Home Sweet Home 孟 母 三 迁

                                                                            2010 National day celebration
                                                                            @Kovan Melody
                                                                            From left: Yeo Guat Guan
                                                                            George Yeo,
                                                                            Minister of Foreign Affair
                                                                           Andrew Yap,
                                                                           Chairman MCST3245




                                                                                   National flag flying
                                                                                   at the balcony



                                                                               Aerial view from Kovan Melody




                                                                                     Aerial view from Kovan Melody





                                                                                      Kovan Road leading to Simon Road





                                                                                 Aerial view from #15-04 Kovan Melody




                                                                                  Show flat of Kovan Melody dinning




                                                                                   Flower Road off Upper Serangoon




                                                                           Aerial view from #15-04 Kovan Melody





                                                                           Sun set view from #15-04 Kovan Melody





                                                                                  Location of Koven Melody





                                                                                   Kovan Melody sign board






                                                                                 Kovan Melody 佳裕园





                                                                            Kovan Melody swimming pool deck


Central Hotel 中央旅店
When I first migrated 移民 from China 中国to Singapore 新加坡, I was living at Tiong Bahru prewar flat for a short period before we moved to a one room apartment hotel named 中 央 旅 店 at Jalan Bersa near the Jalan Bersa stadium.
Redhill Close 红山区
My father later applied a 3 rooms HDB rented flat at RedHill Close. The monthly rental was $54 per month. It was a seven storey flat. We lived on the 4th storey. The address was Block 3, 180-c Redhill Closed. There was a red hill in front of our flat with a mud road. The road was not properly constructed.It was an undulating road. The road will become muddy & slippery whenever it rained. Many vehicles got stucked in the mud. The passers by will help to push & free the vehicles. There were some zinc roof houses on the hill. These houses had no government electricity supply. They got their power supply from their private generator. The generator only operated at night and shutted down in the day time. We saw pigs walked on the mud road frequently. The pigs were reared by the villagers.The hill was later been flattened and a tar road was constructed. It is named Jalan Bukit Merah 红 山 路. There were some new HDB buildings being constructed on the flatten land. The precinct is named Bukit Merah Central 红山中心.
Telok Blangah Crescent 直落布亚湾
My dad had decided to purchase a flat for long term ownership and had successfully obtained a 3 rooms modified corner HDB flat at Telok Blangah Crescent. The address was block 6,#11-432 Telok Blangh Crescent. The Telok Blangah flat has a very good enviroment. It is facing the Mount Faber. We can walk up to Mount Faber by using the properly constructed steps. There is a hawker centre/ wet market in front of the flat and there is a Singtel telecom exchange behind the flat. I married at the age of 27 and stayed at Telok Blangah with my parents after I married.
Dover Road 杜弗路
Under the HDB rules,married couples are eligible to purchase their own flat from HDB.I had purchased my own 3 rooms modified corner flat at Dover Road and moved out from Telok Blangah area. The address was block 38 Dover Road, 07-263. The house was facing NUH/NUS (National University Hospital/National University Singapore)国大医院/新加坡大学。 There are many educational institutes along Dover Road. They are Fair Field primary & secondary School. ITE (Institute Technical Education).The rich & famous ASC(Anglo Chinese Independent School)
Singapore Polytechnic 新加坡理工学院,New Town Secondary School光伟中学.
Woodland Estate 勿兰区
Dover Road precinct was en bloc purchased 集体收购 by HDB 建屋发展局 for other development after I moved to WoodLand estate. My address at Woodland was block 521 Woodland street 14, 08-352. It was an executive flat. The flat was spacious. The area was 143sm or 1539 sf. The woodland flat was about 20 minutes by walking to the Woodland MRT station. Due to its distance to town, we have decided to explore moving to other area.
Kovan Melody 加裕园
After staying at Woodland for 5 years we have found a ideal home at Hougang 后港 area.This is a 99 years lease hold condominium 共管公寓 called Kovan Melody 加裕园.This condominium is considered the most convenient location I ever stayed.It is just next to the MRT NE13Kovan 高文 Station. The North East (NE) line 东北线 terminates one end at Ponggoal 扳鹅and the other end at Vivio City 仪丰城.My house is facing the low rise landed properties.It has an unobstructed view.The night scene is very beautiful. I make use of the common facility like swimming pool, tennis court, gym quite often. On the other side of Kovan Melody 加裕园,facing the Upper Serangoon Road, there is a small shopping mall named Heartland Mall. There is a wet market and hawker centre next to Heartland Mall.I enjoy the convenience here.There are 2 super markets opposite my house. They are Cold Storage super market冷藏超市 and NTUC super market职总平价超市. I get my weekly supply from these 2 super markets.NTUC super market gives senior citizen (age 60 and above) extra 2 % discount on every Tuesday for purchases made at any amount.
Thank You very much NTUC for helping the senior citizens & retirees to save money ($). Cheers.......

Education Path 教育途径

                                                                                 Polytechnic class mate
                                                                                 From left: Tan Tian Huat
                                                                                                 Wong Kok Cheng
                                                                                                 Pao Ven Kong
                                                                                                 Leong Keen Sun



                                                                                Polytechnic class mate
                                                                                From left: Koh Bok Tong
                                                                                                Lim Kim Wah
                                                                                                Pao Ven Kong
                                                                                                Kowk Mee Huang



                                                                                Polytechnic class mate group photo
                                                                                Front row from left:
                                                                                Peter Tan,
                                                                                Eric Lee,
                                                                                Leong Keen Sun   
                                                                                Last row from left:
                                                                                Wong Kok Cheng
                                                                                 Pao Ven Kong






                                                                                 Pao Ven Kong trying out
                                                                                 Wong Cheung Keong scooter




                                                                                      River Valley High School
                                                                                      Secondary 4 class photo




                                                                                     Holiday at Gold Coast 


















I studied at Nan Hua Girls School 南华女校 (Bencoolen Street) from kindergaden to primary 3. It was not convenient for boys to study in a girls school, as such I had changed to Seng Poh Primary School at Seng Poh Road. I finished my primary 6 and then went to River Valley Chinese Secondary School 立化中学. At River Valley High, all subjects were taught in Chinese except for English lesson (second language) was in English text book. I was an active boy. In school, I took part in many activities like basket ball, table tennis, soccer, badminton, swimming etc. I also joined the boy scout. I used to stay back in school after the morning class for those activities. So much so that I have neglected my study and repeated my secondary 2. My Mum was very concerned of my study, she used to go to my school and catch me home. I was not happy at that moment because I felt that I was losing my freedom. But to think of it now, I am very grateful to her for what she had done for me. Otherwise I could be a school drop-out. I would end up no where and will not be where I am today.

Here is my education summary:
- Nan Hua Girls School Kindergarten to primary 3
- Seng Poh primary school Primary 3 to primary 6
- River Valley Chinese High School (1960 - 1964) Secondary 1 to Secondary 4
- Seven days Adventist School (English)1965-1966 Secondary 3 to Secondary 4
- Singapore Polytechnic building diploma 1968 - 17.7.1970
- Singapore Polytechnic advanced diploma 27.4.1991
in building maintenance & management
- Singapore Civil Defence Force & Ngee Ann
Polytechnic fire safety manager certificate 11.11.1993
- Central Queensland University(Australia) 28.6.1997
Bachelor of Construction Management

You may have noticed that I went to study in an English language school (Seven Days Adventist School) after I completed my secondary 4 education in Chinese. I took a U turn and started from secondary 3 level. Most people will proceed to pre-university 1 & 2 (present termed A level 1 & 2) before going to University. For that matter, I had taken a longer path to get my degree. Anyway, life is a long learning process.....

Made in China 中国产品

                                                                                 Left- Ven Kong 文刚
                                                                                 Right - Ven Kiang 文强




                                                                                 Photo taken at Johor palace 




                                                                               Photo taken at Red Hill Close flat




                                                                                           Age 5




                                                                               Photo taken in Shanghai 上海照




                                                                                Made in Shanghai 上海出产




My name is Pao Ven Kong 布文刚。I was made in China 中国制造 - Shanghai 上 海 摊 on 23 March 1947. My house in Shanghai was 四川北路961弄2号 My father is Pao Kwai Sheng 布桂生。And my mother is Au Sue Quan 欧秀娟。My father first came to Singapore alone. He started as an architecture draftman apprentist with a foreign Architecure firm named Palmer & Turner.He was under the guidance of a fellow Shanghainese architect called Peter Soh. Peter Soh passed away quite young (around 30+) due to some contagious desease. After the 2nd world war, My mum, my brother ven Kiang 文强 and I moved from Shanghai to Hongkong(1950) for a short stay before we came to Singapore by ship. We were first put up at a place near the Jalan Bersa Stadium called 中央旅店. It was a one room apartment with common kitchen, bathrooms and toilets. My brother and I were studied at Nan Hua Girls School from kingdergarden to primary 3. We were requested to tranfer to other school as Nan Hua was a girl school. My brother and I later studied at the Seng Poh primary school which was located at Seng Poh Road - Tiong Bahru Road. Seng Poh primary school was demolished after many years later due to no demand.