Introduction

One step into Changi Village and immediately one gets struck by the feeling that this is no ordinary area.  For one, it exudes a rustic old charm that one hears from stories told by our grandparents. For another, the unique spirit of these shops fosters neighbourliness. These are perhaps reasons why an indescribable sensation emanates from this isolated part of Singapore. It is indeed an idyllic getaway from the usual hustle and bustle of city life, allowing young Singaporeans to enjoy a cuppa, watching the world go by, while listening to the elderly reminiscing and sharing stories of the past, which cannot be found in books or the internet.

This historically-rich part of Singapore is now a tablespoon of the old mixed with a teaspoon of the new. It may be true though, that despite the distinct changes brought about to meet the taste buds of most Singaporeans, this change could be developmental.  Nonetheless, this is a gem that deserves to be treasured, in one way or other.

Together with the yellow-tinted walls and sapphire gemstones adorning Changi Village today, we are proud to present to you our guide to Changi Village, old and new. Here, we will share about some of the shops that have caught our eyes in terms of the uniqueness of the wares they carry, or the genuine and unreserved hospitality exhibited by the staff.

Hock Lee Shoe Shop

Hock Lee Shoe Shop allows us to get a glimpse of the times in the past. It is heartening to see that the shop is still selling the same products with minor changes for the past few decades or so. Perhaps it is the quality of the accessories that keeps the customers coming. We hope that in the near future, Changi Village will be more accessible to people from other parts of Singapore, thus attracting more customers to old shops like this. In this way, customers can relive Changi Village’s wealthy abundance of historical value and ensure that older businesses do not fade to become a forgotten part of Singapore’s history.

Kerala

This shop celebrates its 35th birthday this year and yet is still run by its original shop owner. Even though business may not be flourishing, the shop owner can try continue running her business. After all, as long as the shop is open, there is publicity to ensure continuity. Even so, the only sustainable way to keep such trades alive is to ensure that there are people from the younger generation who are willing to take over the business. Luckily for this shop, it will be managed by the shop owner's children in the future. Also, despite the slow business, the shop owner seems emotionally attached to her shop, having never changed the products since its establishment more than 3 decades ago. These clothes are commonly sought after and worn by people, yet business is in need of improvement. Is this a silent scream for increased publicity of Changi Village?

Singh Tailor

The original shop owner’s daughter is enjoying the relaxed pace of life now that the shop has been shut down. Regardless of how much time has passed, and no matter what takes place in the interim, we believe some things can never be consigned to oblivion; memories can never be obliterated completely. Similarly, though Singh Tailor is no longer in operation, the signboard still stands proudly at the shop front. We managed to enter the shop through contact with the owner. The inner layout enabled us to picture a house in our grandparents' time, allowing us to imagine life behind a sepia-coloured filter. This is one of the few shops which lived through Singapore’s history during its raging post-war days. It sure is delightful to see traces of the past in Changi Village today!

Fashion Shoe Shop

After some engaging conversations with this friendly shop owner, we felt that their relatively slow pace of life enjoys the luxury of having fewer customers, as it can indeed be a blessing in disguise. This allows for more interaction between the shop owner and the few frequent customers, allowing the shop owner to gain a deeper understanding of what their customers need and remember their preferences. When the shop owner is able to appeal to and connect with these loyal customers, we believe that they will continue to patronise this shop, helping the shop to ensure consistently good business.

Airfield Restaurant

Airfield Restaurant seems to be doing better, despite selling similar food as other food stalls in Changi Village Hawker Centre. It could be because it is situated near the main road of Changi Village and also right beside Changi Village Hotel, thus making it more convenient for people to stop by to eat. Can you spot the framed photograph hung on the wall at the left? It is a monochrome picture of the Airfield Restaurant in 1951! It sure had a long history! Hence, we strongly believe Airfield restaurant has potential to blossom to become at the peak of its business in the near future.

Zaack

Zaack, as can be seen from its appearance, has been around for a long time, even before the renovation of the hawker centre. Business seemed to have been better before renovation, which is ironic since the renovation is supposed to attract and accommodate more customers. It is one of the few shops that is selling delicious “local drinks”, such as Milo Dinosaur. However, we were unable to obtain more information from the shop owner because we were unable to speak Malay. This reminded us of language barriers between us and our grandparents since they speak dialects, which most of us do not understand. Thus the knowledge and appreciation of people’s practices of the past is important otherwise the younger generation would be very much less exposed to their roots in the future. Nonetheless, we hope that this shop will continue its business because we believe as long as there is motivation, language barriers cannot impede it.

Sri Sujana Nasi Lemak

Sri Sujana Nasi Lemak looks just like all the other Nasi Lemak stalls in the hawker centre. True enough, there is fierce competition amongst the numerous Nasi Lemak stalls there. However, what is pleasantly different about this shop is the passion the stall’s owner cum cook possesses. It is indeed encouraging to hear that he likes his job, especially since many people usually work solely to meet their financial needs. We sincerely hope that this shop will continue to serve its customers in the years to come. What makes this shop so wonderful is the rarity of having a cook who takes on his job with such pride.

Johor Bahru Pau/Tim Sum

The first thing that attracted our attention was the old signboard with both English and Chinese versions of the shop name, reminding us of a typical traditional Pau shop. Through the years, quite a few things have changed, such as the price of the Pau, the location and appearance of the shop. Despite the many changes, the essence of the shop still remains, the traditional making of the Pau, with minimum use of machinery. The unique method used to hand make the paus can be clearly seen through the slightly differing shapes and sizes of each Pau. Just a bite deserves one the experience of a sweet volcanic eruption accompanied with the heavenly overflow of tasty red bean paste. The love and effort put into the handmade Pau is evident.

Restoran Garunda

Restoran Garuda seems to have been around for a while. It had a simple design, typical of our impression of a traditional Malay food stall. Hence, all of us were surprised to find out that it is actually a new shop opened recently. According to one of the workers here, business is poor due to the lack of a Halal certificate, causing Muslim customers to be hesitant to patronize the shop. Can a Halal certificate alone improve business for Garunda? Nevertheless, this tells us that knowing the requirements and needs of customers are essential in starting up a popular business. Also, this shop’s potential customers could have been attracted to the relatively less costly and wide variety of food in the Changi Village Hawker Centre.

Thiam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice

With its bright lights, this shop evokes a sense of newness. The young workers there need to understand the significance of conserving the culture in Changi Village. The pleasant variety of stalls set up in the hawker centre can surely be made more attractive to customers with enthusiastic staff! Sometimes, we too lose sight of our initial goals, with the stake level of the assignments affecting the quality of our work. Perhaps we can harness the passion in the younger generation without letting the reward system influence us. We believe that all good businesses stem from shop owners’ strong sense of attachment to their shop, something which we delightfully observed.

Crepes and Puffs

Crepes and Puffs gives a relaxed and delightful ambience, with soothing yellowish lighting. It is a huge contrast with the noisy chatter of the shop owners of the older shops. It is one of the few infant businesses in Changi Village. Customers of the modern Crepes and Puffs are made up mostly of people below 40 years of age, as compared to traditional shops such as the Pau / Tim Sum shop. Middle-aged people seem to be usual customers of newer shops, while those who patronise the older shops tend to be older. Indeed, people from different age groups can have different preferences, and thus it is necessary to strike a balance between the number of old and new shops to cater to the different age groups. Though diversity is encouraged, we hope that Changi Village can allocate the shops wisely to suit the likes of the different generations.

Zancan Italian Jewellery

Zancan Italian Jewellery is one of the modern shops amongst the older shops in Changi Village. It looks like a luxury shop from a shopping mall and seems out of place in Changi Village, where people commonly regard as a secluded area of Singapore, especially with the plasma TV at the front of the shop and its classy, brightly lit interior. With modern shops here, our idea of Changi Village is slowly changing, to perceive it from a modern point of view. This shop is definitely one of the shops youngsters would like to frequent, but Changi Village cannot replace the older shops with the new just to attract customers, since this can threaten the preservation of its rich tradition. If snippets of the past are displayed, they can help bring back the sense of peace and enjoyment Changi Village manifests, don't you think?

Conclusion

Changi Village has always been well-known for being a tranquil place, where people have the luxury of enjoying a slower pace of life, but few know that part of it still remains alive and very much intense—its business aspect. Many are unwilling to take time off their busy schedules to explore this unique place located at the extreme east part of Singapore, and have few chances to appreciate the beauty of Changi Village’s authentic businesses.

Neil Gaiman once said, "It's a given that we exist in a world where we have to live in continuity every day". Ironically, the only thing constant is change. Regardless of how drastic the changes are, a part of the past is definitely retained. Something will always continue over time. To quote Aristotle, "Change in all things is sweet”. We firmly believe Changi Village will continue to blossom and Singaporeans will inherit the sweet fragrance of this vibrant village.