As I took the stairs up towards the heartlands of Little India; it completely hit me to realize that there is a unique world out there in Singapore that has been hidden for city dwellers like us. This is Heaven. For many the perception of Heaven is usually of infinite space; filled with things that they have wished for eternity. To me Heaven is what allows me to explore; reminisce over past events as my footsteps are taken down this path of history.
Little India is literally filled with shop houses stretching across the district. From basic necessities to a wide range of clothes and jewelry, almost anything can be found there. One unique trait that I observed is that the corridors (and the shop entrances) are particularly narrow then most shop houses I have seen; barely enough for two people to walk past without brushing their shoulders against each other. This is due to poor settlement issues for Tamil immigrants during the colonial period. Not to mention that many housewives tend to carry plastic bags of groceries after a serious price haggle and inching their steps down the pathway. Some shops are no more than just temporary counters that sell small items like phone cards or accessories. Strangely, I actually like walking through such tight spaces.
The lazy Wednesday afternoon mixed in with the slight drizzle did not dampen my spirit nor my objective for that day. I have chosen this remote spot to do my sketch as I feel the shop houses are the bridges connecting the outside world to Little India that is shying itself as the years go by. The vividly coloured walls filled with exquisite designs seem to be barricaded by its more distinct brethren – The HDB. It is tough to believe that this area has once been once used to raise cattle due to its close vicinity to Serangoon River, to a cultural heritage of today. Who knows what will change Little India in the future? Only time can give us the answer.
Lee Yi Cheng Melvin
092511C
DA0904
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