Yesterday I already shared about my simple weekend walk around Chinatown, Singapore. I was walking through the colourful streets, looking at shops, Chinese decorations, durian stalls and all the busy crowd moving everywhere.
But actually, the walk did not really stop there.
The more I walk around Chinatown, the more I notice that the interesting part is not always the shops, buildings or tourist attraction. Sometimes the best part is just the people around there.
Since living in Singapore now, weekend for me sometimes become very simple. I don't always feel like finding somewhere new or planning so many things. Sometimes I just choose one area, bring my phone, walk slowly and see what is happening around me.
At first, nothing really look special. Just another busy corner with many people sitting, standing and talking. But when I slow down a bit, I notice there was quite many elderly uncle and auntie gathering there.
It almost feel like their own small community.
Some uncle was sitting on red plastic chair, some talking with their friends, some just standing around watching other people. One elderly uncle was resting comfortably with his leg on a mobility chair, while people around him continue chatting like this is the most normal afternoon.
Nobody seem to be rushing anywhere.
That feeling was very different from the main Chinatown street. Just few minutes away, tourist are walking fast, taking photo, checking map and moving from one shop to another. But around this corner, everything feel much slower.
I think that is what caught my attention.
While walking nearby, I saw one elderly uncle pushing his bicycle across the road. The bicycle already look like it got many years of story, with a basket in front and a big blue crate behind. Behind him was a younger couple walking together.
I really like this type of street scene.
Different generation, different lifestyle, same street.
Nobody arranged anything for the photo. It just happened for few seconds and then everyone continue walking.
Later, I saw two uncle sitting beside one bright yellow bicycle. One of them was holding a phone and showing something to his friend. I don't know what they was looking at. Maybe some WhatsApp message, maybe news, maybe football, or maybe one funny video.
But both of them look quite serious about it.
The yellow bicycle also make the whole scene stand out even more. Everything around was mostly grey, black and brick colour, then suddenly got one very bright yellow bicycle sitting in the middle.
Nearby, another uncle was sitting on a red chair with one leg crossed, earphone connected to his device. People keep walking around him, but he look completely relaxed.
It almost feel like he already know this place very well.
Maybe this is his usual spot.
Maybe every week he sit around the same area, listen to something, watch people passing and slowly spend the afternoon.
Then I saw one auntie in red shirt sitting quietly among the crowd. Around her, people was talking, reading newspaper, drinking water and doing their own thing. She looked toward my direction for a short moment.
That photo somehow feel very simple, but I like it.
There was no big action happening. No dramatic moment. Just one person sitting there while normal life continue around her.
Then came probably my favourite scene from this walk.
A group of uncle was playing Chinese chess.
The man in red shirt look extremely serious with the game. Another uncle sitting opposite him also watching the board carefully, while few more people standing around and observing.
I don't really understand Chinese chess very well, but from their expression, I know this one cannot simply move.
One wrong move maybe whole table start discussing already.
The funny thing is, everyone around seem more focused on this small chessboard than anything happening outside. Cars, tourists, people walking, all become background only.
For that moment, the game was the most important thing there.
Walking around this area make me realise Chinatown got another side beside souvenir shops, food and colourful buildings. For tourist, maybe Chinatown is somewhere to visit for few hours, take some photo, eat something and then continue to another place. But for these uncle and auntie, this place look more like part of their everyday routine. They come here to sit, meet friends, talk about random things, play chess or maybe just spend the afternoon doing nothing much.
I think this is also why I slowly enjoy street photography more now. The photo don't always need to be perfect or look like something from travel magazine. Sometimes got people blocking, sometimes the angle not straight, and sometimes the background is very messy. But when I look back at those photos, somehow the messy part is also what make the moment feel real.
Yesterday when I was walking around the main Chinatown street, most of my attention was on the shops, colours, decorations and crowd. This time, I started noticing more about the people who actually spend their time here. It made the same Chinatown feel slightly different, even though I was still walking around the same area.
Maybe that is the nice thing about staying in Singapore now. I don't need to finish seeing everything in one weekend. I can always come back again, walk through the same street and still find another small story that I missed before.
Maybe next weekend I will explore somewhere else, or maybe somehow I will end up in Chinatown again. Either way, I think I will just keep walking and see what I can find.
