Sunday, 19 May 2013

In Search of The Last Dhobi Shop in Singapore

On 16th May 2013, Ain, Sin loi and I headed down to St. George’s Road, hoping to find the last dhobi shop in Singapore.

We approached a shopkeeper of a provision shop and asked for directions. Surprisingly, he knew where the shop was because it was getting more popular. The shop has received a lot of media attention ever since people found out that it was the last dhobi shop in Singapore.

Finally, we reached the shop but could not find anyone there although it was opened. Just as we thought that it will be a disappointing trip, the boss appeared.

His name was Mr Valakan and he was 49 years old. We introduced ourselves, told him about our project and asked if he could answer our questions. He was willing, but due to his busy schedule, he asked us to come down on Saturday.

The shop’s employee, Mr Thamdayuthap, assisted us by explaining the process of washing  and the history of the shop. He asked us to come back after 30 minutes because the older boss, Mr Suppiah would be there at the shop.

We interviewed Mr Suppiah, aged 85, who started this business. It was very interesting to listen to him and his experiences.

It was definitely inspiring to see how they were dedicated and passionate towards their business.

By: Meitri Parikh

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