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Exciting Life Updates

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I know I haven’t been updating this blog because I’m too lazy. Years 2 and 3 have been an exciting flurry of business (both work and busy-ness). I constantly spew bite-sized thoughts that stream into my mind on Instagram Stories anyway, and I am remarkably easily bored and excitable, so longer, more considered pieces on Blogger aren’t sustainable. I digress. Many exciting life updates! I’m now officially done with my undergraduate PPE programme at King’s College London. I loved every bit of it: the depth, rigour and intellectual intensity of the course, the international student community, the bustling city of London and all the travel opportunities around Europe. Words can’t do justice to the profundity of the experience. In typical Quincean fashion, I milked everything I could out of the three years: went to Cumberland Lodge (for free) as a photographer with the Philosophy Department in Years 1 and 3, clinched the Principal’s Global Leadership Award (PGLA) in my second year (spending
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义烈庙 Gī-lia̍t-biō (姑妈宫 Koo-má-king) in Telok Blangah, Singapore

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Yesterday, I did some temple-hunting. While researching the original 义烈庙 Gī-lia̍t-biō (姑妈宫 Koo-má-king) in my maternal ancestral hometown of 峰尾 Phang-bué in 泉港 Tsuân-káng, I discovered a post by my friend, uncle Victor Yue, about a branch of the temple in Singapore. The 义烈庙 Gī-lia̍t-biō (姑妈宫 Koo-má-king) is dedicated to 姑妈娘娘 Koo-má-niû-niû, the apotheosised historical figure 刘益娘 (1499–1518) venerated by 峰尾 Phang-bué locals for her magnanimity and heroism. Apparently, after migrating to Singapore, members of the 峰尾 Phang-bué 刘 Lâu clan founded the Singapore branch at Craig Road.



According to this 2005 blog post on Sin Tua 神坛 in Singapore, the temple’s location is “somewhere in Telok Blangah Crescent”. Refining further, Jeffrey Low’s comment on Victor’s post states that the temple is located at “corner 3 room apartment, 6 storey Blk 6 Telok Blangah Crescent”. Terence Tay’s corrective reply states that “[t]he tua is at Blk 5 telok blangah crescent”.

Curious and eager to ascertain the temple’s location, I looked up the directions on Google Maps and proceeded to check it out after work. Finally, I can now confirm the address of this little-known temple:

义烈庙 Gī-lia̍t-biō
#06-450, Block 5 Telok Blangah Crescent
Singapore 090005



Perhaps its keeper is a descendent of the 刘 Lâu clan from 峰尾 Phang-bué and speaks 头北话 Thâu-pak-uē just like me? This won’t be my last visit for sure! ∎

Location: Telok Blangah, Singapore

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