We may recognise this row of
colourful shophouses, but not many of us are aware of the lives
that were built inside them.
Gangabai's grandfather first
purchased two houses -- number 6, where she lives, and number 4,
beside it (on the right in this picture)
The youngest of five, 86-year-old
Arumugam Gangabai was among the first generation to be born and
raised in the peach unit on Koon Seng Road
The inside wall of the house,
which Haridass and his wife say was knocked down by a Mercedes
driver some years ago. The driver subsequently had to pay for its
restoration -- it had by then already been designated as a heritage
site!
The walls in the house are filled
with religious images and pictures from almost 90 years of history
with Gangabai's family. Pictured here is the alcove beneath the
staircase where Gangabai sleeps, now that she is unable to climb
the stairs.
The dining room is vast, its
table seats at least six people, and leads into a large kitchen
visible through the window.
In the dining room and outside
the kitchen is a portrait of Gangabai's uncle and husband -- a very
respected father-figure in the family.
Part of the vast country-style
kitchen all the way inside the house, where Gangabai used to cook
for more than 30 people at one point.
These paintings on the wall are
done by Gangabai's children, in-laws and grandchildren -- many of
whom happen to be very artistically-inclined
This copper carving was also done
by one of Gangabai's children
This bathroom wall was
hand-painted by Gangabai's youngest daughter Mala, a retired army
officer-turned childcare teacher
These beautifully-painted tiles
were from the original roof of the house, before the tiling was
replaced. They were, of course, painted on by Gangabai's
daughters.
