NG Hong Fatt 吴孔发
Chinatown,
Accession Number 002397
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 15
Total Reels
- Moey Kok Keong
Interviewer
- 07:44:27
Total Running Time
- Cantonese
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 15
Metadata
- 15 Jul 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:19
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Born in 1938 in SIT Government Quarters at Mosque Street. Educational Background. Family background. Father's job. Initially family stayed at 2nd Level. Description of room, kitchen and toilet. Neighbours. Description of the entire building. Family moved to bigger flat at ground level in 1950 due to father's promotion.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 15
Metadata
- 15 Jul 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:57
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Description of flat at ground level. Living room was very large. Father earned $400 a month. Electrical stove. Restrictions of water supply during the 1960s. Radio as a display in the living room. Friends and relatives like to visit their flat. Proportion of different races in the Quarters. Relationships with Malay neighbours. Communication with Malays.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 15
Metadata
- 15 Jul 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:44
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Communication with Malays. Relationships with Indian neighbours. Invited to festive celebrations by Malay neighbours. Description of Malay wedding. Food and drinks served at the wedding. Wedding gift to hosts and return gift from hosts. Wedding procession.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 15
Metadata
- 12 Aug 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:36
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Malays bought daily necessities in Geylang Serai and Joo Chiat. Mutton shop at Upper Cross Street. Malay stalls set up inside and outside Jamae Mosque on Fridays. Malay residence at Number 64 Club Street. Leisure activities as a young adult. Weight lifting and bodybuilding. Mei Ya Tailor Shop at Pagoda Street. Childhood games. Cycling was the most popular activity. Fewer interactions between neighbours after people married and started working. People were happy about moving to HDB flats. Relationship between neighbours and celebrating Chinese New Year, now and then. Gambling dens.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 15
Metadata
- 12 Aug 2000
Recording Date
- 00:31:14
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Gambling dens in Chinatown. Why people gambled. Wives prayed for husbands to win. Chap Ji Kee. A famous gambling den owner. Ti Kum stalls. His views on gambling. Description of gambling dens. Raids by police. Carpenters stand by to repair doors damaged by police during the raid. Police hired informers known as Kwei Tou for information on gambling dens. Corrupted police officers. Opium dens.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 15
Metadata
- 12 Aug 2000
Recording Date
- 00:31:27
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Description of opium dens. Female assistants that light smoking pipes for customers. Customer profile. Difference between high class and low class opium dens. How customers sneaked into opium dens. Gambling and opium dens were not physically close. His parents were confident that he would keep away from bad habits. His views on horse racing. Opium dens in residential houses. Playing mahjong and cards in clan associations. Locations of brothels. Difference between high class and low class brothels.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 15
Metadata
- 12 Aug 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:55
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Difference between high class and low class brothels. Women who adopted girls and later turned them into prostitutes. Brothels at Sago Lane and Temple Street. Tea ladies at Pearl Hill's Market. Some men were shy to go there alone. Recalled one beautiful tea lady who worked in a coffeeshop. Difference between tea ladies at Pearl Hill's Market and those in coffeeshops. How tea ladies at the Pearl Hill's Market worked. Customers out to woo tea ladies. Customer profile. Why coffeeshops did not hire tea ladies anymore.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 15
Metadata
- 26 Aug 2000
Recording Date
- 00:31:31
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Pinball machines and Table Soccer Machines. Other forms of gambling on the streets. Went to the Bukit Timah Turf Club to bet on horseracing. Some people were shy to admit going to horseracing. How to bet in horseracing. Illegal betting on horseracing took place in coffeeshops and was cheaper than legal betting. Operators had a way of getting results from the racecourse. Cap on winnings for "outsider horses". Profile of operators and how they record bettings on newspapers. Difficult to nab operators.
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Reel/Disc 9 of 15
Metadata
- 26 Aug 2000
Recording Date
- 00:30:06
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Profile on betters of illegal horseracing. Operators only took bets from regular betters. Illegal moneylenders. Interest rate. Pawnshops opened longer hours to accommodate gamblers. Legal Indian moneylenders at Market Street. Shops along Mosque Street. Recalled excellent toasted kaya bread and coffee from a coffeeshop. Grinding coffee powder.
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Reel/Disc 10 of 15
Metadata
- 26 Aug 2000
Recording Date
- 00:31:42
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Frying coffee beans. Half-boiled eggs were expensive in coffeeshops. Food sold in other coffeeshops. Rental shop for chairs, tables and tents. A few second-hand shops which bought and sold scrap metals. Food sold in Nam Tong Teahouse. Making noodles. Customer profile. Mooncakes sold by Nam Tong.
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