Nights Off

Nights Off has become a weekly ritual of some sorts. It entails an unimaginative pilgrimage crisscrossing an unchanging route. From Mt Barebones I faithfully trudge out, past a couple of schools and into the all too familiar HDB heartland. It's a good thing that Mt Barebones is sited so closely to a residential area for the sight of monolithic HDB point blocks as well as unimaginative apartment buildings actually soothes me. I know... You must be thinking that I am weird to seek solace in drab buildings such as this. But after being marooned for 3 months on a sweltering island filled with nothing but fetid jungles, sweaty people as well as snotty wild boars, I decided that HDB flats within sighting distance is a very good thing indeed. It is in simple terms, a reassurance that sanity and civilization is within reach.

And so I continue along the quaint Tech Whye Crescent which is well, shaped like a crescent for that matter. With 4 schools jostling for space along the cramped road, you can jolly imagine the chaotic scene during school rush hour with impatient motorists and jumpy parents abound. But for now, the Crescent is well and truly devoid of any signs of life now. Save for an occasional Learner plate car from BBDC, which I learnt to regard with extreme caution even though the adjoining road apron is some distance away from the road. Trust me; this will be your modus operandi in plain sight of learner cars if you encountered one car which nearly mounted the kerb while negotiating a hump next to you.

Slowly but surely, Mt Barebones melted away into the tranquil surroundings of Teck Whye as I journey through the concrete jungle towards my favourite Kopitiam. A perennial feature of the urban landscape in Singapore, you can never miss out sightings of the ubiquitous coffee shop which is almost like a sweatshop version of France’s bistros and brasseries. And after my latest journey which lasted all of 10 minutes, I reward myself by settling down on my usual table. But not before ordering the “Chap Chai Bng”. For the uninitiated, the Chap Chai Bng is Singapore’s version of Chinese Cuisine offered a la carte style. And to accompany my meal which resembles the silhouette of Ice Kachang, what else but iced Pokka green tea?

A little break of some sorts to me, the dinner merely offers a respite from more walking ahead. Yes! My penultimate leg of the trail involves walking to Ten Mile Junction which I think is located quite near to Teck Whye. The primary draw of Ten Mile to me is the presence of Sheng Siong which occupies a full two storey in the erstwhile dwarfish building. Supermarkets and large ones at that, never fail to enthrall me since young. The endless rows and never-ending aisles of goodies fascinate me tremendously. Every few steps bring forth to thy eyes different goods of seemingly every conceivable shape and size. In case you mistake me for visiting Ten Mile just to indulge in my fascination, I do have an admirable purpose. You see, I monitor prices of products which I think farnee mum mum might be getting so as to get the maximum bang for buck. Heh. Are you thinking how Uncle I am? *Shrug shoulders.

And oh, before I forget to document a rare occurrence. For once was I able to witness the Railway Crossing in action. And I tell you, I could barely conceal my excitement in front of fellow passers-by who were plain bored at the sight. Picture them with a yawn. Yes, they looked that way. Some sleepy bloke stationed in an insipid hut apparently received signal of an incoming train and leapt into action. The lazy pair of old traffic lights went from bleached green to bright maroon before morphing into an angry red. Flimsy barriers creaked their way down alongside the buckled metal rails with the accompaniment of cheesy warning tones. We waited…and waited. Waited and waited for what it seemed like a very long time before a very ancient looking locomotive appeared in sight. You might be forgiven that SMRT Corp. might have considered employing such archaic machines 100 years ago. If it was established then, that is.

After the visit to colossal Sheng Siong was time for another expedition to nearby Bukit Panjang Plaza. Don’t ask me why my outings are often punctuated with a healthy serving of walking. Bukit Panjang Plaza often sets me wondering about Northpoint back in my hometown. That is, what on earth were the planners and architects thinking of when they were finalizing the blueprint of Northpoint? My father often told me that Northpoint looked like a shopping paradise for hobbits when compared to big brother Causeway Point. And once when I was dragging myself home from school, I happen to unintentionally eavesdrop on a conversation.

Man A: “Where are we heading to now?”

Man B:”Northpoint?”

Man A:” Are you serious? There is NO point visiting Northpoint”

Man B:”…”

-End of conversation-?

Nice pun by Man A.

Bukit Panjang Plaza is really a fine place to hang out even on weekends. Not your usual second rate malls where mostly school-going kids roam aimlessly after school hours. And with breakfast resupply concerns foremost in my mind, I naturally head to where it matter most-a bakery. Swee Heng Confectionary is a traditional old school bakery that made good in this modern era. Undoubtedly, the emergence of Breadtalk had hastened Swee Heng’s modernization efforts and added urgency to tackle a market that is getting more demanding and fickle by the day. I am looking for a “six pack” bun set with red bean fillings. A short scout around the transparent shelves in the rather cramped shop revealed several of these creations sitting snugly among their other contemporaries. A double take saw me take notice in an identical offering with a small label Japanese Red Bean. I was amused. What was so special about Japanese red beans that made this particular bread dearer by 20 cents? Unbeknownst to myself, I had actually wondered out aloud for anyone who bothered to listen.

A nearby Auntie apparently one of the shop hands, came to my aid without hesitation.

Auntie:” 哎呀 boy boy, 发生什么事 ??”

Me:” 没有 la…”

(Auntie harbours a suspicious look)

Me:” Err, can you give me a good reason why Red Beans from Japan warrant the extra cost??”

Auntie (Obviously chua tio):”!?”

Me:” 为什么 hor, 这个面包那么贵?”

Auntie:”哎唷 boy boy, 这个面包的ang dao 是 Jeer Pooon 来的!”

(I looked even more chua tio than her)

Auntie:”你懂 Jeer Pooon 吗? Sakae Sushi 还有Para para Sakura la…”

Me:”... ~Haha~…Ok!”

I promptly paid out the amount and left a bewildered and animated Auntie.

Bukit Panjang Plaza though nowhere as sprawling as Causeway Point, was still light years ahead of Nopoint, I mean Northpoint. And there were pretty shop assistants around. ;D If I’m not mistaken there is a particular promoter working in Guardian who never fail to be decked out in office wear meaning, dark coat, skirt, heels as well as black stockings. Let’s just say that I like girls in office wear. :D

Just a caveat, it’s nowhere near the grotesque fetish that Jasper has, period. Right...

As the boring person that I am, I naturally take flight immediately for the Library located on the top floor. But before heading the books, I do some quick browsing through apparel and sportswear shops for a suitable bag. The Bag sure is elusive. It’s either some self-improvement books, prep books for chemical engineering or some fiction books by Salman Rushdie. Hey, I did say that I am rather boring okay!

And I conclude my little Nights Off with a long slow stroll back to Mt Barebones at around eight in the evening…