The Royal Graveyard and Other Tidbits, Kampong Glam Tour, Part III

For just being a few hours long, I learned a lot and had a great time even though it was upwards of 80 degrees with stifling humidity! I’m headed off for the Colonial District Walking Tour tomorrow, pick up laundry, find out how much it will be to ship to the U.S. and maybe get my nails done – busy day! Now is your time to laugh - I NEVER get my nails done...

Another interesting part of the Kampong Glam tour actually happened toward the beginning when Geraldine explained the Chinese used to have cutouts above the windows shaped like bats just before they take flight. It’s called a “Bat Feature” and represents good luck – you wouldn’t want your window not to have one. She says it’s a rare find in Singapore – the picture below is taken off of Haji Lane. This area also gives you a good look into the original “Shophouses.” I’ll post more about those later – they are an important architectural feature in the history of S’pore.

Have you ever thought of brushing your teeth with a Meswak Toothstick? If you peel back the top part of the stick and soak it in hot water, the fibers will fan out reminiscent of our modern toothbrushes. By the way, I didn’t try it, but at least you know what to do in a pinch. The last part of the Tour happened at the intersection of Victoria Street and Jln Kubor: the Royal Graveyard is not well maintained, but it exhibits how the royal Muslims used to bury their dead. Some of those traditions still are in practice, like burying the person within 24 hours of dying. The graves are not marked but you can tell the sex of the deceased by the shape of the gravestone. When the profile is rounded it denotes a male; if flat, a woman. If the graveyard seems cluttered it’s because the gravestones mark the head and the foot of the deceased. Additionally, in the Malay culture, yellow symbolizes royalty. So, those graves that are not within the yellow area are those that served the Royalty. As an aside, now the “Royals” of S’pore are only noted by their Identification Cards. They live among “their” fellow Singaporeans; the Royal Palace Compound is now The Malay Heritage Centre.