Modern But Gone Kampong Ayer

Apologies to those who visit my blog in the early morning. Today, the posting is late. You see, I start my leave today. A few weeks ago, I realised that I have not taken leave for Hari Raya for about 20 years. I remembered the first few years before I got married, I did take Raya leave to join my parents when they were posted to Singapore but that was in the 1980s.

Anyway for this leave, I haven't planned on doing anything much but just to enjoy the atmosphere of spending the last few days in Ramadhan with my family before Hari Raya plus catch up with my quran reading. I have about 4 juz left. Hahahaha... the phone just rang. I have just been called back to go to the office.

Anyway, before I go, I want to post this photograph:


This to me is a modern postcard of Brunei. But go to Kampong Ayer and see if you can find this scene. This scene has already gone. There used to be many shops in Kampong Ayer especially the shops fronting the road which has now been demolished to make way for the riverfront at Yayasan. I remembered too there was a walkway where there was a makeshift market and many people used to go there to buy fish. That has gone too.

This is a modern postcard but you find that it is not as modern as you think. In fact, think of it. There are many things we have lost recently. Buy any postcard of Jerudong Park. The postcards being sold still shows the rides which are no longer there. I am already buying these postcards. They are already history.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Oh, I remember this scene. This used to be place to buy crisps in huge packets and to buy tikaman!

Too bad, it is now gone forever.
I remember the Indian ice-cream seller(at the RHS of the postcard)going around the Kg Ayer when we visited our relatives there. What a treat!
SB said…
Thanks Tuan for bringing back memories of yesteryear.....I used to sell durian from our family's pulau buah across the Brunei River (to be exact at Kg Buang Tengkurok - not sure if people knows of this kg!?) right at the very spot shown in the photo with my late grandmother whom I fondly called (and still do) mama! The durian kuning and otak udang galah were such a hit that they barely lasted 30 minutes! Good old days....sigh!!
ungkayah said…
sobs sobs brought back those memories from childhood
We call that area Tambing...
One of the shop was rented by my late great grandmother Nini Hjh Piah! Famous for her cendol gulanau which were only available during Ramadhan... I used to help her to push the cart from her house at Kg Ujong Tanjong to her shop...
City of many waters. said…
I truly believe if we invest in Kg Ayer, not just renovate all the houses etc. but do a whole revamp of the 'city' keeping in mind its cultural designs and heritage. Its going to be one of the most beautiful unique places on earth. I have that vision in my mind, I believe it will cost around $1 billion, a total renovation, revamp not just an 'update', but most importantly it has to have that cultural sense, revamp not to modern times but to how our ancestors would want in this day and age, sounds alot but its worthwhile all the energy and cost put into it because it is the very place where Brunei was founded.
Anonymous said…
The MOST important right now IS to clean the river of rubbish and make the water blue like the times when our grand grand fathers used to live. Right now we do not have a real plan except cleaning 'functions' now a then to show to the authority that they are doing something. I remembered one night on RTB news the MOD people scooping out the rubbish by boat. That was a very silly silly method. Don't know whether those guys still going out the river doing it. Unbelievable.
DB said…
Kawasan Kampung Sultan Lama bah ni ah?
Anonymous said…
My wife happened to discover the above posted postcard by chance. I was one of the boys standing right behind a lady whom we called 'Tengah Hajah Maisah'. She is my late mom's first cousin. What I could still remember is that the picture was taken by an English man sometimes in the year 1979 when I was nine. I am already 42 now. We were actually accompanying our mom with her small scale seasonal business selling rambutans and 'rebung' (young bamboo shoot). I would like to thank the person who actually posted this picture.

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