Travels in Parallel Realities

MATI RMONI ALORPHANAGE

t he r e ’ ss t i l l hope . . .

1986— PRESENT

GREAT W ORLD SHOPPING CENTRE

1950—1979 REVIVAL OF GREAT W ORLD AM USEM ENT PARK

1942—1945

prison for Australian prisoners-of-war ( POW s)

1930s Tua Seh Kai-Great w orld am usem ent park is established

1920s

Chinese cem etery

2011-present

CHIJM ES IS BORN;ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY

5Novem ber 1983 Death of the convent of the holy infant

5Novem ber 1991-1996 RESTORATION W ORKS

1854—1859 START OF THE ORPHANAGE PROGRAM

1840—1952 DEVELOPM ENT OF Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus ( CHIJ)

P E R S O N A

COLLECTING ORPHANS FROM THE “GATE OF HOPE” It was only in 1854that Singapore received its pioneering m ission of IJ Sisters com prising M other M athilde Raclot,M other St Appollinaire,Sister St Gregory Connolly and M other St Gaetan.

(Infant Jesus ( IJ)Sisters in France )

The gate of hope was a second chance for m any abandoned new borns w ho had survived until the m orning before the Sisters picked them up.

rituals Caldw ell House

cooking, EDUCATING and M AINTAINING THE UPKEEP OF THE THE ESTATE THE ORPHANAGE,DORM ITARIES

(COLONIAL SINGAPORE M EDIVAL NUNS )

SLEEPING AND LOUNGING QUARTERS The sisters lived in a house called Caldw ell House,w hich was located at the corner of Bras Basah Road and Victoria Street.

TOW N HALl (VICTORIA CONCERT HALL)

CHURCH OF THE INFANT JESUS ( CHIJ) CHAPEL

SELLING EM BROIDERED GOODS AT TOW N HALL,TO THOSE OF HIGHER SOCIAL STATUS SINGAPORE GENERAL HOSPITAL Nuns volunteered their tim e to nurse at the hospital IN THE 1800s there was a shortage of NURSES IN HOSPITALS ,AND AS SUCH THE NUNS FROM CHIJ VOLUNTEERED TO

ATTEND M ASS :0615 They began w ork im m ediately and com m enced classes,in the process establishing the first Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus ( CHIJ)school in Singapore

TELOK AYER M ARKET THE EARLIEST M ARRET (~1800s )W HERE THE NUNS BUY THEIR GROCERIES from to cook m eals.

2020 ONEM AP DUE TO THe school being m oved from the convent to toa payoh,the nuns have also been transfered.

THE CONVENT HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM THAT OF A CHURCH TO A com m ercial VENUE THAT SERVES AS A W EDDING VENUE,W ITH RESTURANTS AND BARS.

1999

( 14)Electoral M ap for Kam pong Glam DUE TO THE CONVENT ESTABLISHING AS A SCHOOL IT WAS GRANTED GOVERNM ENT FINANCCIAL AID, SO THEY NEED NOT REQUIRE TO SEE THEIR EM BROIDERED GOOD AT TOW N HALL ANYM ORE. THE GENERAL HOSPITAL THEN GAINED M ORE NURSES IN THE W ORKFORCE,AND THUS THE NUNS STARTED TO W ITHDRAW L FROM THE HOSPITAL IN THE 1900S.

1943 Syonan-to City Street M ap. [ Singapore] M ajority of the orphans and nuns had left for M ALAYA,BAHAU -IN HOPES OF FINDING M ORE FOOD.SINGAPORE WAS WAS FACING EXTREM E FOOD SHORTAGED DUE TO W ORLD WAR 2.

1836 M ap Of The Tow n And Environs Of Singapore THE CONVENT WAS BEGINNING TO GROW, EXPANDING UP TO ALL 9LOTS ON VICTORIA STREET. IN BLUE,ARE THE POSSIBLE PATHS THE NUNS W OULD TAKE TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES.

I NTHE1800S

how t heor phanswer er ai s ed

“GateofHope�

now

1855-1983

t hen Or phanswer eaccept edt hr ought he Gat eofHope-manyofwhi chwer e f emal esduet ot hepr ef er encet omal e chi l dr eni nt hepas t ,andal s os uper s t i t i on.

T hef or m oft heGat ehasmai nl y r emai nedt hes ameduet opr es er vat i on ef f or t st omoment ot heGat e.

Oper at i onsoft hedoorhads ei z edi nt he 1980swhent heconventconver t edi nt o acommer ci al s i t e.

ORPHANAGE

:nur s er y 1855-1983

t hen

now Al l t heor phanswer ebr oughtupi nt hemai nor phange bui l di ng,whi chhasbeenconver t edf r om t her es i dent i al bui l di ngt omul t i pl epr i vat ehol di ngsf orF oodand Bever agesout l et s .

w hat rem ains

“MARCHEENMARES ENCEETS OI SPARF AI T ” -Wal kal ongwi t hmeandbeper f ectmur al

L ouvr eddoor s

J adedecor

col umnsar ecar vedwi t hmot i f sof t r opi cal f l owerandbi r dsby

t r ans om wi ndow wi t h Buddi s ts ymbol i s m

I r onS pi r al s t ai r cas ewi t h I s l ami cs ymbol i s m

But r es s es

Chapel S pi r e

S t ai nedgl as swi t hChr i s t i an s ymbol i s m

“Gat eofHope”

embr oi der y:

hands t i t c hedembr oi der y

war pc l ot har oundďŹ ngert oc r eat et ens i on

t hr eadt hr ought het ens ec l ot h

i r ont het hr eaddownt ot hef abr i c

bas i cembr oi der ys t i t c hes

r unni ngs t i t c h

Runni ngs t i t c hc anbewor k edi navar i et yof pat t er nst or epai rr i psandt ear s , andar eper f ec t f orvi s i bl emendi ng.

s t em s t i t c h

St em s t i t c hi soneoft hemos tc ommonand bas i cembr oi der ys t i t c hes .ti sus edf r equent l y i ns ur f ac eembr oi der y , f r eef or m embr oi der y ,

bac ks t i t c h

whi ps t i t c h

t hes es t i t c hesf or ml i nesandar emos tof t enus edt o Awhi ps t i t c hi sas i mpl es ewi ngs t i t c ht hati sus edi n out l i nes hapesandt oaddďŹ nedet ai l t oanembr oi der ed c r oc het i ng, k ni t t i ngands ewi ng.

I ti sus ual l yus edt o pi c t ur e.

I ti sal s ous edt oembr oi derl et t er i ng. c i r c l eanedgeoft hef abr i c .

1

3 2

4

break dow n of the facilities in CHIJm es

Roof

Basem ent

BAR

spa

RESTURANT

GYM

WATABE W EDDING GROUP

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

Sum m er solstice NorthEast W inds

W INTER solstice

SOUTHERN W INDS

matri moni alorphanage sick of waiting for the one?

Finding a perfect life partner HAS never BEEN this easy

W edding

m atch m aking process

learning process

embr oi der y:

whati sus edi nhands t i t c hedembr oi der y

el ement-beer

Beerbat hspr ovi det hes ki nal otofnut r i ent s ,s uchasvi t ami ns ,pr ot ei nsands acchar i des .

F ort hi sr eas on,i tavoi dst hewr i nkl esf or mat i onandpr event st hef l acci di t y.Bot ht he bubbl esandt hewar m wat erbat hsr educet hes t r es sandt hemus cl et ens i on.I nt hi s way,t hemus cl epai nswi l l di s appear .

el ement-but t r es s s es Chancedencount er samongs t st hef l yi ngmaz e.

T hr ought hemaz eoff l yi ngbut t r es s es ,t heor phansgoi ns eekofot heror phanst hatcoul dbet hei r per f ecthal f .T her andom f or mat i onoft hebut t r es s escr eat esamaz el i kes t r uct ur es ,whi chaf f or ds t oal l ow t heor phanst ocl i mbhi ghert ogai nahi ghervant agepoi nt ,orhi dei nt hes hadows .

Onl ywhent heor phansal l ow t hems el vest ol etgoandf l yamongs tt hes ebut t r es s es ,cant heyf i nd whatt hei rhear t ss eeks .

GAS T RONOMY

CONT EMPL AT I ONBAR HOUS E

T hebat hhous ecr eat esanat mos pher et hat al l owsf orus er st of eel r el ax edenought o engagei nconver s at i onsandcont empl at i on wi t honeanot her .Act i ngast hepr emar i t al couns el l i ngi nt hi spas s aget omar r i age

CORRI DOROFHOPE pr oces sofl ear ni ng

CORRI DOROFMET RI MONI AL REMEMBERENCE T hecor r i dori sl i nedwi t hr es t ur ant st hatonl y s er veomakas e-whi char ei ns pi r edbyt he chef ’ sownex per i encesi nt hei rmar r i dgel i f e.

T hi soneononeper s onex per i encewi t ht he chefwi l l al l ow f ort he“or phan”t oex per i ence t hes t or i est hes echef swi s ht ot el l t hr ough t hei rf ood.

PERMI S S I BL EL ABOUT I QUE Onl ywhent henunappr oveoft hecoupl e, wi l l t heyenbr oi deradr es sands ui tf ort he coupl ef ort hei rweddi ng pr oces sofmar r i age

T HEF L YI NG MAZ EOF CHANCEDENCOUNT ERS

GRADUAT I ONCHAPEL

f i r s tf l oor

C C

BB

AA

BB

AA

C C

DD

s ect i on:t hi r di t er at i on

C ONCI SECT

B ONBI SECT

DRUNKL AUNDROMAT

NURT URI NG CORRI DOROF L ABOROUSGAS T RONOMY

C ONCI SECT

D ONDI SECT

DRUNKL AUNDROMAT F oodWas t eandl ef t over sar ecol l ect ed andus edt ocr eat et heal cohol madei n t hedi s t i l l er y.

T hatal cohol i sus edt ohel p was hdi r t yl aundr yandl i nen.

Handwas hi ngcl ot hesi sanot herl os tar t ofdomes t i cl i f e,whi cht heor phanscan pi ckupher e.

CORRI DOROFHOPE pr oces sofl ear ni ng

NURT URI NG CORRI DOROF GAS T RONOMI CL ABOR T hecor r i doral l owsf ort he“or phans ”t ocome andl ear ndomes t i cs ki l l si nr el at i ont ot hatof cooki ng.

T hi scanhel pi ncul cat ewi t hi nt heor phansa gr eat erappr eci at i onf ort het hi sl aborof l ove,andt eacht hem t hem s acr ednes sof domes t i cl i f e.

CONT EMPL AT I ONBAR HOUS E T hebat hhous ecr eat esanat mos pher et hat al l owsf orus er st of eel r el ax edenought o engagei nconver s at i onsandcont empl at i on wi t honeanot her .Act i ngast hepr emar i t al couns el l i ngi nt hi spas s aget omar r i age

T HEF L YI NG MAZ EOF CHANCEDENCOUNT ERS Onl ywhent henun appr oveoft hecoupl e, wi l l t heyenbr oi dera dr es sands ui tf ort he coupl ef ort hei rweddi ng

HI DDENPERMS I BL ENES T BOUT I QUE pr oces sofmar r i age

GRADUAT I ONCHAPEL