A visit to the traditional fish market in Singapore at Senoko Fishery Port isn’t complete till you make a pre-sunrise dash down to Jurong Fishery Port too. The size of Jurong Fishery Port doubled the size of Senoko Fishery Port as there are more than 100 stalls to choose from, where an array of stingray, sotong, and mud crabs awaits – all ready for you to bring back home to be mixed up with the savoury goodness of sambal, salted egg yolk, and chilli crab sauce.
At 2.00 a.m, just like the situation at Senoko, the Jurong Fishery Port is also starting to get busy. There is a general sense of hustle and bustle. People are hard at work. That's when the boats are unloading their catch and throngs of hawkers, chefs and wet market stall owners are buying in bulk. Taking turns to operate the forklifts, fishmongers move in a fluid clockwork motion, and plastic boots squelch against the wet floor. If you hear a rolling rumbling sound, you’ll instinctively turn to look if you are in the way of someone moving their fish. What warmed me is the good-natured reactions of the vendors when I apologise for being in the way. While this is admirable to me, this is just another typical day for them.
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When people think of fish markets, their minds understandably wander to busy port cities such as Tokyo or Sydney, few people would ever imagine that Singapore has traditional fish markets too. There are two fishery ports in Singapore at Jurong and Senoko, which house wholesale fish markets where buyers can snap up seafood in bulk, and cheaply. Even if you are not a buyer, a visit offers a glimpse of the supply chain that ultimately makes it all tick for Singapore’s seafood scene.
Well, while you are asleep, the fast-paced action at a traditional fish market makes for a night’s fun and an eye-opener. I visited Senoko Fishery Port recently, located at the far end of Sembawang, in the north of Singapore, where land meets the Straits of Johor. My alarm was set for 1.00 a.m. and as I stumbled out of bed to make my way to arrive at peak hour of 2.00am. The Senoko Fishery Port, which houses more than 30 lots, are open daily from 2.00am to 6.00am, except on Mondays — this is why Singaporeans often avoid consuming seafood on Monday. On other days, more than 1,000 seafood retailers and buyers come to Senoko to stock up and many fresh fishes change hands each day. As I entered into the complex, the first thing that struck me was that this is a wet market at its best. Fishy-smelling water sloshes around your feet, while half-dressed fish merchants tramp around in galoshes, stack baskets of squid and anchovies, and weigh shrimp with traditional scales. Shoals of fresh-caught fish are often just strewn along the ground, with baskets of prawns and other shellfish crowding the area and shaved ice spilling every which way. As I walked around photographing these early birds in their glory, I wished I could have tasted the beautiful tuna before me. The next few hours go by in a whirlwind of activity. One of the things I love the most about travelling by plane is when you look outside of the window and can enjoy those kind of views.
Flying offers us a wonderful experience: the opportunity to see the sky up close, to enjoy sunsets or sunrises, gorgeous snowy mountain peaks, beautiful green fields and so on and so forth. I admit I love sitting on the seat next to the window in airplanes (and in any other means of transportation, for that matter). I want to see “out”, to enjoy the view, even through the small airplane window. And, yes, I like to take photos – and to look at photos taken from various flights. The views are breathtaking! Speaking of wonderful moments, here is my collection of some lovely white clouds on flights to-date. I hope you like them. 乘飞机的人一般都喜欢坐在靠窗的位置,我也是,一则清净,二者可以欣赏窗外空中美景,运气好可以欣赏到美丽的日出日落还有云海。摄影时把机翼也拍出来也是构图的一个要素,而且特别有场景感。在飞机上看云与在地面上看云感觉不同。在地面上看云,是仰望,它们遥不可及。坐在飞机上看云,它们近在咫尺,看的清清楚楚,真真切切。若不是隔着眩窗,它们准会飞进我的怀里。这么多年旅行,我不知不觉地累积了这组照片。心放空了,自己就像是在空中飞翔,早已忘了自己是坐在飞机上拍摄这些照片。 况且在飞机上看云,令人神清气爽,浮想联翩,心旷神怡。每个人都向往着自己就是那天空中的一片云,自由自在,无拘无束,天马行空,任自己驰骋。多少歌曲唱过,多少文人的笔下写出了——我是天空中的一片云。抬头望望天空,看着那倏忽变化的云朵,想想自己的处境,真想变成天空中的一片云。 |
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