A Busy Shopping Area

From above, the area is that of a sardine can whereby all the sardines are packed extremely close together, hindering even the slightest of movements. Despite the many street lamps and bright moonlight, the gravel path still remains shadowed by the bodies of the many people. Chinatown, two days before the Chinese New Year is thus, a busy shopping area of Singapore.

Fragrant pork slices are the main attraction there. Queues stretching to about three streets in length are formed just for eager customers to purchase a kilogram of these delicacies. The thin slices of red meat are nicely arranged on the display shelf and they are almost hypnotizing to the passer-bys. Maybe that would explain the long queues despite its dear pricing. The stall vendors all look drained and ready to call it a day but business is too overwhelming. The queues of people seem endless – it refills itself automatically and even tops itself up at times. They could not get busier.

Bomb bags and mini firecrackers are on sale at some stalls. Stall vendors have come armed with microphones and loud halers to market their products. Their almost hoarse voices just seem to go on and on, as if it has been recorded. Their efforts are not in vain for children are seen to be pulling their parents to the stalls and then, the persuading is left all to the kids. The vendors just sit back, relax and nod their heads a lot. Occasionally, the vendors themselves will allow themselves to have a go at the poppers and firecrackers that they are selling. These elements contribute significantly the festive mood.

Chinese paintings of tigers and cranes are being hung up on bamboo poles. Careful strokes of the calligraphy brushes form the extravagant picture that stands before all. Many crowd round the stall to contemplate of the beauty of these drawings. Chinese poems are also written on bamboo manual scripts as the late emperors of China did when issuing a decree. There is deep meaning in each piece – they all appear to be written out of great emotions outburst. All are beautifully written in their own ways. Every stroke of the brush tells a story of the writer giving these works much more significance. The old man mending the stall sits there at a corner describing to the customers the value and meaning of each masterpiece and all listen with great anticipation.

The beauty of silk and cloth never is left out in Chinatown. Hand sewn shirts and sweaters are folded nicely for display. The prices are very attractive and the products are of somewhat, a high quality. Parents crowd around the displays and desperately try to find a fitting shirt or pants for either themselves or their children. They all squeeze tightly together in their frantic struggle to get what they want. The typical Singaporean behavior and well, this adds on this busy atmosphere of Singapore’s Chinatown.

Slated ducks and preserved sausages are being hung up on erected wooden planks. Though such is relatively unhygienic, the picky Singaporeans do not seem to mind for they are after all, too into the festive mood to care. They indulge themselves in choose the best tasting and best looking duck or sausage and then begin bargaining for a better price although the price is already very reasonable. The stall vendors are busily trying to convince and satisfy the many queries of their customers. They have their hands very full indeed.

Chinatown - a busy shopping area of Singapore. It is a nice place to be in indeed as it is here whereby one can witness the Singapore heartbeat whereby people of all races gather here in preparation for the Chinese New Year. People set aside time from their hectic lives to spend time shopping and this really adds on to the value of the busy Chinatown street during the Chinese New Year Period.