The ghosts of yesterday

Thrilled by a short visit to the Changi Chapel/Musuem, I was aching to bring Kimono there. We took a trip down on Sat - upon reaching the place at 7pm, we realised that it was closed. Nevertheless, we saw the chapel behind bars (literally, since it was closed) :p A proud bomb-shell cross stands in the middle of the chapel. Wreaths and flowers peppered the walls.

The musuem showcases a large number of caricatures, photographs and murals. They were the works of the American and Australian POWs who resided there during WWII. One particular mural sketched by a POW caught my attention. It was titled: "2 malaria with a cholera" - it was a picture of 2 POWs who contracted malaria, and cld hardly walk themselves, supporting a fellow cholera-strickened POW back to the bunk. The living conditions were very harsh, the POWs were not given proper meals and medication, and were made to work even when they were sick. As a result, thousands of them died before they can witness the end of war.

Tools, trinklets and make-shift clothings/shoes from those days were on display. Small notes left behind by the loved ones of the POWs, or even the POWs themselves were thumb-tacked to the walls. An adjacent room had 5 wonderful colored murals painted on it's walls. It was a chapel back then. These murals were an offering from one of the POW who survived malaria. He was quoted as saying that the beautiful hymns he heard while he was fighting malaria brought him back to life. To thank God, and the church that nursed him back to life, he stole paint from billard chalks and the shipyard to start work on his murals. He was too weak to paint - he had to have a fellow POW support him, and took a rest for every 15min that he painted.

Beautiful and sad stories were reminisced by the photographs and articles. Dark humour exude from the caricatures, showing us that even in the dimmest point of one's life, there sld always be a ray of hope and a time for humour :) Due to the time constriant, I did not have time to complete every display while I was there. I hope to go back soon to have a second tour again ;)