Get ready for Singapore! An island, a city, a state, a nation. When the nation was mocked for being a “little red dot” because you can hardly see its territory on the global map, Singaporeans took this mockery in stride and transformed the moniker into a fashionable brand name: “Little Red Dot”. One might even…
Category: Singapore
Kopi-ng with change
Singapore has been ranked the most expensive city in the world, yet there are few modern cities left in the world where you can get a strong and shiok (awesome) cup of coffee for less than a dollar at hawker centers located in almost every corner, with each cup of coffee customized to your exact desire with…
Come along for the journey!
Shopkeeper Stories is all about people who bring their creative energy to our cities with their small businesses! Join us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter (@ShopkeeperStory) – wherever you might be – so that you can see the latest photoshoots as they happen, and we’ll let you know when we’re in your city! Be dazzled, learn something new, and…
Magic Lamps
You will meet Ali at a shop that sells carpets and lamps along Arab Street in Singapore. These street shops are like windows of observation into the world. “Many interesting people come here. One time, two friends who had been separated for 15 years found each other by chance in this shop.”
Convenience Shop
“It’s become very difficult for small shops. Big supermarkets import in large quantity for all their chains and can make their prices lower. But, here, we have personal service and trust. You can choose exactly what you want, in any quantity, and see it for yourself outside the package. Also, the supermarket has long queues….
Budding Business
About 40 years ago as a teenage girl, Madam Soo started helping her mother collect flowers for a living. She recalls the back-breaking labour spent picking jasmine buds from morning till night, because they had to be plucked before they would blossom. When the government bought their garden in Lim Chu Kang to turn into an…
Silk Shop
Did you know? “Silk is cooling in hot weather, and keeps you warm in cold weather. Polyester resembles silk, but it doesn’t have the same effect.” What makes silk unique? Other threads like cotton and wool have to be woven together from many short fibers before they are sewn into cloth. Silk is already one…
Wearing Many Hats
The journey of life is unpredictable. Haji Bakar Bin Kahar used to be a fisherman for many years until he started working at an oil refinery in Singapore. Now at 82 years, he helps his daughter out with her boutique. He owns 40 songkoks (traditional hats) to match his clothes, and earned the honorary title ‘Haji’…
Fishy Business
As a fishmonger, Samuel wakes up at 1.00am every morning to get fresh fish from the port. He had worked in accounting for 12 years, but the migraines made it clear he needed a break from the office, so he decided to run a stall at the market. I asked about the impact of overfishing, but he…
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