Week 9 was a very eventful week. I did go on a new adventure, but before I get to that I must say that the biggest event of my Week 9 was that my 99 year old grandfather went to heaven. I can only imagine the celebration. I can only imagine seeing Jesus for the first time. I think I'll just want to crawl into His lap. My grandfather was a very important part of my life. He taught me how to paint. He bought me my first canvases and real paints. I still remember his hands on mine. He was always so organized and did too much research into and about everybody's business. lol. He did crossword puzzles each day to keep his mind sharp. Most importantly, he was truly a man of God and such a great witness for Him. I really respect that. I am so sad to have lost him, but I know that I'll see him again. With Jesus. In His lap.
This week, I went on a tour of Singapore's famous black and white houses, or "Black and Whites", as they are called. These are traditional single family houses or "bungalows" that date back to Singapore's colonial times. Their exterior is - you guessed it - black and white, with large gardens, and they are very distinctive. I'd seen some of these beautiful houses around the city and was curious what these were all about, so I booked a tour to find out.
These white houses with black shutters and trim were built from the 19th century to WWII. They housed wealthy expats of the British empire as well as the British armed forces. There are about 250 left in Singapore, all different sizes, and of various architecture. The architecture is a mix of European, yet also built to accommodate the residents in Singapore's harsh humidity.
Here is a great article with one family's account who live in a B/W house:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/greathomesanddestinations/11gh-singapore.html?_r=0
The first house we visited showcased a large porch used for siestas, bringing down the black and white blinds. There was a peculiar patch of rocks in the driveway, or underneath the porte chache, which were used to catch oil from old cars. The windows used to be shutters, not windows. Members of the British army originally lived here. There are black and white buildings nearby that used to be used for military, but are now stores and restaurants. Oil palms surround the house, which were used on plantations. Although the house boasts a modern kitchen, it was build in 1935. This area, known as Tanglin, (very popular amount expats today) is the name of old trees, called Tangalan. The trees with pink leaves are cinnamon trees. We were told rent for these houses are at least $20,000 SGD per month. Large gardens, or jungles?, surround the house where you can find a multitude of plants, flowers, monkeys and reptiles. Yikes.
Above is a letter signed by King Phillip
The second house was built post-war. There's a durian tree in the back yard that blooms in December. Durian is a very popular fruit in Singapore. It smells like body odor. Therefore, I have not tasted it. You'll see a flat roof over the garage which used to be servants quarters. Traditionally, Asians wouldn't live in black and whites because they associate them with death. In fact, when someone died, a Singaporean would wear silver jewelry, no jade and white clothes for one year. The next year they would wear black, then blue for the next year, then they'd go back to wearing the traditional red color.
The third house was also built post war. They were used as police quarters. The grounds boast over 200 varieties of figs!
The traveler palms grow in a north south direction like a fan.
Fan Palms above
Lipstick Palms, above
The fourth house represented the first kind of colonial bungalow built. We were told that when the British went to India, they discovered what a bungalow was - a one story house. Then they went to Malaysia and copied their houses. They saw houses built in cross form with three of the wings being used as bedrooms to catch the breeze on all sides.
The fifth house was a Swiss cottage. There are a total of six of these houses built by the same architect in 1938. They are unique with two story servant houses. Some of the trees in this garden were used to make coffins by the Chinese. Now, only cremation is allowed in Singapore due to lack of space. Singapore has the most kinds of palm trees in the world. The house is built in crucifix form. They turned car parks, where horse and carriage went through, into sitting areas. The blinds are unique because they are handmade with bamboo. They are made every year. They let the breeze in, but keep the sun out. One interesting fact is that if a black/white house has air-conditioning, it must be painted every two years. Legally, they can paint the interior any color while living in the house, but must paint white again when they move. These houses used to have no toilet, water or electricity. These old windows used to open outwards and were just a board of wood. The roof is built so rain can't come in, yet air can come in.
Above shows the kind of trees used to make coffins, when coffins were allowed in Singapore.
In 1933, houses were built on stilts. The land was cleared by elephants.
These trees above are Tapioca trees - originally, they were stalks with leaves eaten by army men.
