A visit to Tiong Bahru Air Raid Shelter- Part 1

 A lingering smell of stale air welcomed us. Without any source of light, it was dark inside. The dim glow from our handphones guided us as we walked.

I was surprised by the size of the place. The air raid shelter covers an area of 1500sqm and was enough to hold about 1600 people inside.

Our guide showed us the different chambers in the shelter.

The air raid shelter was used when the Japanese forces conducted air raids on 8 Dec 1941
Upon hearing the air raid sirens, residents of Tiong Bahru would make their way here.

Even though I was accompanied with a few other visitors (including Blueberry), the place had a creepy feeling to it..

“Reserved for ARP(Air Raid Precaution) Wardens families”..

Half way through the visit, I started to feel claustrophobic.. the lack of ventilation, darkness and low ceiling made me uncomfortable. I started to inch towards the exit.

inching towards the exit

It might seem rude, if I walked out abruptly.. So I stayed and silently said my prayers. As I was trying to stay calm, the guide said..

“Oh btw, there is a resident cockroach that lives here. Be careful guys, he flies..”

OMG!!! EWWW!!!

Cockroaches are gross and flying cockroaches are disgusting! The possibility of seeing a flying cockroach freaked me out.

That was the last straw. I headed to the exit for safely.