We have been wanting to feature the works of cousins Adrian and Sherman for the longest time. It's been such a while that I cannot even seem to remember how I first came across their works, and for this I sincerely apologize. Both cousins are keen practitioners of street photography, pocketing moments they steal off the streets, curating the moments and allowing for a more comfortable instance of 'people-watching'.

So take a moment, and 'people-watch' through the eyes of Adrian and Sherman.

ADRIAN SEETHO

First and foremost, please tell us a bit about yourself.
24. Singaporean, student, photographer, videographer, sports enthusiast, weird, happy, and often harmless.

How long have you been taking photographs?
I starting taking photographer when I was eighteen or nineteen years old.

What kind of photos do you prefer to capture? What is your style in photography?
I didn't know the term "street photography" existed back then, but shooting in the streets was something I gravitated towards eventually. I guess I'm attracted towards the usual challenge — capturing that special moment. Documenting those often interesting and fleeting moments in our everyday life. In addition, I really enjoy the confrontational aspect of it. Stepping within someone else's comfort zone without alarming them. That's my ecstasy.

What inspires you?
The works of other photographers such as Sherman Seetho, Rachel May Tan, Banglin, Amanda Wong, Sze Kiat, Harriet Koh, Silver Tan, Alvelyn, Danny Santos, along with many others.

Finally, what kind of equipment do you use?
Digital: canon 5dmk2 with a 50mm f1.4, 35mm f1.4, 85mm f1.8 and 17-40mm f4
Film: Canon Eos3

Adrian documents his photographic journey at Monochromic Perception.

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SHERMAN SEETHO

While I was majoring in Fashion Design in NAFA I applied for photography class as an elective. This chance quickly became a career choice after I realized I couldn’t stop snapping ALL THE TIME.

I’ve been taking a series of street photographs and it’s been the more prominent genre over the past year on my visual diary. I have been compared to a voyeur because of my style of shooting (from a bus, behind my friends etc.)

I would like to say it’s different from how many would perceive it but I’m hoping you get my drift. I’ve always favored the tasteful idea of being able to capture ‘moments’ as I’ve always felt that people caught in their most vulnerable and unpretentious moments are the most beautiful.

I love my life… and if life were a dish on a bowl, I would savour it slowly and lick it to it's very last bits.

Sherman documents his photographic journey at SO CHILL.

Besides street photography, both cousins also delve in different genres of photography.

We have Brennan Chan here today who is an Architect by practice and he would like to share his thoughts about the place after reading our post on it.

Brennan's heartfelt feelings on Thieves':

A brief history of the Sungei Road Flea Market dates us back to 1930s. The market gained its prominence because most of the goods sold here were acquired through illegitimate means but more importantly, they provided the essential needs to the community back then. Back then, army surplus goods that included parachutes, raincoats were sold. Soon, electrical appliances that were either stolen smuggled or were factory rejects appeared. After bringing life and bustle into the street for more than half a century, the then-flea/thieves market began to fade away from the 1980s.

The ‘tight squeeze’ encountered in Sungei Road actually reveals a degree of internal discipline at work. The market community currently accommodates a degree of surveillance and control in exchange of for its continued existence and freedom of harassment from authorities. The market escapes official attention from the nearby police stations and is indifferent to this disregard for official regulation of state property. It is also a place where you can sell your items without a license.

The market represents a vibrant and self sustaining entrepreneurial framework contrary to being the’ slum in the city’. The flea market here is an example of community empowerment where users participate unconsciously with their immediate surroundings. We have to understand that the ‘tight squeeze’ that has become of today is a consolidation of historical richness of events that many of us do not understand.

It is here that informal, trust and flexibility exist and manifests into a cohesion communal experience allowing people to make an impact on the site to give sense of belonging and identity. It is the over-layering of different individual’s intervention that gives the market a dynamic impact.

Where land is scarce in Singapore, I firmly believe such spaces are almost non-existent in the current contemporary society we are in.

Put it bluntly, Sungei Road's thieves market is the ONLY place left in Singapore where actual interaction actually occurs. The Sungei Road Thieves Market is a society that through appropriation of spaces is the vessel in which personal memories and collective memories are forged.

I thought it might be good if people were to give more thoughts to the place and see it as a challenge to accomodate the existing vendors and integrate it with whatever future expansion the government is thinking.

All information and pictures are provided by Brennan. To those who would like to share their thoughts and feelings on nostalgic places in Singapore, feel free to write in to us!

Trudging through the crowd in the midst of raucous music and dance performances, we managed to gather some pretty interesting responses from the cool folks at Laselle. Do spend some time and check out what PEACE means to our participants in the gallery below, you'll definitely be surprised.

Watch this space as we continue to spread the theme of "Celebrating Life" with Esplanade in the coming weeks! To learn more about Esplanade's 10th anniversary, go here.

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Chinese mythology depicts the dragon as a long, serpent-like creature with powerful talons. Often linked with auspicious power, it is the natural choice for the symbol of fortune.

23 February 2012
The temple called me up to photograph a triennial event, the light-up of the fire dragon. The life and death of the dragon happened on that very night of February, as it danced its greatest first and last — its only dance.

Amidst the praying devotees at the temple, preparation for the dragon's dance were underway. The straw dragon was stabbed with bundles of lit incense in almost every inch of its body. From my understanding of this ritual, it is supposed to bring the fortune of the dragon to the people. The troupe members had to ensure that every joss stick was burning before the dragon's dance could commence.

The fumes from the incense, thick and unforgiving, caused distress to the eyes. Hot ash from the hanging coiled incense collapsed unpredictably, aging the young considerably when it disintegrated on crops of luscious black hair. Still, people young and old, braved the circumstances to witness the event.

The vital spots of the dragon had to be coaxed with red ink before the dragon could come to life. The symbolic areas of the dragon were marked and soon enough, the dragon was ready for its dance. A symbolic dance of good fortune, one that happened a night every three years.

And dance it did. Amid the rowdy clatter of cymbals and percussions, it strutted on the street, followed by a sizable group of devotees. It raged and bellowed tongues of flames. It twirled and spun and twisted, and chased pearl balls made of incense, a testimony of its fierce insistence of having an amazing dance. Residents of Sims Drive followed the procession, in hope that fortune would be showered upon them. Vehicles stopped and patiently allowed the spectacle to unfold, armed with the knowledge of the significance of the event. Children and adults alike pointed, mouths slightly agape.

The dance was intense. Each twirl the dragon made, it spat hot ash from the incense. And it was brief, lasting all of thirty minutes before the dragon surrendered, incense almost burning out completely. Amidst celebratory cries of 'olé', its tired body was escorted to the roadside, where it rested whilst the troupe members clamored for pictures, mementos of the last dragon they would be seeing in three years. Thereafter, the dragon was guided where it would be cremated and be reborn again. In three years.

As the theme suggests, our Writeboard sessions will be based on the values, which well, embrace life too. So we made a trip to Huayi Festival and asked the people there what COURAGE means to them.

To learn more about Esplanade's 10th anniversary, go here.

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I have a penchant for old treasures, which was why I have really enjoyed myself at our previous visit to Treasure Dragon Trading in Chinatown. Unfortunately, it has closed down the last time I walked by the area late last year. Despite so, I have still managed to get my fix on these oldies at Thieves’ Market also known as the flea market at Sungei Road.

I remembered RediscoverSG’s first visit there and it was during our Writeboard Special for National Day. It was also the time when I bought a Yashica J rangefinder for only twenty bucks. And yes, it is still in fine working condition. After interacting with the folks, we realized that there were actually many stories to be told and we all agreed then to do a post on Thieves’ Market.

So here it is after several months, we are once again back at Thieves’, the biggest junkyard sale in Singapore where you can expect the unexpected things to be on the market. The folks we met last time are still around despite last year’s news on the market’s downsizing issue. There are smiles all around when we greeted them and while most of them still do recognize us, there are some that thought we were from the government.

Through their stories, we found out that many of these folks share the same simple philosophy on life: Living each day as it comes. They are content with what they have and I believe they wished that things could stay the same as the way they were. However, regardless of how laid back these stall uncles and aunties may be, you can sense their worries whenever the market’s downsizing issue gets brought up.

After all, this is something that concerns their livelihoods.

It definitely feels good to know that we are not forgotten, but these folks at Thieves’ Market certainly do not possess the luxury of time to be remembered.

So make a trip down to Thieves' Market while they are still around and explore the tons of old treasures they have there, you may actually find something that fancies you!

The crew was invited to cover the inaugural Lomography Singapore outing, a casual and spontaneous event to celebrate the opening of Lomography's Gallery Store in Singapore.

Lomographers were split into groups and given LomoMissions to complete – all themed JUMP! Though the rain was ever present, participants were all insanely creative with their shots.

Lomography photographers are really a growing community in Singapore. Some may call it a trend or a fad of our generation, but at least we know that our interpretation of it IS something our generation can call its own.

The irreverence and carefree nature of what the pros would called 'pseudo' photography is just a small part of how we have come to define ourselves. We may not be professional or know one particular field at the back of our hands, but something about how we have grown up and what we are exposed to as the Internet generation has really led us to improvise, learn and be inspired by more art forms and creative work than previous generations have ever had the privilege to.

Call us (the creatives of this generation) an amateur hodgepodge of art forms if you'd like, but give us some time to refine our craft. I'm sure someday when we're a whole lot better at what we do, we'll have the inspirations of our youths to thank.

I know this is only very vaguely related to Lomography, but thinking about the whole 'elitist-professional' vs. 'indie-amateur' debacle and how some choose to define and isolate the two often leaves a young creative confuddled. Some of us are technical gods, others are better storytellers… Can we all just get along and help each other create the important things that matter? (Like people, history, places… Of course, being biased here, because these are the things that are important to us.)

Oh well.

Thanks Meerly and Shuyun (of Lomography Singapore) for inviting us to capture this slice of Singaporean exuberance. In case you don't know it yet, we're going to have our very own Lomography Gallery Store really soon. I remember traveling in Europe and being really excited whenever I came across the stores. (Because they were colorful and shiny and one such as myself gravitates magnetically to such.)

For more photos of JUMP!, do visit our Flickr page here.

Tucked inconspicuously along Geylang Road, Medical Office is an antique little pharmacy that appears to be an anachronism stuck in time. We talked to the two proprietors, two eloquent and elderly gentlemen who spoke in the deliberate, kindly sort of way that only the wisdom of their generation offers.

A sea of untouched artefacts are placed neatly around the shop. Many appear to be no longer medically sound for consumption, but you can see the touch of pride and discipline in their profession that is present. The pair have tried to keep things the way they have always been, even if business is slow, if any, and the counter once used to serve customers is now merely a storage drawer.

In the corner, a large roll of packing paper sits forgotten behind a pile of magazines, a hint of the old days when the pair would oft be busy packing concoctions for their customers. According to both Mr. Foos (who are incidentally, not related by blood), they still sell some of these quaint medical supplies to anyone who walks in and wants to buy them.

An old photo of the pair shot by another photographer who visited their shop some decades ago. When asked when it was taken, the elder Mr. Foo (one is 85, while the other, 75 years of age) said casually that it was 'not very long ago, just in 1988'. I guess when you've seen your fair share of the years and lived through the Japanese Occupation, time is measured in a different scale. (I for one, wasn't even born yet in 1988.)

Their house brand of prickly heat powder, which they say is their best seller, and in fact the only item we saw delivery men coming to pick up single cartons of. The bigger container sells for $5.50, and the small one for $4.00.

The pair today. Still dignified and proud of the 100-year history of the shop – even as they know that the history of this establishment, first set up by German pharmacists in 1916, will fade with them once their time here is done.

More pictures on our Flickr page here.

Medical Office
648 Geylang Road
[Map]

The Broers Café is a charming little place. Kiat from Broers Café is a charming great dude. Han is the affable quiet chap. Here, Kiat shares his incredible passion for the acidic beverage, some of the challenges in setting up his own café, and what keeps him going.

Tucked away in a quiet corner near Farrer Park MRT, Broers Café isn't the most accessible of cafés. But it more than makes up for it with its easy charm. The barstools are a homage to old italian bars where the bartender-customer relationship is transcended. Broers believes in the fact that simple conversations allow people to connect with one another and true to this direction, Broers Café tries to organize movie screenings periodically. In fact, there's one coming up this Halloween week, check it out on Facebook.

Kiat speaks easily of his obsession with coffee, meandering into a brief history of coffee and how each set of beans is unique to the other, just as how our palates for coffee are distinct. He speaks passionately about the ever-changing face of coffee and how there is so much to pick up about the simple modest bean every day. He shuns the concept of coffee as just 'something you drink in the morning'. "It is something to be savored, and discovered."

The fine people at Broers understand that every individual's taste is different, and allows for customization of coffee to suit their customers. For the record, Kiat loves intensity in his coffee. (So if you'd want to bribe him into a huge favor, pack a coffee with loads of punch, and loads of flavor. In his words, it has to hit him!)

Like many, Kiat's venture into setting up Broers Café was met with objections from family and friends but he soldiered on, along with Han, with clarity and great determination to push for it. His advice is earnest. "Stick with it. It will eventually work out. It's a matter of hanging in there long enough." He shares several inspiring outlooks that are definitely products from the tough slog in setting up Broers. "It is really important to have a clear picture of what you want to achieve. There are mornings where I wake up and question myself, why the hell am I doing this every morning? Why am I going through so much hardship and sacrifices? Be it the objections, sacrificing of time, going through obstacles… There are mornings I feel emotionally, financially and mentally drained."

Beef sandwich with amazing potato salad

Big friendly 'giant' Kiat (left) and partner Han (right)

I'm keeping this entry short because we have collaborated with CoffeeTablePeople. CoffeeTablePeople consists of two unique individuals, Camy and Michelle, both of whom nurse a "karmic collision of the love of pretty food, an obsession with pretty decor and a penchant for pretty photography". Amazing tidbit: they shoot on only film cameras for their website.

The following is courtesy of CoffeeTablePeople:

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For many, "passion" seems like a word carelessly thrown about. But for Kiat and Han from Broers Café, it's a lifelong fascination, a permanent obsession and… pretty much a habit.

If coffee is part of your daily habitual routine, we might have scored a jackpot of interests here. Kiat and Han are coffee aficionados, but this does not mean snooty people who spend their time sipping espressos and sniffing coffee beans with upturned noses. Kiat has been pulling cups of nirvana since forever and Han picked up the love to brew from starting out in the industry and they are people who love the habit of drinking coffee.

In a period when coffee culture is blossoming in Singapore, we're filling up a new page in local food history when tastes of the typical consumer is starting to mature. Coffee used to mean tinkling cups of Kopi Siu Tai at the hawker centers pulled from the sock and always served in the transparent glass cups with a thin metal spoon. It then evolved into being served in small and thick white cups on saucers and you had them with bread with kaya and butter, dipped in soy-sauce stained yolk, a new spots sprouting within malls for an eccentric mix of heritage and modernity. Following that, we had the caffeine giants storming into town, bringing along their vanilla lattes and caramel frappucinos. Now, we are seeing a new age of local coffee houses popping up in many outlandish spots of Singapore — serving up handmade and heartmade brews.

Stepping into the Broers Café, you are greeted with a brown, long bar counter that reflects the good-nature of the bosses' interests to bond with the customers over their drinks. Over at here, they want you to realize it is not just (inclusive, of course) about a good brew but also creating an atmosphere that creates an intimacy between people over a common interest. The Broers brew is "10% caffeine and 90% soul".

We made our coffee orders and watched the chain reaction — cash register rings, barista checks orders, espressos machines starts buzzing -

I will never get sick of watching the baristas in action. Even in the heat of actions, there is a lot of detail and delicacy in their pulling of shots and pouring of steamed milk. Like what the Chinese call, the perfect mashup of yin and yang.

The Broers Café is really very much like a black cup of coffee — to be taken as it is, holds plenty of promise in its aromatic smell and is strong in taste. I think more people should know about the place and the coffee experience it offers. Beyond that, they should also join into the learning and understanding of this artistry. I wasn't a coffee drinker but I've grown to love the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans and rich passion hanging in the air.

And I hope you do too.

The Broers Café
3 Petain Road
Singapore 208108

Tue-Thu: 10:00 — 20:00
Fri-Sat: 10:00 — 23:00
Sun: 10:00 — 20:00
Website
Check out the Broers Cafe on Facebook!

Words by C and Shots by M.

If the youth are the heartbeat of our nation, then the future of Singapore certainly seems (or more accurately in this case, sounds) bright. Currently away representing our nation in Korea for the 2011 World Percussion Performing Arts Festival, Rhythm De Pasión comprises of individuals from different walks of life and a variety of musical backgrounds. Through their infectious beats and energetic performances, it is no wonder that the band has made a name for themselves in the local music scene.

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Tracing the origins of this raucous percussion band, we learnt that Rhythm De Pasión was formed back in 2007 while most of the band members were still pursuing their diploma. Despite having very different musical foundations (some based in traditional malay music while others played in local rock bands), their common love for percussive sounds eventually led them to each other and the rest as they always say, is history. Instead of being an obstacle, the multicultural musical knowledge that each member brought to the table would later prove to be their defining difference, playing an integral part in the creation of their very own unique brand of music.

Five years on, the band has since come a long way. From frequenting both local and international music acts at the Esplanade in search of inspiration and different ways to improve themselves, to being specially invited to perform at the World Percussion Performing Arts Festival this year in Geumsan, Korea, Rhythm De Pasión is living proof that anything is possible with passion and heart. Having invested the better part of their past four months on intensive rehearsals, the band aims to take the festival by storm and fly the Singaporean flag high.

Performing on an international stage overseas for the very first time, Rhythm De Pasión hopes that this festival will serve as a platform for future opportunities to travel around the world, share their love for music and do our country proud. With all that they've achieved thus far and an even brighter future ahead of them, Rhythm De Pasión is definitely a born and bred Singaporean band to look out for!