Essay

Uncovering the hidden

By Tan Ying Zhen

音声ダウンロード

How well do you know the place you live in?

I used to think I knew Singapore pretty well. When I was a lifestyle reporter, I had many opportunities to visit both famous spots and lesser-known places in the course of my work. I also enjoyed exploring Singapore on foot in my free time.

However, after living in Japan for three years, I often feel like I no longer know Singapore as well as before.

One reason is the rapid rate of change in our city. In all parts of the island, buildings are often torn down and new ones built. Changes happen so quickly that once-familiar streets that you visited mere months ago may look quite different. When tourists ask me for directions, I sometimes realize that the places I used to know may no longer exist.

Another reason is I simply have not been observant enough. I often visit specific places for specific reasons, and I neglect to notice what is not immediately obvious. For example, I may head to a certain street just to eat at a specific restaurant, without realizing that there are many interesting things nearby.

The best example of this might be the popular tourist spot Little India. Many Singaporeans and tourists visit Little India to eat at the many Indian restaurants and to shop at Mustafa, a shopping centre that’s open 24 hours. Few, however, realize that Little India also houses many Bangladeshi shops and restaurants. On weekends, many migrant workers from South Asia gather here so there are many specialized services catering to them.

I could learn more about Little India because I have been volunteering with a non-governmental organization called Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), which advocates for migrant worker rights. Part of my volunteer work involves giving walking tours of Little India to student groups. The purpose of the tours is to get students to learn more about migrant worker concerns in Singapore. The first time I went on the walking tour as part of my TWC2 training, I felt ashamed for knowing so little about such an important district in my home country.

In an attempt to learn more about Singapore, I have tried hopping on random buses and walking down random streets and alleys. I try to visit a new spot every week ― something I had done when I lived in Kyoto.

Even though I don’t always come across interesting things or places, every walk gives me a new glimpse into my home country and reminds me of how much I still don’t know about our tiny island. There is so much to learn and discover, as long as we’re willing to take that first step.

隠れた場所を発見する

普段生活している町のことを、私たちはどれだけよく知っているだろうか。実は見逃していることや気付いていないことも多い。たまには改めて自分の町を散策してみるのもいいかもしれない。

The Japan Times ST: October 31, 2014