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SG MAGAZINE | ISSUE #704 | OCTOBER 13, 2017
9/12/17
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Singapore has come a long way to become today’s gentrified powerhouse. How have homegrown brands grapled with constant change all these years? See page 10 for an in-depth look.
CITYSCAPE
DINING
TRAVEL
INTERVIEW
22 years of Singapore lifestyle
Hipster hawkers and heaps of sticks
Into war torn Jaffna
Discipline the City’s Alan Oei
page 3
The Year So Far 8
CITYSCAPE
22 years of Singapore lifestyle 10 FEATURE
12 FEATURE
Swee Lee
Zouk
14 DINING
15 DINING
Heaps of sticks
Hipster hawkers 17 TRAVEL
16 TRAVEL
48 hours in Hua Hin
Into war torn Jaffna 18 INTERVIEW
Alan Oei
Who's in charge? MANAGING DIRECTOR Jane Bay jbay@asia-city.com.sg EDITORIAL Senior Editor Dannon Har editor@asia-city.com.sg Web Editor Adam Kerr Writer Amanda Chai Contributing Editor Kurt Ganapathy Contributors Jose Jeuland, Michelle Ng DESIGN Designer Carmen Chua Multimedia Designer Rae Hong Multimedia Designer Jen C. Loo
Where to find us! Bangkok Asia City Media Group 9/F, Room A, Sathorn Nakorn Tower, 100 North Sathorn Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Thailand Tel: 66-2-624 9696 Fax: 66-2-237 5656 bkmagazine@asia‑city.co.th
ADVERTISING Media Manager Shida Ramli Media Executive Shahrizal Hamzah Media Executive Veron Tang advertising@asia-city.com.sg
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Greg Duncan gduncan@asia‑city.com.sg
FINANCE Senior Finance Executive Rusydi Ya’akup finance@asia-city.com.sg
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SG Magazine is published 24 times a year by Asia City Publishing Pte Ltd., 211 Henderson Road, #07‑02, Singapore 159552. Tel: 65‑6323‑2512 • Fax: 65‑6323‑2779. Copyright ©2017 Asia City Publishing Pte Ltd. The titles “SG Magazine”, “I-S Magazine” and their associated logos or devices, and the content of SG Magazine and I-S Magazine are the property of Asia City Publishing Pte Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. SG Magazine may not be distributed without the express written consent of Asia City Publishing Pte Ltd. Contact the Publisher for ad rates and specifications. All advertising in SG Magazine must comply with the Publisher’s terms of business, copies of which are available upon request. Printed by Image Printers Pte. Ltd., 1002 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 159456. ISSN 0218‑8872 MCI (P) 149/03/2017
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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017
daily updates on news and events
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The freedom to hate
On Feb 15 this year, the National Archives of Singapore (NAS) presented a revamped permanent exhibition at the former Ford Motor Company assembly plant. Its name? “Syonan Gallery: War and Its Legacies”. Cue the public outcry for appearing to honor a dark page in Singapore’s history. While we will say that simply naming it after the moniker of occupied Singapore shouldn’t be deemed offensive—Holocaust memorials and museums don’t sugar-coat anything—blushes could definitely have been spared here. The exhibition’s name was eventually changed to “Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies”.
The nonsensical straw-grasping of Singapore’s usual homophobic suspects continued in the lead up to Pink Dot, extending to an escalator advertisement for the event in Cathay Cineleisure Orchard. While Cathay stood by their decision to put up the ad with a mic drop statement, the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore informed them that it had to be modified. Specifically, they asked that the tagline “Supporting the freedom to love” be removed, referring to the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice stance on “family values”. Who knew that the freedom to love wasn’t a “pro-family” value?
Night blindness
It was a story that captivated a nation and it quickly became a story the whole nation was sick of hearing about. More than two years after the death of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, the fate of his former residence on Oxley Road made international headlines as his children engaged in never-before-seen public exchanges on the matter. The issue was eventually taken to Parliament by Prime Minter Lee Hsien Loong and fizzled out with an agreement from his siblings Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Wei Ling on Jul 6 to avoid posting any further evidence on social media.
It’s been a bumper year for inappropriate comments in Singapore, and the trend continued in April from a seemingly innocuous source—a makeup tutorial by Night Owl Cinematics. Intending to showcase Coachellasuitable looks, the video descended into a series of unfortunate comments about Indians (and an apparent lack of understanding that Indians and Native Americans/American Indians are different groups of people). The video was quickly removed and an apology promptly issued.
The middle of the year saw a sudden surge in #fakenews about Singaporean sexual exploits and misadventures. We heard about a man from Hougang who supposedly injured himself while having sex with an oyster, a woman from Bishan who apparently burned her breasts while photocopying them and a Singaporean in Prague who allegedly bedded a record 57 women in 24 hours. None of the stories had any evidence to back them up, of course, but they probably made some industrious clickbaiting scammers very wealthy.
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6 Things that made us go WTF this year
hot new spots, exciting giveaways
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A house divided
Locked up abroad It emerged on Aug 23 that two Singaporeans—one of them a transgender woman—had been sentenced to a year’s jail each for wearing women’s clothing in Abu Dhabi. Support for their plight back home was hard to come by, however, with vitriol from fellow Singaporeans dominating comments on social media. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stepped in while offering a reminder that Singaporeans “should respect and abide by the local laws when they travel overseas”, and fortunately, the duo were eventually let off with a fine.
We hope you like what you see: email us at editorial@asia-city.com.sg to let us know how we’re doing.
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Singapore’s latest news, numbers and dramas at a glance
Our regular study of the city’s burgeoning (and dying) trends
NUMEROLOGY
1
50,000
13
Presidential nominee qualified to run for election
Estimated attendance for Guns N’ Roses’ first concert in Singapore
Singaporean bars on the 2017 Asia’s 50 Best Bars list
44 Hot: Army Daze 2
Not: Ah Boys to Men
First staged in 1987, Army Daze was memorably adapted for the screen in 1996, preparing a generation of young men for the good, bad and hilarious of life in the army. Thirty years on, playwright Michael Chiang finally gave us a sequel. Running from Aug 4-20, Army Daze 2 caught up with the original characters three decades after we first met them. The production starred the likes of Hossan Leong, Chua Enlai, Shane Mardjuki and Natalie Ong of X Factor Australia fame with Beatrice Chia-Richmond at the helm. But before that, in May, it was Singapore’s other NS-themed franchise that made the news for all the wrong reasons. Shrey Bhargava’s story about his audition for Ah Boys to Men 4 is one that’s all too familiar; one of minorities being reduced to caricatures of themselves. After reading for a role with his own Singaporean accent, he was allegedly asked by the casting directors to reread his lines as a “full blown Indian man”. He did, but felt disgusted by the incident and took to social media to express his frustrations. The divisive debate over his post escalated quickly, with valid points and disconcerting comments being thrown about by both sides in equal measure. The venom in some exchanges makes it clear that a civilized conversation is necessary to bridge a growing divide.
Percentage of Singaporeans not getting enough sleep on weekdays, according to a SingHealth Polyclinics study
30
5
Percentage increase in water tariffs by 2018
Changi Airport was named the World’s Best Airport for the fifth consecutive year at the World Airport Awards
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2 The Singapore passport ranks second in the 2017 Passport Index, tied with Sweden and just behind Germany, with visa-free entry to 173 countries
10 2017 marked the 10th edition of the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix
The new legal age for smoking, to be implemented in phases from next year
57 Gold medals won by Singapore at the 2017 SEA Games, the most at a games away from home and second highest tally at any games
290 Meters; the height of Tanjong Pagar Centre, Singapore’s new tallest building
12 Gold bars hidden by a man in his rectum on a flight out of Singapore on Feb 12 (the wouldbe smuggler was arrested on arrival in Hyderabad)
9 Singaporean restaurants on the 2017 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list
Sources: The Straits Times, Channel NewsAsia, AsiaOne
WORD CLOUD
Hot: Asia’s 50 Best
Not: Michelin Guide Singapore
Not: Singaporean football
Singapore had its best ever performance at a SEA Games back in 2015, and in 2017, our athletes proved that their successes were not a fluke attributed to home advantage. Team Singapore had its second best ever SEA Games performance, winning gold medals in 17 different sports. While our swimmers, bowlers, cricketers, shooters and sailors were doing the country proud, the hopes of our football team had long since gone up in smoke. It was another poor SEA Games performance—so typical that no one could really call it a disappointment. Even beyond our youth team, Singaporean football is enduring one of its worst eras, and our senior team has returned to its lowest ever ranking: 171st in the world.
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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017
Manhattan
USS JOHN S MCCAIN
Nasi Lemak
BIKE SHARING Steven Lim
ownself
PRESIDENT Restaurant Andre
POP AYE
ICC SINGAPORE Oxley Road Miss Singapore Terminal 4
Terrex
Hot: Singaporean athletes
film festivals Yayoi Kusama E-PAYMENT
ANGELA LEE
Launched to much fanfare in 2016, the 2017 edition of the Michelin Guide Singapore left a lot to be desired. Most entrants in the 2017 guide were from last year—27 out of 38 to be exact, all the new restaurants recognized by Michelin are found in the central region of Singapore and no additional hawkers were awarded stars, making it plainly obvious that little effort was put into the 2017 follow-up as far as local cuisine is concerned. No more excuses in 2018. #lastwarning.
ATLAS
YISHUN
Singapore’s restaurants and bars have been making waves on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant lists. This year, we have 13 representatives on the former, including Manhattan in first place, and nine on the latter (including three in the top ten). Their success has been translated to the world stage with a number of establishments making the World’s 50 Best lists in 2016. While we have one or two objections, the lists are fairly accurate when it comes to identifying the best that Singapore has to offer when it comes to food and drink.
UFC
CRAZY RICH ASIANS
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ALWAYS A WANT
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 SG MAGAZINE
7
city scape
At twenty-two The ups and downs of our journey thus far. By SG Staff
Do you remember what Singapore was like in 1995? We do. As chroniclers of the fortunes of the Little Red Dot this past two decades or so, we’ve been privileged to have a front row seat as the culture, politics and overall landscape of Singapore evolved. Some things haven’t changed while other things are unimaginably different. Join us as we revisit the last 22 years.
1997
1995 • Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory and The Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness are our soundtracks • We watch Under One Roof, Triple Nine and The Pyramid Game • Eric Khoo’s debut feature, Mee Pok Man, is released • Singapore leaves Malaysian football • Singapore’s first Irish pub, Molly Malone’s, opens • I-S Magazine is launched
1996 • The birth of the S.League • Michael Jackson performs at the National Stadium as part of his HIStory World Tour • Beloved TV series Growing Up debuts • Paulaner Brauhaus and Muddy Murphy’s open
• Asian financial crisis begins • Haze blankets Singapore • The People’s Action Party (PAP) wins 81 out of 83 seats in the 1997 General Election • We meet the best contractor in Singapore and JB (and some said Batam), Gurmit Singh’s Phua Chu Kang • Eric Khoo’s second feature, 12 Storeys, becomes the first Singaporean film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival • Microbrewery Brewerkz opens
1998 • The seeds are planted for Goal 2010, an overly ambitious plan for Singapore to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup • Singapore wins its first piece of international silverware at the 1998 AFF Championship (then known as the Tiger Cup), courtesy of R Sasikumar’s “Shoulder of God” goal • Singapore’s first satellite is launched, the $398.4 million geostationary ST-1 • Singapore has its first successful expedition to summit Mount Everest • Glen Goei’s first feature, Forever Fever, is released
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2005
• SilkAir Flight MI185 goes down in Palembang with 104 passengers and crew on board
SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017
2001 1999 • We gear up for the potential horrors of the Y2K • Singapore bids farewell to its first elected president, Ong Teng Cheong, with Sellapan Ramanathan, or SR Nathan, replacing him as head of state in an uncontested election • Our first president, Yusof Ishak, has his portrait emblazoned on Singapore’s bank notes, with the Portrait Series replacing the Ship Series which had been a mainstay since 1984
• Singaporeans watch in horror with the rest of the world as the September 11 attacks unfold • The realities of terrorism strike closer to home with the arrest of 15 members of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in December • The PAP wins 82 out of 84 seats in the 2001 General Election • The Singapore Fashion Festival and the Straits Times Life Theatre Awards take place for the first time • TVMobile is introduced
2000 • 83 lives are lost as Singapore Airlines Flight SQ006 collides with construction equipment after attempting to take off from the wrong runway at Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek International Airport (now known as Taoyuan International Airport) • Singapore welcomes its third university, the Singapore Management University • Theater company W!ld Rice bursts onto the scene • Singapore gets three new newspapers – the shortlived Project Eyeball, the slightly-longer-lived Streats and TODAY.
2003 • SARS is the virus that we just want to minus • Four sailors die after Republic of Singapore Navy patrol vessel RSS Courageous is involved in a collision with a merchant vessel near Pedra Branca • United States President George W Bush visits Singapore • The North East Line opens • Jack Neo’s Homerun is released • The DesignSingapore Council is established
• Singapore celebrates its 40th National Day with the theme “The Future is Ours to Make” • Approval is granted for the development of two Integrated Resorts – the future Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa • President SR Nathan wins a second term in office in another uncontested election • The NKF scandal unfolds • Former presidents Wee Kim Wee and Devan Nair die • Singapore wins its second AFF Championship
2004 2002 • The Esplanade opens with a bang with 23 days of performances featuring 1,300 artists, including the Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress • Former president Ong Teng Cheong dies • The Merlion is moved to its current location • EZ-Link cards are introduced • Jack Neo’s I Not Stupid is released
• Four people are killed in the Nicoll Highway collapse • The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami decimates the region • Lee Hsien Loong takes over from Goh Chok Tong as Prime Minister of Singapore • The length of full-time National Service is reduced to two years • The first season of Singapore Idol takes place with Taufik Batisah emerging as the winner • Ignatius Chan’s eponymous restaurant Iggy’s opens • Uniquely Singapore tourism campaign debuts
2006 • Singapore hosts the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund • Queen Elizabeth II and Emperor Akihito make state visits to Singapore • The PAP wins 82 out of 84 seats in the 2006 General Election • Hady Mirza wins the second season of Singapore Idol • Vivocity opens • St James Power Station opens • Tower Records shutters as CD sales decline worldwide
2015
2011 • In what would be described as a “watershed” General Election, the PAP receives its lowest vote share since independence, losing a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) for the first time in the process with the Workers’ Party (WP) winning in Aljunied
2007 • Singapore Airlines becomes the first airline in the world to operate the Airbus A380 • The first editions of the Singapore Sun Festival and Singfest take place • Singapore legalizes oral and anal sex for heterosexual adults • Smoking inside bars and nightclubs is banned • The old National Stadium is officially closed, although it continues to host events until 2010 • Singapore wins its third AFF Championship
2009 • Two people die from food poisoning after eating Indian rojak from a stall at the Geylang Serai temporary market • The swine flu pandemic arrives in Singapore • The first stage (Stage 3) of the Circle Line opens • Pink Dot is held for the first time • The first edition of Beerfest Asia takes place • Singapore hosts the first Asian Youth Games
• Tony Tan becomes Singapore’s seventh president after winning a four-way contest by a margin of 0.35% over nearest challenger, Tan Cheng Bock • The Tanjong PagarWoodlands section of the railway line between Singapore and Malaysia closes, becoming the Green Corridor • Major MRT disruptions occur on the North South Line
2013
• Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew dies and a week of national mourning follows before a state funeral
• WP’s Lee Li Lian wins the Punggol East by-election
• Singapore celebrates its 50th year of independence
• The Population White Paper is released
• Singapore hosts the 28th SEA Games
• Anthony Chen’s debut feature film Ilo Ilo makes history as it wins the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival
• The Singapore Botanic Gardens is inscribed as the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Singapore records its highest ever PSI reading of 401 as the haze returns
• The PAP wins 83 out of 89 seats in the 2015 General Election, reclaiming Punggol East and enjoying a vote swing of almost 10 percent compared to 2011
• The Little India riot takes place • Singapore’s third series of coins is issued • Metallica performs in Singapore • The LionsXII win the Malaysia Super League
• Gardens by the Bay begins opening in phases
• Stage 1 of the Downtown Line opens
• Singapore hosts its first Laneway Festival
• Grab and Uber enters Singapore market
• 28 HongKong Street opens
• Borders makes a brief temporary return at Westgate
• Restaurant booking platform Chope was founded
• 10 Singaporeans, including seven primary school students, are killed while ascending Mount Kinabalu during the 2015 Sabah earthquake • The worst ever MRT breakdown occurs, affecting around 400,000 commuters
• Former Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob wins Singapore’s first reserved Presidential Election in a walkover to become the country’s eighth president • Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin becomes the new Speaker of Parliament • Shared bicycles appear across the country • Kirsten Tan’s Pop Aye wins at Sundance; nominated for Oscars • Singapore’s first Apple Store opens on Orchard Road • Changi Airport Terminal 4 opens • The 10th Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix takes place • Manhattan takes top spot on Asia’s 50 Best Bars • Passion Made Possible tourism campaign launched
• Drinking in public is banned from 10:30pm to 7am
• Singapore goes crazy over Nasi Lemak-everything
• I-S rebrands to SG • National Gallery Singapore opens
• The last Borders bookstore closed at Parkway Parade
2017
2016
2008
2010
• The first Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix takes place at the Marina Bay Street Circuit
• Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa open
• Singapore feels the effects of the Great Recession
• A flash flood occurs on Orchard Road
• Mas Selamat escapes from the Whitley Road Detention Centre
• Singapore hosts the inaugural Youth Olympic Games
• Pedra Branca is officially awarded to Singapore • Changi Airport Terminal 3 and the Singapore Flyer open • The first Singapore Airshow takes place • Ministry of Sound closes after less than three years • Eric Khoo’s My Magic becomes the first Singaporean film to contend for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival • Opposition politician Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam dies • Iconic orangutan Ah Meng dies
• The Timbre Rock & Roots music festival and i Light Marina Bay take place for the first time • Pioneer politician Goh Keng Swee dies • I-S website launched
2014 2012 • Giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia arrive in Singapore to become the star attractions of the River Safari • Singapore returns to Malaysian football in the form of the LionsXII • Low-cost carrier Scoot begins operations • PAP MP and Speaker of Parliament Michael Palmer resigns after admitting to having an affair with a People’s Association staff member • The former heads of the Singapore Civil Defence Force and Central Narcotics Bureau are embroiled in separate sex and corruption scandals • Singapore wins its fourth AFF Championship
• The Singapore Sports Hub opens • Singapore hosts its first UFC Fight Night • AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashes on its way to Singapore from Surabaya • Otter families set up homes in Bishan and Marina Bay • A National Council on Problem Gambling advertisement goes viral globally after main character, Andy, and his unseen problem gambler father correctly pick Germany as the winners of the 2014 FIFA World Cup • Books depicting same-sex parents, notably And Tango Makes Three, cause controversy for the National Library Board, although the board eventually moves two to the adult section instead of pulping them • Anton Casey becomes infamous
• Joseph Schooling wins Singapore’s first ever Olympic gold medal with a record-breaking swim in the 100m butterfly • The first edition of the Michelin Guide Singapore is released • Former president SR Nathan dies • Lee Hsien Loong makes a state visit to the United States, the first for a Singapore Prime Minister since 1985 • The Zika virus arrives in Singapore • Singapore gets caught up in Pokemon Go mania • Underwater World closes • Funan DigitaLife Mall closes for redevelopment • SG print discontinues, goes fully digital • Zouk holds its last party on Jiak Kim Street
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 SG MAGAZINE
9
now
Our cover stories track the growth of renowned local brands
Kuok Meng Ru
Swee Lee Katong I12 Lifestyle Store Swee Lee Star Vista Lifestyle Store
FEATURE
Singapore’s musical gem that keeps on giving Swee Lee Music is an enabler of the best kind. By Adam Kerr. Photography by Swee Lee. Singapore’s only indie music station and undying champion of all things local Lush 99.5FM had its swan song last month, but trust them to leave with a bang— they featured the A to Z’s of musicians, artists, companies and brands because Lush Loves Local, culminating in 12 solid hours of live music in the lead up to the end of transmission on Sep 1. But that isn’t the end for local music. There’s another supporter in Singapore who’s been quietly gearing our well-loved musicians with all the right equipment for the past 71 years. Now touted as Asia's largest distributor of instruments and audio equipment, Swee Lee Music first began as a pure distribution business back in the day with only a few showrooms, serving as Singapore’s go-to brand for musical instruments (fun fact: this humble music company supplied brass and woodwind instruments to the British military band back in 1946 when it was founded after World War II). As current Managing Director Kuok Meng Ru (or more lovingly known as Meng to most), who acquired the business back in 2012, puts it, “Retail wasn’t the core priority for Swee Lee at that point”. From his perspective, he felt like there were a lot of aspects of the business that needed to change to benefit the consumers, so he banked on the company’s strength—their expertise and knowledge of the local music retail scene, primarily on guitar and bass— which he said was “a great position to build from”. He shares what has changed ever since he took over as the head honcho, thoughts on the local music scene and how he plans to take the company further.
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SG MAGAZINE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017
What does it mean to be the Managing Director of Swee Lee? It’s evolved over the last five years! Taking over an established business in 2012, I felt it was incredibly important to first properly understand the business. I was extremely hands-on with all areas—including working on the shop floor at the very beginning—as well as building up supplier relationships and developing purchase, product and marketing strategies for our brands. Today, I’m proud to say we have a tremendous team that supports the core of our regional business—from category managers in guitar, DJ, and drums who shape our retail mix; to the retail staff who are our vital eyes and ears; our marketing team who help spread the word; the logistics and warehousing staff who make sure everyone gets their orders smoothly; and many more. They’re key to helping us deliver a great customer experience. This strength allows me to spend more time driving our growth on our new business expansion internationally and building the foundation for core initiatives across the group that will set Swee Lee in prime position for the next 71 years. How did Swee Lee go from a company that supplied classical instruments to offering guitars and drums? I can only speak for the time that I’ve been with the business. As I understand it, Swee Lee went where the consumers were. With the explosion of rock ‘n’ roll and pop music centered on guitars and drums in the ‘50s to the ‘90s, Swee Lee began providing the tools for making that music.
Swee Lee Katong I12 Lifestyle Store
Aside from music industry growth, we saw potential in the music education space for more rock and pop-oriented music schools, attracting more students to the art form. That’s why we established the Swee Lee Academy in 2012, where our student cohort continues to grow. Overall, we continue to evolve with our customer’s tastes—we now offer a much wider range of DJ equipment and even opened a specialized drum shop. What are some of Swee Lee’s milestones? For a brand with a 71-year history, there are almost too many to name! Speaking for the last five years, some notable highlights would definitely be opening our first lifestyle store in Katong 112, with Swee Lee Music Academy; launching our own dedicated e-commerce experience; winning the iconic Capitol Theatre AV refitting project (where Swee Lee started back in 1946) and acquiring (and selling) the world’s most expensive Fender Custom Shop guitar in 2012.
now
Swee Lee Star Vista Lifestyle Store
Nate Smith at Swee Lee Drum Shop
Swee Lee Sunway Putra Mall
What was the vision then and has it changed since you took over? The vision at the start would have been similar to many businesses emerging in Singapore back then, which was providing provisions to a small but growing domestic market. As Singapore grew in economic strength, so did Swee Lee. With Singapore’s strength as a logistics hub, regional business also became a significant growth opportunity for the company. The vision changed when we took over and being far more focused on supporting musicians at every step of their journey, and being able to offer something for everyone— whether it’s your first guitar or your 100th music lesson. It's important for us to empower our customers, and we work hard on this every day. Even in the last five years the vision has expanded from a regional outlook to now where we have the possibilities to truly think globally. How do you juggle running a company like Swee Lee and working on your other venture, BandLab; seeing how both command a huge amount of commitment from a person? It’s definitely not easy, but they’re complementary businesses. Both fall under our umbrella of integrating the social, digital, and physical aspects of music. We have customers that may only want the hardware, like the physical/traditional part of playing a $5,000 guitar bought at Swee Lee—and they would never want to plug it into a computer. On the other hand, we may have another customer who has no money to buy instruments, but a cheap laptop or phone that they want to make music on. That’s where BandLab can come in.
Swee Lee Jalan Maarof Flagship Store
There will be some that are somewhere in the middle too, integrating the physical, digital and social aspects of music. BandLab Technologies (the group company) wants to cater to all of them and enable their creative journeys. What do you value most about music, in Singapore’s context? Access to talent. We have some incredible musicians at BandLab and have the privilege of interacting with the regional community every day. There are also some incredible initiatives like those by the Esplanade, the NAC, MCCY and many more that provide robust and open platforms for aspiring musicians of all ages and backgrounds. Also, diversity. Singapore is a melting pot of influences that inspire creativity, and you can see that come through in regional talents like The Sam Willows, Gentle Bones, Nathan Hartono and many more. Do you think Singapore’s attitudes towards music are changing (i.e. parents saying that there's no future in making music in Singapore)? I can’t speak for everyone, but the talent in the emerging class of Southeast Asian musicians is encouraging. I’m inspired by what I see and hear in the local community. We hope to continue helping local musicians in their journey, regardless of where they’re at in their learning or discovery process. How do you think you can further contribute to the local music scene?
products and equipment. With our new experience at Star Vista opening in November, which will integrate music with live entertainment, fashion and F&B, we’re moving onto the next stage of development for the brand and we’re looking forward to inspiring, educating and entertaining a whole new generation of music lovers in Singapore. As the head honcho of Southeast Asia's largest distributor of instruments and audio equipment, what’s your take on the relationship between the government and the musicians in Singapore? I think the government is extremely supportive of local talent; far more so than many countries around the world. I feel it offers tremendous opportunities for local musicians, but it will be important for those who benefit directly or indirectly from public sector schemes to remember that being a musician is like running a business—it’s crucial not to take start-up support for granted, and one ultimately needs to build a sustainable business model. Thoughts on the recent closure of Lush 99.5FM? It’s not the end for local music. If anything, it’s more a reflection of the fact that radio is a challenging medium today. It’s a shame to lose a platform dedicated to showcasing local and alternative music, but as long as there is demand for it, new avenues will always find a way to emerge into prominence. To me, it’s a core responsibility for local companies like Swee Lee to step up and be a part of helping local musicians at every step of their music journey.
We’ve only just started. We’ve already brought prices down significantly and changed the retail experience dramatically to bring more accessibility and affordability to the best
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 SG MAGAZINE
11
Colossal Photos
now
Zouk at Jiak Kim
Zouk Tunnel at Jiak Kim
Zouk at Clarke Quay
FEATURE
Growing up with Zouk
At 26 years old, Zouk Singapore has come a long way since its daring inception. Amanda Chai takes a look back at the ups and downs of the nation's premiere dance club. Photography by Zouk. Here’s a proposition: There’s no one thing that better encapsulates Singapore’s burgeoning nightlife than Zouk. It’s the name that rolls cautiously off a local freshman’s tongue on their first foray into the clubbing scene; and stays with them long past their halcyon days. It’s where the young congregate and the old mock—but secretly reminisce. Meaning ‘party’ in a French creole dialect, it quite literally is the definition of a good time. Despite being ranked fourth on DJ Magazine’s Top 100 Clubs in the World, and first in many a Singaporean’s heart, the nightclub now located along Clarke Quay had its rough patches to weather before reaching its current status. In particular, the last five years have seen major restructuring changes in management and marketing, what with the club being sold to Genting Hong Kong in 2015, and its controversial move out of its Jiak Kim Street location in end 2016. But change isn’t all bad—Tracy Phillips, who headed Zouk’s marketing team from 1999 to 2009, thinks it’s good that “everything changes”. Together with club culture and music tastes, the nightclub has evolved from its first days as a pioneer hub for global house music. And like any child having to learn to navigate the waters of adulthood, Zouk has rebelled, won, lost, hit milestones, and carved an identity for itself amid an increasingly homogenous crowd. In tandem with its loyal supporters, Zouk has grown up. EARLY DAYS In March 1991, three old warehouses along the Singapore River were taken over by a local entrepreneur. Lincoln Cheng, who turns 70 this year, had been frustrated by the lack of good global dance music in Singapore. He took inspiration from the beach clubs of Ibiza and the house music of Europe—and channelled passion and personal funds into creating an all-white dance club that didn’t just play the pop music of hotel discos. He filled it with fine art whose worth went unnoticed by most—a Keith
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Haring in Velvet Underground worth US$60,000 and Andy Warhol prints. Club-goers likely only remember the pounding music, smoke-filled tunnel, and stumbling about the three interconnected rooms in giddy laughter. Phillips, who joined the team to do marketing in 1998, remembers going to Zouk every weekend in her teens—before she was personally brought onboard by then Marketing Manager Andrew Ing. At the time, there was a less diverse bar scene and more cluboriented spaces, but still no definitive local nightlife culture; Phillips named places like Venom, St. James and Liquid Room as key competitors in the scene then. Still, Zouk Singapore never fell behind. It was awarded “Best Nightspot Experience” by the Singapore Tourism Board six times between 1996 and 2007, and the lineup of international DJs—a literally foreign concept at the time—kept the crowds coming. As Marketing Manager, Phillips was in charge of producing events, making props, settling designs for publicity materials, and booking the acts. She conceptualized key nights like Readyset Glo and the club’s anniversary parties, but also instigated creative collaborations with local music, fashion and design talents to showcase Singapore’s creative scene. The aim, said Phillips, was to maintain a balance between being progressive and global-looking, while still being commercially viable and relevant to a local audience. “I think we stood for being a world-class nightlife establishment—at the forefront of local and global trends; a champion for different creative outlets and a rite of passage for many young Singaporeans.” RITE DE PASSAGE For many, Zouk Singapore is an agreed-upon rite of passage. And the rituals that come with a night out at Zouk rarely deviate. Back at Jiak Kim Street, there was the gathering in
Velvet Undergound
circles on the infamous Zouk bridge, where the young and broke pre-drank cheap alcohol from convenience stores in Holiday Inn; the sinful midnight snacking on bangers and mash from the food cart outside the club; splurging on a round of sour plum shots that thankfully have made their return to the club at Clarke Quay. Current Marketing Director and legal counsellor at Zouk Singapore Chung Siqi said her best memories there revolve around the “iconic queue” during Mambo Jumbo, the club’s 1980’s pop hits night. “The queue would snake out to the river,” she added. GOODBYE JIAK KIM The 2015 alcohol ban brought with it an end to many pre-drinking rituals. Under the Liquor Control Act, the sale and drinking of alcohol in public places is prohibited from 10:30pm to 7am. But the biggest change most clubbers feel even today is the move out of Jiak Kim Street, leaving various Zouk monuments and memories behind. After a 21-year run in the Gaudi-inspired warehouses Lincoln Cheng had so lovingly sought to create, Zouk Singapore’s lease at Jiak Kim Street expired. According to a spokesperson from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the warehouse buildings had at the time been leased “for interim use, as the surrounding area was not fully developed, and there were no firm development plans for the site”. Furthermore, Robertson Quay had been “zoned largely for residential use”. “Over time, the surrounding area had become progressively developed as a residential precinct, and the gathering of patrons in large numbers along the waterfront adjacent to Zouk into the wee hours of the morning caused nuisance to the nearby residents,” URA added. Thus began a series of proposals and petitions to have the lease extended—which succeeded, first till June 2013, then June 2014, and finally end 2016.
Colossal Photos
now
Zouk at Clarke Quay
Diplo
Nicky Romero
Capital
Most prominently, the 2014 ‘Save Zouk’ campaign started by Cheng himself drove an uncomfortable wedge between loyal fans and the government. The explanation that Zouk had become “incompatible with the residential nature of the area” sparked outrage from fans, many of whom had come to see the club as a national icon. Spearheaded by then Marketing Manager Sofie Chandra, the campaign included an online petition to URA to reconsider a lease renewal for another three years, with Cheng even threatening to shut the club down. Over 32,000 signed the petition, and URA, caught in a deadlock, “granted several lease extensions in response to their appeal for more time to look for an alternative site”. In an unexpected turn of events, Cheng sold Zouk Singapore, in Sep 2015, to cruise and resort holding company Genting Hong Kong. To Phillips, who had by then handed over the reins, it was the end of an era. “Being a club kid and a fan of Zouk from way before I even worked there, it was hard to imagine it in anyone's hands other than Lincoln,” she said. “But 25 years under the same management is an anomaly in clubland, so in a way it was inevitable.” The buyover, coupled with the move to new premises, marked the closure of a crucial chapter for Zouk. A slew of farewell parties were hosted, and on Dec 3, 2016, Zouk at 17 Jiak Kim Street opened its white, Park Guell-esque doors for the last time. A SIGN OF THE TIMES A six-minute cab ride away, Zouk 2.0 stands assuredly at 3C River Valley Road. From the Google-inspired, open office concept of the new Zouk office, 28-yearold Chung wraps a sweater around her shoulders to stay warm under the air-conditioning’s cool blast. She may be the current head of marketing at Singapore’s most iconic nightclub, but her easy candour and
straightforward replies don’t betray her revered position. Switching effortlessly between marketing speak and legal jargon—Chung was formally trained as a lawyer—she shares of what’s to come in the next three to five years.
“It’s sad to see the old place go—having those three rooms interconnected and all the nice tiles done Park Guell style; but it’s just different. There’s no right or wrong, or bad or good; it’s just a change.”
There is the cruise ship Zouk at Sea, which will dock in Singapore at the end of the year; Zouk Genting; and even Zouk Vegas in the next three years. The common thread here is the expansion towards an international audience, something Chung says started naturally with the move to Clarke Quay, a tourist hub.
When it comes to negative feedback she has received about the growing international crowd and experimenting with new sounds, she remains diplomatic but firm.
“In the past, Zouk was known to be this place for locals, but now you see clubs like Kilo (Lounge) coming up, and their crowds are very expat-heavy as well,” she pointed out. “So it’s nice to have a bit of that too. It’s a good thing for the club.” Adding a new room, Capital, in place of Velvet Underground has been a bold move for the club too. Advertised as a lounge bar for working professionals, it has helped bring in a slightly older and more affluent crowd, which Chung said helps with the raised cost of rent and artist rates that “have kept up with the times”. The word ‘change’ comes up 14 times in the interview; Chung, who stepped up to the role halfway through 2017, is well aware of the challenges of picking up the mantle in the middle of such massive change. But she is undaunted. Many may lament the loss of an iconic club space, but Chung firmly believes in change being the only constant. Looking ahead to all of Zouk’s upcoming projects, both locally and abroad, the fiery Marketing Director has no time for nostalgia and petty complaints. “You can’t really let nostalgia hold you back from keeping up with the times and being relevant to the current crowd,” she said. “I guess it’s like growing up right? You look back to your primary school days and it’s really nostalgic, but to me, ‘what’s going to happen in the future?’ should be the question that’s always being asked.
“It comes to a point where you can’t please everybody,” she said. “Ultimately it’s still a business—so it’s important to know what your consumers want, but you can’t always cater to everybody’s taste.” Still, retaining the local crowd and old Zoukgoers remains her priority. Students, especially, are important, because “eventually these are the people who grow up to be your clubbers”. Because of this, marketing has shifted strategically to become more digitally focused. Particular nights are also receiving more attention to win back old crowds—like the tech house-centric SoulFeed night, which used to assume residence at Velvet at the old Zouk space; now back despite the lack of a designated room to call its own. Ultimately, Chung has just one vision for Zouk—that it be an inclusive space; a club for everyone. “When I was younger it was where I went to learn about music and a lot of people whom I met then I still know now,” she said. “It’s that community aspect that I’ve always loved, so I hope to retain that.” For now, she’s got Zoukout 2017 and the upcoming ZoukTV, an in-house web series featuring interviews with local and international DJs, on her plate. It goes without saying, really, that Zouk’s future looks bright.
TIPPLE Whiskey Business
Zouk at Jiak Kim
Every Zouk clubber knows that hotel with the two particular stores—the ones that sell alcohol so cheap they’re like an oasis in a sea of $20 shots and overpriced booze. Pregame rituals involved heading down through the hotel carpark (so as not to disturb guests and anger the management), and sending the lads in the group to get the goods (because the auntie likes boys and will throw in free mixers). After leaving with two bottles of Absolut and coke, you’re all set for a good night out.
one of these liquor legends, who declined to be named, on this risky business.
comes here already. Last time I can eat a full cake, now only eat half.
How long has your shop been here?
Will you continue staying here?
More than 10 years; I set it up myself.
Yeah—I don’t just have alcohol; I have ice cream, biscuits, so many things. I’ve got customers from the hotel; I just earn less.
Hence, it’s an unfortunate fact that with the move to Clarke Quay, that quintessential part of the Zouk experience has been lost forever. We caught up with
Drop lor; totally, there is none already. More than 80% of my business is gone. Both (the 10:30pm alcohol ban and the move) affected it—nobody
What are your bestsellers? When Zouk was here, of course it was alcohol. How has business been affected since Zouk moved?
You still seem positive.
No choice lah, Singapore is like that; the law is like that. You cannot say no. You die or don’t die, they also don’t care about you. Do you miss the clubbers? Of course!
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 SG MAGAZINE
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eats
The inside scoop on Singapore’s dining scene
Provisions
DINING
It’s a stick up Panko
The biggest food trend of 2017 has undoubtedly been the humble stick. The proliferation of skewer restaurants—whether they be serving sticks of yakitori, satay or lok lok—have not gone unnoticed. Here, Dannon Har rounds up five that have opened so far this year. Birders In a bid to move away from the traditional way of serving yakitori—you know, charcoal-grilled and only lightly seasoned with sea salt—Birders, on Tras Street, opened by the same people behind The Great Escape, dishes out sticks of wellseasoned meats (mostly chicken) and vegetables. Try the melt-in-your-mouth tail portion of the chicken (aka the backside) served with simple garlic shoyu and the chicken hearts ($4), served with negi and ginger, that will even appeal to those who don’t usually stomach offal. Wash it all down with cup sake. 55 Tras St., 8748-4585, www.fb.com/ birderssg.
Chikin A skewer concept featuring szechuan mala flavours is Chikin, an effortlessly cool place plastered with neon lights and wallto-ceiling murals of ‘80s Japanese pop art. The Bukit Pasoh establishment stands out not just thanks to the szechuan peppercorns, but also with its cocktail focus. In fact, it’s primarily a bar offering drinks like sake sangrias and smoky whisky-based concoctions. Did we also mention there’s a room for karaoke? 6 Bukit Pasoh Rd., 6221-3670, www.fb.com/chikinroostar.
Panko Found along hip Haji Lane, Panko (which means breadcrumbs) serves up breaded and deep-fried Kushikatsu skewers of anything from pork to cheese to eggplant.
Bincho’s Chef Asai, along with head Chef Ishikawa helms the kitchen here, so you know that the sticks here are of quality. There’s also an extensive selection of cocktails, shochu, sake, Japanese whisky and craft beers to choose from. 33 Arab St., 6291-3323, www.panko.com.sg.
Chikin
Provisions For yakitori with a local twist, try Provisions, a Dempsey area establishment also known for their claypot rice and cocktails. Standouts here are the five spice pork intestines ($5) as well as the beef sirloin with kecap manis, oolong and burnt leek ($10). They pair perfectly well with equally Singaporean cocktails like the Bantai Bandung (that has gula melaka in it) or the Spiced Hot Teh-Si, a whisky-based drink with Indian spices and black tea. 7 Dempsey Rd., 9783-0792, www.fb.com/provisions.asia.
Birders
Rokukakutei Another Kushikatsu concept, Rokukakutei, located on the first floor of Odeon Towers, is exceptional thanks to its affiliation with Osaka’s one-Michelin-starred restaurant of the same name. The Singapore outpost is their first one outside of Japan (there’s another one in Ginza, Tokyo) and offers deep fried skewers served omakase style. The chef proudly pairs them with a selection of premium wines and Champagne. 331 North Bridge Rd., 6266-1077, www.fb.com/ginzarokukakuteisingapore. Rokukakutei
TITBIT ONE THAT OUGHT TO GO Galaxy- and rainbow-hued everything needs to be expunged into space. While it feeds people’s Instagram accounts nicely, all that needless food dye is just bad for the gut.
ONE TREND THAT’S STAYED No longer a fad but a mainstay of most menus is the now-ubiquitous salted egg yolk sauce, which is perfectly fine by us; lather that prawn, fish skin or bowl of shoestring fries up.
Sin Lee Foods
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Sugarhaus
eats UPDATE Same same but different F&B brands here are always on the move—upgrading, refurbishing and introducing new concepts. Here are some developments that happened this year.
HAWKER FOOD
La Brasserie
Old dog, new tricks The Chop Chop Selections at The Bedok Marketplace
LA BRASSERIE The Fullerton Bay Hotel’s French fine dining concept has undergone a revamp and reopened with a renewed focus on cuisine from Southern France—where produce invigorated by the warm Mediterranean sun meets French flair. Enjoy hearty Mediterranean influences in their dishes and make sure to drop by the brand new Fullerton Boutique, which offers a range of signature pastries and lifestyle items. 80 Collyer Quay., 6597-5288, www.bit.ly/FBHLaBrasserie.
FAT COW Fishball Story at Timbre+
Timbre+
Wholly Crab at The Bedok Marketplace
Starker Q
Reinventing a thing as old as our hawker centers isn’t easy, but has been successfully done to great effect, as proven by the crowds that gather at the many newly upscaled hawkers islandwide. By Dannon Har. Slightly over one-year-old Timbre+ at One-North obviously comes to mind, having set the bar high by using refurbished shipping containers and graffiti wall art to up the cool factor. Traditional hawkers and food trucks co-exist under the same roof here, serving up all kinds of grub—from wanton mee to seafood boils—as you have them with Archipelago beer on tap or bottled craft brews at Timbre’s Bottle Shop. Then we got northeast heartlander favorites Legend Beer Garden along Anchorvale Road and recently opened Starker Q (more a leveled-up foodcourt than a hawker) at Punggol Town Plaza, both from the same company that serves up the locally-brewed Starker Fresh Beers. Here, they keep things real by having tze char staples like sambal kang kung alongside crowd-pleasers such as salted egg yolk wings on the menu. Touting themselves as the hippest hawker in the east is The Bedok Marketplace, which sets itself apart with a good selection of dining options like Tajima Wagyu Bento from The Burning Oak and Mee Goreng Pasta from The Chop Chop Selections (both taste as good as any restaurant out there that serves the same). The drink stalls offer a good selection of beers, as well as wines by the bottle too if you want to keep things classy.
And let’s not forget Salut Coffeeshop, a godsend for Bukit Merah residents and workers (like the SG team) craving for a good meal of fancy duck rillette, camembert cheese gratin or beef burgers oozing with spicy guacamole, jalapenos and roasted capsicums in a homely coffeeshop setting. The best thing about these reinvented hawker centers and coffeeshops aren’t the supposed hipster vibes and Instagram fodder food and decor, but rather, the ability for them to reinvigorate people’s interest in the cultural significance of these places. Perhaps that is why we’re seeing a new generation of hawkers taking up the mantle to learn and cook good ol’ hawker fare, which can only be a good thing for food activism and cultural preservation. Let’s hope the upcoming Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre, a two-storey establishment serving both traditional hawker cuisine and more modern takes on those cuisines, will be an equally poignant step in the right direction for our hawker culture when it opens by the end of 2017.
FAT COW It may already be touted as one of the best Japanese steakhouses in Singapore, but Fat Cow isn’t one to sit on its laurels. Besides their popular beef bowls and premium wagyu cuts, the revamped restaurant has now added an omakase offering. What’s more, they’ve even launched their own Fat Cow sake label—try it before the limited bottles run out. 1 Orchard Blvd., 6735-0308, www.fat-cow.com.sg. HARD ROCK CAFE In a move fans of Hard Rock Cafe will appreciate, the restaurant is bringing their limited-time only dishes like the crispy Cauliflower Wings, gooey Java Lava Burger and the sinfully satisfying Guinness Bacon Cheeseburger into their permanent menu. Check out both their Sentosa and Orchard outlets for slightly different offerings. 50 Cuscaden Rd., 6235-5232, www.fb.com/hardrockcafesingapore. BAM! Known for their sake and food pairings, BAM! has undergone a major shuffle in June after 4.5 years in the business and is now an omakase-only concept. It continues to uphold its modern take on sake appreciation through food, offering four-, six- and eight-course omakase tiers as well as vegetarian and dessert sets too. 38 Tras St., 6226-0500, www.bam.sg.
Tiger Beer
TIGER BLACK, WHITE AND SILVER 85-year-old Tiger Beer, Singapore’s first locally brewed beer, had earlier this year launched their latest range of beers aimed at more discerning drinkers. Complementing the classic pale lager are a color category of beers reminiscent of Nintendo’s Pokemon video game series. The Tiger Black is a bold, dark beer; the White a smooth, refreshing witbier; while the Silver is a lower calorie coffeeshop label for easy drinking.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 SG MAGAZINE
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escapes
Holidays, hotels and insider travel news
SRI LANKA
War torn, not forlorn Hindu Chariot Festival
The northern Sri Lankan city of Jaffna has returned to normalcy now that the region has recovered from civil conflict. Jose Jeuland headed there in hopes to be one of the first to experience the place for himself and to capture sights of the city and its people on camera, immortalizing this yet untouched place’s post-war imagery. Photography by Jose Jeuland. Peace—a state where everything is in harmony, uninterrupted by the seemingly chaotic nature of life. This is how I felt when I first stepped foot into Jaffna, the capital of the northern province of Sri Lanka. Eight years after the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war, the province is still in the process of rebuilding itself. The roads to Jaffna were opened to visitors, both Sri Lankans and international tourists, only a few years ago after two and a half decades of civil strife. That’s a really long time being closed off to the outside world. Seeing this as my chance to experience the city, I decided to capture the local sights on camera before it gets busy with tourists roaming around. If you have not heard of Jaffna until now, it is time you bookmark this city for a trip because it is starting to open up. Leaving the ever-familiar sights of Singapore, I embarked on this trip with my wife and my photography equipment— the only two things I need during my travels. And to get to Jaffna, I first flew into Colombo, then to Negombo, and finally entering Jaffna via their local bus service. Arriving there, we soon realized that there weren’t many hotels and guest houses like what we would normally expect. Despite the limited housing options available to us, we were able to find ourselves a cozy little room to call home for a week. Luckily, the owner was a very amicable and hospitable
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man who ensured that our needs were well taken care of, even though most food places in Jaffna only serve vegetarian dishes due to the huge Hinduism influence there. Though the locals have not seen many tourists around before, and I definitely stand out in the crowd because of my ethnicity, they were not afraid of me. Instead, they were very curious about me, my culture, where I came from and why I do what I do. Plus, all of them approached me with such friendliness that I could feel the palpable warmth emanating from them. Besides the people, the city itself is also a charmer, waiting for people to explore the gems hidden in the corners of its streets and to fall in love with it. If there is one city that could defy one’s expectations of rural areas, it would definitely be Jaffna. Despite the city still in the early stages of economic and social development, I have managed to experience much of this city’s small town charm by revisiting the country’s colonial history at the Dutch Fort, as well as exposing myself to Jaffna’s literary scene by going on library walks, watching people engage in a game of cricket, and tracing the roots of the city as a fishing village by talking to local merchants. During my one-week stay in Jaffna, I was very lucky to have experienced one of the largest festivals there that’s held at the greatest temple grounds in Sri Lanka, the Hindu Chariot
Festival. Commonly known by the locals as Nallur Kovil Thaer Thiruvizha, the ceremonial process involves devout locals praying, as a chariot is pulled from one temple ground to another, passing by the homes of locals. As residents congregate for a common purpose, they no longer seem to be strangers to one another. Instead, they are one big family. And that’s part of the purpose of such celebrations—to form strong communal bonds. In the absence of technology, the locals entertain themselves through simple chit-chat and the sharing of personal experiences with one another. Their traditional way of living brought back nostalgic memories of growing up in a small town in France. Life was definitely much simpler then. On my eighth day of stay in Jaffna, I ventured further up north to the Keerimalai springs and Naguleswaram temple, where I spent a further three days. Again, I had to take the local bus service there—there was simply no other way—and wasn’t disappointed as my fellow riders kept me entertained with spirited conversations.
escapes
Alpaca Cafe
THAILAND
48 hours in Hua Hin
Monsoon Vineyard
Hua Hin Beach
Close to Bangkok is the seaside resort town of Hua Hin. Michelle Ng shares how she managed to spend a short but supremely fulfilling two days there. The next time you find yourself in Bangkok, be sure to hop over to Hua Hin. This quaint little seaside village with endless beaches is just a three-hour drive by car from the bustling shopping haven that we all know and love. When the bus pulled into the designated drop-off point, everyone hopped off the bus and went their separate ways while I started on my search for the Naguleswaram temple– my home for the next two nights. With some help from the friendly locals, I managed to locate the temple that was still undergoing restoration works then. A few rooms were built next to the temple to provide guests with a roof over their heads. The Keerimalai springs were amazingly beautiful. You can often spot people soaking their tired feet and immersing their wornout bodies into the clear and calming spring waters to rejuvenate themselves. The sight of children playing around in the serene surrounds without a worry in the world is truly a rare sight to behold in today’s world. Having travelled extensively, I realize that underneath our visible differences— the ones that make cultures, groups, individuals and foods unique—we all have one common thread: an inherent friendliness towards others. We are all human beings and we are naturally hospitable towards others. In life, we’ve become so accustomed to our daily work routine and urban pace to the point that it becomes the norm. But this excursion to Jaffna and Keerimalai has shown me a different side to life—that simplicity can often be the source of happiness. It is all the more poetic too, that a people that has seen so much violence and conflict due to civil strife have managed to stay so jovial and trusting of others. This is a lesson I will not soon forget.
En route to Hua Hin, you’ll get to appreciate sights of paddy fields, rivers, mountains and several Thai temples. Despite being chosen as an ideal getaway by King Rama VII back in the 1920s, Hua Hin has resisted urban development and remains rather obscure, which is why Hua Hin is the perfect place to go to get a feel of Thailand’s old-world charm without giving up the resort experience. I stayed at the Radisson Blu Resort Hua Hin, which offers everything you could possibly need for a secluded getaway. R&R opportunities are aplenty here. With only 116 rooms, the resort never gets overcrowded and you can always be sure to get a chair by the infinity pool. The best room to get has to be the one with pool access (it’s connected to the common pool). You can literally open your balcony door for immediate access into the pool for a super convenient midnight swim if you feel like it. If you and your buddies get neighboring rooms, you can consider having a pool party late into the night. There are also suites with their own private pools if you want your own space without giving up the gorgeous views. Their infinity pool overlooking the beach also lets you enjoy the salty ocean breeze without having to step one foot on the sand. On a clear day, you can even look across the Gulf of Thailand. And if for some reason you find yourself awake at around 4am, head down to the beach to watch the fishermen return to shore with their catch. Just remember to bring a flashlight with you as there are no lights on the beach.
Night Market
TASTE SOME LOCAL WINES
SAY HI TO ALPACAS
Wine enthusiasts will be thrilled to visit the nearby Monsoon Vineyard. I went on the guided Monsoon Vineyard tour, where the guide led us through the fields and taught us more about harvesting grapes in a tropical climate. The wines here don’t taste like the ones we’re accustomed to and it’s interesting to learn more about Thai wines. Fun fact: did you know that harvest season comes twice a year in tropical climates?
On my way back to Bangkok, I stopped by the most adorable Alpaca-themed cafe. And no, they don’t have alpaca meat on the menu. It’s called the Alpaca Restaurant because it has a stable full of real alpacas at the back. The kitchen serves up pretty good local fare with a modern twist as well as refreshing Chang beer.
Before leaving, be sure to stop by their shop to grab a couple of bottles of wine and some grape sorbet for the trip back to your hotel. Or better yet, have a food tasting and wine pairing meal at their restaurant. GET YOUR BLOOD PUMPING WITH ATV RIDES AND WATER PARKS If you are willing to travel out a little, there are two huge waterparks just a short drive away in Ch’am—perfect for chasing the midday heat away. Also around Ch’am are paintball, ATV and go-karting places, which are perfect if you’re holidaying with a group of friends. You can easily ask your hotel reception or a day tour guide for recommendations on how to get there. STOP BY THE HUA HIN RAILWAY STATION This is for those who love having a bit of
culture and history thrown into their trips. I visited the Hua Hin railway station where you can check out the old Royal Waiting Room that’s built right by the tracks. The waiting room is not open to visitors, but you can snap a few photos outside the pavilion, which bears a striking similarity to the Maruekathaiyawan Palace, a ThaiVictorian style summer palace in Hua Hin. The Hua Hin Railway Station is also part of the route connecting Bangkok and Malaysia, so just hop off at the station for a couple of minutes if you happen to find yourself at a rest stop in Hua Hin. Visit the Hua Hin Coffee Station for some local coffee or Thai milk tea.
It’s best to visit the cafe around 5pm, when the weather cools and the keepers bring the alpacas out for a walk so you can go crazy taking pictures with them. If you happen to visit earlier in the day, just ask the waiters very nicely to see the alpacas. They’ll be more than happy to show you to the alpaca stable. EXPLORE THE NIGHTLIFE SCENE There isn’t much nightlife in Hua Hin,
except for their night markets. The Hua Hin Night Market on Petchkasem Road is open every night, and you can find local food options and souvenirs, but the selection pales in comparison to the amazing markets in Bangkok. One of the locals was telling me about the Cicada Market, an arts and crafts market that only opens on weekends. It’s a real pity I couldn’t stop by. Besides loads of handmade crafts, there are also performances, music and stand-up comedy acts for visitors to enjoy, apparently. GETTING THERE Thai Airways has daily direct flights from Singapore to Bangkok, where you can take a connecting domestic flight to Hua Hin. You can also opt for a car transfer, or take a train from the Bangkok Railway Station there. Both options are about 3-4 hours of commute. Have your own travel story to tell? Send it to editor@asia-city.com.sg. Head over to www.sgnow.sg/contribute-travel-story for details and contribution guidelines.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 SG MAGAZINE
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last word
Alan Oei As Singapore mandates its move towards being an ostensibly smart nation, Amanda Chai speaks with Alan Oei, Artistic Director of The Substation to find out his take on the city’s future using his latest exhibition, Discipline the City, as a poignant talking point.
Avery Chen
When was the last time you stopped to think about how you move about in the city? Or questioned exactly who our thriving metropolis is designed for, all things (including a one-way traffic CBD that drives taxi uncles crazy) considered? These are just some of the questions The Substation would like to pose to you, the undiscerning citizen, in its latest exhibition Discipline the City. Running in three acts from now through Nov 26, the exhibition features a permanent gallery of immersive installations, a rotating cast of artists, and a punk-in-residence program, which come together to comment on and challenge the hostility of design in Singapore. Defensive architecture, for instance, plays a large role in the exhibition. In one room, neat rows of studs occupy a space on the floor of the gallery, forcing audiences to actively evaluate how they move about and around an anti-homeless city. “The starting point is really about thinking who the city is for,” said Oei. “If you think about Singapore, the city is increasingly becoming very exclusive; we intuitively know when we go to spaces whether we’re welcome or not. I think that this notion of the city becoming more and more disciplined, and how it in turn disciplines all of us, is really important for all of us to grapple with. Even auntie uncles, they know intuitively that the city is becoming this strange place where sometimes you’re not so welcome.” In curating the space, Oei and co-curator Joshua Comaroff’s main focus was to give people a different experience of space, rather than “to just keep hitting them on the head with ‘Discipline the City’”. The result is an enlightening hodgepodge of multimedia and interactive installations, which range from a narrow alleyway in the corner of the gallery intended to fat-shame you, to a series of videos demonstrating how inhospitable the city can be. As part of a larger artist space, a video by 24-yearold artist Avery Chen sees her climbing through barricades and carpark ramps as if manoeuvring a playground, to show how spaces in Singapore, without their original function, can be oppressive. Down in the permanent gallery, a star feature is local artist Chen Sai Hua Kuan’s exhibit—a space that can only be described as an all-white cave, fully curved on all walls to reflect light and prevent even a hint of shadow. It was inspired by a blank piece of white paper, and Chen’s determination to explore how he could extend it forever. The artist also explained that it was his inability to “adapt to the noisiness” of Singapore, after returning home from seven years in the UK, that pushed him to want to create a room of complete quiet and solitude. “For me that’s about space and our experience of space; about your body coming back in some way,” said Oei in response. “When we walk down the city we almost forget about our bodies—until you get to the MRT and everyone’s squeezed together. So are cities designed for bodies?” While the exhibition has been several months in the making, its opening comes at a politically relevant time. For the curators, the post-rally buzz surrounding Singapore becoming a smart nation, and particularly going cashless,
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only emphasizes the need to have this conversation, and have it now. Oei for one has some blunt opinions about it. “There’s this very triumphalist narrative; people think that as long as you’ve got all the data, you’ve got very smart bureaucrats, smart designers, you can solve all the problems of the world; that you can design to death every single thing—and I think that’s exactly the problem for me,” he said. “When you over-design and you over-regulate things, what happens if you’re not part of who they design for?” Design here isn’t just limited to architecture, or electronic conveniences. Oei added that pop-up initiatives that cater to a very specific audience are part of the problem. “If there’s a wonderful pop-up for middle-class Chinese Singaporeans, and you’re not one of those people, what does the city mean to you?”
works—you know, very iconic Zaha Hadid works, or Le Corbusier; just creating these very iconic things that end up typically being the same images that always come up when you search Singapore on the Internet—Marina Bay Sands, the skyline. As cities become more and more like images that people identify with, where is the space for all of us to use and actually live in this city? So we want to ask: Is that an important question for people? How else is the city hostile to its inhabitants? Defensive architecture has been around for quite some time, but the other strand we keep talking about right now is placemaking, like converting a place to a vibrant cultural hub. Stuff like pop-ups and bazaars; it seems like the city has driven people away and is now trying to draw them back in.
Wouldn’t it be a good thing that it’s drawing people back in? “Like if you’re a punk, would you ever go to Singapore No, it’s horrible! Because you kicked people out in the Night Festival?” he jibed, in reference to the punk first place. It’s gentrification. Even for instance here, artist residencies that are part of Discipline the City. Armenian Street, six, seven years ago it was a much The punk community has always been viewed as an more lively space—you had the National Library, you excluded subculture—hence the prominent inclusion had MPH, worker dormitories, people who actually lived of punk in this year’s theme and exhibition. “Just from here, with coffeeshops and things like an ideological view, I think the city that. But with gentrification, rising rents; should be for everyone, and that you what do you have around here right “I think that the shouldn’t over-design things; you now? Very expensive offices, and that’s should just allow organic life to occur.” smart city is one why your space is empty—you have no real sense of life here anymore. way of thinking It’s a lot of shade to handle all in one exhibition, but perhaps very necessary in moving forward as a collective nation. To hear more from Oei, read on.
of how we want our cities to evolve; there are other ways”
How did you decide on this year’s theme for the Substation? What’s the traditional Singapore experience? It’s ERP gantries, your studs, your under-the-void-deck railings to stop kids from playing—when actually a void deck was supposed to be a communal space for people. It’s taken on this different, strange life, in the way of sanitizing spaces, keeping spaces clean and nice; like people should not be there.
I think we’ve all gotten used to it; we all know what defensive architecture is. We look at the studs in the pavement, chairs that don’t allow you to lie down and sleep. It’s crazy because Joshua even told me about these hedges that grow outwards so that migrant workers cannot sit on the curbs. It’s that level of invasiveness, but we just kind of get used to it, and after a while we just get desensitized. So the whole exhibition, when you walk through the space, is about hyper-realizing all of these things again; we really bring it to the extremities. We realize that actually the city takes a toll on you, and there are all these psychological barriers and inhospitable ways of thinking about the city. Why now? Because I think it’s of great importance for us in Singapore. Architecture in itself is becoming co-opted into providing the spectacle and the images for Singapore, rather than thinking about how architecture can design space for people to use in good ways. But we’re less interested in that right now than creating “starchitect”
Then now they want to draw back a certain kind of people. But what is this certain kind of people? It’s a particular kind of model citizen, model consumer; and again that question—if you’re not one of these people, is there a space for you?
You mentioned PM Lee’s comment on smart cities. Are you in favor of becoming a smart nation? I’m not. There are already a lot of articles with people asking who is this smart city for. How about old people who are more comfortable using cash? Exactly what does it do? There’s this seamless flow of transactions; but we’re human beings, we’re not data, we’re not statistics. We want to have a sense of who we are, and we want to be able to play in the city. When you reduce everything to this flow of goods and people, is that really good for us? I think that the smart city is one way of thinking of how we want our cities to evolve; there are other ways, and this exhibition is a starting point to think about what else we want from cities. What is one message you want your audience to leave here with? We’d like to get people to start thinking about space, and what kind of spaces they want in the city— whether it’s to play, to work, to live; and to participate in that conversation. I don’t think it should be only on the state to design and regulate spaces for us. I think we need to be part of the conversation. The first act of Discipline the City took place from Aug 23-Sep 24, while acts two and three runs from Oct 4-22 and Nov 1-26 respectively at The Substation.
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