I applaud the
Hawker Centre 3.0 Committee for coming up with some fresh ideas to reinvent our
hawker centres as was reported in The Straits Times “Hawker centres to get new
look and roles” (Saturday, February 4, 2017).
Among the
ideas that will be implemented are (a) The centralized dishwashing service, (b)
a good mix of food, (c) incorporating events and activities (d) child-friendly
spaces (e) free WIFI and (f) stalls that where aspiring hawkers can try their
hands at the trade.
Singapore is
a food paradise and tourists just can’t resist many of our local food dishes
like chicken rice, laksa, char kway teow, chilli and black pepper crabs, roti
prata, mee rebus, lontong and nasi padang, just to name a few of the sumptuous
meals that our hawkers painstakingly prepare.
Revitalized
hawker centres have to be a cozy, with no discomfort and yet be a lively place
which will entice family and friends to bond closely. It has to be a treasure
trove of cheap and good food, a place to have meaningful interactions with our
friends/colleagues/family members along the way. To put it simply – A throwback
to the good ole’ days of the early years in Singapore in which the kampung
spirit came alive.
INSTALLATION
OF WIFI NOT A GOOD IDEA
Over reliance
on technology has extended to our homes, schools and while taking public
transport. The dinner table that was once the stronghold of family discussions
has now been invaded by the mobile devices which saturate society.
This is why I
give the thumbs down to the proposal to install WIFI at the hawker centres. The
whole purpose of having meals at hawker centres is for our families and friends
to have proper communication. How can parents relate to their kids properly
when they are so entrenched in checking out their messages on Facebook,
WhatsApp or SMSes? This can be viewed as rudeness and being disrespectful
to the person/s who want to have a friendly discussion.
BIRDS
INVASION UNHEALTHY
Another
concern I have of the hawker centres are the pigeons and crows landing on
tables to pick food causing much annoyance to diners. This is unhealthy and you
have to keep on ducking to avoid the birds banging onto you. This is a common
problem at the hawker centres at block 628 in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, at the
coffee shop at Upper Thompson Road and the food centre at Sembawang – 3 places
I frequent for some of my meals. I am sure other hawker centres face the same
issue.
To help
eradicate this nuisance, it may be necessary to place bird scarers at the food
centres. A bird scarer is any one of a number devices designed to scare
birds, usually employed by farmers to dissuade birds from eating planted arable
crops. One of the oldest designs of bird scarer is the scarecrow.
OCASSIONAL
ENTERTAINMENT
While the
move to include activities and entertainment at hawker centres will liven up
the atmosphere, there should not be an overkill as the primary focus at these
makan places is for people to spend a quiet and cosy time together without too
many distractions.
To this end,
I suggest that such activities could be confined to the first Friday of the
month and on a given Saturday or Sunday. If diners are keen to have this as
part of their outing, they have a choice as to when they want to have a meal at
the hawker centre.
It would be
good if famous culinary experts like K F Seetoh of Makansutra fame and Violet
Onn could be invited to do a cooking demo.
PROMOTE THE
ARTS WITH A MINI GALLERY
We need to
actively promote the arts and the reading culture so why not consider allowing
books, handicrafts and other locally produced artworks like pottery to be sold
at the hawker centres? A mini art gallery can be included in the design so that
after or before a meal, diners can have the opportunity to support our local
talent and at the same time bond with them.
ALLOW HAWKERS
TO SHARE THEIR STALLS
Being a
hawker is no easy task. It is back-breaking work as it is physically demanding
and too long hours at the job can see the health of hawkers take a beating.
We need to take their welfare into consideration.
Many of our
taxi drivers share the hiring of cabs. So instead of working the full 12-hour
shift, a large number of them have a partner so that they don’t get overworked.
Some will do the day shift from 7am to 4pm and the night shift will be covered
by another driver.
This scheme
could be extended to our hawkers where the National Environment Agency allows
two persons to rent a stall. In some hawker centres, like the ones at Shunfu
and in Sembawang food centred, a large number of them only operate up to 2 or
3pm as it is exhausting.
If hawkers
are allowed to share their stalls, their health can be better managed and
diners can have more places to eat and bond. This will also help to keep the
trade alive for years to come.
RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO
No comments:
Post a Comment