I don't think there is much spontaneity in Singapore anymore. People go to designated parks to gather for healthy wholesome activities so that they won't get rounded up for illegal assembly. If more than 15 people want to wear t-shirts of the same color, they'd have to apply for a licence from the relevant authorities to do so. (My tongue is firmly-in-check.)At twilight in Phnom Penh, especially during weekends, many gather at the wide public spaces and mill around to chat, blast music to do group aerobics, dance and play badminton. These spaces belong to government buildings and private entities. The spaces are definitely not designated parks or anything like that though it does beautify the landscape. However, the Cambodians merrily claim it for their own. Then, there are the people sitting on the road dividers! They braid each other's hair and chill out in the middle of cars, motorbikes and tuk tuks zooming by. (???)
To me, it's quite an interesting spectacle (Yes, I know they do that in China and many other countries too) to see so many people spilling out onto the streets to participate in all these seemingly spontaneous events with nary a police car or crowd control personnel in sight.
2 comments:
Actually you can find pockets like this in housing estates (PUBLIC HOUSING heh heh). The CC near my house doesn't have its own basketball court, but there's a wide space outside so whatever exercise class (TKD; line dancing etc) is on that night will be held there.
Many residents tend to hang around there too to chit chat, because there are lots of benches for sitting.
The block next to mine has a communal TV. So lots of folks would hang out there to watch TV and play cards at the same time.
As for sitting on road dividers, well just make your way to Sembawang Shipyard at knock off time. Besides fighting with the bicycles, you can see the foreign workers having their picnic on the road dividers!
eveline: WAHHH! okay. i must go walk around to see it now. especially to sembawang shipyard. housing estates for sure, i just haven't seen people do that in our so called public buildings and areas. heheh. the last i know was that empty field which ion stands on now.
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