Vanishing Trades In Singapore

By Winifred Tan [Information and photos courtesy of National Museum of Singapore and National Heritage Board] The last living vestiges of yesteryear, traditional peddlers are now slowly but surely disappearing from our streets as we continue the relentless march towards commercialism and modernity. Despite the humble and informal nature of their work, it is important for us to remember that these peddlers bear testimony to the entrepreneurial spirit of our city-state and are part of a rich cultural heritage spanning back to the early years of the twentieth century. Need a quick fix for your shoes? A newly-minted set of keys? A refreshing ice-cream sandwich to beat the summer heat? The variety of goods and services offered (all at modest prices) is nothing short of extraordinary. Let us take a trip down memory lane in tribute to these nameless entrepreneurs who lived, worked on, and transformed our urban spaces through their colourful clutter and dedicated workmanship. Barber, Rise to popularity: After the 1911 Hsinhai Revolution, many of the Chinese immigrants in Singapore hacked off their “pigtails” and started patronising street barbers. Goods/services: Hair cutting, shaving, ear cleaning, nose-hair trimming, eyes and tongue cleaning, and scalp, face and shoulder massages.

Tools of the trade: Scissors, combs, brushes, razors, powder puffs, barber cloth, and a mirror. A small space with 1 to 3 chairs and a makeshift shelter was sufficient for the barber’s operations. Process: Many of these street barbers were self-taught. While the Chinese barbers performed additional services such as trimming a customer’s nose hair and cleaning his eyes and tongue, the Malay and Indian barbers were famous for their massages. Where to be found: Street barbers used to operate along the five-foot-ways of shophouses in areas such as Chinatown, Serangoon Road, and Tanjong Pagar; some even paid house visits to cut the hair of babies, old men and invalids. Following the mass development of public housing in the 1960s, they were often seen and heard along the corridors of HDB flats, crying out “Cut hair!” in various languages and dialects. By 2002, only 7 street barbers, all elderly men in their fifties to seventies, were still operating. Cobbler Rise to popularity: During the 1950s, when the majority of Singaporeans switched from wearing clogs to modern footwear. Many cobblers started off as apprentices at shoe shops before eventually striking out on their own. Goods/services: Replacing worn-out soles and heels, stitching torn slippers, even custom-making orthopaedic shoes. Tools of the trade: Knives of different shapes and sizes, hammers, pincers, brushes, scissors, needles, rags, shoe lasts, shoe polish, as well as repair materials such as leather, vinyl, rubber pieces, threads, nails and adhesive. Process: To replace a worn-out sole, the cobbler would select suitable material, trace and cut the material according to the outline of the shoe, and stick it on with a strong adhesive. Sharp edges were trimmed with a knife and the shoe eventually reinforced with a row of small nails. The cobbler would then charge around S$1.50 for his services. Where to be found: Cobblers kept up a roaring trade through the 1970s and were usually stationed near bus-stops and busy roads in city areas. Today, their trade has been dominated by modern shoe repair chains such as Mister Minit and Shuket Services, though some traditional cobblers can still be found in Chinatown and the Raffles Place vicinity. Fortune Teller Rise to popularity: The Asian tradition of predicting one’s future was brought into Singapore during the 1800s by Chinese immigrants. It was a thriving business because many of the people then had little or no education and relied on fortune tellers for advice on all important matters. Goods/services: Popular Chinese fortune telling methods include palmistry, face reading, “bazi” (using one’s birth data to foretell destiny), “kau cim” (using a set of 78 fortune sticks to predict one’s short-term future), and “tung shu” (using the almanac to pick auspicious dates for important occasions). Indian fortune telling, on the other hand, relied on trained parrots to pick out “accurate” fortune cards. Tools of the trade: The set-up for fortune tellers typically included a small table with a few additional chairs or low stools for customers. Commonly on display for Chinese fortune tellers were small statues of Buddha and other deities, lighted joss sticks, pictures of palms or faces filled with lines and tiny Chinese characters, the almanac, carved bamboo sticks, and playing cards. Indian fortune tellers had a much simpler display: a couple of parrots in a cage, and a deck of 27 fortune cards. Process: A Chinese fortune teller would consult relevant tools depending on the choice of fortune-telling method. Conversely, an Indian fortune teller would begin each session by laying his deck of cards on the table. He would “communicate” the customer’s name and birthday to his parrot, release the parrot to pick out a card with its beak, and then interpret the card for his customer. Where to be found: Once a common sight along five-foot-ways and temple grounds, fortune tellers have now dwindled significantly in numbers. Old Chinese fortune tellers can still be spotted in areas such as Chinatown, the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple at Waterloo Street, and old housing estates like Ang Mo Kio; but less than 5 Indian parrot astrologers were left in Little India by the early 2000s. Ice-ball Vendor Rise to popularity: The 1950s to the 1960s. Especially popular among young children and teenagers, ice-ball vendors were primarily Indians who sold both drinks and ice-balls under the hot sweltering sun. Goods/services: 2 variations of ice-balls were available: with colourful syrup toppings only, or with colourful syrup and milk toppings, containing cooked red beans, agar cubes and “attap-chee”. Ice-balls can be considered the predecessor of our modern-day ice kacang. Tools of the trade: A pushcart laden with bottles of soft drinks and drinking glasses, a plastic container for drinks made from pink or red syrup, various ingredients for the ice-balls, and a wooden ice shaver. Process: The vendor began by placing a block of ice on the ice shaver to make an ice-ball. Using a towel to better grip the ice block, the vendor would cup his other hand under the bladed shaver to catch the ice shavings. Halfway through the process, he would shape the shaved ice into a semi-circular ball, fill the centre with different ingredients, then continue shaving to shape the ball into a compact sphere. Gula melaka, syrup of different colours (usually red, green, and brown) and evaporated or condensed milk were finally added for flavour. Each ice-ball cost about 5 to 10 cents. Where to be found: In the past, ice-ball vendors were frequently found near schools and shophouses. They are no longer in existence today, although nostalgic foodies can still find the sweet, messy dessert at the Singapore Food Trail (located next to the Singapore Flyer). Kacang Puteh Seller Rise to popularity: Popular till the 1990s. We have the Indian community to thank for introducing this snack, which originated from “chevdo”, a seasoned vegetarian snack made with crisped rice, potato, cereal, noodles, and different beans. Goods/services: The term “kacang puteh” is in Malay, and refers to nuts, beans, or peas (“kacang”) and white (“puteh”) respectively. Despite the misnomer, sellers offered kacang in many different colours and prepared in a variety of ways including steamed, fried, roasted, or dipped in sugar. Tools of the trade: At least 5 to 20 different types of kacang, either bought raw and prepared at home or purchased ready-made from suppliers, as well as long, thin serving cones made from scrap paper. Process: Kacang puteh sellers (primarily Indians dressed in white sarong) would pack their kacang into paper bags or bottles and place them on a rack balanced on the head, moving from place to place to attract more customers. In the later years, these travelling merchants found it easier to cover more ground using push carts or bicycles. Customers were allowed to choose and mix their favourite kacang. For just 20 cents, they could munch to their heart’s delight out of the paper cones and perhaps even scatter a few pieces to the pigeons. Where to be found: Kacang puteh sellers were found anywhere with high human traffic, but were especially popular at schools and cinema lobbies. These days, kacang puteh selling has been commercialised by household brands such as Tong Garden and Camel. One of the few remaining traditional kacang puteh sellers, Mr Nagappan Arumugam, can still be found outside Peace Centre, where he has been faithfully stationed for over 20 years. What other street peddlers do you remember from your childhood? Share with us your story in the comments box below! The JobsCentral Group, a CareerBuilder company, is the owner of JobsCentral.com.sg, one of Singapore's largest job and learning portals. Get a free career personality test and more career- and education-related articles at JobsCentral and JobsCentral Community.