Saturday, December 6, 2014

Larkin Pasar Malam - Kids Tag Along While Parents Do Business

In october, I blogged KSL Pasar Malam -Why Tourists Shun Singapore's Spam Biz which is a local chinese night market held every monday.. The night market at Larkin is on every sunday & is overwhelmingly malay as i only saw 1 local chinese hawker(footwear).

The night markets mainly reflect the residents around the vicinity. Coming out of Larkin bus terminal towards Larkin Plaza, one can see high rise flats catering to the low income. Although you will be walking like a circle shortly afterwards, continue down the road & have faith you will reach the stadium carpark.

The night market hawkers begin setting up at around 4:30pm. Best time to arrive while there's still light is around 5:30pm.

Since one is over at Malaysia, one might as well turn off the mobile phone & enjoy some 'disconnect time'.

Click for larger map of Larkin Pasar Malam at stadium carpark.
Walking distance around 800m from Larkin bus terminal.

4 light bulb sockets but only 1 socket with bulb.
Look at his plastic glove on right hand.

One of the few local indian hawkers there. I presume the other guy is his son selling popiah(spring rolls). Livable earnings for a family selling popiah. In Sillypore, unless the popiah is sold overpriced, the rental would kill the hawker.

Malay guy operate his roast chicken rice business alone. He even installed an oven inside his vehicle. These hawkers have sunk much investment into buying & modifying their vehicles. When a location is no good, can easily relocate instead of being stuck. They have more pride too compared to those zombie low-wage foreign workers in Sillypore's overpriced foodcourt corpserations.

Foodcourt corpserations where got pride?

Pride is an emotional freebie that is getting scarce in Sillypore.

Is good to bring along the kids & expose the kids to their Papa & Mama's business. Nevermind that the kids do their homework at the back of vehicles.

It is the sight of kids like these that make pasar malams human compared to the stalls at shopping malls. It is what makes it unique for tourists. Sillypore's hybrid regime don't understand this with the building of another shopping mall at the airport.

Shopping mall operated by govt-linked corpseration, staffed with low-wage 'corpse' workers in high rental shops with no pride.

All must wear 'corpse' uniform! Some of those 'corpse' uniform like McDonalds & Starbucks are already seen until sick by the tourists in their own countries.

Wall of tin boxes of biscuit rolls.

RM45 for anti-mosquito baby cot.
RM25 for the cushion without the netting.

The anti-mosquito baby cot is something i've never seen before. I suppose these are sold to families living in the kampongs(rural village). The opening is via a zipper at the base as you can see the blue color cot above.


Wear their home clothes & layered with apron Is like Jedis who are unique compared to the clones of stormtroopers in StarWars. Tourists would much rather experience these hawkers than those spam shit food like McDonalds, Starbucks.

I get turned off by the zombie clones in foodcourts wearing the same 'stormtrooper uniform' mandated by the corpserations.


Other than satay, the food sold at Larkin pasar malam is not to my tastebuds as it is overwhelmingly malay. I bought fried noodles & french fries for dinner.

With camera strap hanging from my wrist, it is obvious i am a tourist, the malay hawker told me the final price in chinese. Make business sense for them to know some basic prices in order to earn from Sinkies.



[Left] Fixing up light bulbs to their tentage to sell clothes.

There are 3 rows of hawkers at the carpark - left, center, right. The right row which is furthest away from the stadium mostly sell clothes.

The outer 3 rows at the carpark are for vehicles & it spill over to the sideroads during busy times like 6:30pm.


Larkin pasar malam is not exactly worth visiting. Foodwise if you like malay street hawker food, there is more variety at Jln Meldrum near City Sq.

What's unique here is the malay atmosphere - mostly malay hawkers & malay crowd.


Look at msian guy pushing his luggage across the causeway!
Dumb sinkie sheep would rather queue for bus.
Smooth flowing for vehicles on both sides but the return bus crowd is horrendous - lack of buses!

At least 6 Years Never Walk on Causeway
I made a horrible mistake going to the pasar malam during the year end school holidays. Is smooth flowing going in after lunch though, it is the return trip at 7:15pm that is horrendous with the tour buses coming back.

Somehow, it appears public bus drivers for both SG & MY are in short supply as they are clearing their annual leave to be with family. Weekend peasants visiting JB central + tourists at the passport counters spill outside the immigration counters entrance. Luckily i brought a book along to read while on the train so i read while waiting in queue to get passport stamped.

After stamping the passport at the Msian customs, the queue for public buses stretched right up the stairs to the immigration clearance level. Not enough buses to clear the crowd which keeps building up.

As such i decided to walk across the causeway with some others. Most of those who walk are Msians whom i can hear from their accent as i walk passed them. As walking across would entail walking against the flow of traffic, being a dumb sheep indoctrinated with NUTS, few sinkies would dare to walk against the traffic flow.

Hence plenty of sinkies wait & wait & wait for the buses because there is no sign telling them they can walk against the flow of traffic on the causeway for a short distance - Singaporeans' No U-Turn Syndrome & Being Screwed by It.

Msian's mentality is:

  • No Sign Forbidding Them =  Can Walk on Causeway
  • No Sign Forbidding Sell Hawker Food from Vehicles =  Can Sell from Vehicles

After clearing SG customs, i have to wait 35mins in the queue for the bus to Kranji train station. Year end weekend trips are a nightmare.

2 comments:

  1. But aren't those stalls dirty as they are at the roadside ?

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  2. I don't dare to buy from roadside hawkers, even if the food is cheap and suit my tastebuds, eg in Thailand and even Taiwan.

    But I heard that in places like Penang, the best roadside food are from stalls located in dirty surroundings, eg next to dirty drains. Reminds me of old Singapore in the 60s and early 70s.

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