Missed our previous rooms upstairs? Read Level 2, Part 2 here!
Guni Sacks To The Rescue
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Aunty: We used guni sacks in the old days. And I always wore wooden clogs before entering our kitchen.
The Guni Sack: Because that floor was often wet?
Aunty: The kitchen opened onto a small uncovered airwell. When it rained, the water came pouring in like a waterfall!
Slippers For The Wet Kitchen
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Our kitchen opened onto a small airwell with no shelter above it. When it rained, water came pouring in like a waterfall, and the floor was always wet.
So we had to put on slippers before going into the kitchen. Those slippers were practically part of our kitchen uniform! 😄
Taking Turns In The Common Kitchen
Aunty: The Level 2 kitchen was smaller and shared by the cubicle residents on that floor.
The Kitchen: Everyone had to wait for an available stove.
Aunty: And the long waits sometimes led to quarrels. When dinner is waiting, tempers can rise too.
Mama’s Signature Sambal
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Aunty: Mama! Your signature sambal chili and limes, please!
The Mortar and Pestle: Coming right up—let’s get pounding!
Aunty’s already placing her order—Mama’s signature sambal with limes, please!
The Daily Bucket Swap
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Did they swap the full bucket for an empty today? Yes—the night-soil collectors brought empty buckets to exchange for the full ones.
Aunty: So when they collected you, did they leave an empty bucket in your place?
The Bucket: Yes, the night-soil workers swapped me for an empty one.
Aunty: Wah, must be done before you got too full, right? Wee!
Thankfully, the bucket system was replaced by modern sanitation. It was phased out gradually from the 1970s, and the remaining night-soil service officially ended in 1987.
Aunty: You served more than 40 residents on this floor?
The Bucket: And every day, the night-soil workers carried me up and down the stairs.
Aunty: What a hard job for them. I’m glad modern toilets eventually took over!
One Squeeze And Out The Door
This bathroom is like a real-life balancing act—shift one thing and the whole place goes tumbling!
Aunty: In such a small space, one move and things came crashing down!
The Bathroom: Then how did you squeeze past?
Aunty: One squeeze—and out the door I flew!
A Warm Bath For Little Aunty
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Aunty: When the weather was too cool for cold showers, Mama boiled two big kettles of water for Little Aunty’s bath.
The Stove: And first, she had to chop firewood to light me.
Aunty: So much work just to make the bath warm. Thank you, Mama!
The real motherly love—two big kettles of hot water, after chopping firewood just so Little Aunty could have a warm bath!
If Only There Was A Hawker Nearby
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Little Aunty: If you lived in my neighbourhood, could I have some leftovers?
Hawker: Work was hard to come by for my husband, so I sold desserts along the streets to feed my family.
Little Aunty: Then I hope you sell lots—and maybe there’ll be a little extra for me or could I buy them at a discount?
Hawker: Aiyoh, you’ve already worked out your bargain!
Hehe, Little Aunty’s already thinking about the leftovers! But this hawker worked hard to help feed her family, so better hope she had a good selling day first.
The 3 O’Clock Chee Cheong Fun Aunty
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Aunty: Every day at 3pm, you carried your portable stall straight into our house—no stopping at the doorstep hor!
Chee Cheong Fun Aunty: The neighbours upstairs and all around knew where to find me!
Aunty: Plain chee cheong fun, sweet sauce and chili sauce. Soon the whole house would be full of neighbours coming for their afternoon snack!
Hehe, this basket brings back a very special 3pm visitor—and my house turning into the neighbourhood’s snack stop!
Mama’s Secret Weapon
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Aunty: Papa had the washboard, but Mama, your feather duster was the most dangerous weapon for me!
Mama: Then better behave, Aunty!
Hehe, Papa had his washboard—but Aunty had to watch out for Mama’s feather duster!
A Brief Glimpse on the Way to Chinatown
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Little Aunty: Mama, look! Samsui aunties in their blue attire and red headgear!
Mama: They’re walking so fast, carrying their little rattan baskets!
I only encountered them that once, on our way to Chinatown. Then they were gone, hurrying ahead of us.
Only one brief glimpse—and it stayed with me all these years. Those Samsui aunties were already hurrying past before me and Mama could take it all in!
Blue, Red and Ready to Go
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Little Aunty: Mama, look at that striking blue and red!
Mama: And those rubber-tyre sandals—built for walking!
Little Aunty: No wonder the Samsui aunties hurried past us so quickly on our way to Chinatown!
The Mystery in the Basket
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Aunty: This was just the kind of basket the Samsui aunties carried—but they walked past so quickly, I never saw what was inside!
Basket: Aiyoh, Aunty, some secrets stay covered!
Mystery still unsolved! I saw the basket, but the Samsui aunties hurried past before I could peek inside.
Mama’s Market Basket
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Aunty: This is just the kind of basket Mama carried to the market!
Basket: Plastic baskets and shopping trolleys? Aiyoh, never heard of them!
More Memories Ahead
💭 Aunty Remembers…
Aunty: I’ll pause my walk here for now. There are more memories waiting at the next exhibit. After a little breather, I’ll continue on to the “Arrival in Nanyang” exhibit!
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