A Fair Guess.

Yesterday evening I fetched two Caucasian gentlemen from United Square taxi stand to Orchard Hotel. They were both having a conversation in a foreign language. I was listening and trying to see if I knew where they come from. When they stopped talking after we passed Newton Circus, I took the opportunity to ask, "Hello, are you both from Germany?" The rear left passenger said, "No, we are not. I am from Holland and my friend here is from Switzerland". I quickly added "Oh, I'm so sorry, wrong guess". When we reached the Hotel, whilst paying their fare, the one who spoke earlier said, "Uncle, you were right in a way, we were all the time speaking in German, you see, I don't understand Swiss and my friend don't know Dutch, but we share a common language, German". I replied "Thank you very much for telling me, enjoy your stay here and Cheers!". They were both gentlemen indeed, I said to myself as I drove on.

Long Taxi Queue.

Fetched a young Philippino man from Jalan Jurong Kechil to RWS Casino late last night about 10.30pm. After he alighted near the entrance to the Casino, I was going to drive straightaway to the taxi stand, but as it was a Monday night, the taxi queue was packed with taxis even lining up all the way near to the Casino entrance. I knew its going to be a long wait as there were hardly a handful of commuters at the pick up point. I decided to leave and head elsewhere.

Normally during week nights from Mondays to Thursdays, the taxi stand is full of taxis but only a handful of commuters. To use the taxi service from this stand, you will have to pay a surcharge of $3.00 at all times.

A Promise from a "Slip Of The Tongue".

Last night, I fetched four Secondary students from Paragon Taxi Stand, two boys and two girls. They wanted to go to Down Town East in Pasir Ris. Along the way, I joined them in their discussions about music and musical instruments and they were very surprised when they heard that I played the violin when I was in Secondary School so many years ago. I told them I no longer play the violin due to a compound fracture I suffered to my left arm whilst playing in a school rugby match when I was in Sec. 4, barely two weeks before my Grade 8 practical exams. Doctors had to operate on my 'crushed' arm and until today, the 4" inch stainless steel plate with four screws still remained in my left arm. Gone also my 'Lost' dream of being a Violinist. I even showed them marks of the 28 stitches still visible followed by their exclamations of "Ooohs and Waa's".

The students felt sorry for me, but at the same time, they were rather sceptical and thought maybe I was just telling them a 'Fib", so they asked and coaxed me to promise to write this post and also at the same time to publish the photo I said was an original taken in the concert held at the Cultural Centre in Fort Canning Road with the then Minister of Culture, the late Mr. S. Rajaratnam in attendance.

I promised not to disappoint them and they in turn also promised to go to my blogspot to check it out. There you are Guys n Gals, the truth and nothing but the truth........  

The Bottle Tree.

Yesterday evening around 6pm, I picked up a Malay woman together with her three young children at the taxi stand in Toa Payoh Central. When they were all on board, she said, "Please bring us to 'Chinchalok Road' near Katib in Yishun" I said "Huh, say again, what's the name of the Road?", she said "Chinchalok Road, never mind, never mind, I'll show you the way, its somewhere near Yishun Stadium". I suddenly felt 'blurrr', "Okay, okay, you show me the way" and I headed towards Yishun, thinking how I can forget such a road name. Where can it be??

Approaching Katib MRT Station, she said, "Turn left here", I said "Okay, this is Yishun Ave.1" and coming towards Sembawang Road, she said "Now turn right and then turn right again into (pointing her hand) that small road". When I heard her instructions, I immediately realised that she wanted to go to "Lorong Chencharu" which is directly opposite Sembawang Air Base. I said "Oh, you want to go to the Bottle Tree Park and she 'giggled' shyly, laughed a bit and said "Yah, yah the bottle tree" with a sigh of relief.

I did not hear her pronounce the name of the road clearly and all the time whilst driving, I kept trying to figure out her destination without any luck till I saw her pointing her fingers at the road. This is my second time here after a very, very long time and I must have forgotten all about the 'Bottle Tree'. The park here is very peaceful, quiet and hidden away. There is a fishing and also a prawn pond with 'kampong' style surroundings. A good fun place for fishing, food and family gatherings. After my passengers alighted, I parked my cab at the car park, took some photographs, walked around a bit, felt nice and very relaxed.

The Three Expats.

I had very pleasant conversations with three passengers last night whilst ferrying them to their destinations. The first one was a pretty Australian lass from Melbourne who has been living in Singapore for the past ten years. I asked her if she has ever heard about a Singapore Taxi Blogger and she said "Yes I did", she was taking a flight somewhere and bought Time Out Singapore magazine at the news stand, the May issue and came across the 'Orchard Tower' article which she found quite interesting and from then on we were laughing and chatting away. She told me she is looking forward to seeing her parents who will be coming to Singapore in two weeks time.

The second was a young handsome Japanese tourist who is born and raised in Sao Paolo, Brazil. I too asked him the same question and he straightaway told me about the 'Orchard Tower' article and found it most amusing and funny and he liked it very much. We started talking about the Tower, chatted, joked and laughed about it. Asked about his hometown and he told me that the biggest Japanese community outside of Japan lives in Sao Paolo.

The third passenger was a Japanese who arrived four months ago and will be working here for the next three years. His wife is accompanying him and they too knew about what's going on at 'Orchard Tower'. He told me that there are fifteen thousand Japanese presently living in Singapore.

Driving a Taxi is like attending classes everyday and I get to learn so many things from expats and tourists from all over the world. Its simply great and I just love my job.

A Friendly Newspaper Vendor.

I parked at the taxi stand at Boon Keng Road MRT along Bendemeer Road after a passenger alighted and decided to take a short break after having driven for more than three hours. It was a  busy Friday night for me. 

The time was about 10pm and I started talking to this elderly newspaper vendor sitting right in front of me. I asked him what time he normally close shop and he said "11pm" in Hokkien. I then spoke to him in Hokkien, asked if I could take his photo, he obliged and I started chatting with him, made small talk and asked him a few more questions. He told me he is more than 70 years old and he is only an employee working part time, three to four days a week earning some pocket money. I offered him a cigarette but he refused as he had his own Indian ones, very cheap, costing $3.50 for twenty five sticks in a bundle. He told me that this stall used to be located across the road and had been doing business for quite a long time already but he has only worked there for about two years. I asked him if there were many commuters using taxis at this stand here and he said not too many. Business for him was quite brisk but for me after half an hour had passed, no potential passengers. 

We were chatting away about everyday life and then it was 10.30pm and I decided to move on.  

HDB Hotel.

I picked up a male Asian looking tourist at the taxi stand opposite St Andrew's Cathedral yesterday at 6.30pm. He was carrying a big suitcase and wanted to go to Woodlands St.13.  I said "Waah, very far away from town, you must be visiting a relative or your girl friend". He laughed and replied, "No, no girlfriends here or relatives, only going to stay here for three days". "Where do you come from and why not stay in a hotel in town, more convenient for shopping and food?" I asked. "I come from Myanmar but I work on board a Tanker which is now parked at sea near Marina Bay only for a few days and so I am renting a room in Woodlands St 13, very cheap at $30.00 a night, stayed there about four times already. I book online, the hotels in town are very expensive" he said, speaking in good English. "Really?" I exclaimed, and was surprised to learn from this 41 year old Myanmese seaman about such kind of arrangement, an HDB Hotel room?? can book online. I have heard whispers about this sort of 'HDB Hotels' for quite some time already but was not very sure whether its true or not because renting a room in HDB flats is not cheap nowadays. The rentals are between $600 to $800 per month.

Surprise, surprise, this morning as I reached for my 'The New Paper', and right on the front page, such a coincidence,  an Advert in airline magazine says: 'RENT A ROOM FOR $60 A NIGHT FOR 2' IN HDB HOTEL", Wow!, what do you know, its true. Anyway, as far as I know, its illegal to rent out your HDB flats and bedrooms to tourists or for short term stay, if caught, flat owners face compulsory acquisition of their flat from HDB.

Read All About It !!

Hurry, hurry, go get a copy before its sold out!

Introducing Uncle Frank the Cabbie

with his own monthly 

column in

"TIME OUT SINGAPORE"

PPA

International Consumer

Magazine

of the Year 2011

PICCADILLY CIRCUS in Singapore.

Yesterday, around 5.45pm, I was flagged by an elderly Englishman along Boundary Road, junction of Upper Paya Lebar Road. He wanted to go to PICCADILLY CIRCUS on his own but lost his way around and needed help. I told him I know how to get him there, and jokingly suggested that he would need to buy an air ticket first. Straightaway he knew I was pulling a fast one and exclaimed excitedly "You know where it is? Thank goodness, nobody I asked had the slightest clue to what I was talking about!". He told me he lived in Singapore many, many years ago, during the sixties when he was an ex-British Serviceman doing a year's duty and lived in Seletar Airbase. (I believe many Singaporeans are unaware that there exist such a place except for the famous and well known one in London.) "God Bless You!" he said.

This English gentleman, now a tourist, wants to relive his days when he lived here but was shocked to find great changes everywhere, totally unlike the peaceful, quiet and serene surroundings that he experienced in the past. Suddenly he looked excitedly at the entrance and exclaimed, "It's still there, the facade, but no Guards!". He could not sit still and spied at every corner. Indeed, you could feel just pure nostalgia.

Finally past the entrance and inside, his voice quavered loudly, "Oh my God, its like yesterday, my beloved PICCADILLY CIRCUS!!" and turning to me he said, "I love Singapore, thank you, thank you, you have made my dreams come true my man!" I quickly replied "The pleasure is all mine". He insisted to alight by the side of the road, the metered fare was showing $12.40 and he pushed $20.00 into my hands. "For you my friend, for you and thank you again". He said he wants to walk by himself and be filled with past memories and bade me farewell. I watched him slowly walking away along Edgeware Road and that's when I started taking the above snaps. I felt very happy having his company and sharing his joy as I began to drive off.

Antique Bamboo Chair.

 The past week was rather quiet and nothing very interesting or eventful happened except till last night at about 10.30pm when I picked up an elderly woman along Jalan Besar, near Lavender Food Centre, and she wanted to go home to Telok Blangah Crescent.

 Along the way, we chatted and laughed and we had a very pleasant conversation. You don't believe it, she is 86 years old, same age as her husband, both are Hokkiens, speaks a bit of English, looks fit and healthy, very independent and alert. She has seven children, 3 boys and 4 girls, all married, 15 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Her husband and herself lives happily with her youngest son. She is indeed a blessed woman.

When we arrived at her destination, she asked if I could accompany her to her apartment as it was already too late in the night, I of course obliged. Reaching her 7th floor apartment, she thanked me and said goodbye. At the same time I noticed this bamboo antique stool which is also a baby chair outside her door. I asked if I could take a few pictures of it with my iphone and she said go ahead. Everything done, we bade farewell and I left. The reason for me taking the above pictures is because I sat in one when I was a toddler and it brought back fond memories of my childhood days.