a little bit of china

i can't fathom why i have this kind of squishy feeling every time i find myself in chinatown in singapore, whether i'm only in the bus while my gaze is set upon the myriad of heritage houses. for sure, it's not the crowd since i tend to shy away from a constraining scenario although finding solace in the midst of people is not far from possible.

Shophouses along South Bridge Road, Chinatown

i have been to chinatown a number of times and the idea of going there again doesn't bore me. with its countless shops, there's always something left to discover because it is certainly more than what meets the eye of an unversed stranger.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

the first time i was in chinatown was with my brother. because he has been with me in this aimless saga called life since we were kids, we headed to chinatown without anything in mind like the usual. our feet led us to buddha tooth relic temple which we didn't even know the temple's name that time. describing it as a chinese temple was a hopeless attempt to redeem our ignorance.

Chinese Lanterns in September 2011

Chinese Lanterns during CNY 2012

aside from the pastel colors of the shophouses, i'm peculiarly mesmerized with these chinese lanterns. again, i can't come up with a good reason why.

Dragon Dance during CNY 2012

with several establishments around the island closed during CNY, chinatown welcomes everyone, tourists included, into a festive celebration even highlighting it with a dragon dance.

Street stalls in Chinatown

my bias to chinatown could probably be due to the fact that a lot of souvenir items are sold at a bargain in every corner of this little patch of china. most stalls have standard prices and almost all knickknacks come with a price of 3 pieces per SGD10. it's a perfect little something for everyone.

Sri Mariamman Temple, Chinatown

since singapore's culture varies by three major influences, chinese, indian and malay, it's not surprising to chance upon a hindu temple in chinatown. how the three coexist can be expressed by the above banner in a hindu temple with a CNY greeting.

Random mailbox in Chinatown

Chinese Traditional Medicines

it would be too redundant if i take pictures of the same spots every time, not to mention an overkill for my hard drive space. so in my recent jaunt in chinatown, i took these two not so "chinatown-ish" photos.

Chinatown at Night

these quaint shophouses fascinate me beyond my peculiarity which i couldn't even define. i don't seek to understand myself but i am grateful that in the midst of chaos, there is something and somewhere i could retreat from a fast-paced routine.

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