Batu Lintang Quarter No: 66

Batu Lintang Government Quarter No: 66

The house where the Wong family lived between 1965 to 1971 (I stayed between 1966 to 1970)

During WW2 the Japanese set up a prisoner concentration camp in Batu Lintang area.

On 29 November 2005 morning, I return to this location hoping for last few glance of my childhood house. That house we used to stay is long gone, the above is computer recreation from a photo of the similar quarter just opposite.

Following snapshots on 29 November 2005:

Drainage in front (left side) the house that serve as drainage during raining seasons. Because this is not a sewage drain thus the water is always clean and clear. There used to be many small fishes.

On the other side of this bridge is Jalan Lintang. Strongly build by billian wood strong enough for private vehicle to pass by.

Usually in late afternoon when the sun cool down the kids would come out from the quarter to play outdoor.

When your grandmother said "Mao Zaiu Tzu Hi" (Do not go out). Means do not go over this bridge.

(The original bridge is gone. This picture is copied from a similar bridge near by.)

Drainage at the back (right side) of the house. This drain server as drainage for washing water from the kitchen and bathroom of the whole row of staff quarters. Those days hardly any PVC rubbish as seen today.

Beside this drain were 2 guava trees and 1 wild cherry tree where we used to play. Now the trees were gone with no trace.

But the banana trees and bandan plant still survive. The fragrance bandan leave was a pleasant part of our childhood live. Your great-grandmother used to cook sweet potato soup and added a few pieces of bandan leave for the fragrance smell. These bandan plant most probable planted by her 40 years ago.

Across the drain still stand this Sower Fruit tree laden with fruits. Grown by our neighbor in their land. Though not our tree but an important witness of our pass....time of poverty.

During the 1965 - 1970, to help subsidize the family daily expenses your grand mother sometimes sales these fruits in return for a few coins. Couple of times I heard her talking to the neighbor in Hockien/Teochew for permission to harvest the sour fruits for sales. These fruits does not fetch a good price. Only few people use it for cooking as spice like chili and zinger.

Less than 100 meters from the house is this main drain. I still remember it was around 1969, one morning I set a fishing line trap here and return in late afternoon with a big fat "Lea Hu" fish. About 1 foot in length, that was the largest fish I ever caught (until today I still have not caught any fish longer that 1 foot). I kept the fish in a basin in the bathroom. The next evening I smell good food from the kitchen. There in the kitchen your grandfather was frying my fish with brown Soya bean source. It was a feast for the family of 7 kids that night.

There was a line of Christmas light in 1966/67. A luxury item at that time.

Along the Batu Lintang side of Rock Road is a row of tree planted by PWD. This tree was about 5 year old when I left Batu Lintang in 1971. By now it is almost 40 year old tree.

Homepage of Wong Family Website April 3, 2009 / Wednesday, December 07, 2011 02:51:58 PM