I hope I didn’t get it wrong, because the question had been whirring in my mind from the moment I stepped into the shop. Fumbling with the door handle, I was hesitant to enter as the shop was empty. After all it was only 11am; opening time. Pushing ahead despite my initial reluctance, I finally pulled open the glass door, and was greeted by the melodic ring of the doorbell (that was a nice feeling). Soon, I was mesmerized by the numerous old goodies before me, familiar objects from my not-so-distant childhood. I took another step and was officially won over by the inviting ambience; warm lighting and the soft indie music playing in the background. It felt as though I had been transported to a place where time slowed down just for me to enjoy the moment.
Have I mentioned that this is an entry in our Window series? The above is not an excerpt from a dream, but a real place. Specifically, BooksActually's new home in Yong Siak Street, nestled in one of the Rediscover crew's favourite places, Tiong Bahru.
So the Rediscover crew decided to hit up Chinatown, to snoop around and see if we could unearth anything new from this already-very-well-known part of Singapore. As we trekked around in the blazing afternoon heat, squeezing through crowds filled with uncles, aunties and tourists alike, this peculiar shop caught our collective eye. Situated a little further up Sago Lane, the storefront is easy to spot with its rows of old records out on display, instantly setting it apart from your usual Chinatown fare. If you’re lucky, you might even catch one or two of the shop owners carefully cleaning newly acquired old records, making sure they are in the best condition before putting them up for sale.
This week, we are going to tickle your senses by bringing you into the Window of Sweetlands Confectionery & Bakery. Located at the corner of Kim Keat Lane, it is easily picked out by the strong smelling aroma of its freshly baked bread. Come by at noon and you will see 4 bakers preparing to delve into the arduous baking process in the shop. Yes, the bakery still bakes its own bread from scratch.
Window: is a photo feature where we take a peek into the working lives of ordinary Singaporeans. Singaporeans whom we have often overlooked but yet truly deserve recognition for what they have done and have been doing. So every other week, we will go behind the scenes to capture the magical moments of them and the tools of their trade! This week, on our maiden feature, we will bring you into Window: The Red Panther Barber Shop!
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