In the ‘Zine’ – Tiong Bahru edition, I will be dividing the 8 pages into 3 main sections

1 – On birds singing tradition

2 – What’s a must try in Tiong Bahru

3 – Wall of fame for CATS

I will now present my research on the above 3 topics I have narrowed down to focus on.

Tiong Bahru Bird Singing

Yes, there are indeed many places locally where you can find bird singing corners. Some examples are Serangoon North Avenue 1, Tanglin Halt, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 and Bukit Purmei. Lo and behold, Tiong Bahru is the OG (original gangster) of this trade. It is the oldest and the first ever “Bird Arena” in Singapore.

In the past couple of years, many bird-lovers would gather at this spot bright and early, to admire all the exotic, beautiful birds sitting in their antique cages. One interesting fact is that it all started from an owner of a Kopitiam (coffee shop), with all intention to attract more business. But it led to more than just a business antic, it becomes a tradition worth preserving.

Tiong Bahru bird corner was noticed by a Dutch reporter, who wrote about it in the late eighties. It was when this corner gained recognition, attracting even more tourists and reporters far and wide! Eventually, Dutch sponsor numbered hooks to facilitate more birds singing competition in the area. I find it relatively interesting since these are areas I would never have noticed even if I happen to pass by. The failure to realise its significance would truly be a waste! So glad I managed to dig out some of the forgotten treasures of Tiong Bahru.

 

Interesting Food Finds (TOP 3)

What’s good in Tiong Bahru, you ask? Come, let me show you!

Pastries and Coffees? They have Tiong Bahru Bakery.

I was a huge sceptic of this place initially. I thought it would just be another cafe that is totally overhyped since it is always buzzing with people and the cafe always seem to be on full house. I had my first try on their original croissant, accompanied by a warm cup cappuccino – Boy was I wrong to assume it would just taste like flour and sugar. It was on a whole new level of mind-blowingness!

I knew I had to feature this in my Eatbook spread! Light, buttery crisp on the outside, warm and soft on the inside – An excellent balance of sweet and savoury.

Next!

For a main, if you’re tight on a budget, fret not for there is Tiong Bahru Food Centre. For this section, there are a couple of recommendations –

Like Jian Bo Chwee Kueh, 238 Coffee, Ru Yi Vegetarian Bee Hoon and Tiong Bahru Teochew Kuehs. I’ll insert some pictures below!

 

Wall of Fame for Cats –

YES! You heard it right, its Cats we’re talking about. Hmm, what about stray cats right? They are everywhere, isn’t it? Well, let me introduce you to the hidden gems of Tiong Bahru – It’s their cats.

The name star of today’s research is Bob the stray. He even has his very own Facebook page! (Click to find out more okay! I promise he is super chubby and cute) The page is still very much active now, and the latest update was made on March 25, 2018! You can see how much love he is showered with.

And this is the backstory of Bob: Click Here

Besides Bob the star, there are a couple of extraordinary places where we find traces of cats. One example is Books Actually. This is a local bookshop WITH FELINES.

How often do you come across bookstores with cats? Here’s the funny thing. Sometimes when the shopkeepers are out, they leave their cats to tend the store. How amusing. I bet they keep out little mousey thieves!

Read their interview Here!

Another super funky fact: They even did casting calls for the cutest cats in Singapore, and one of our fellow Tiong Bahru residence made it! Here’s a video I found:

These will be my area of focus for the content of Zine, bringing very relatable and closer to hearts topics to you as a producer of my first location magazine spread! Thank you for reading!

Next up: Research on Layout Style 😉

Ciaos.

 

Citations:

http://joyloh.com/blog/?p=5916

Bird Singing Corners in Singapore

http://landscapeinthebox.blogspot.sg/2013/04/tiong-bahru-fading-history-forgotten.html?view=magazine

Tiong Bahru Bird Singing Corner

https://www.facebook.com/thestoryofbob/

http://tiongbahruestate.blogspot.sg/2011/03/bob-street-cat-that-glued-community.html

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/01/14/stb-auditioning-for-the-trendiest-cat-in-tiong-bahru/