Holiday Greetings from Rainbow Ville RC

Rainbow Ville RC - Senior Citizens' Club brings Early Christmas Cheers!

Senior Citizens' Club celebrated Christmas 2009 & Mass Birthday Celebration on 19 December 2009. More than 100 residents, children and adults, gathered at the Senior Citizens' Corner for the Christmas Party. As usual, particpants bring down their home-cooked food while the organiser contributes the Birthday Cake, drinks, finger food & dessert.

Santa Claus also made a special appearance at our party with two big bags of goodies for the children. He has definitely brought joys and laughters to the children as well as the adults. We have also invited members from BBTC - Bethesda (Bedok-Tampines) Church to sing Christmas carols at our party.

At the end of the event, everyone went back in high spirits, looking forward to next year Christmas Party as well as our other upcoming RC activities.

Some snapshots from the party and have a Merry Christmas!

Our December Stars 寿星公&寿星婆.

How can one resist the food? These are home-cooked food prepared by our participants.

Our beautiful volunteers!

Christmas caroling by church members from BBTC.

Our Special Guest - Santa Claus! Guess who is he? Yup, he is our Rainbow Ville RC member - Mr Terence Aeria. Thank you Terence!

Click HERE for more photos!

Lunar New Year Celebration Cum Senior Citizens' 10th Anniversary Dinner

Have you missed our last year Lunar New Year Dinner Celebration with more then 500 residents and grassroot leaders came together for a mass "LOU HEI" as we yelled wishes for the New Year?

If yes, FRET NOT. Kampong Chai Chee Rainbow Ville Resident's Committee (甘榜菜市彩虹山庄居民委员会) will be holding its Lunar New Year Celebration Cum Senior Citizens' 10th Anniversary Dinner on 19th February 2010 (新春联欢宴会暨乐邻十周年纪念).

Our tickets are selling FAST. Get your tickets EARLY to avoid DISAPPOINTMENT!

Attractive prizes awaiting for you to bring home!

Christmas Party 2009

MP Block Visit to Block 411 Bedok North Ave 2

Mr Lee Yi Shyan, MP for East Coast GRC and Adviser to Kampong Chai Chee grassroots organisations paid a visit to Block 411, Bedok North Ave 2 on Tuesday, 15 Dec 2009. Block 411 comprises 132 units of 4 rooms HDB flat. It is currently undergoing IUP Plus with New Lift access to every floor.

Some snapshots from the block visit:

Block 411

New upgraded lift.

A happy resident.

Click HERE for more photos.

Rainbow Ville Precint Unveils Shiny New Playground

A new colourful playground for children at the Open Plaza between Blk 403 & Blk 404 was unveiled last Friday (4-Dec-09).

The multi-colored playground which took 4 months to build, under ECTC Improvement Works, comes equipped with three slides, interactive stations, disc climbers, disc traverse, clift climbers and bouncer.

The children were having fun when I was there last evening.

Joe, 7, wants to play on the equipment everyday.

"I like climbing the wall," he said. "The slide is really fun to slide down".

Shan Shan, 6, said the old playground was "boring and didn't have all this cool stuff."

The new playground was unveiled at the right time during this school holiday. It was like an early X'mas present for them. It's rewarding to see them having fun! Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho.........

The new playground was also fitted with 3 fitness equipments for the adult/elderly.

The Singapore Journey - 28 & 29th November 2009

Another National Education Programme by NACLI, allowing participants to fully appreciate the importance of their role in building a thriving and successful Singapore. This is a two-day programme with study visits to Labrador Park, Fort Canning Hill, War Memorial Park, 'Reflections at Bukit Chandu' and Grassroots Heritage Centre.

As usual, let me share with you some photos that I have taken during the field trip. Let's begin the Singapore Journey from here....................................

Day 1 - The Lion City History Trail

We started our Singapore Journey learning from two videos screening on Singapore history - Title "Days of Fire" when Singapore was under British colonial  rule and "Day of Darkness" when Singapore was conquered and occupied by the Japanese Empire from 1942 to 1945.

After the 2hr video screening, we had our lunch before our field trip.

They are my fellow course mates - grassroots leaders from various constituency.

The journey that everyone was looking forward to.....say cheese..........The man on the left is our course leader Mr Tay Nguan Tong, Principal Trainer (Community Development Programme).

1st Stop : Labrador Park

Labrador Battery is one of the surviving gun emplacements in Singapore today. The battery boosted two 6-inch guns facing south, weighing 16 tons each. They had a range of over 10 miles and could fire a 102-pound shell with a 31-pound cartridge.

Labrador Park was one of the prepared defensive positions. In the Battle for Pasir Panjang, these guns aided the Malay Regiment by firing high explosive shells at advancing Japanese troops along the coastal road. Tunnels and bunkers beneath the Battery was used to supply ammunition and included living quarters for troops.

2nd Stop : Fort Canning Hill

Fort Canning Park is the most historic part of Singapore. It underwent serveral name changes from Bukit Larangan (Forbidden Hill) to Government Hill and lastly, when it became the present Fort Canning. During the occupation of Singapore by the Japanese, Fort Canning was used by the Japanese military authorities. In 1963, the British handed over Fort Canning to the Singapore Military Forces. Between 1963-1965, the 4th Malaysian Infantry Brigade Headquarters was housed at Fort Canning until Dec 1966 when Fort Canning was handed over to the SAF.

The Fort Gate

This gate and the adjoining wall are all that remain of a fort which was built on this hill between 1859 and 1861.

Fort Canning Green

This used to be the old Christain Cemetery until 1865. Those tombstones that were removed were set into the wall surrounding Fort Canning Green.

The Archaeological Dig Exhibition

Archaeological research on this site began in 1984. Thousands of artefacts have since been uncovered, confirming the historical significance of Fort Canning even before the arrival of the British in 1819.

3rd Stop : Civic District

Civilian Memorial Park

The Civilian Memorial Park was erected to remind of the shared experiences and struggles that the major races of Singapore faced during the World War II. Four pillars rise more than 60 meters high to symbolise the shared experiences of four major races of Singapore - Chinese, Malay, Indian and other races.

Tan Kim Seng Fountain

This is a beautiful Victorian fountain built in recognition of Tan Kim Seng, a prominent Chinese community leader and philanthropist who donated a sum of $13,000 in 1857 to the Municipal Council for the purpose of bringing free piped water to the Town.

Lim Bo Seng Memoriable

This marble pagoda is a memorial dedicated to Major-General Lim Bo Seng an outstanding World War II hero who led the anti-Japanese resistance movement.

Day 2 - The Bukit Chandu Trial

Today journey covered Kent Ridge Park, Reflection at Bukit Chandu & Tour of Grassroots Heritage Centre.

After our morning tea-break, all of us were ready to "conquer" the 280-metre long tree-top canopy walk which links Kent Ridge Park to the museum "Reflections at Bukit Chandu".

A scenic walk to Kent Ridge Park

Group photo taken with an AMX-13 Light Tank donated by Ministry of Defence.

Start of the canopy walk

Reflections at Bukit Chandu

Reflections at Bukit Chandu is a World War II interpretative centre developed and managed by the National Archives of Singapore, located on Bukit Chandu (Opium Hill) off Pasir Panjang Road in Singapore.

The museum's exhibition gallery covers the history of World War II in Malaya, detailing the late 1930s socio-political climate of the Malay Peninsula, Japan's invasion plans and the British strategy for defending Singapore. There are exhibits of photographs, maps and artefacts. The recruitment, training, principles, and value of the Malay Regiment are represented, including through documentaries commissioned by the National Archives of Singapore, World War II paraphernalia, and witness testimony from the survivors.

Bukit Chandu Theatre - Sounds of Battle

Well of Reflection

Memories of War from Survivor

Grassroots Heritage Centre

The Grassroots Heritage Centre chronicles the history of grassroots organisations through a rich array of grassroots artefacts, historical accounts, pictures, audios reels and exhibits. The centre also features a mock up of a 60s community centre.

I found my Kindergarten's uniform!!

Can you see Bedok Town Council sign board?

End of the two-day Singapore Journey. It has been an interesting and knowledgeable session for me. I have a better understanding of Singapore's history, particularly its progress from a small fishing village to a modern city-state. This course has also enhanced my sense of national identity and rootedness. All of us in this course has also learnt about the importance of maintaining social harmony in nation building. Knowing about the tribulations that Singapore had to overcome, coupled with an understanding of the challenges facing it and its fragilities would call for our resilence in overcoming them so that Singapore may flourish.