Travel / Singapore

Singapore HeritageFest 2007 (Part 2): Childhood Memories

By Veron Ang | Tags #history

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As promised, here’s Part 2 of my feature on the Singapore HeritageFest 2007 flagship exhibition, which I title “Childhood Memories”. (And here’s Part 1: Household Things!) This exhibition takes place at Suntec City Mall. For me...

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About the Author

Veron Ang is the founder and chief editor of Sparklette. She lives in Singapore and has dined and traveled across the world. She also runs Sparklette Studio, a web design and WordPress development firm. If you'd like to connect with her, head on over to the contact page or follow her personal updates on Twitter: @VeronSG.

Singapore HeritageFest 2007 (Part 1): Household Things

PS. Cafe – Dine in Seclusion

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45 responses

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Miccheng
July 26, 2007

Ah yes… my mistake – it is “da shui zhan”.
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Miccheng
July 26, 2007

I’ve lost plenty of erasers (and pocket money) to my classmates…

One would think that an eraser with bigger surface area will trump everyone…. but noooo… its the dirty and puny ones that seems to own the day… :D
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Alex
July 26, 2007

To Miccheng:
Yes its the dirt erasers that always seem to win. lol may be coz they’re bigger in size.

To Veron:
Yeah and ther’s also a version where the kids play with bottle caps. Can stil rem those days when me n my cousin would walk from coffee shop to coffee shop collecting bottle caps;)

miss those fun dayz
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lorewang
July 26, 2007

i like five stones.
I used to like make my own five stones using green beans =)
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lorewang
July 26, 2007

do anyone of you remember ‘da gou bang’?

This is usually make from rolling up newspaper =)
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mantou28
July 26, 2007

you guys have so much stuff to share. go to mystory.heritagefest.org.sg to write down some sweet memories and stand to win some cash prizes!
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Veron
July 26, 2007

Miccheng: lol still feeling sore after all these years?

Alex: I think those old dirty erasers won because they were more rugged. Bottle caps? That’s new to me! (Or old, whichever.)

lorewang: What do people do with the “da gou bang”?

mantou28: I would enter but I’m too lazy!
Reply
noah
July 27, 2007

打狗棒 (da gou bang) ? Is it like whacko ? You roll newspaper into rod shaped and try and hit people who will be dodging you. Whoever gets hit will become the one whacking other people ?
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Veron
July 27, 2007

lol that sounds very likely! I wonder why the heck is it called 打 “狗” 棒?
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Miccheng
July 27, 2007

Yeah… i want my Singapore flag rubber back!

I had quite alot of pencil cases back in my day… the same multi-compartment types… i probably had enuff to switch pencil cases everyday! Ha ha…
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lorewang
July 27, 2007

noah – Yes. It is called da gou bang.

Veron – many players will sit in a circle to play this game. One of them will hide the rolled up newspaper behind one of the players and whacked he/she if they didnt pick up the newspaper to chase after you, before the whacker sit down.
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Veron
July 27, 2007

Oh, THAT game! Very familiar and not just limited to childhood memories. I think it’s still currently a popular activity at kids’ gatherings and orientations in schools!
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walter
July 30, 2007

Another great post on Singapore HeritageFest. Nice work there Veron and really appreciate your help. Hope that you managed to catch some of the other highlights. Well, there are always lots of events and exhibitions at the various museums around Singapore even after Singapore HeritageFest. ;)

BTW, will be seeing you on Wednesday for the New Media sharing session chaired by Melvin Yuan. I don’t know what I am going to talk about yet but its gonna be a speech without any powerpoints for me. Too freaking busy!!
Reply
Amelia
August 19, 2007

hi i enjoyed the read
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hiutopor
September 18, 2007

Hello

Very interesting information! Thanks!

Bye
Reply
dai dai
October 31, 2007

the red, blue, green and yellow board game where im from is called (ludy) it is very easy and fun..an i would appreciate how i could get my hands on 1 of those i been searching all over for it
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Ivalingel
August 1, 2008

I remembered there were some games like:

1. Zero point by using rubber bands to make a string and jump across it. I was really amazed when a person was able to jump so high especially when the string of rubber bands was above the head.

2. Marble game. Everyone will contribute 1-3 marbles and we will draw a circle around the marbles. Then we will use our marbles on hand to hit onto the group of marbles. If any marble roll out from the drawn circle, it will become his and he could take it away.

3. Humtum balla. We will use a tennis green ball and hit onto a person. Anyone who pick up the ball can hit onto another person. The ouch factor is high if being hit by the ball!

4. Zombie game. I forgot how this was played but vaguely remember there’s such a game. It was like a touch and run game.

The games that we used to play were interactive in a way that we are able to interact with one another. Those were the days!
Reply
Siti Adawiah
March 17, 2009

Yup.These games bring memories for people above 60 yrs old.
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- Jean
  August 7, 2009
  
  I doubt those who are above 60 years old used to play all these games.
  Reply
  - Veron
    August 7, 2009
    
    I’m pretty sure they used to play five stones and chapteh, at the very least.
    Reply
Danini
June 5, 2009

I am looking for the Western Bar Game!!
Are you selling it?

Really missed that game sooooo much…
Reply
- Veron
  June 11, 2009
  
  I miss it too! I used to have one but now I can’t find it anymore! Argh!!
  Reply
benjamin
September 2, 2009

the game are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! fun
Reply