Arts Housing Scheme - NAC Waterloo Street

The Singapore Council of Women's Organisations had its address at 96, Waterloo Street (SCWO) was founded in 1980 in order to coordinate efforts of women group in Singapore and advocate for women rights and provides workshops and other events in Singapore.

Across the road is Waterloo Centre located in the hearts of the Arts Community was built by the HDB and the places to go for looking for affordable vehicles spare parts. Today Waterloo Centre is an Arts destination, it was one of the venues for the 2013 Singapore Biennale as well as art community performance for fine artists there is an open-air plaza for holding arts activities with

music studios and learning centre and also interested in retail shops and eateries.

At 48, Waterloo Street you can find Singapore Calligraphy Centre is actively involved in promoting the arts of Chinese brush writing. Besides that, it also holds local and overseas exhibitions and demonstration are hold here. It also houses Singapore Institute of Chinese Calligraphy, the academic arm of the Society and the head office of International Congress of Chines Calligraphy.

10th July 2020 is Election Day

Another 5 years had gone by and it seems only yesterday that we are going to be given our right to choose our member of parliament to represent us to voice our concern and our livelihood on our daily life and also letting the appropriate people to form the new government for the next 5 years, but for me, I am uncertain that I will be around when the next 5 years comes round the corner but no matter what comes may I will be there to exercise my right and wisely choose the next government should it be the incumbent or the opposition lets the people of the nation decide.

The incumbent Member of Parliament had decided to retire from the post at Marine Parade GRC to give way for renewal change for new blood to be able to serve the residents of our ward.  He is leaving after 44 years of service to the nation, thank you Mr EMS Goh Chok Tong just to show my appreciation for caring toward our ward for such a long time.

Now I am on my way to the polling station to do what I have to do, see you

   

Sculpture Square

Located at the corner of Waterloo Street and 155/161 Middle Road started as a Chapel Gallery in 1872 by English Missionary Charles Phillip to promote Christianity in Singapore. The area was used to uphold social activities with the church for the community as well as worship.

There are a lot of changes starting from 1894 which was used to be the first Methodist Church known as the Straits Chinese Methodist Church serving the Babas, next it becomes the Tamil Girl's School and then Methodist Girls' School during 1900, after that become the Baba Malay Church, Middle Road Church in 1930 the building was sold to Eu Tong Sen and at this time the church was renamed as Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.  During the Japanese Occupation is was May Blossom Restaurant in 1980 the place was turned into a motor workshop and car park operated by Sin Sin Motor Co. In 1990 the Church was allocated to arts groups as part of NAC Arts Housing Scheme and the adjacent two-storey building was used as a budget hotel named Continental Hotel.

In 1999 the Church was converted to Sculpture Square as an Art Gallery dedicated to exhibitions and the adjacent ground floor of the two-storey was converted in a gallery space.

In 2014 onward the ownership was passed down to Objectifs which a gallery for film and photography.

Bugis Street of my time

Bugis Street Market had its address at 3 New Bugis Street but I remember the old Bugis Street is where makeshift store street hawkers display their wares when evening comes, besides shopping, you can enjoy street hawker foods and also coffeeshop around the vicinity and if you require moving your home or goods there are lots of transport Co, to choose from along Albert Street but the real Bugis Street is just opposite now Bugis Junction Shopping Mall bound by  Malay Street and Malabar Street where you find those transvestite performing for the local and tourist alike and prostitutes loitering and evening there is beauty pageants to pick the Queens or Queens.  Then in 1980, the area was embarked for the construction of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Station and it was razed to the ground and Bugis Junction was born.

Church of Our Lady of Lourdes,

The Church of Our Lady Lourdes is located at 50 Mount Ophir Road and it is the first Tamil Catholic Church in Singapore and was officially opened in 1888. It is a Neo-Gothic building with good proportions of the fine details and it said to be modelled on it the building namesake in the town of Lourdes in France. For some time it was in need of care and Maintainanceand the church was somewhat eclipsed by the addition of a new school building, Our Lady of Lourdes English School. Its brightly coloured redecoration of reds grey and yellow in late 1982 was considered as unfortunate, however, in early 1986 a renovation was carried out on the building which was decorated with a coating of white paint and the doors was highlighted with two shades of blue.

In 2009 the church underwent restoration works to resemble the original church and was completed in

October 2010.

Tales of two Sim Lim

Construction of the Sim Lim Square started in 1983 and completed in 1987.  The six-storey building offers a wide range of electronic items such as  DVD's, cameras, video camera, computers and parts and also servicing. Located at 1, Rochor Canal Road it had its share of bad press of frauds faced by tourist and the culprit booked and sentence. In its early years, it is famous for pirated software

On the opposite of Sim Lim Square along Jalan Besar you can find Sim Lim Tower is a commercial property consisting of 15 floors of office and shopping complex which open business in 1980.

Unlike Sim Lim Square the traders are mostly dealing electronic components, resistors, capacitors and also video and audio gears, Sim Lim Towers is a heaven of electronic of different sizes, make and prices range and they are readily available there and been patronized by both local and foreigners.

Going Places around Bugis

Waterloo Pedestrian Mall during the new Mellinimum we don't see this view anymore with the disappearance of the colourful flats in the distance.

Fu Lu Shou Complex is located at the corner of Queen Street and Rochor Road incorporated part of the Waterloo Pedestrian Mall. The shopping is specialised with religious paraphernalia for the  Buddhists and Taoist worshippers. Inside the building, there are also shop selling dried foods products.

Singapore - Johor Bus Terminal can be found along Queen Street and Arab Street and Rochor Canal Road to run cross border travel to our neighbour country of Malaysia. There had been talks that the government will like the stakeholder to find a suitable location for them to run, until such time it business as usual at this location.