Geylang Serai

On the 11th Nov, eve of Deepavali, I decided to visit Geylang Serai and soak in the festivity spirit of Hari Raya. Having heard so much of the place and also it going to undergo renovation soon, I simply have to go. Hence, dragged along 3 other friends with me to navigate the streets, 2 of whom are Malay and are familiar with the place.

As we arrived early, we sat down at a coffee shop and waited to break fast. Well, there as a need to ‘book’ a table as many other families would do that, according to my Muslim friends. So we sat from 6pm to 650pm. It was quite a sight to see all the Muslims ordering their food and have them placed on the tables, only to tuck into their first sip of drink or first bite of food since dawn the moment the prayer song for breaking fast was heard.

After having our snack(we were planning for more snacks along the way!), we walked around the pasar malam, which is so reminiscent of the many night markets I have been to in other countries, especially Malaysia and Bali. The only reality bite was the prices of stuff sold, which served as a reminder that I was still on home ground! Other than the high prices, nothing fell short of what a typical night market should be. Bright lights, yelling shopkeepers, and the crowd which began to set in at 8pm were all too familiar…

Check out the photos for some eye candy!