chinatownboy describes his leisurely stroll through his neighbourhood, reflecting on what has changed and what has remained the same.
For me, what struck the most was not the changes in landscape, which are more visible and tangible, but also the changes in the intangibles – such as what most stores are selling today, or even the impermanence of the kitchen hands at their local hawker stall:
For me, since the past 10 years, I have been getting to eat the beehoon (I always declare that this is the world’s best beehoon to me, because of its style of cooking) through proxies, my wife or my domestic help would be buying them home. In fact my domestic help must have been more familiar with the stallholders in Chinatown FC and wetmarket than I am.
Yes, my wife and I used to come to this vegetarian beehoon stall for breakfast on the way to work. And when the kids came, we brought them along, starting with a few strands till now, a plate or two! We have outlasted most of the workers in this stall. Only the owner remains the same. (^^)
Chinatown is safely one of the most heritage-heavy enclaves of Singapore, and it’s important to see not only the changes to the tangible physical landscape but also the intangible customs and practices of everyday life. Read his post here.
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