Thank goodness for food safety!

Posted by noelbynature under Food, Lifestyle, Reflections
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Friends from Malaysia often like to take a jibe at Singapore food for being too ‘clean’ and ’sterile’, but it’s stories like Edward’s that make me feel thankful for ours strict food safety rules!

Kopitam Tables by Chang'r

Edward’s story is from the 60s,  and reads like a culinary horror story:

The owner of the coffee shop was a Chinese man who wore a singlet, pyjama shorts and slippers. He had huge lumps on his shoulders and back which looked like benign tumours. He was obviously not concerned about the effect of its appearance on his customers. One day my friend and I dropped into this kopi tiam for a cold drink after a jog along Old Upper Thomson Road. The kopi tiam owner chipped a block of ice on a container with an ice pick and then plunged his bare hands into the container, scooped up some ice and filled two glasses with it. Soft drinks were poured into each glass. The cooled drinks tasted most refreshing, and we silently hoped that his hands were clean.

As we were enjoying our drinks and conversation, he stood in front of us, 2 tables away, leaning against the counter and … to our horror he slipped his hand under his pyjama shorts, and casually scratched his scrotum, seemingly oblivious to those around him. My friend and I looked at each other and a thousand thoughts must’ve flashed across our minds. Thoughts like “will we survive this episode?”, “what deadly diseases will we be afflicted with in the next 24 hours?” etc. This old chap obviously wasn’t concerned about personal grooming or habits, or its impact on his customers. Of course what he did was socially unacceptable because it was done in public, rather than in the privacy of one’s home. We made a note that in future we would order our drinks without ice or glass. Just drink it straight from the bottle with a straw.

I don’t think there was an NEA to call back then. Aren’t we glad to be living in another century today? Edward’s coffee shop recollections are part of his memories of the Sembawang Hills Estate, which you can read on Good Morning Yesterday.

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