Topic Selection

Final Approach: Look at CBD from the eyes of foreigners. To explore and identify nooks that represent a home away from their native land. And to empathise with Singapore being their place of grind and hustle.

Locale: CBD

Research

I decided to approach the topic through profiles of foreigners in Singapore. On my first day of the site visit, I just took general pictures of the sights and sounds of CBD as seen on the presentation slides. I also gathered empirical data from friends and family through an online survey on the process of settling down in Singapore.

On the subsequent days of research, I interviewed 5 of my friends/relatives who were foreigners and were either works or frequent CBD area. I recorded the interview for notetaking, and transcripted it later. I took pictures of their work desks/countertops and visited places that reminded them of home in CBD area.

Interview Questions

1. 1. What brought you to the shores of Singapore?
   2. How long did you take to feel at home in singapore?
   3. Was it difficult to settle in? Talk about some problems you faced in detail.
   4. Do you associate the CBD area with the daily hustle and grind? Where do you work at?
   5. Do you think of home when you’re here amidst the skyscrapers and at work?
   6. Which parts of the CBD area resonates with home the most? Describe the place with your 5 senses and feel free to include your personal reflections. (may come in the form of a restaurant that sells food that reminds you of home, or a spot that you want to bring your family to, or a place that you go to call your family, or a money remittance servicer)
   7. Having invested half your waking hours in this place, would you say that the city reflects both your drives and comfort? Please share more.
   8. Now that you’ve spent x amount of time here, what does this city mean to you?

Responses of Interviewees

“I came over to Singapore as my wife found a job here and for its job opportunities. It didn’t take me long to settle down because I was already living alone in Philippines before moving over. That being said, having family around is always much better. Before coming over, I was mainly taking up freelance gigs in Philippines. However, working Singapore definitely built the foundations of my career and is where I intend to stay and build a future with my wife.

Last year, my dad fell sick and that was when I missed home more frequently. At such times, I would call home and catch up with family members. But of course, a quick remedy for homesickness is always a visit to Lucky Plaza. Just hearing the bubbling of the pork sisig, or biting into the crispy succulent lechon or sipping on my favourite palalok, brings me back to home. Getting together with my Filippino friends also always feels like home.

Having been here Singapore for 15 years now, Singapore is home to me.”

– Einstein, Programmer at Every Matter, Rochor

 

“I came to Singapore mainly for work. It took me at most 2-3 months that settle down as Singapore and Philippines are pretty similar in both weather and time zones. Also, I could understand English that there wasn’t a significant language barrier between mom and I. That being said, the difference in culture was quite jarring as Mom’s family is more conservative while Filipinos are more open and easy-going.

Singapore has become a staple rice bowl for me and my family. Having worked for 5 years, I managed to buy a house for my family to move into and have seen their standard of living improving.

I don’t really get homesick as back in Philippines, I rarely stayed at home because of work. But of course, with your family member being around you physically, it’s better than having to talking to them through the land line. Also, when I need a quick fix me up in time of homesickness, I make filipino desserts like pumpkin jam, pork sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, adobo chicken and papaya salad. I get my ingredients from Lucky Plaza as there are a lot of Filipino dry goods store. Being in Lucky Plaza also brings me a lot of joy, because hearing all the conversations in Tagalog brings me home.\

Having stayed in Singapore for 5 years, Singapore is a place that I can find good work at and is where I can find a slice of home sometimes.

-Kristin, Domestic Helper, Toa Payoh

 

“I came to Singapore to find work. It didn’t take long for me to settle down because I could understand English and could thus, meet the expectations of my boss well.

On my days off, I would go out with my relatives, sometimes to Lucky Plaza, to shop and eat. Biting into the crispy bek bek goring and chewing on the tender and juicy ayam penyet makes me feel like I’m back at home eating my favourite dishes. Celebrating Hari Raya in Singapore is also another joyous occasion in itself. My relatives, friends and I would shop for new clothes at Lucky Plaza, prepare an Indonesian potluck feast and have lunch together at the park.

Having spent 24 years here, Singapore is like my second home now. The bosses that I’ve worked for have been good and it supported my family and I all these years. I’ve watched my Singapore “children” grow up and I treat them like my own now. Moreover, my sister and relatives are also working here so I get that slice of my Indonesian home while enjoying the financial stability and comfort that Singapore gives me.”

-Yati, Domestic Helper, Kovan

 

“I came to study in Lasalle to get my diploma and degree. It took me about 4 years before I felt at home here. It was also then that I got my cat and started working so having something to take care of and getting to work with the locals here, definitely bridged the gap. Initially, I hated ordering cai fan as the food laid out weren’t labelled like how they would usually be back in Japan. And even though there wasn’t really a language barrier, the uncles and aunties often spoke with thick accents that made it difficult to understand. Ordering drinks also was a feat on its own with all the “dialect names” for drinks. It took me a good couple of years before I finally got the hang of ordering food around here, thankfully.

Given that my first full-time job began here in Singapore and have been working here ever since, I do associate Singapore with the hustle and grind. Plus, Singapore is a good mix of work and play so I do intend to stay here for long. Although I don’t miss home as much now, in the first few years when I got homesick, I would call my parents or to head out to eat japanese food. My friends would also make the effort to go for japanese festivals together and that’s always nice. Being at Ippudo is always a good throwback; hearing a good mix of Japanese and English, being surrounded by manga strips that lined the walls and savouring ramen cooked just the way I’m familiar with. This hidden Izakaya spot in Cuppage also makes really good homemade Japanese food. The setting is cozy as it seats a small crowd each time and has got old aunties serving you; it’s like a little hideout for me.

Having spent 9 years in Singapore, I feel like Singapore is more home now than Japan. Because even though I was in Japan for 18 years, I’ve grown really close to my friends here and all my possessions are here, like my cat. That being said, I do feel more inspired in Japan than in Singapore, which isn’t that great given my profession but right now, comfort is a priority over my ambitions.

– Mei Kimura, Graphic Designer at Rice Communications, Dhoby Ghaut

 

“I came to Singapore to look for work. It didn’t take me long to get used to the lifestyle here as it was mostly work since I worked 6 days a week. However, when I miss home, I would call home to talk to my mom, especially when work gets really tiring and tough. I’ll always call home whenever something crops up, home is where the heart is.

I also met my girlfriend, now wife in Singapore. She’s also from Malaysia. Spending time with her has become a haven away from my work life as we speak with the same idiosyncrasies and share endless common topics. We would go out to look for food that is cooked to the liking of us Malaysians, salty and flavourful, for instance, the chao guo tiao store behind bugis street. Going out with my Malaysian friends and chatting idly also brings me back home for that few hours together.

Having spent close to 8 years, working in Singapore laid the foundations of my career as a chef as it gave me opportunities that would be harder to come by back in Malaysia and I would say that it definitely does open up my horizons as a chef.

-Ah Yi, Chef at Collin’s, Somerset

 

Here’s an Instagram page that documents their stories. It takes after “Human of New York” manner of photojournalism. (Click on image to visit page)

Presentation

Moodboard/ Planning

 

Execution

I wanted to use rice paper with native motifs and designs to overlay on black and white photographs of CBD areas. The reader views first the sights and sounds of St. Andrew Cathedral, Lucky Plaza and Tanjong Pagar as it is. When the reader flips the rice paper inserts over, he/she then experiences the space from the eyes of an Indonesian, Philippino and Japanese respectively. The native motifs that are characteristic of their local culture thereby painting the environment in a new light.

With black and white photographs, the motifs are also able to stand out more and would complicate the composition less.

Draft 1

Initially, I wanted to pick out several spots around these areas to highlight disparate activities and food that remind foreigners of home. However, after consulting Joy, we realised that the motifs applied would be too small and would complicate the composition. Hence, we decided that a full-page composition might work better. That being said, in retrospect, it might have been appropriate as it would create a host of interest points on the spread as my spread might have turned out too bare.

Cover/Back

Rationale: Every day, Singapore welcomes another batch of foreigners who managed to clinch their citizenship. On paper, they’re often just reduced to numbers and codes but this zine documents the lives of these individuals and chronicles the struggles and aspirations that they carry.

Page 1 – Indonesia

Rationale: St Andrews is a place that Yati, the Indonesian domestic worker, frequents at with her relatives and friends in Singapore. On Hari Raya especially, they would cook a feast and organise a potluck at the park, each bringing a local delicacy. They would don on their new clothes and celebrate each other’s presence amidst the festivities.

B&W photo of St. Andrews Cathedral

Rice paper application/composition

 

References

Page 2 – Philippines

Rationale: Eating Phillipino food was Kristin’s (the Philippino domestic worker) quick fix for homesickness. She would frequent Lucky Plaza to buy ingredients whenever she wants to prepare Philippino dishes. Many restaurants at Lucky Plaza also remind her of her mom’s homecooked food, thus a meal there also helps her experience a slice of home away from home. She also goes to Lucky Plaza to change currency before she returns home with her salary. Hence, the act of changing currency can be likened to her ticket back home.

B&W photo of Lucky Plaza 

Rice paper application/composition

Reference

Page 3 – Japan

Rationale: Whenever Mei, a Japanese graphic designer, goes out with her friends to eat Japanese food, she feels like she’s back in Japan. Everything about eating at a ramen shop or izakaya such as the sights and sounds to the taste, is reminiscent of home.

B&W photo of ramen shop at Tanjong Pagar

Rice paper application/composition

Final

 

Click on the link to access PDF file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S7NFGo3sbCjQKtfSMfQ57N4b9wlgA8py/view?usp=sharing