Think I shall blog about how I spent last Tuesday:
At school in the morning, I was asked if I could bring the Sec 3 pupils to Tanjong Pagar Plaza for their hairstyling elective (exams were over) from 8.30am to 3.00pm. Since I had no other duty in school, I agreed. It will be a refreshing change of environment for that day. So off we went in 2 buses, with me on one bus and and a female teacher in the other.
When we arrived, I realised Tanjong Pagar Plaza is the low building opposite Amara Hotel and its shopping centre. I am quite familar with Amara shopping centre, as I have gone to Union Square (a small club) on the fourth level back during the days when Union Square was famous for its drum 'n bass nights. Now the place only seems to have Salsa nights, and is popular with the salsa crowd.
Tanjong Pagar Plaza has an old facade and consists of 2 levels of tired-looking shops arranged in long rows, with some residential units above. The hairstyling school the pupils have to go to is on the second level. When we entered, I saw that the place was cramped, and that my colleague and I couldn't possibly stay inside there till 3pm. After overseeing the class for some time, and ensuring that the effeminate trainers were capable of controlling the pupils, my colleague and I decided that we could step out for a while.
What else but breakfast! I headed straight for the hawker centre connected by a linkway to the building. And there, I discovered not one, not two, but three nasi lemak stalls. Who needs Changi Village when there is this place! All looked promising. I decided on one which had good reviews pasted at the stall, and it was good. For the record, I had pandan-flavoured rice, ikan bilis, egg, luncheon meat and a big fried drumstick. The sambal chilli did not disappoint.
Time seemed to pass slowly. After breakfast, I took a walk around the area, observing the morning office-worker crowd going to work. It felt strange being in the CBD instead of in school on a weekday. Everyone was walking briskly to their workplace, while I had quite a few hours to while away. It was no surprise that I was soon approached by a fresh-faced girl to do a 5-minute survey about the 'Visit Malaysia' campaign for her. I obliged when I saw that she was not trying to sell me something. After the survey, it appeared that it was a slow morning for her too, so we began chatting.
Her name is Grace, it was a part-time job, and she is in her second year at SMU. We talked about her campus, her major, salsa classes, food in Geylang, her plan to be an air-stewardess, marriage, my job, and clubbing. She related one time when she came home from clubbing at 4am, to realise that her mum was not inside the house. Couldn't contact her, got worried and went to the police to make a report. Subsequently, the mum came home at 5am, and it turned out that she had been clubbing too. The funny thing was that Grace's mum had to show herself at the police post for closure to the missing-person report, and instead of making a fuss about it, she went back happy, since the policeman remarked that she didn't look like a 50+ year-old auntie.
Went back to check on pupils, and time passed slowly again. Then it was lunch-break, and I explored Amara shopping centre. JW Horological Gallery, a pre-owned watch shop, has moved away, to my dismay. Saw Kojima salon, one of those places that charges $10 for a quick cut, so I got my hair cut there.
Then proceeded to Burger King on the ground floor, where I ran into Choon Wei, a cycling buddy whom I have not seen for a long time. Turned out that he is working at The Bike Boutique nearby at Tras Street, and of course, after cadging some fries from him and his two colleagues, I took the opportunity to return to the shop with them to check it out. Planet-X saddles now cost $75; when I bought mine from the old Bike Boutique shop a while ago, it was $50! Anyway, the shop was nice and neat, with a few nifty-looking On-One and Planet-X bikes. They even have Planet-X roadbikes there; my first time seeing them.
Bringing students for elective course was not as boring as I had expected.
At school in the morning, I was asked if I could bring the Sec 3 pupils to Tanjong Pagar Plaza for their hairstyling elective (exams were over) from 8.30am to 3.00pm. Since I had no other duty in school, I agreed. It will be a refreshing change of environment for that day. So off we went in 2 buses, with me on one bus and and a female teacher in the other.
When we arrived, I realised Tanjong Pagar Plaza is the low building opposite Amara Hotel and its shopping centre. I am quite familar with Amara shopping centre, as I have gone to Union Square (a small club) on the fourth level back during the days when Union Square was famous for its drum 'n bass nights. Now the place only seems to have Salsa nights, and is popular with the salsa crowd.
Tanjong Pagar Plaza has an old facade and consists of 2 levels of tired-looking shops arranged in long rows, with some residential units above. The hairstyling school the pupils have to go to is on the second level. When we entered, I saw that the place was cramped, and that my colleague and I couldn't possibly stay inside there till 3pm. After overseeing the class for some time, and ensuring that the effeminate trainers were capable of controlling the pupils, my colleague and I decided that we could step out for a while.
What else but breakfast! I headed straight for the hawker centre connected by a linkway to the building. And there, I discovered not one, not two, but three nasi lemak stalls. Who needs Changi Village when there is this place! All looked promising. I decided on one which had good reviews pasted at the stall, and it was good. For the record, I had pandan-flavoured rice, ikan bilis, egg, luncheon meat and a big fried drumstick. The sambal chilli did not disappoint.
Time seemed to pass slowly. After breakfast, I took a walk around the area, observing the morning office-worker crowd going to work. It felt strange being in the CBD instead of in school on a weekday. Everyone was walking briskly to their workplace, while I had quite a few hours to while away. It was no surprise that I was soon approached by a fresh-faced girl to do a 5-minute survey about the 'Visit Malaysia' campaign for her. I obliged when I saw that she was not trying to sell me something. After the survey, it appeared that it was a slow morning for her too, so we began chatting.
Her name is Grace, it was a part-time job, and she is in her second year at SMU. We talked about her campus, her major, salsa classes, food in Geylang, her plan to be an air-stewardess, marriage, my job, and clubbing. She related one time when she came home from clubbing at 4am, to realise that her mum was not inside the house. Couldn't contact her, got worried and went to the police to make a report. Subsequently, the mum came home at 5am, and it turned out that she had been clubbing too. The funny thing was that Grace's mum had to show herself at the police post for closure to the missing-person report, and instead of making a fuss about it, she went back happy, since the policeman remarked that she didn't look like a 50+ year-old auntie.
Went back to check on pupils, and time passed slowly again. Then it was lunch-break, and I explored Amara shopping centre. JW Horological Gallery, a pre-owned watch shop, has moved away, to my dismay. Saw Kojima salon, one of those places that charges $10 for a quick cut, so I got my hair cut there.
Then proceeded to Burger King on the ground floor, where I ran into Choon Wei, a cycling buddy whom I have not seen for a long time. Turned out that he is working at The Bike Boutique nearby at Tras Street, and of course, after cadging some fries from him and his two colleagues, I took the opportunity to return to the shop with them to check it out. Planet-X saddles now cost $75; when I bought mine from the old Bike Boutique shop a while ago, it was $50! Anyway, the shop was nice and neat, with a few nifty-looking On-One and Planet-X bikes. They even have Planet-X roadbikes there; my first time seeing them.
Bringing students for elective course was not as boring as I had expected.
