Today was a spontaneous trip to Memories at Old Ford Factory.

To be honest, I thought "Ford" would mean I'd get to see a lot of vintage cars and motorcycles and I was incredibly excited but it was actually a memorial for the Japanese occupation ah.

Let's ignore my ignorance and move on!:



Mandatory signboard shot.

Also how classy is the "memories" touch.



Was very tempted to steal the flag and wear it as a coat.



Was midway the front bits of the exhibit but was called back!

The old staff there were supremely cute. They told me they have good stuff for us to watch and signalled us into their projection room and it was a documentary on our colonized days to the start of war.

It would be a worthy watch if you're a foreigner visiting Singapore but I have also spent the bulk of my secondary school life crying over how I can't remember anything and miscellaneous vulgarities about social studies so we both walked out midway ahhhh sorry old staff!



A civilian starved because of the rationing.

There was a statue of a Japanese general who was one of the first captured when the war was over because of his multiple heinous crimes against the state and I gave his statue a pretty hand sign.



These were some of the encouraging notes and drawings the soldiers/ people sent one another to keep their spirits up and their hopes high for the end of this despairing occupation, which did thankfully end.



This was an interactive interface of the points of Singapore with a history.

Watching them made me very upset, but more towards miffed. I have no idea how a human being can be so cruel to another. I know personally I was an emotional trainwreck to my ex boyfriends but this is physical torture, how can the soul not be affected by what the body does?



Photos of the black market, the most interesting aspect as a (stupid) student of Macroeconomics.

I have been putting off my group project assignemnt for weeks because I couldn't understand for the life of me what inflation means and this place pretty much taught me with a single photo.

Eggs went from $2 a row to $200 a row in 3 months in the occupation and now I understand. Now to figure out what's price level before I miss my deadline and my group mates leave me forever.



I regret to say I'm not very sure what this is because my memory has failed me.



I also don't remember this but it's such a fancy map I had to take a photo.

Tried to look for Clementi but my neck screamed and tried to quit if I continued looking upwards (it's on the ceiling) so I conceded and just acknowledged the red arrow as Clementi (it wasn't) as there is no place like my home (there is, this was probably bukit timah).



HAPPINESS! The release of the British warriors who tried their best to defend Singapore. I imagine a lot of Singaporeans high fiving them and yelling "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN AND YOU".

I personally would just offer them a tea and a free subway ride.



The country getting back into shape after the war.



Art works of students on the Japanese occupation.



In respectful memory.



My handwriting does not define me (lies I tell myself).



I d not want to embarrass myself but I'm quite convinced this is a banyan tree.



We found a movie theater at the second floor.

We're both incredibly stumped on what it is for and tried to turn on/ off the switches but all we got were the lights going mad and we tried to make it strobe but it wouldn't work so I went off angrily hahah.



And there's a gigantic snakes and ladders outside!

Tried to play by forcing my friend to go onto the squares with me and happily shouting what square I am at next but then we saw a huge congregation of office people so I decided to be classy again.





All that was going through my mind was "they should sell food here".

But in all honesty, this place was enlightening.

When I think of the Japanese occupation, I think of pain and war and suffering. The exhibits here showcased the happy drawings the prisoners did for each other, the makeshift toys and a piano that the civilians played on to keep spirits up, and the little bits of hopes in such grey times.

There was a interesting part about Cold Storage. Because war was approaching, soldiers barged into Cold Storage and smashed all the alcohol supply. My friend and I were wondering why they'd do that.

I said, "maybe because they didn't want drunk people on the street."

And he said, "haiyo Nicole, they probably didn't want people to make home-made bombs with it. It would've been dangerous to have armed civilians on the streets."

And I realized that was the biggest difference between me, a civilian, and a soldier.

Or maybe I'm just a bimbo ah well.

Well this was incredibly worth the visit so drop by anytime! Free entry for all Singaporeans (the old staff took a look at us and said "Singaporeans? just go in!") and free parking as well.

Located at Bukit Timah and accessible from 11am to 5pm daily.