Mobile Food Sellers of Yesteryear

[Papsmearer]

Remember the Indian Barber, used to have those wooden swing doors, just like the ones in the Westerns, where the sherif or the bad guys walk in through the swing doors...

Yeah, and u really smell like a thambi when you leave their barbershop.

 

[postnew]

 

[johnny333]

I remember the roaming barber, wah you must have lived in ulu places like pungol or tampines. I never trusted him at all, I don't know why. He was usually a chinese barber. I preferred to get my haircut from an Indian barber who than pounded your back afterwards. Shiok.

And for you perv forumners, I know what u are thinking. Its pound your back (with a cupped hand), and not pound your backside (with a bar-it lupcheong)

I had my hair cut across the street from Cold Storage , next to the famous Car Park," Youth..." They had a good comic selection but hated their haicuts. The only style they knew was the crew cut

 

[kingrant]

You'll be surprised, no. He walked around TB, himself balding, thin gaunt chap. He got annoyed if you moved yr head while he's cutting. I lived then in Tiong Bahru Estate. Home of the bar girls, cabaret dancers, hostesses, prostitutes, taxidrivers, rich men,poor men..

I remember the roaming barber, wah you must have lived in ulu places like pungol or tampines. I never trusted him at all, I don't know why. He was usually a chinese barber.

 

[kingrant]

How many bros can remember they used to place vegetables, dried fish and other stuff on old newspapers for sale on the roadside in places like Upper & Lower Chin Chew Street (non-existent now), Upper Cross street? The sellers were mostly Samsui women. Some sold salted eggs, and century eggs. Those selling eggs had a lighted naked bulb hanging over them, the seller will hold the eggs up against the light to pick the good ones. I never learnt or asked how they did it. I shld have. I was a young boy then. Many were illegal hawkers, and when the hawker inspector and policemen turned up, they had to pack up and run away or just ran away leaving their stuff behind. You'll be amazed at how fast these people can disappear with their wares!

 

[kingrant]

Wah! You must be damn bourgeoise man! Can cut yr hair at Orchard Rd!

I had my hair cut across the street from Cold Storage , next to the famous Car Park," Youth..." They had a good comic selection but hated their haicuts. The only style they knew was the crew cut

 

[dramarama]

Remember the Indian Barber, used to have those wooden swing doors, just like the ones in the Westerns, where the sherif or the bad guys walk in through the swing doors...

Don,t forget the thick leather belt the mama swipe up and down. I think its used for sharpening the blade for shaving sideburn...hahaha..

 

[Unrepented]

I do The same street where you can find the guy who slaughters pythons, turtles, flying fox, etc. live performance. After skinning the snake, he will just hang it up and the snake will just keep on curling and moving. Opposite Fook Hai Building.

How many bros can remember they used to place vegetables, dried fish and other stuff on old newspapers for sale on the roadside in places like Upper & Lower Chin Chew Street (non-existent now), Upper Cross street? The sellers were mostly Samsui women. Some sold salted eggs, and century eggs. Those selling eggs had a lighted naked bulb hanging over them, the seller will hold the eggs up against the light to pick the good ones. I never learnt or asked how they did it. I shld have. I was a young boy then. Many were illegal hawkers, and when the hawker inspector and policemen turned up, they had to pack up and run away or just ran away leaving their stuff behind. You'll be amazed at how fast these people can disappear with their wares!

 

[Ramseth]

The original Hainan scissors-cut curry rice was also on mobile cart. He cooked his stuff in a kitchen at Waterloo Street and pushed his cart to Beach Road-Rochor Road junction at around 2 a.m. Business over by around 5 a.m. That was expensive food those days. About S$3 per pax or per dish of 1 meat 2 veggies (1970-80s). And there's no real choice. It's always just braised pork, fried pork, fried egg and steamed cabbage. That's all it. But all were seriously good. Why the wee late biz hours was cause his target market was generous nocturnal cheongsters and gamblers who could afford it without blinking. The franchises and imitators nowadays taste nowhere close to the original, if one has tasted the original before.

 

[Unrepented]

We were proud and full of dreams. To make something out of this land. I still remember the national day when they were held at Padang, all the contingents, armor columns parading along High Street to Tiong Barhu. Yes, majority of us were proud and idealistic then.

If one can shed a tear for his homeland........it speaks volumes on the love and attachment to ones country.

Me heartbreak to see what its is becoming. Being raped from within and from outsiders as well.

Sorry for the OT.

Anyway, I could still remember an old fashion chinese tea house with an open compound with big tall trees, flanked by wet market stalls in Tai Seng, off Paya Lebar. Place where my grandfather will wear his colonial suit, hat and cane, and have his morning breakfast every sunday morning. They sell 'Tau Sah' pau and Tim Sums.

damn,you guys brought a tear to my eye....
those bygone days when singapore belongs to singaporeans......

 

[Unrepented]

And with the indian music blasting away

Don,t forget the thick leather belt the mama swipe up and down. I think its used for sharpening the blade for shaving sideburn...hahaha..

 

[General Veers]

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Once upon a time
I was in New York city
Trying to make some money there
Everybody's running, isn't it a pity
They are very busy like everywhere
They are very busy like everywhere
San Diego, San Francisco
All the places where I've been
There are still a lot of places
That I've never ever seen
There's one place that I know
That's the town where I was born
There's one place that I know
That's the town where I was born
I'll go back, Sausalito
I'll go back where I belong
It's quite nice, San Francisco
But I'll go back where I was born
But I'll go back where I was born




​

 

[Ramseth]

Now it's illegal to use those in barbershops. All must have single-use disposable blades. No need sharpening. Use and throw away.

 

[Unrepented]

Mah Piu Pou!

Today familee can make easy millions without any effort only have to look at LHL. :( If you have mandarins you have eunuchs.

Other than food vendors I remember people going around selling chinese newspaper papers by shouting but didn't see the same for the english papers

 

[johnny333]

Wah! You must be damn bourgeoise man! Can cut yr hair at Orchard Rd!

Heard that EW Barker went there for haircuts

Those days Orchard Rd wasn't so expensive back then & there was no Sri Dewi back then

Sometimes had my hair cut at Clementi, back then it was rather ulu place. The chinese barber there had a kind of shack

 

[Papsmearer]

Don,t forget the thick leather belt the mama swipe up and down. I think its used for sharpening the blade for shaving sideburn...hahaha..

oh yeah, I remember that. Than he shaved the back of your neck with it. Really made the goose bumps come out. Dry shave too. Yikes.

 

[Papsmearer]

That's my favourite sugar coated peanut on the far right. Where is this chap now?

 

[Yuan Shao]

That's my favourite sugar coated peanut on the far right. Where is this chap now?

There is one outside Selegie Complex. Not sure whether it's him or not cos can't remember.

 

[elephanto]

I'll go back, Sausalito

I'll go back where I belong
​

​

Yes, I remember Western Union Band & their hit, Sausalito ....

This album inside also got 'The First Cut is the Deepest', "Living Next door to Alice' ..... memorable mid-70s sound.

But buy album is luxury, pirated tapes at $2-$2.50 in People's Park & Pasar Malam veri tokong, got different selection one ... everytime go chinatowm can hear the Osmonds singing '... with a little bit of country, & a little bit of rock n roll .... !"

 

[elephanto]

I lived then in Tiong Bahru Estate. Home of the bar girls, cabaret dancers, hostesses, prostitutes, taxidrivers, rich men,poor men..

Me also grow up in Kim Pong Rd, but never see mobile barber. My malay barbers one near the bridge that spans the drain between kim tian rd & kim pong rd, the other malay barber shop near the outram road - eng hoon street side near a house temple....

The barber shop got Beano, Dennis the Menace, Roy of the Rovers comics .... I LIKE