Old Singapore Quiz (5)

1. Who used to occupy the premises behind this pair of forlorn-looking gates?

2. Where is this location? (Give the road name.)

3. In which housing estate are the flats in the background located?

4. Where did the former occupant move to and when? (Give the address and year.)


Update on 2 Feb 2009 - Answers to Quiz

1. Singapore Leprosy Relief Association (SILRA).

2. Lorong Buang Kok.

3. Buangkok estate.

4. SILRA Home is located at 80 Buangkok View, Buangkok Green Medical Park, Singapore 534191 since 1 Oct 2005.


Although the letters had been removed (no photoshopping at all) and were worn by time and weather, a cross and the words "SILRA HOME" are still faintly visible on the wall near the gates.

Leprosy is called ma2 feng (痲風) in Chinese. During the period from 1962-67, the average number of newly registered leprosy cases in Singapore was slightly more than 200 each year. The number of new cases is steadily declining and now there are about 30 cases a year.

You can find out more about the disease from SILRA website here.

Woman Hit By Killer Litter

This is not a hoax. A person really did fall down this time. Sigh, it is only 2 days to the Chinese New Year and this unlucky incident has to happen.

At about 7.45 pm tonight, while I was driving in the carpark near Blk 608 of Bedok Reservoir Road, I saw a crowd of people gathered below the block. After I parked my car, I walked over to the block to investigate. I found a middle-aged Chinese woman lying on the ground. She was bleeding from the head. Luckily, she was still concious and could still move her hands.


At first I thought it was a case of attempted suicide. It was only when I saw a broken 16-inch standing fan lying nearby that I realised the woman was hit by killer litter while walking below the block.



The ambulance arrived a short while later. Two officers attended to the injured woman and carefully placed her onto a stretcher. They taped her head to prevent it from moving and then gently carried her into the waiting ambulance. Not long after, the police came and carried out their investigations.


I hope that the woman was not seriously injured and the culprit would be caught soon.

Here's wishing all of you a Happy Chinese New Year. May you 出入平安 (chu4 ru4 ping2 an, meaning "be safe when going out and coming back").


Related post

My younger son's article on a killer-litter incident that happened opposite our block last July.

Surprise Letter From Son

Today I received a surprise letter from my younger son by post. It was addressed to Mum and Dad. In it, he described some of his experiences at the recent 3-day Sec 1 Orientation Camp:


Q: Some of the memorable and exciting things that happened during the camp were:

A: Kayaking, abseiling, flying fox and sleeping.

(What? Sleeping is memorable and exciting? Son, are you sure you got your priorities right?)


Q: During the Camp, I learnt that ...

A: We should work as a team and never give up on what we do. We should also share everything we have with compassion.

(Okay that's fair comment.)


Q: Mum and Dad, for the many years that you have spent bringing me up, I would like to thank you for:

Providing me with food and shelter, supporting me with all the things I do and buying mini-cakes for me on my birthday.

(That's funny, I don't remember buying mini-cakes for your birthday - I always bought big ones enough for a family of four. Hmm ... must have been Mum.)


Q: Finally, I would like to tell you that ...

I really love you.

(Aww that's really sweet, Son! Mum and Dad love you very much too. Muack.)