Granny's house

This was my Grandma's house in Hougang. This was the house where my Mom and all her siblings lived in for most of their adult lives till they got married. The house has been demolished many years back when my Grandma moved to a HDB flat. This house has many childhood memories for me and my sis.

When sis was born, she was looked after by my maternal Granny while I was looked after by my paternal grandparents. My sis stayed in this house for the first 5 - 6 years of her life and only went home during the weekends. I on the other hand, stayed in my Ah Gong's shophouse in Cecil St for the first 5 - 6 years of my life till we moved to a HDB flat when I was in final year kindergarten (the K2 of today).

We spent most of our school holidays during primary school in Grandma's big house, which we would keep our Grandma and Great Grandma company during the day time. And at night, all my uncles and aunties would be home after work and we had had dinner together. There were 6 bedrooms in the house, the living room and a long porch. There is another inner living room after the grand hall and the kitchen was huge with even a well inside the kitchen. Next to the house was another hut where there were 2 rooms. We called this hut the "Office" because that was where my Grandpa's office was (he was a businessman), and also my eldest uncle's office after that.

And there was plenty of open space outside the house with a big garden. In front of the house, overlooking the fence was a big field with swings. We used to play around the house or outside or at the field. Sometimes when it rained, there would be puddles under the swings, and we would catch tadpoles. At night when we sleep, there was always the sound of crickets. It was at this house that I first learned how to ride a bicycle, with the guide of the long fence. When I had learnt how to cycle, I would sneaked out of the house without my Grandma knowing, and cycled throughout the whole neighbourhood and another neighbourhood which.... come to think of it now, it was quite dangerous, as I cycled along the main road as well. I was about 8 or 9 years old. I enjoyed exploring places by myself and the "freedom" then. My sis would follow my Grandma to the market each morning. It was a mobile market, a hawker by the name of Ah Chwee was peddling vegetables and meat and fish in his little van, and all the aunties would buy their daily stock from him.

Sometimes we played "house" at the long porch and shifted the chairs and tables around, to the dismay of my 4th aunty. I also remember watching cartoon in the evenings like Tom & Jerry, Popeye and soppy taiwanese drama (think there was a drama starring the then very popular 谢玲玲) and also other shows starring 林青霞 and 秦汉). We also secretly dished out my aunt's cassette player and played her idols' songs like 你侬我侬 by 林竹君. Sometimes, I would switch channels to watch Hindi movies, some of which the storyline fascinated me. I remembered I received a big scolding from 4th aunt again (till today, I am still not sure why she made such a big fuss over Hindi movies). -_-"

We also played with the 3 big german shepherds; Mooch, Lucky and Daisy. They also have their own huge dog house at the back of the house, although they were elsewhere outside the house most of the time. They were such tame big giants to me then. There was once we found a lost new born puppy in the neighbourhood and we brought it home to Grandma's house. He was so adorable that I immediately named him Pappy. But we did not know how to take care of the puppy, gave him milk and cake to eat! Pappy vomitted but otherwise he was ok. My aunt called SPCA or something to come fetch him. Eventhough Pappy was with us for only one day, when the people brought him away, I cried and cried so badly. That was the only time I ever "owned" a dog, and it was for only one day.

Oh God, we had such fond and sweet memories of this house.