America Has Finally Arrived In Joo Chiat!

If you are not in the know yet, well, you can begin to start tasting full wholesome smoked out Texan BBQs right at your doorstep.

Smokey’s is an All-American BBQ joint just opened in Joo Chiat Place, right across the road from our very own Kim Choo Bak Chang outlet! It’s opened only in the evenings from 5pm to midnight.

The last time I tasted barbecued ribs, beef brisket and buffalo wings and fries this good was back in a well-known BBQ joint in Houston, Texas. Smokey’s easily beats the ribs in Tomy Romas and even The American Club.

Says owner and operator Californian Rob Rszepvolgyi (just call him Rob): “I took several years to create this. From making our own BBQ sauce, dressings and dry rub, to designing and building our smokers, we paid careful attention to quality and the authentic flavours of the true American BBQ.

“We prepare and slow-cook our smoked meats using a blend of seasoning and wood chips, making

the flavours unique to us . The cooking process can take up to 18 hours in specially built smoking ovens, leaving the meat tender, succulent and juicy. This smoking process tenderizes the meat as well as flavours it with a wonderful taste and aroma.”

But as they all say, the proof is in the eating. Come on over, y’all!!! Yeeha!!!

Smokey's BBQ American Smokehouse & Grill
73 Joo Chiat Place, Singapore 427790
Tues- Sun 5pm- 11pm. Closed Mondays

 

 

Watch a play in the heart of Joo Chiat on this weekend!

Free Admission!

Come catch Someday, Samsara , a piercing yet humourous look at life and death this weekend at Chezcake Bistro in the heart of Joo Chiat.

Written by upcoming Singaporean playwright, Bryan Tan and performed by Anjana Srinivasan, Someday, Samsara is a new play developed in the Theatreworks' Writers Lab.  The reading is directed by Robin Loon.

About the play

Sandy has been sent to hell but what greets her are the Ten Courts of HELL.  As she travels deeper into hell, she comes face-to-face with the mythological Niu-tou (Bull) and Ma-mian (Stead) guardians of hell, her loves, her hates and her past.  This monologue is a piercing yet humourous look at life, death and about going to court!

Be entertained, register a seat now!

EVENT INFORMATION

Date: 31 October 2009 (Sat)  & 1 November 2009 (Sun)
Time: 3pm
Venue: 328 Joo Chiat Road, ChezCake Bistro
Admission: Free

Please call 6737-7213 or email tworks@singnet.com.sg to register your attendance.
For more information: www.theatreworks.org.sg

TheatreWorks Writers' Laboratory in partnership with the South East Community Development Council (CDC) brings you a series of dramatised readings held at interesting and definitive locations within the South East District.  This event will run from October 2009 to February 2010.  

With support from The National Arts Council and the South East CDC.

 

Broadway in Joo Chiat?

We received an email from a young resident that inspired us that there is a deeper sense of community pride that will ultimately overcome some of the issues we currently face as a community. We like to share with you his vision and perhaps be inspired to act.

 

My name is Will, in my 20 years of age, I have spent 14 of them in Joo Chiat. While it pains me to witness Joo Chiat mired in alcohol, sleaze and the noise from the karaoke, I understand that there is only so much the government can do to help. I believe we, the residents, have to be part of the solution to rid our community of the vices that have plagued us for so long.

I have a dream, and I have once seen this dream in reality.

When I was at Times Square in 2008, I saw a bustling theatre district that has risen from its seedy past of crime and prostituition. It took crackdowns from the police, struggles with the gangs in New York and the greatest hardship of all, it took a long time for the change I saw to happen. Putting this in perspective, replacing a bar with a theatre can work in Joo Chiat too, it fits our theme as a cultural and lifestyle district. The food connosieurs would now have a destination to enjoy a theatrical performance after their dinner and probably stay for supper too.

True, our current social problems have bogged down the development of Joo Chiat's 'could have been's. But I am still upbeat, we have a bustling art scene in Joo Chiat not seen elsewhere in Singapore's local communities. We have people opening up new art galleries, inherited the beautiful shophouses and even a showcase of our area's heritage in the Peranakan Museum.

There will come a day when people from all walks flock here for, say, the world acclaimed 'Joo Chiat Film Awards' in a theatre, instead of 'Booze Snooze and Karaoke Champ' in I Love You Pub.

Imagine a day where Joo Chiat becomes a strip of little theatres and galleries where our budding local talents would showcase their works for the world to admire and where we would finally be free from the chores of cleaning up the revelers' alcohol overdose regurgitation every morning. This would be a better Joo Chiat, a better Joo Chiat for the young and old, present and future residents, art lovers and food lovers.

Cheers
Will

 

My Shiok Joo Chiat Makan

We are starting a foodie series called My Shiok Joo Chiat Makan for our Joo Chiat website. Please make sure you visit us regularly to find out what and where and join the fun. Joo Chiat is after all the place where you will find some of Singapore's best local fare. Please share your personal favourite makan place with us too to review. Write to us at

Sep 2009

 

Fries Make A Difference

The food scene in Joo Chiat just gets better by the month. Over the first weekend of September 2009 a new eatery opened at 458 Joo Chiat Road, with fries as its mainstay.

Everything With Fries is the brainchild of the young team of Awfully Chocolate , that famous chocolaty brand of cakes and ice cream that also began in Joo Chiat but which has since grown island-wide.

“It just so happened that the shop units below our office in the two-storey pre-war building became available and we thought we could do something different for the neighbourhood,” said former lawyer John Yap, one half of Awfully Chocolate (the other half is wife Lynn).

“So we got our young team together and brainstormed what we should do. Everything With Fries was thus born.”

[Read more in Joo Chiat Food Stories]

 

The Garden Slug

The last time I was in the neighbourhood I drove by this little eatery. Until someone drew my attention to it: “You reeeally should try it. Don't miss it.”

The Garden Slug is a cosy, humble little diner located at Lorong L Telok Kurau. Its neighbours are a handful of pet shops and a very well-known animal clinic. And it's just a very short drive away from Joo Chiat.

It offers comfort food like steaks, pastas, salads, sandwiches, soups and such. There are also Southeast Asian iced teas and aromatic coffee to start your day or wind down on a quiet evening.

The eatery's walk-in diners form the core of its business and that's what keeps The Garden Slug busy seven days a week.

[Read more in Joo Chiat Food Stories]

Kampong Days this Christmas

The leisurely nostalgic area of Katong and Joo Chiat is famously known as a food enclave where foodies across the island flock to for their fill of laksa, tau kwa pau and prawn mee. Come December, blend the love of food with “kampong” fun and a hearty dose of Christmas cheer at an annual three-day carnival. For the third year running, Christmas at Katong & Joo Chiat will be held at The Odeon Katong, from 19 to 21 December 2008 (Fri to Sun), with something for everyone in the community.

To kick start the event on 19 Dec (Fri), seven colourful Christmas floats will drive over from downtown Orchard Road and around the neighbourhood to add to the year-end cheer at 8pm. This is in conjunction with the Celebrate Christmas in Singapore’s (CCIS) ‘Celebrate Christmas in the Heartlands’ programme. Residents and visitors will be able to take a closer look at the floats as they park along Ean Kiam Place after the tour.

Mr Chan Soo Sen, MP of Joo Chiat, and Mr Lim Biow Chuan, MP of Marine Parade, will grace the event launch on 19 Dec as the Guests of Honour. Christmas @ Katong / Joo Chiat expects to attract some 10,000 residents and visitors.

Some of the exciting highlights to expect include evening stage performances by the community and participating schools and institutions. Special mention should be made for a Chinese drama “Life No Take 2” by Jes Media, played out by prolific local actors like Samuel Chong and Zhou Ming Lun. The story centres on a cast of actors who are preparing for a drama performance, “Blood Offering”. In the process of rehearsing and acting it out, their lives and dramatic turns similarly unfold. Make a date on 20 and 21 Dec to find out how the story ends.

If you prefer to get your adrenaline pumping in another way, then test your sportsmanship with a sporting event, the ‘Amazing Katong Race’, on 20 Dec (Sat). Alternatively, relive your childhood days and teach your children about the games you played as a child on 20 Dec (Sat) and 21 Dec (Sun) afternoon. Other fun-filled activities for kids also encompass a colouring competition and other hands-on projects. There’s even free popcorn and candy floss to delight them.

Senior citizens have not been missed out in the mix. Get them involved in a healthy workout, and get blessed with free dental and health checks on 20 Dec (Sat) afternoon. Pair this with some shopping among the daily bazaar stalls that serve up food, games and merchandise. You just might find that Christmas gift for that special someone. To cap each evening off, you could win yourself some fabulous prizes in the daily Christmas Draw.

With so much fun and excitement during this festive period at Katong and Joo Chiat, you wouldn’t want to miss Christmas @ Katong / Joo Chiat! See you there!

Date: Dec 19 - 21
Time: 11 am – 10.30 pm
Venue: The Odeon Katong Front Plaza
Enquiries: Email community@cscc.org.sg or call us at 63447321 during office hours (Tue – Fri 9.30am to 6pm, Sat 9am to 12noon). Click on www.cornerstoneservices.org.sg for more details.

 

 

Review of TheatreWorks Writers' Laboratory 24-Hour Playwriting Competition 2008

2 August 2008 to 3 August 2008, Eurasian Community House, Joo Chiat Constituency

The historical and colourful neighbourhood of Joo Chiat played host to some 70 aspiring playwrights from all walks of life when TheatreWorks Writers' Laboratory 24-Hour Playwriting Competition took place on 2 nd and 3 rd of August at the Eurasian Community House.

Participants had 24 hours to craft out a play each and were given a total of 5 stimuli at regular intervals which they had to weave into their scripts.

TheatreWorks believes that everyone has at least one play in them and that they just have to devote some time to sitting down and writing it. Hence it seemed most apt that TheatreWorks brought the competition right into the heartlands this year.

By partnering South East Community Development Council (South East CDC) and SHINE – a two-month long showcase of creativity and talent in Singapore youth – TheatreWorks was able to bring the art of playwriting to the wider community and also to woo our youth into playwriting.

Holding this year's competition in Joo Chiat allowed the participants to be inspired by the rich and colourful heritage of Joo Chiat: the architecture, the heritage, the food, the sights and the smells. The activities that make Joo Chiat unique were fodder for many of the plays. Joo Chiat was to the participants an unconfined playground.

On 25 October 08, TheatreWorks announced the winners. According to the judges, they also saw an increased number of fresh faces amongst the winners of this year's competition, and this might just encourage more aspiring playwrights to come forth and showcase their potential. Who knows? We might just have the next successor to Ovidia Yu or Ng Yi-Sheng.

 

The Winners and their Plays

Open Category

1 st Prize : Ngiam Xin Wei
Title of script: 350-24-21
Synopsis: Labeled as “the most original play in this year's competition”, 350-24-21 is about the unlikely pairing of a ghost story and a political diatribe, with interjections of IM chat thrown in as well.

2 nd Prize: Tay Ching Ann Luke Barnabas
Title of script: Enter the (Little Lady) Dragon (of Chiat Joo)…
Synopsis: Quoted by the judges as an extremely fun piece highly influenced by graphic novels.

3 rd Prize: Fok Jian Liang Christopher
Title of script: Just Trash
Synopsis: A touching piece about the voiceless and invisible minority in our community – the rag-and-bone man, old ladies who pick up cardboard boxes, and Bangladeshi garbage collectors.

Merit: Jacke Chye Shing Jye
Title of script: Of Firecrackers And Bombshells
Synopsis: A rich and realistic piece about the trials and tribulations of family obligations during the Chinese New Year.

 

Youth Category

1 st Prize: Steffi Yee Jia Meng
Title of script: Untitled
Synopsis: A cleverly written piece on the dangers of over-planning and over-sanitization dramatized through the scenes of a disillusioned woman and her domestic helper.

2 nd Prize: Tasmana Ishat Khorshed Alam
Title of script: A Chinese Warrior In A Yellow Taxi Cab
Synopsis: Narrated by a bisexual lady who believes her abuser is protecting her, yet dreams of being a Chinese warrior to rescue her beloved woman; the piece portrays a provocative juxtaposition of metaphorical and physical masks.

3 rd Prize: Goh Shu Xian Priscilla
Title of script: The Taming Of The Shoe
Synopsis: A cleverly titled and entertaining piece about man-woman relationships.

For more information, please visit:

• TheatreWorks / 72-13
• South East CDC
• SHINE

 

 

Rhythm of Light - solo exhibition by Steven Low at Black Earth Art Museum 

28 Sep - 20 Oct 2008, 12 noon - 9 pm. Black Eart Art Museum, 352 Joo Chiat Road.

Rhythm of Light -
This architecture series was created with the nature's gift of lights in mind.
My fascination with futuristic structure prompted these aerospace-like buildings.
The play with darkness and lights stimulates one's visual imagination; temptation to touch and play -
changing the light source and the structure's facet is undeniable.

 

"King of Katong" - The Chew Joo Chiat Story

Philip Chew is the great grandson of Chew Joo Chiat whom our district is named after has ardently archived interesting morsels of information into a blog http://mychewjoochiat.blogspot.com/. Join Mr Philip as he shares his personal journey of discovery about his great grandfather Chew Joo Chiat's life and times in Singapore. Roads to Chew Joo Chiat Part 1, Roads to Chew Joo Chiat Part 2

 

Joo Chiat Inspirations

Morning was rising and I decided to take a drive around leafy Joo Chiat neighbourhood. Just for the heck of it. You know, one of those bleary-eyed mornings when on a spur of the moment you reach out for something, anything, to do.

Glad I did too because it suddenly dawned on me that the neighbourhood appeared to have undergone and continues to be undergoing some pleasant changes - architecturally, over the past twelve months at least - without me realising it. The changes had slipped unnoticed into my subconscious.

The kind of unseeing that you experience when signs everywhere beckon your attention but not succeeding.

Starting at the busy flat junction of Joo Chiat Place and Still Road, where the spicy sweet black pepper crabs of Eng Seng Eating House draw queues from seafood devotees every day of the week starting in the early evenings, as you turn left into Chiku Road, you come upon a recently updated row of single-storey terrace houses that have become homes to house-proud tenants. Where once these terraces were dilapidated and grey from years of untended grease, they now wear a newness and bohemian charm that are wholly unexpected - new roofs, stone walls, potted plants, plant hangings, interesting patio lights and art objects.

And at the junction of Chiku Road and Joo Chiat Place, the three-storey block of art deco apartment building, which once looked neglected in trailing dirt from monsoon rains and given to foreign workers from India and Bangladesh and whores from China and the Philippines, is suddenly seeing a revival as new owners buy up its apartments one by one and begin to spruce them up in ways quirky and creative. One proud owner has even proudly displayed a fashionable black chandelier in his balcony. I wonder what he has inside to top this.

Suddenly, the heritage second-storey apartment that is tucked into the corner of the block doesn't seem odd any more because it was where Zubin Said composed Singapore's national anthem Majullah Singapura. For a long while it stuck out like a haven in this Faustian setting of sleaze, sex, filth, noise and spit with its clean bamboo blinds and dragon jars of baby green palms. Never mind that it was bought over by a Singapore Malay judge (of Singapore's Subordinate Courts) who wanted to ensure this neglected piece of Singapore's history did not fall into grubby uncaring hands.

Then just across the road from this block has emerged a row of six beautiful nearly restored pre-war shop houses, newly painted in a mosaic of pastel Peranakan shades and redone plaster friezes. The asking price? Three million dollars a piece. Perhaps not too high a price to pay for those who love the neighbourhood's heritage and setting.

We've begun to see a lot more of these quaint properties being conserved. Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Board just last year gazetted over two hundred more buildings in the neighbourhood for conservation. This has turned Joo Chiat and Katong into perhaps Singapore's single largest Peranakan and Eurasian heritage neighbourhood with close to a thousand buildings under conservation.

New families and businesses are moving in. Weekend mornings, afternoons and evenings catch couples and families strolling Joo Chiat's streets and nooks and corners obviously looking out for places to lease or buy. New businesses like Egg3 at 260 Joo Chiat Road and Artoholic at 422 Joo Chiat Road are up and running, bring the neighbourhood one notch up the creative hub.

The neighbourhood is getting gentrified as a result, more and more. This despite the three small pockets of evening sleaze that took root only between 2003 and 2004 along the northern stretch of Joo Chiat Road between Dunman Road and Changi Road that have unfairly given the neighbourhood a bad rep.

Take the recently renovated all-white art deco residence at 122 Joo Chiat Place, at the corner of Joo Chiat Place and Mangis Road and just a few doors away from the former kampung home of Cultural Medallion Award winner sculptor Ng Eng Teng which is recognisable from its old wooden frames and huge floating mother and child bronze sculpture in the front yard. It was painstakingly long work but the result has been worth the wait. The restoration has kept practically intact all of the building's major facade, while the gutted interior, made larger, has been kept as close to the original as possible in terms of its structural accents.

Or the row of shop houses where well-known Singapore thespians have made their homes for many years. Singapore's creative types have always chosen the East to roost - attracted to its bohemian charms, aromas and colours. And Joo Chiat/Katong get more than their fair share of the pie, even in the evenings when the handful of pubs and coffee shops light up to a raucous show of flesh and lust.

Then this Gallery Eighty and Studio K which are the studios of sculptor Kumari of the dried chilli fame - the creator of that lovely large obliquely round chilli pod that looks like a red Granny Smith apple in the Fort Canning Road backyard of Singapore's restored National Museum. The studio is now located in a newly furbished row of shop houses run by MUIS' wholly owned realtor Warees Investments which has successfully leased its refurbished shop houses to decent trades .

Not to mention Miao Zai Xuan at 44 Joo Chiat Place, just a few shops further down from the famous Fei Fei wanton noodle fame at the corner of Joo Chiat Place and Everitt Road where, it seems, all of Singapore converge for a bite of its soft chewy egg noodles and home-made chilli paste from early morning to past midnight. This Chinese Brush Painting art gallery is run by artist Lin Luzai from China who has made Singapore his home.

 

Songs of our town

There are many songs that are associated with our town- Joo Chiat. Two famous ones are Di Tanjong Katong and Geylang Si Paku Geylang.

There has been a number of discussions of the origins of Katong and Joo Chiat districts, and perhaps of their chronological histories. Further, technical terms "Place Identity" has also been used to give focus to the sentiments attached to a district.

Joo Chiat is the name used for many streets in our district while there is only one road with the name Katong. However, Katong is a name used for many buildings and also businesses in our area. By precedence, certainly Katong was a name used earlier than Joo Chiat to describe a district, however, that seemed to have lost momentum in the early 1900s. The feelings of what is the "Katong area" seems to extend to a wide area, some would say even wider than the Joo Chiat constituency. Moreover, Geylang, in particular Geylang Serai, being adjacent to Joo Chiat area, also bears strong association.

The songs translated here are folksongs, which may not even be of the districts Geylang or Katong of Singapore. Further, logic in lyrics may be at times sacraficed for rhyming... However, its without a doubt that these songs are still popular tunes taught in the schools and sang during national festivals and so, perhaps it is good idea to get an idea of its meanings.

 

Di Tanjong Katong (Malay Language)

Chorus:
Di Tanjong Katong, airnya biru
Di situ tempatnya dara jelita
Duduk sekampung, lagikan rindu
Kononlah pula nun jauh di mata

Pulau Pandan jauh ke tengah
Gunung Daik bercabang tiga
Hancur badan di kandung tanah
Budi yang baik di kenang jua

( Repeat Chorus )

Kalau ada jarum patah
Jangan simpan di dalam peti
Kalau ada silap sepatah
Jangan disimpan di dalam hati

( Repeat Chorus )

(Malay folksong of unknown origin, lyrics source)

Di Tanjong Katong (English translation)

Di Tanjong Katong, the water is blue
That is where you'll find pretty ladies
Missing ( you ),eventhough in one community
What more, if you're far from sight

Pandan Island far into the middle (of the sea)
Mountain Daik broken into three..
The body decays with the merging of the Earth
Good deeds will nevertheless still be remembered.

( Repeat Chorus )

If there is any broken needle,
Do not keep inside the chest
If there is any mistakes,
Do not keep inside the heart

A popular Malay love song presented in traditional "pantun style"

 

GEYLANG SI PAKU GEYLANG (Malay Language)

Chorus:
Geylang sipaku Geylang,
Geylang si rama rama,
Pulang, marilah pulang, marilah pulang bersama-sama (2x)

Jangan memegang arang,
Letak di dalam raga.
Jangan mengata orang,
Diri sendiri baik dijaga.

Jangan masuk ke kota,
Jikalau membawa pandan.
Jangan suka mengata,
Akibat nanti binasa badan.

Mari pergi menjala,
Jala di tengah kuala.
Tikus maharajalela,
Melihat kucing pening kepala.

(Malay folksong. Thirty-six Best Loved Songs of Malaysia & Singapore - Aisha Akbar. )

GEYLANG SI PAKU GEYLANG (English Translation)

Chorus:
Geylang full of ferns,
Geylang full of butterflies,
Come let's go home, let's go home together (2x)

Do not carry the charcoal,
Just put it in a basket.
Do not be quick to criticize others,
Better to watch your own behavior.

Do not go into town,
If you are carrying pandan.
Do not be gossipy,
Lest you damage yourself.

Let us go fishing,
In the middle of the river mouth.
The mouse went crazy,
Sees the cat and gets a headache.

(Translation by Lai Ah Eng based on lyrics of Thirty-six Best Loved Songs of Malaysia & Singapore - Aisha Akbar.)

 

The Girl From Katong

She was the girl from Katong
Magical Marine Parade
I wanna sing you this song
Disappearing in a fade

She caught me looking at her
From the corner of her eye

Run over me, over you
She said run over you over me..

And in a blinding flash
We ended in a crash
I got her to her feet and then she smiled at me

Composition and lyrics by Serenaide

 

Kisah Geylang Serai (Malay Language)

di waktu petang di Geylang Serai/ terang benderang sungguhlah ramai
tua dan muda miskin atau kaya/ semuanya ada terdapat di sana

begitu banyak orang jualan/ sehingga sesak sampai ke jalan
bermacam barang terdapat di situ/ kasut dan baju 'macam model baru

kalau penat carilah bai serbat/ di dekat Panggung Taj di situ tempat
kalau nak buah di situ memang murah/ kalau nak kuih tak susah pilih

berbagai bangsa yang lalu lalang/ sungguhlah puas mata memandang
itulah kisah Geylang waktu petang/ sungguh cukup ramai di Geylang Serai

Music and lyrics by Ahmad Jaffar. Youtube music video

 

Kisah Geylang Serai (English translation)

Geylang Serai in the evenings
Is brightly lit and always crowded
The young and old, the rich and poor
They can all be found mingling there

There's so many people selling their goods
The place becomes congested and pours to the streets
Everything can be found there
Shoes and clothes of the latest trend

If exhausted look for the sarabat man
In front of the Taj Theatre, not too far
If you want fruits, they are cheap
If you want cakes, just make your choice

Various races pass that area
Making eyes wander in satisfaction
T hat's the story of Geylang in the evening
Geylang Serai is always crowded

 

 

Travellers Tales - Joo Chiat Backpackers Hostels

Tourists especially backpackers and travellers are beginning to flock into our district to enjoy the special blend of Katong hospitality that we as locals already appreciate.

Just who are these backpackers? Backpackers are independent tourists that do not normally travel with a tour group. They may not have a fixed travel itinerary but rather prefer to decide as they go along how long to stay in a locality or what to see and do. The core of backpackers are between 18-25 years of age and may spend up to 1 year travelling on a "round-the-world" air ticket. Most are university graduates, culturally sensitive and keen to interact with locals to experience something heartfelt and authentic. Due to the long duration on the road, backpackers may travel on a budget but are willing to splurge on specials like exotic foods and must-do activities.

Backpackers are a different breed of tourists and backpackers hostels need to be a different breed of accommodation provider.

[Read more about Joo Chiat Tourists Accommodation- Hotels, Hostels, Guesthouses]

 

A Cat’s Tale

By Dr Tan Chek Wee

I am the doctor half of a palliative home care team that provides support to a person who wishes to die at home. The other equally important half of the team is a staff nurse.

On 14th of June, T and I visited a patient in Joo Chiat. We had a late lunch at the Chong Pang Nasi Lemak stall. I chose the vegetable ingredients of the nasi lemak as I am vegetarian.

As we were settling down to eat, I saw this lovely ticked tabby cat with an uncommon long straight tail. Most cats in Singapore have tails that are uniquely knotted.

She must be a regular visitor to this coffee shop as I saw friendly pats from customers and stallholders.

A few minutes later, two well-dressed ladies walked by. One of them called out to the cat which responded and was rewarded with some nibbles.

I pointed out the left ear of the cat to my colleague, T. The ear was tipped, i.e. it was surgically snipped during her sterilisation surgery. This symbol of a neutered cat is used in many parts of the USA and it is increasingly recognised by people in Singapore too.

The presence of a tipped ear cat in Joo Chiat means there are residents here who are aware that the care of community cats must go beyond just feeding them. The rapid reproduction capability of cats can result in numbers too big for some residents to tolerate, with some residents trapping cats in their gardens. The cats thus trapped are put to sleep at the AVA. Trap-Neuter-Release-and-Manage is an evidence-based effective and humane method of curbing the proliferation of cats.

The relationship of human and cats stretches back to almost 10,000 years.

They are part and parcel of our community but they need our help to reduce the conflicts between human and cats, i.e. by using humane population control methods.

In case you are wondering if a "fat good looking" cat will be too lazy to catch rodents, Roger Tabor, British naturalist and biologist and a world-renowned expert on felines, in a survey, found the house cat to be a "significant predator". As a vegetarian, I wish cats are vegetarians too!

But I really wish my fellow human beings will be kinder towards our feline neighbours and to stop killing cats at the rate of 13,000 every year for 25 years!

Sterilisation Saves Lives!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage (TNRM) is a programme to manage the community cat population.

Residents who live in the community can volunteer their time (and who are also called caregivers) to help trap the cats for sterilisation (neutering).

The neutered cats are then returned into the environment from where they came. The cats are then managed, which involves responsible feeding, care of the cats and handling of complaints from other residents who may have issues with the cats.

Trapping and killing have been practiced for more than 25 years in Singapore and it has been shown not to work. Removing cats from the area creates what is known as the vacuum effect - this means that new, unsterilised cats just move in to take over the area that has been created when the existing cats are taken away.

Sterilisation however controls the population because the sterilised cats become more territorial and drive newcomers away. They also stop cauterwauling (making mating noises), stop spraying and most importantly, stop breeding.

Residents who care for the cats also help to speak with other neighbours who may have issues with the cats and to solve their problems. This is a community based approach that involves neighbours working with their neighbours to work on issues facing the estate as a whole.

If you'd like to start a TNRM programme in your community, please contact for more information. For subsidised sterilisation slots for community cats, please write to or call 7000-CATSNIP. For any issues you may be facing with cats, please email

 

 

Joo Chiat Re-imagined!

We chanced across this project in a blog belonging to a young architectural NUS student who lives in the East Coast and whose heart is clearly with the Joo Chiat community. We asked his permission to reproduce this insightful project in our website and hope you will enjoy it too. There is much going for Joo Chiat. Yes, there is still sleaze – but it is now confined to a small section of Joo Chiat Road. Sleaze used to be found in the whole stretch of Joo Chiat Road until MP Chan Soo Sen, grassroots leaders, the authorities and residents worked towards cleaning up the neighbourhood. As MP Chan Soo Sen has said last year, Joo Chiat will be vibrant and sleaze-free by 2008. That’s the target, and imaginative effort and conviction by East Coasters and well wishers like Jeffrey can only help lead us to that. Jeff's main theme is that more community space and activities will need to be created to bring families back to the neighbourhood. If you are not already aware, the Joo Chiat CCC since the start of 2007 has been organising events at Joo Chiat Square for families every Saturday from 5.30pm to at least 7pm. Joo Chiat Square is at the junction of Joo Chiat Place and Joo Chiat Road. Residents and well-wishers are welcome to enjoy these community events and activities.

That Joo Chiat Place by Jeffrey Ang of National University of Singapore Architecture Department

As part of my architectural thesis work, I have decided to investigate into Joo Chiat as a possible area of design intervention, taking into consideration of garnering feedback from the existing community as far as humanly possible in conjuncture with the demands of my academic life.

The issues below are some of the inferred Critiques/Observations of Joo Chiat from readings, mapping n site visits:

 

Although Joo Chiat does have a very distinct feel n character (from the generally relaxed and laidback feel of people & place to the well established namesake of a food haven in Sg), residents has been steadily unhappy that it has been gradually and constantly threatened by factors such as rampant vice and the rowdy male clientele that is associated with it. It is also observed that some female residents have been choosing to walk the back lanes as they do not want to be subjected to the accusing and demeaning looks walking portions of the main street, especially at night.

The nature of the people who come for food within Joo Chiat are seemingly transient and the inherent market forces within have thus created a lack of gathering/activity space. Food has always been a strong 'pull' factor of Joo Chiat, be it the residents themselves who regularly frequent particular shops, Easterners who often come in due to proximity, to the rest of Singaporeans who generally drop by for an occasional meal. But as time n society changes, food is now also a stronger 'push' factor as insiders n outsiders alike who eat are also transient! Parking fees are back of the mind as most outsiders drive in to grab a meal n leave. Residents either eat quickly or takeaway as there is also no reason to linger around too

[Read more about That Joo Chiat Place]

 

 

Peranakan Christmas 2006!

It was a Peranakan Christmas to remember, not just for its historic heavy rains, but for its community celebrations in Katong and Joo Chiat, which were widely reported by Singapore's media.

Joo Chiat MP Chan Soo Sen and Cornerstone's Mrs Daphne Yang launching Peranakan Christmas at Katong/ Joo Chiat.

For the very first time, a kampung light-up was kindled all the way from Odeon Katong on East Coast Road through to Joo Chiat Square at the corner of Joo Chiat Road and Joo Chiat Place.

Despite threatening skies, the heavens miraculously held out as families and revellers came out in force to join the stage performers, carollers, and bazaars at Odeon Katong and Katong Mall from 22 to 24 December 2006. Seven enchanting floats came all the way from Orchard Road to add to the merriment.

  

Opps... we accidentally deleted two thirds of the pictures we took of the event... if anyone has pictures to offer, please send them through to us on

Organised by Cornerstone Community services Centre and supported by Joo Chiat Citizens' Consultative Committee, the Save Joo Chiat Work Group and Lee Foundation. The light-up also had the support of The Peranakan Association and many neighbourhood churches and civic organisations. The three-day year-end event attracted at least 10,000 residents and well-wishers.

And on 23 December, Joo Chiat MP Chan Soo Sen launched Joo Chiat Square that will be a gathering point for the community for weekend activities every Saturday in the next several years. The launch was followed up with free food and drinks for residents and well-wishers at the old Maternity Clinic car park further south on Joo Chiat Road.

Residents can look forward to another merry year-end activity in 2007. More news on this later.

 

HERITAGE

Living Peranakan Culture

If you ever need to know anything about the Peranakans in Singapore, you go no further than Peter Wee. Born Peter Wee Ban Kheng, the 54-year old Baba is Singapore's leading authority on Peranakan culture. [Read more about Living Peranakan Culture]

 

Poem by Evelyn Chow

Joo Chiat in its splendour of today
Is no different from its 50’s heyday
Thanks to modern conservation
The buildings are still in pristine condition
The Red House especially
Brings back memories of freshly baked cakes & pastry
The coffee shop at junction of Joo Chiat & East Coast
Was famous for char kuay teow, char siew rice & kaya toast
Not to mention the ice balls during intervals in Roxy
Slurping and dripping as we tarry
In between kachang puteh and laksa curry
Those were the days when movies were 50 and 70 cents
Which do not cause our allowance to dent
We are proud to say that memories of bygone years
Are still alive today which we hold dear

 

Joo Chiat Nostalgia

by Colin Chee

As I tap away on my laptop, Joo Chiat's sea breeze wafts through the open door and windows. It brings with it the faint salty scent of the South China Sea.

This time of the year, the breeze is almost constant - cooling the tarmac, lifting the curtains and gently shaking the trees. There's no need for air-conditioning. No need for that for six months at least till past January. [Read more about Joo Chiat Geography & Weather]

I recall the sea smell was stronger once, long ago, before the sea got pushed out at least three kilometers. [Read more Joo Chiat Stories]

 

CREATIVE ARTS

Cristene Chang - Printmaker, Mixed Media Artist

Among Joo Chiat's artists are some of Singapore's better known creative mavens.

Cristene Chang Hoei is a contemporary printmaker and mixed media artist who explores abstraction and nature motifs in her works. Her early art instruction included Chinese ink and finger painting under the late pioneer finger painter Wu Tsai Yen. [Read more about Cristene]

Poh Ju Yong, Terry - Sculptor, Mixed Media Artist

Poh Ju Yong is a painter and sculptor who employs various materials including stone, wood and metals (bronze, aluminium). Often adopting a minimalist aesthetic, his works are inspired by the natural environment as well as city urban imagery. He has also created installations, assemblages and mixed media works that integrate relief work & printmaking techniques on their surfaces. [Read more about Terry]

 

Heritage in Watercolour!

Jonathan is a young artist, songwriter and singer actively involved in the local music scene. He graduated from La Salle -RMIT with a Master of Fine Art (painting) degree in 2004 and has been working with young people groups. Jon is also a freelance artist and illustrator.

Between 2000 and 2002, after his National Service, Jon joined an international Christian rock band, "No Longer Music" which was based in new Zealand. They toured Latin America, Eastern Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand. In Auckland, Jon worked with marginalized city youths in-between tours.

Doodling ever since he was old enough to hold a pencil, Jon now enjoys experimenting in watercolours. His Kampong Arang sketches done in 2000 were put in a calendar by St Hilda's Church as well as the South-East CDC. Currently, he is doing a series of street scenes some of which are used on this website and some sold to private collectors.

Come visit our Gallery to acquire Jon’s original watercolours! [Read more Joo Chiat Gallery]

BUSINESS

The Magic Cookery School

Tucked away in a little corner along Haig Road is a small cookery school.

It is home-based cooking set in a lovely garden. It is as if you were in Bali. Or Hawaii. Or in some deserted green oasis, far from the madding crowd. [Read more about The Magic Cookery School]

Be Aspired. Aspire -Cafe, Dance, Wellness

Thinking of having a splendid dining experience, engaging in a romantic ballroom or hot Latin dance with your partner, and enjoying a professional facial treatment, all in one place for your convenience? Think of Aspire Cafe, Dance, Wellness.

Aspire specialises in offering a total lifestyle concept of integrating a cafe, a dance school/studio and a skincare salon, all under one roof. [Read more about Aspire Cafe, Dance, Wellness]

 

 

Malay Bridal Services

Unknown to many, there has been a quiet shopping revolution of sorts in Joo Chiat's nooks and corners. At least eight Malay bridal shops have quietly opened in the area since not so long ago. [Read more about Malay Bridal Services]

 

About Us

Ours is a story of a community coming together with a vision: to rebuild a neighbourhood where residents can raise their families in a safe, secure and sleaze-free environment.

Joo Chiat has a vibrant Peranakan and Eurasian heritage, and in many intimate ways, it is also a multi-cultural and multi-religious hub. Known for its great street foods, it has also begun to see a more eclectic mix of East-West restaurants and 24-hour kopitiams. [Read more About Us]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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