Right before the traffic junction that goes to bugis streeone gets a view of the beautiful conserved shophouses.
Look how crowded it is!
Walking into Bugis Street Market, the first thing that struck me was how crowded it was.
Though it was before 11 on a Sunday, most of the first level shops were opened,
people browsing the (mainly clothing) stall, and the smell of the food from the
finger food street. This is definitely the “common space” where people gather
to shop, eat, and socialize. The stalls were of similar style and nature, most
selling “alternative”, “goth”, and “punk rock” clothing, targeting mainly
teenagers and young adults, which was majority of the people at Bugis that day.
Other colourful clubbing clothing sold.
Observations in Bugis Street:
Crowd: Majority teenagers and young adults, but some older people
Status: No defined status - a wide variety of people.
Dressing of crowd: Casual clothing, not much long sleeve/long pants. No one dressed up to come and shop here. However, I bet that the clothing at night would be different from the clothing worn in the day.
(Unfortunately, I was not able to visit Bugis Street at night, though I would have liked to see the night activities, eg: are there still transgenders here? Is it really such a "party" place as people say? However, these things that I wanted to observe were the reason my parents did not want me to go there at night.)
Atmosphere: Welcoming atmosphere, stallkeepers don't look down on you, even if you're just browsing, or still young. (Unlike in Orchard, for example. If I, a teenage girl, was to go into a shop like Juicy Couture, or Miu Miu, one can feel like the sales attendants are looking down at you, and just dying to say "what are you doing in here here? You obviously will not buy anything"
Music: Almost every shop was blasting the latest hottest music among teens and young adults, especially K-Pop (to my disgust. I dislike K-Pop). Most of the music played had steady beats and bass, which positively contributed to the atmosphere. The music just seemed to go together, as if the shopkeepers had coodinated.
Sense of identity: My impression of bugis street went with the initial assumptions about the atmosphere. There was a strong sense of identity in it's past, with the sex shops, music played, and clothing and accessories sold here.
Music: Almost every shop was blasting the latest hottest music among teens and young adults, especially K-Pop (to my disgust. I dislike K-Pop). Most of the music played had steady beats and bass, which positively contributed to the atmosphere. The music just seemed to go together, as if the shopkeepers had coodinated.
Sense of identity: My impression of bugis street went with the initial assumptions about the atmosphere. There was a strong sense of identity in it's past, with the sex shops, music played, and clothing and accessories sold here.
Interaction: However, due to the whole sense of community one can feel when one steps in, I was surprised to see that no shopkeepers were interacting with each other. Even the small hawker centre, where they work in close proximity with each other, I did not see any chatting or laughing among them.
Shop organization: Obvious spaces for food stalls, clothing shops, and accessories shops.
Space Utilized: Very packed area. Majority of shops are on the first story, while others are on the second and third floor. (Pictures later) However, most of the crowd there that sunday were at the lower floor, open air shops.
Shops: No major brand name shops here, (eg, FOX, Cache Cache, M&S, Forever 21). Most of the shops are a single outlet, not chain shops.
Goods sold: Clothing of alternate style - Grunge, Punk Rock, Club, Gothic. Clothing one would not find in places like ION Orchard, 313@Sommerset, Plaza Singapura, etc... The only other place I've seen this kind of clothing is in Far East Plaza, but they do not have such a wide variety and affordable prices as Bugis Street. I should have come here years ago.
Services: All services seen here (there were very few) were related to looks and fashion. Eg, Hair salons, Salons for manicures and pedicures, and eyebrow shaping. (Pictures later)
Globalization: Some clothing and souviners
targeted at tourists (Pictures later) Eg, "I love SG" T-shirts,
Singapore keychains, Singapore magnets, etc...
Food: Mainly takeaway, finger food. Cheaply priced, but I did not purchase any for fear that the hygiene standards were not that good. Food was left out in the open - Yuck!. However, there was a good example of western influences meet singapore's culture - when east meets west in the form of burger shops. (hehe)
Food street pictures
Shops selling finger food, takeaway food, etc...
Tiny hawker centre
Note how there was an emphasis on "Chinese" burger?
East (above) meets West! (Burger King, from the westerners.
Pictures of upstairs.
It was deserted although the shops downstairs were open and busy
Blast from the past! (of bugis)
An example of an explicit shop I saw here
Things that the shop was selling
This man was staring at the products for the longest time. Maybe he was thinking about his past experiences here?
Food: Mainly takeaway, finger food. Cheaply priced, but I did not purchase any for fear that the hygiene standards were not that good. Food was left out in the open - Yuck!. However, there was a good example of western influences meet singapore's culture - when east meets west in the form of burger shops. (hehe)
Food street pictures
Pictures of upstairs.
Blast from the past! (of bugis)
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