Lee Rui Qi
Sec 5/1
I was greeted by with the familiar voice of the kopitiam aunty shouting out the orders she just took down across the hawker centre whilst accompanied with the aromatic smell of mouth-watering fried hokkien mee upon walking into my usual hawker centre. This particular hawker centre has played an essential part in my seventeen years of life and I simply cannot live without it.
One of the more memorable experiences I have had while eating a meal with my family was at the nearby Marsiling mall hawker centre. I vividly remember that all of us had a rather long day and when we arrived at the place, we were all exhausted. However, the miraculous thing was that once our hot piping steamed chicken rice, spicy and flavourful Mala had arrived and we began to fill our stomachs while chatting with one another about the current affairs, all of our tiredness vanished. Filled with a full stomach, we went home with happy hearts that day. These are truly the times that are simple, yet I am grateful for. I genuinely feel that hawker centres are of much significance in my life, as I have the opportunity to bond and build stronger ties with my family in that place. Often busy with our personal schedules, we rarely have enough time to catch up with one another. With these hawker centres available, I can find comfort through delicious local cuisines and the precious times we share as a family.
Other than the memorable experiences of having the opportunity to bond with my family through the various dishes at the hawker centre, I always have a sense of pride, no matter whether I am gobbling down the delectable nasi lemak that the friendly makcik had poured her heart and soul into, or the simply tangy flat yellow noodles, or a more familiar term, “mee pok” served with sweet and sour ketchup paired with fish balls. While savouring these local dishes, I am always grateful for the existence of these hawker centres as it allows me, as the younger generation to keep in touch with the iconic dishes of Singapore. Especially now that Singapore is a diverse society that embodies different cultures and influences, it is of utmost importance to understand more and have the chance to be able to partake in these authentic food cultures in our everyday lives. This is why I, as a teenager, find that hawker centres are significant as I am able to keep in touch with Singapore’s abundance of food that keeps our different cultures and traditions alive.
Last but not the least, when I am grasping my last few dollars and standing in between a food centre and a high-end western restaurant, I would automatically gravitate towards the food centre. Being able to order a huge serving of delicious nasi briyani served with sides of lamb shank, curry and even a can of my favourite Ribena drink compared to only being able to order a small side of chicken wings with a pathetic serving of tartar sauce with my only few notes left, really allows me to feel thankful for hawker centres. Most hawker centres in Singapore are always filled with people from different walks of life because of the affordable pricing of generous servings of food. As a teenager, I do not have a stable job and income yet and am relying on my parents financially which is one of the reasons why hawker centres are important to me. My hunger is satiated even when I am left with little money in my wallet.
As a teenager living in Singapore, hawker centres and food centres really hold an important place in my heart as not only do they allow me to bond with families and friends, stay in touch with local dishes but provide me with comfort food at minimal cost. With these food centres and hawker places representing our multi-racial and harmonious Singapore, I truly hope that hawker centres will continue to thrive so that many others would be able to experience the joy and comfort I have, for more generations to come.
Writers by the River 