CNY Spirit Not in Our Air
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By KF Seetoh | Makansutra – 11 hours ago
The unusual eerie quiet in Chinatown at 11.45pm just three nights before Chinese New Year
It was really different then. The “sir” dropped off his maid at 8.30 in the morning and left her with some loose change for snacks and drinks. He headed for work and she stood in line, and an incredible one (at over 100 meters long) had already formed by then. Lunch. He popped by with tapau lunch for her and she was still nowhere near the top of the queue. Come evening, at around 6pm, “sir” came back over, replaced her in the queue (her number was up by then) and finally bought a few packets of freshly grilled-on-the spot Lim Chee Guan bak kwa. This, was the 80s in Singapore.
The Chinatown streets were alive then. Photographers were jostling for prime spots at the corner of the second floor hawker centre with their 17mm wide angel lenses to capture the great “cross road of Chinatown” picture (where Smith and Trengganu street cross path). It showed a sea of sardine-packed folks in their festive spirit jostling and worming their way about in a street lit with bare tungsten bulbs and kerosene lamps from the street stalls. The firecracker ban had long been implemented (in the 70s) but stall keepers will slip you a contraband pack under that makeshift table if you just grovelled, smiled and asked for it.
That packet of bak kwa would probably be pre-dinner snacks as your family or parents cooked that all warming and significant Reunion Dinner. The pork, chicken, fish, prawns, abalone, sea cucumber, fresh greens, black moss fungus, mushrooms and dried oysters – all stuff that is not only delicious but auspicious and meaningful – was the spread of the evening. Fire crackers would occasionally break the silence of the deserted streets. Having family and relatives bond over a table of food and dressed in their homely finery (ie shorts, singlets, tee shirts and some chaps would go topless) added to the “homecoming spirit”. Truth be told, it wasn’t really about the food, it was more a reason to thank the Gods for another year of good health, family ties and luck that came your way.
Today, that Lim Chee Guan queue is still there, but not worth a mention nor stunningly long enough that you cannot capture it all on your not so wide angled smartphone camera. A good bak kwa is available all over the island and I know our folks actually avoid Chinatown these days as it is so predictable and festive in a touristy sort of way. A reunion dinner at some fancy outlet with a fanciful menu at some luck induced prices (they mostly end and/or start with the number 8 or 6), is the ritual these days. I know there are still some families who will mess up their kitchens and whip this meal on their own, but they are sadly, heading for extinction. Practicality rules- you don’t have to shop, clean, cook, wash, serve and clean up after, if you can part with $688 for the convenience at a restaurant. I think affluence is killing culture and the true meaning of the reunion dinner.
I was at Chinatown last night (just three nights before the Lunar New Year kicks in) to buy some last minute goodies and decorations. I admit, it was something I have not done in decades ( I usually buy them in the heartlands or off any busy street side shop). I had anticipated the usual midnight human logjam there, but no, it was deserted by 11.45pm. Half the night market pasar malam stalls were closed and most of the others were cleaning up. I breezed into a bak kwa shop, bought two packs and left. No queues, no fuss. It felt like a post Chinese New Year apocalypse. I tried calling some of my lizard buddies (the type that come alive at night and hunt for food) for supper and to chat about it but, most were already out of town. Chinese New Year at home with friends and family in Singapore has lost its shine and meaning.
I also miss the impromptu card game of gin rummy or black jacks when we go visiting friends and family. This was the last time I recalled that gambling actually bonded people. Now, they simply head to the casinos and gamble with strangers or if they are underaged, they swipe on the jackpot app oblivious to all and don’t even seem to appreciate your ang pow. They will yank it off you as they bounce the monkey around on the super-amoled screen.
Perhaps my buddies know something good about leaving the country this time of the year that I don’t. I’ll pry it off them next. Meanwhile, we at Makanation would like to wish all our friends and yet to be friends, a slithery smooth, healthy and wealthy year of the Snake ahead. Gong xi fa cai.
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Probably those who went to Chinatown were looking for one. We can't find the sprirt of Singapore least the spirit of cny
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I am not as excited for CNY as before.
Why? Everything gets overpriced this season.
Awful.
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sg is different from the past liao
people getting wealthier, but what's the point?
aging population, so many cancer cases and other illness
people no mood to celebrate
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Originally posted by Summer hill:
I am not as excited for CNY as before.
Why? Everything gets overpriced this season.
Awful.
Would you pay $9 for a jar of potato sticks? I wouldn't.
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we don't see that quiet state of chinatown during CNY season in the past years..... sad!
I am in no mood for CNY.
Just because of one person's desire the rest are affected, worth it or not?
Please, please all put in concerted effort to put a stop to the negative effect this person and team are doing to us all in 2016.
Sad! This is the saddest and no mood CNY I have as compared to the past ...........
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last time CNY used to be fun. we see malays, indians, some angmoh caucasions, and our very own local chinese of all dialects.
now?
poinoys, indon maids, cheenaland uglly swines (male and female ones), and bangahai! everywhere!
and they stilldare say, 69, then later cum out say its not 69, but building infactsruture for 69!
think we all born yesterday arh?! vote them out next GE! or vote in more oppositions! this gahmen is not even rash, its brainless!
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Originally posted by troublemaker2005:
last time CNY used to be fun. we see malays, indians, some angmoh caucasions, and our very own local chinese of all dialects.
now?
poinoys, indon maids, cheenaland uglly swines (male and female ones), and bangahai! everywhere!
and they stilldare say, 69, then later cum out say its not 69, but building infactsruture for 69!
think we all born yesterday arh?! vote them out next GE! or vote in more oppositions! this gahmen is not even rash, its brainless!
they are not brainless. they just want things their way and sinkingporeans are just resources they tap on for wealth and work tools to get things done
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Originally posted by SJS6638:
they are not brainless. they just want things their way and sinkingporeans are just resources they tap on for wealth and work tools to get things done
yes they are brainless. so obvious everyone can see what they thinking like an open book. -
PAP spolied the mood by releasing the population white paper. People see the 6.9 mil garbage also sian. See also don't one to see.
Pui.
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somemore the number 69 is dirty, and later 64 surface - bad omen stinking with death bad luck!
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nobody want to celebrate cny, it's heading for extinction in Sg.
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The unhealthy westernisation of Singapore society, all because of politics.
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wow. one pic says it all!
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That's why we need 6.9 million people.
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these days sg is no longer safe
the probability of getting into an accident on the roads is heightened due to heavy traffic and so many kuku stressed up drivers and kan cheong spiders with blemished driving records
so many foreigners cycling on pedestrian paths, the probability of being knocked by a reckless cyclist also heightened
whenever i cross the roads, i feel compelled to wear a helmet and dress myself up like an astronant
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Originally posted by No_10_Tomas:
these days sg is no longer safe
the probability of getting into an accident on the roads is heightened due to heavy traffic and so many kuku stressed up drivers and kan cheong spiders with blemished driving records
so many foreigners cycling on pedestrian paths, the probability of being knocked by a reckless cyclist also heightened
whenever i cross the roads, i feel compelled to wear a helmet and dress myself up like an astronant
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Times are bad.
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Damn crowded everywhere.
At fast food restaurants, I needed to wait for 45 minutes before I could order.
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yeah, some foreign worker servers are quite slow
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CNY are incredibly boring.
I phone my friends for ice-skating at Jcube. But they tell me it's closed lor.
I want to go shopping but almost all shops are closed.
I want to go feasting but everything is so expensive.
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aiyo summer, u could have jio me mah. i can treat you.
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Originally posted by FireIce:
yeah, some foreign worker servers are quite slow
no one in his mind would wanna work harder if he's being paid peanuts.