Irtiza's Reflection
Visiting Joo Chiat was a very weird experience for me. I have been living in this country for the past 18 years of my life but it was the first time I felt like a stranger in a new country. My parents migrated here when I was 4 and I am pretty much bred a Singaporean and I love every part of being Singaporean. I have always grown up in north and most of my schools were located in the central area so the east side was something very “ulu” for me.
I must say that the first time I stepped into Joo Chiat I discovered a new side of Singapore. One that showed how Southeast Asia came together in a country so small. It had Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian and colonial influence all over the place. The
architecture, especially the old shophouses really intrigued me. Moreover, how people from Southeast Asia actually brought their cuisines over was especially refreshing. The taste of different parts of Southeast Asia being available in Singapore made me appreciate Joo Chiat even more. It’s definitely the number one location in my list for food hunts now.
It was also very enriching as I have a group member who’s been staying there for majority of her life. She was actually able to tell us which part was reclaimed and she was able to direct us to the old abandoned colonial houses. This assisted us greatly as it felt like a local was bringing us around in a field trip. It was an eye-opening project and I hope that after this, I have learnt to enjoy this one from a more tourist point of view then an academic one.
DATE: Thursday, March 22, 2012
TIME: ||6:24 PM ||