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| Yishun Market |
I love this side of Singapore. Busy, bustling, completely straightforward...something REAL about it. Something organic and authentic. It was an old pig and pineapple farm area and then it was all cleared, or vanished, to make way for public housing. What happened to the farmers i asked an unknown person. Well, they were given a flat. OK, but what about their livelihoods. What happened to them? Well, it wasn't really a livelihood cos they only grew vegetables and they were small time farmers. No, seriously, i said, what happened to them? Well...er, i don't know. It is still a mystery to me, i shall find out.
But it has that feel this place of a market trading town.
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| Fruit stalls and clothing, etc |
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| Ghin hits the mother of all Ninjago |
Singapore is now full of imitation Lego. It is called Lele, Logo, Lago...you name it, it is it. In this coffee shop there are little plastic balls which go for $1 with real metal Ninjago weapons. Being Asia they are proper martial arts weapons. Shuringans, aikido sticks, butterfly swords, magnificent hammers and axes, all in Lego silver and gold colours. I have to say that even i was impressed. This is now Ghn's favourite market.
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| Pastel steamcakes. Cath Kidston eat your heart out |
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| Mama shells out a couple more dollars for more Lele |
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| Chee Kueh and Otak otak...and teh peng |
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| Serangoon Road |
Otherwise known as Little India. When the Brist came over and imported people from all over the Empire, they dumped them into racial enclaves. Sound familiar? Anyway, this area of Singapore became the Indian enclave and it still is. I love Serangoon Road. It is again busy and lively and full of the weird and wonderful.
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| Old shophouses given a new lease of life |
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| The flower and fruit man |
Shops in Serangood Road have not changed for generations. This flower and fruit man for instance has been there since for as long as i can remember. In the radiating streets the same shops sell sundries and bronze statues, goldsmiths and textiles, food and phone cards, electronic equipment, religion. Everywhere in Singapore you have offerings to this and that. It is really interesting reading about the supersensible in a place like this. How much do Singaporeans still believe in the supersensible?
Today was also remarkable for my first visit to a friend's HDB flat.
What is left when belief is gone, asked Philip Larkin...
Then after Serangoon Road, i headed for Dempsey Village Cluster
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| These used to be old army quarters |
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| It has been turned into a cluster of eateries...lovely Singaporeansims |
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| Korean BBQ |
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| Followed by Koream martial arts at Tanglin CC |
As part of my attempt to be a good Steiner teacher i practise
rickshau, which is not a German spelling of an ancient form of Asian transportation, but looking back at your day backwards. You see what you did and how you behaved, with warmth and compassion and objectivity and where you may have been a bit shite, you think about how you could improve. I'm not very good at this. I find it hardest to be lovely and sweet and FAKE when i think that someone needs to take responsibility for the way they have behaved. I will simmer and stew and then eventually i will display exactly what i think. Perhaps this year i will learn to fake it. But not be fake. Be truly charitable and kind. Perhaps i will avoid reincarnation when i cross the threshold
Anyway...So...it is quite amazing the number of things one gets up to in 24 hours. I realise how much life is a gift even if you think it is boring, or you think this is a boring bit, upon
rikshau i discover it is not at all boring and dull and pointless. How did i miss that i often say...
This does not stop me from thinking life can be boring in parts. Or being annoyed or annoying. But at least with hindsight, hopefully i will stop this very bad habit.
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