Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chen Beverage Trading,
16 S mith St. (
&
65/6223-6927
), for some Chinese teas in
handsome tins. Although the teas ar e really inexpensive, they're packed in lo vely tins—
great to buy lots to bring back as smaller gifts. For serious tea aficionados or those curious
about Traditional Chinese M edicine (TCM), stop b y
Eu Yan Sang,
269 S outh Bridge
Rd. (
&
65/6223-6333;
www.euyansang.com.sg), where they hav e stocks of v ery fine
(and expensiv e) teas, plus herbal r emedies for health. F or something a little mor e
unusual, check out
Siong Moh Paper Products,
39 M osque St. (
&
65/6224-3125
),
which carries a full line of ceremonial items. Pick up some joss sticks (temple incense) or
joss paper (books of thin sheets of paper , stamped in r eds and yellows with bits of gold
and silver leaf). Definitely a conversation piece, as is the hell money, stacks of false paper
notes that believers burn at the temple for their ancestors to use for cash in the afterlife.
Perfect for that friend who has ev erything. Also, if y ou duck o ver to
Sago Lane
while
you're in the neighborhood, ther e are a fe w souvenir shops that sell Chinese kites and
Cantonese Opera masks—cool for kids.
169
ARAB STREET
On Arab S treet, shop for handicrafts fr om Malaysia and I ndonesia. I go for sar ongs at
Hadjee Textiles,
75 Arab S t. (
&
65/6298-1943
), for their stacks of folded sar ongs in
beautiful colors and traditional patterns. They're per fect for trav eling, as they 're light-
weight, but can serve you well as a dressy skirt, bed sheet, beach blanket, window shade,
bath towel, or whatever you need—when I'm on the road, I can't live without mine. Buy
a few here and the prices r eally drop. For modern styles of batik, check out
Basharahil
Brothers,
101 Arab St. (
&
65/6296-0432
), for their very interesting designs, but don't
forget to see their collection of fine silk batiks in the back. F or batik household linens,
you can't beat
Maruti Textiles,
93 Arab St. (
&
65/6392-0253
), where you'll find high-
quality placemats and napkins, tablecloths, pillo w co vers, and quilts fr om I ndia. The
buyer for this shop has a good ey e for style.
I've also found a few shops in the area that carry
handicrafts
from Southeast Asia. For
antiques and curios, try
Gim Joo Trading,
16 Baghdad St. (
&
65/6293-5638
), a jumble
of the unusual, some of it old. A lo vely antiques shop,
Melor's Curios,
39 Bussorah St.
(
&
65/6292-3934
), is almost a mini-museum of furnishings, home fixtur es, and objets
d'art that will fill any S ingaporean with nostalgia.
Other unique treasures include the large assortment of fragrance oils at
Jamal Kazura
Aromatics,
21 Bussorah St. (
&
65/6293-3320
). Muslims are forbidden from consum-
ing alcohol in any form (a pr oscription that includes the w earing of alcohol-based per-
fumes as well), so these oil-based perfumes re-create designer scents plus other floral and
heady creations. Check out their delicate cut-glass bottles and atomiz ers as well. Finally,
for the crafter in y our life,
Kin Lee & Co.,
109 Arab S t. (
&
65/6291-1411
), carries a
complete line of patterns and accessories to make local P eranakan beaded slippers. I n
vivid colors and floral designs, these traditional slippers were always made by hand, to be
attached later to a wooden sole. The finished v ersions are exquisite, plus they 're fun to
make.
8
LITTLE INDIA
I have a ball shopping the crowded streets of Little India. The best shopping is on Seran-
goon Road, where Singapore's Indian community heads for Indian imports and cultural
items. The absolute best place to star t is
Mustafa Centre
, 320 Serangoon Rd./145
Syed Alwi Rd., at the corner of Serangoon and Syed Alwi roads (
&
65/6295-5855
), but
