Flower power

I did say that I was not totally idle while looking for my new career direction. Besides helping my friend handle enquiries and registering participants for the terrarium workshops during the Singapore Biennale 2011, I was also helping out her mum, who has a flower stall at one of the markets in Ang Mo Kio Ave 4. Above are some of the pictures I took of the flowers. The box of leaves are those that we plucked from the stems.


Here are the pictures from the Biennale workshops@ Old Kallang Airport:

This market was burnt down by a big fire and took quite a long time to rebuild. Thank goodness now all is well. My friend's father just passed on, her mum was sick one day but still insisted on going to open her stall and in a last minute attempt, asked me to go down to help her.

Therefore I did! What an experience it was! The stall may be just be a simple stall but so much went on that day. I became the jasmine flower/ jasmine chain packer. It was not simply selling flowers for one had to know a little about praying. Some would come and ask for flower petals, some would buy those green lemons (those with crumpled skin). Yet others would ask for pomelo leaves. Those jasmine chains are like necklaces that go around the necks of Hindu and/or Thai Gods.

It might just be a stall but there is a lot of PR going on. Auntie (my friend's mum) has built up a good relationship with her customers over the years and she has lots of regular customers. Most of them who come will wait for her to pack the flowers. They do not even need to tell her. They will tell me that Auntie knows and some will tell me,"You don't know one lah!" LOL.

Was quite shy at first but after a while, got used to the idea of working at the market and began asking customers what they want, do they want jasmine petals to go with their flowers, etc. Due to the fact that the next day was going to be the 15th of the lunar month, it was super busy. When there were no customers, auntie would be busy packing bouquets of flowers as she already knows which regulars would drop by later and what they wanted.

On other days when the store is not officially open, we would be busy packing and 'tidying' up the flowers in preparation to sell them. All these were good training for me for I will also be doing similar stuff in my new job, albeit in an air conditioned environment.

There is lots of camaraderie around the market too. The fruit stall sellers opposite will look out for Auntie's stall and we always have lunch together. Those were happy times. Everyone was every one's friend and the customers were all chummy. Some were very understanding and were more patient while others complained about me giving too little jasmine petals. :P

Well, I think I will still go back there once in awhile to help out, even after I start my new job. It is good to feel grounded like that.