this place. Ain't much of a festive mood though but we feel the warmness when we exchange greetings and give the children ang pows (red packets). We mingled and catch up with one another who we meet up only once a year. This year we had a little more fun, taking pictures again of the family members and also the place. Uncles and aunties taking turns to take a snap shot of the extended family.

I am sure many are curious about the history of this Grand Hotel which was built 1920 at Still Road. Wealthy cattle merchant Moona Kadir Sultan named the mansion Karikal Mahal after his hometown. Mahal means palace in Indian. In 1947, it was converted into a hotel consisting of 20 rooms. We were once treated to a tour of the place a few years back. It is really a privilege to be here once again even though how old and derelict this place seem. We just have to be contend with the company, open grounds and fine weather.

The facade facing the sea before the reclamation

Nice lawn to hold a tea party

The driveway at the back of the hotel

Separate Quarters

Mingle, Chat & Updating

Happily receiving Ang Pows

Pineapple Tarts !  Busy talking . . .

Getting ready for photo-taking

Come again next year

On the hindsight, it doesn't matter we came to such a place for a visitation. I am always particular about the condition of my home is not good enough to receive visitors. After hosting a reunion dinner for the extended family, I changed my perception. Every year our families will contribute a dish at whoever's home to celebrate the reunion dinner. Visiting our grand aunties and uncles is a genuine show of respect and concern for their well being. It's not so much about donning new clothes, stuffing yourselves silly in this new year season. Don't let the short of money to celebrate the new year with fanfare and grandeur rob you of the simple joy of the festive season. There are many other things to be thankful for. Here's wishing you good health and happiness.

* Our last visit was 2015.

A Jewel In The Night

Hello . . . it's been quite awhile. I was planning on sharing with you photos from

Orchard Road to spread the Christmas cheer. It is a long stretch of road to cover

and when I am there. I ended up at some stores looking for gifts. However I am

going to show you what I have found on my Facebook. Check out this Mansion at

Macalister Road in Penang. An English mansion honours Sir Norman Macalister, one

of the first British Governors of Penang (1808 -1810). This project is carrried out
by Ministry of Design from Singapore. This boutique hotel is being transformed

into utilitarian comforts of modern living. Say no more, see for yourself at these

links below. I get very excited about it and I wish I am right there to see it.

Will definitely be on my list to check it out if I am ever there again to visit

my aunties.

http://www.macalistermansion.com/album.html

http://www.macalistermansion.com/livingroom.html

  

Wouldn't mind ending up here after a bout of X'mas shopping !

Kampong Glam

     Whoopee . . . the weekend is here ! ! Time for another update. I headed straight to Kampong Glam as promised . . to this Malay Heritage Centre. Admission is free for this

month because it is reopened early this month by our Prime Minister after a makeover.

The New Look
   

       Before it converted into a  museum, it was home to Malay royalty in Singapore. Tengku Mohammed Ali built the Istana in 1840 at Sultan Gate. This modest palatial residence was designed by colonial architect George D. Coleman. So you think Glam comes from the word glamorous, however in this case 'Glam' is the name of a particular tree that grew in this area in early Singapore.

  

     On this hazy afternoon, to think that I'm stepping into a palace is a great privilege. It is the next best thing to being in a castle. Most of the castles I have dreamed of going are all in my head. Oh, I did actually go to one and that was Cinderella's Castle. Not kidding of course. 

  

    After taking off my footwear, it felt like entering a house. The smell of fresh paint greeted me, the place doesn't look a day over 169. I climbed the wooden stairs to the second storey to where the history begins . . . .     

    The Reception

Introducing Kampong Gelam as a Port Town

Gallery dedicated to our Pioneers

  

 Kettledrum & Ceremonial Belt Buckles

Fishing as a means of livelihood in early Singapore

Fishing Nets & Baskets

Models of Boats from Sampans to Ships

 Alternative means Of Livelihood

Items used in jobs by hawkers, mason,etc

  

Shops selling carpets, clothes & batik

Hallway Gallery featuring Malay Pioneers

   Upon entering this gallery, I was surprised and happy to see two rows of cinema seats. Time to sit back, relax to see what the black and white clips were about. Snippets of old Malay movies. Then it showed the 1956 film 'Sumpah Orang Minyak' (The Curse Of The Oily Man). I finally get a glimpse of what it was about. It also brought me back to my schooldays when the whole class begged Sister Margaret, our form teacher to tell us the story about this Oily Man covered with oil roaming the streets at night. This is a number of Malay ghost myths. We sat rapt with attention listening to every word she said. One of the unforgetable moments I had enjoyed in my secondary school life.

Gamelan Ensemble

Ground floor galleries dedicated to music, arts and literature

Kuda Kepang. a tradition dance

Out at the lawn was music played by the Gamelan ensemble. This is the first time I see a Kuda Kepang performance. I noticed the dancers were riding the horses were being whipped and did not feel a thing. Later I learned that the performancers were actually in a trance. They would walk on coals, eat glass or grass.

With the re-opening of the Heritage Centre, a month long of programmes have been lined up. On a final note, I relived some old memories and discovered some nuggets of the Malay culture. I do love being in this palace because it felt very homey.

~*-*** -*~