Thursday, October 23, 2008 9:27
TOC Youth Week: Get out of town
In Joel Tan, Top Story, Youth Focus • 1,615 views • 25 Comments
Joel Tan / Writer
The minute something interesting and distinctive begins to develop in the heart of town, we pull out our guns and go “shoot the eyesore”.
A few weeks ago, I opened up the Lifestyle section of the Straits Times on Sunday to read some food reviews, when I chanced upon an article by Cara Van Miriah. Titled “Oh my, is this Orchard Road?” (ST 5th October 2008), the article examines the “infestation” of our beloved shopping belt by buskers, foreign workers, touters, makeshift stalls and other such miscreants, all of whom the article suggests tarnish the image Orchard Road has (ostensibly) built up for itself as a swanky, world class shopping belt.
Some Singaporeans chimed in, asking ‘how can Orchard Road be a world-class shopping haven and rival other major cities such as Tokyo when it is a free-for-all zone for anyone to hawk their stuff?’, perhaps in reference to the “particularly irksome”, “cacophonous” strains of buskers trying to make a living amidst the noise of nearby roadshows.
Others who responsed to the article, such as one Suden Lim Li Huang (ST 11th October 2008), reasons that “Parkway Parade, Toa Payoh and Bishan Junction 8 are better places to shop . . . [because she does] not have to fight with the maids for toilets and seats in the foodcourt”, or, it seems, jostle with the foreign workers having picnics along “narrow walkway[s]”.
Orchard Road a “pasar malam”
The same Suden Lim is principally concerned with how “Orchard Road is packed with domestic workers, buskers, tissue-paper sellers, ice-cream vendors and people distributing flyers. It has lost its glamour, prestige and class.” It has, to borrow Cara Van Miriah’s term, become a pasar malam.
I do not suppose the same people above would take too kindly to the hordes of, say, whiny, screechy teenagers crowding out Takashimaya and Paragon where there are, after all, way too many things that they cannot hope to afford, or the middle aged aunties and uncles frolicking about in underdressed splendour, flip flops slapping noisily against the Orchard Road walkway, wet and sticky with ice cream spilled by screaming children in off-colour Pokemon tee-shirts. Let us not even begin to talk about foreign workers- it seems the only kinds of foreign workers that are to be tolerated in Orchard Road are either carrying screaming babies and Jason’s Supermarket plastic bags for their yuppie-couple employers, or white.
That, of course, would have been impolite to articulate, because it would come across as being intolerant and elitist and snobbish. When Singaporeans complain about bunches and bunches of people besmirching our high class shopping paradise with their “vaguely artistic” harmonica-playing, wooden-ball swinging, tissue-paper selling antics, they are lauded as being concerned Singaporeans. It would be impolite for us to suggest that the sight of low class, poor people eking out a living in our premier atas hangout is what is really bugging us.
But that’s exactly what the article is about, isn’t it? Orchard Road is rich-man’s land, you shouldn’t be here. I remember, years ago, that there used to be a field where the Orchard Ion is now, and that every Sunday there would huge numbers of foreign workers having picnics on that field, right smack in the middle of town. Now that the field has been torn down to make way for even more swanky shopping, these same people have moved their picnics and gatherings elsewhere in Orchard Road, just in time for Singaporeans to complain that they are a public nuisance. It seems we’re more than happy to have foreign workers come here to do work we’re too loathe to do ourselves, but only if we don’t have to see them or, as recent developments show us, live near them.
Perhaps, in very much the same way, we accept the fact that there are people who have to do all sorts of peculiar things to earn money- sell tissue paper or ice cream or play the harmonica along Orchard Road, say- but having to see and move around with them in a place otherwise noted for being “high class” ruffles our middle class feathers.
Shoot the eyesore
The way I see it, we stand to gain more from this “infestation” of Orchard Road than we would from clearing it out. These buskers and makeshift stalls and tissue paper sellers and maids having picnics in the heart of town, rather than being mere nuisances, actually add to the quirkiness and eccentricity, hustle and bustle, charm and maybe even the cultural diversity that one might identify with a dynamic downtown location. Singaporeans complain that we do not have a distinct identity and culture to call our own, but the minute something interesting and distinctive begins to develop in the heart of town, we pull out our guns and go “shoot the eyesore”.
Such colour is anything but an eyesore. Walking along Orchard Road one evening, I saw, in succession, a bunch of Indian guys playing tablas sitting at the fountain outside Ngee Ann City, the pretty Pipa-playing lady, the harmonica-playing uncle belting out Hokkien tunes and that great bunch of feather-clad Native American musicians somewhere along the walkway between Ngee Ann City and Wisma Atria. I remember thinking to myself, “wow, that’s pretty cool”.
I personally think that this mish-mash, free-for-all daily bazaar in our downtown is precisely what we need for Orchard Road to become truly memorable and distinctive, not just another up-market tourist attraction to check off a list of “things to do in Singapore”. The only thing remotely high class about Orchard Road, after all, is the fact that it houses brand names that aren’t even Singaporean. All the Louis Vuittons, Pradas and Chanels of this “shopping paradise” are by-products of globalization, the “uniformication” of places all over the world- so how can we begin to think that selling goods that are available in virtually every other up-market shopping district worldwide is going to make Orchard Road some sort of shopping capital of Southeast Asia, let alone Asia?
Dogmatically intolerant
One Roberta Wong, responding to the above article (ST 11th October 2008), writes that “shopping in Orchard Road [is not] an incredibly dynamic retail experience. It cannot hold a candle to places such as Nathan Road in Hong Kong or Shibuya in Tokyo” which combine swanky shopping with makeshift stalls, cultural diversity and local eccentricities. Being intolerant to the varieties of people who choose to pepper Orchard Road with their music, wares and activities is cutting off a perfectly natural avenue for making the place more fascinating and vibrant than our reputation for being straight-laced and sterile will lead others to believe.
Yet, if it is one thing we Singaporeans have precisely shown ourselves to be in these past months, it is intolerant. People like foreign workers, buskers and tissue-paper sellers who, while not exactly in the same personal situations, are alike in appearing so starkly different and “lower” in a society that has no sympathy whatsoever for their estrangement- from their homes, from wealth, from society. Now, we see that they are roundly criticized for encroaching on Singaporeans’ shopping space in an attempt to make some money for themselves or to break the monotony of working away at jobs Singaporeans themselves refuse to take up. To borrow the logic of Cara Van Miriah’s article, how are we ever going to become the next New York, or Paris or London if we are so dogmatically intolerant?
Alas, in pursuit of becoming “world class”, we’ve found that there really is nothing more to it than class, class, class.
———-
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25 Comments
Zheng Xi
nick
Regarding the harmonica playing uncles. 99% of the time I do not hear any Hokkien tunes (which I am familar with), but rather random notes and tones which doesn’t sound the least like any music.
Want to busk, do it properly. Just take a harmonica anyhow blow, want to get donations?
While we want to give people the chance to make a living, we should have some form of quality control on busking too. Else it’s not only an ear-sore, but its embarassing too.
rob
I used to live near Shaw Centre, and couldn’t stand Orchard Rd anymore after a few years. Hardly ever go there these days, and actively avoid it.
The most irritating thing is not buskers, but the near infinite amount of commercial roadblocks in the form of credit card, cellphone, starhub, etc. roadshows. All blaring extremely loud music of course. But there’s always dozens of people happily queuing for the next promotion offer, so I guess that’s just what Orchard-goers like.
anon
I think Orchard Road is suffering from an idenitty crisis. Much like Singapore itself.
What does it want to be? You can’t be all things to all people. You think you will become unique? no, at most weird if not irksome.
Whether one likes the present OR depends on one’s class and taste, ultimately.
However, everything must gel in, the crowd, the shops and the environment to make it sucessful. Look at Rodeo Drive. Look at Lan kwai Fong.
One or two buskers make the place interesting. Not when you have a whole professional troop who are no more than syndicate beggars to me, albeit more “polished”.
Integrating or Segregating Workers
Click here to read more about it.
Well written. Really gives me some food for thought lol.
loosing focus
Lets not lose focus on the main issues of the day. Yes, interesting read. Keep it up!
Pray For Our Leaders and Our Nation Singapore
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, Ephesians 2:19
How cool would this be if this were true of Singapore.
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with Singaporeans and members of Singaporean’s household.
I was in Canada for 5 years and every foreigner is treated with equality and justice so that they can prosper irregardless of color, race language or religion.
Remember – WE WERE ONCE FOREIGNERS TOO. Most of us cannot stake a claim on being the original people of Singapore. Let’s be humble and welcome with unity the diversity within our midst. They have brought the dynamic creativity and life we so needed!
Intolerance – for small minded people should be thrown out of the window.
Extremely Beautiful Change of Landscape
Extremely beautiful change of landscape – I really enjoy being served by a Filipino station managers at MacDonald’s or the Filipino nurses in the hospitals . . . . don’t we appreciate the Bangladeshi cleaners who do a meticulous job or the ever attendant Nepali waiters . . . . . . or the intelligent Indian IT professionals or the Chinese cooks at the food-court or the Malaysian front desk salesgirl.
How refreshingly pleasant an experience!
nick
To Pray for Our Leaders and Our Nation Singapore:
Yes, just like what SM Goh advocated, I should welcome the Filipino Lounge hostesses (some whom bare their breasts in pubs without getting caught) with open arms. Nevermind that they are here to break up our familes. They make our men spend their hardearned monies on them rather than on their wives and kids.
I should also welcome the China girls who prey on our retirees in Chinatown. They make our retirees think Singapore is a fun place to retire in.
Sergeant Lee
informal busking should not require a permit, power points should be provided for those who register interest and commercial mobile advertising/survey girls/roadshows should be banned.
we have a great world class shopping establishment and plenty of other cities’ zones are commonly compared as the “orchard road” of perth etc. shopping @ orchard road still remains one of the better ones if we’re comparing against the world
isa
Sorry.. it is similiar in a lot of countries.
They try to get rid of beggars and buskers and FWs in their posh district.
This is not uniquely Singaporean. This is uniquely Human Nature around the world.
isa
I believe what is lacking here is global perspective..
Most of these writers have spent their whole life in singapore and not lived anywhere else.. and they see Singapore as unique in its problems and eccentricity.
I believe most who have lived or studied in other countries for extended periods of 1 year or more will agree that a lot of the problems in Singapore are not unique to Singapore. Most countries have similar problems and debate on FWs , cost of living etc etc.
For those who have not lived in other countries, please.. when you go on tour.. picked up the local newspaper and read it every day while you are on tour. Going to foreign countries is not about sight-seeing only. It’s also to know the culture and the local news brings out how its citizens see their own country.
laserpointer
great piece.
we should never forget that, once, a long time ago, people used to live in Orchard Road.
orchard road is a space after all.
gemami
12) & 13) isa,
I have been wrong about you. Please accept my humble apologies.
Agree with your points but for only one. Actually one does not need to travel far and wide to see similarities in the behaviour of human beings.
It is whether we want to see them or not. We can go travel all over the globe but if we are disinterested in social readings of the countries we visit, we will still end up thinking we are Uniquely Singapore-ans.
Writers intent is ?
Is it that we should change our mentality and support the FT policy?
something like that right?
well done!
elysian-
Hear, hear.
Though having fliers shoved up your nose averaging ten per minute is not pleasant to say the least.
Observer(SG-HK)
Have we Human really lost the compassion for our fellow beings? What is posh? So only the rich and famous or the branded shops should exist in this so-call posh street?
You think these poor souls feel glamorous showcasing themsleves if they are given an opportunity to work in an office like most of us do? IT is hard work and needs loads of courage to do that. So, please be a little more compassionate to your human kind.
I am saddened by the fact to see people who rant so much on those supposedly “poor souls” who lost their investments in the minibonds and yet so discriminative in your remarks. What a shame. But heck, I do not expect grace from “frogs” who live in a well.
It’s not a matter of the head [or the eyes - what we see or the nose - what we smell etc . . . ] but a matter of the HEART.
Basically – many Singaporean have become heartless, cold and uncaring symtomatic of deeper root issues in our society.
The 5 C have been replaced with
Coldness
Condemnation
Critical Spirit
Contempt
and
Class Consciousness
*Give me a break – these people are flesh and blood just like you and me. How dare we treat them otherwise!
kash
Like Zhengxi, Orchard Road was my neighbourhood when I was a kid. I remember going for the opening day of the first-ever Starbucks in Singapore( at Gallery La Fayette) and the then Lane Crawford which is now Borders. The playground at the top level of Wisma Atria which has since turned into a carpark.
Orchard Road used to be a place of familiarity and childhood.But as I grew up,the place became increasingly cold and faceless,only a poster child for “Uniquely Singapore”.
But the ice cream uncle, the blind man singing in the underpass,the busker at Borders that always makes me want to dance: this really puts a face to Orchard Road for me.
And so what if it’s a pasar malam? That’s far better than being a cluster of concrete buildings selling really expensive stuff.
Lim Toa Tow
Dear Pray For Our Leaders and Our Nation Singapore,
“8) Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, Ephesians 2:19.
How cool would this be if this were true of Singapore. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with Singaporeans and members of Singaporean’s household.”
Aren’t you ‘preaching’ intolerance with your Christian talk? So the Buddhists, and other religions can’t exist with your kind on Orchard Road? Do they stain your existence? PLEASE KEEP UR WORLDVIEW SECULAR! PREACH IN UR CHURCH! GET OUT OF MY FACE! That’s intolerance for you! ;p
gemami
20) kash
“Orchard Road used to be a place of familiarity and childhood……”.
Yep! and what made Orchard Road popular in the first place?
In the early days, Fitzpatrick, Robinsons, A&Ws and the food stalls were the main attractions. I remembered accompanying a Mexican yoyo world champion around as a young schoolboy showing off our yoyo skills at these places.
Later, after I left school which was not too far from OR, I met a friend who lived there and we were practically hanging out there on most weekends. The laid-back nature of Orchard Road then was the main attraction. It’s one of the reasons why the Manhattan Transfer came up with the song ‘On a little street in Singapore’.
The modern day Orchard Road is literally living on its laurels. There is nothing worth going there for for most part of the year. It only comes alive before Christmas with the hoohas over the annual light ups.
What else does it offer that reflects the people that we are. Oh sure, there is no lack of evidence in the reflection of the country that we are – full-blown superficiality.
yamsengg
orchard?! a boring place i should say..with unfriendly sales assistants plus arrogant customers.
PY
In Orchard, I’m not as irked by foreigners (they could like shopping) or buskers (they add flavour) as much as I am by Singaporean poseur-kids. And groups of people who walk slowly and in a line across the stretch of walkway.
Inanimated things I hate is the covered walkway outside of Ion along the main stretch of Orchard, the name of which is the dumbest I have heard in a while. Now I walk out of the other MRT exit from behind the back of Wisma as much as possible because it’s less crowded.
Faye
Orchard Road be a world-class shopping haven and rival other major cities such as Tokyo………..
LMFAO and OH MY GOD. It never was, is not, and never will be. LMAO LMAO!!!
Hi Joel,
I really enjoyed this piece, it precisely captured the spontaneity we’ve sacrificed to keep up with the Joneses.
I have fond memories of the lawn you mentioned. It was one of the last organic social spaces left in Orchard Road. I remember they used to hold a Christmas carnival there every December, and the field would always be slightly muddy from the end-year rain.