Changmoh
  • About
  • Buy Book
  • Fash
  • Dash
  • Travel
  • Contact
  • Hire Me
  • Press

Hari Raya Market at Geylang Malay Village

By Changmoh • Monday, 20 August 2012 • Fash, Festivals, Food & Drink

I love Christmas. Actually, to be more precise, I love the build up to Christmas.

The closest you can come to Christmas in August has to be the Muslim equivalent, Hari Raya, which took place yesterday but as it fell on a Sunday, is also being celebrated with a public holiday today in Singapore.  

Last Thursday, for the first time in four years of living here, I went with my lovely friend CG who really knows her way around (crucial), to the Hari Raya night market in Geylang. Packed not only with people but with vast tents as tall as buildings – lit by the iridescent glow of festive street lights – lined up one after the other, after the other, they ran the length of the main road and were chocked full of everything you can think of, from food to furniture and clothing.

Arriving at the right time, I now know, is key. Thursday was the penultimate day of the market so we were fine; apparently you do not want to be anywhere near it on the final day of sales, Friday, which is probably akin to the jam of cars and human traffic you get on Oxford Street, in London, on Christmas Eve.  Eeeugh.

We got here just before sundown (which was at 7:20pm)  and were able to wander around a relatively empty market while everyone broke fast and ate at the food stalls which were at the far end of our particular tent.

Actually without my lovely friend, I wouldn’t have known which tent to go in to – there were hundreds – and I’d probably have ended up in the one exclusively selling tissue box covers…as it is, I am happily unable to confirm or deny its existence).

We went to the clothing tent which was on the corner Eunos Road 5, stuffed full of stall after stall selling wonderfully bright dresses, kurtas and tunics (see main pic at the top of the page), both Indian and Malay, for prices that were better than Tekka market – and that’s saying something.

The colours were fabulous and mirrored the vibrancy and energy everyone seemed to have who was here, whether to shop, eat, look or sell.

After wandering around for about two hours, we came away with some beautiful and quite understated Indian kurtas (at $25 each they were a bargain – you couldn’t not buy them – and will look rocking worn with jeans for my next UK trip…very “I live abroad, actually”) as well as bundles of exotic otak otak (angmohs who don’t know, this is a kind of savory cake made of fish and spices, cooked in banana leaves).  These ones contained either prawn, crab or squid (the crab was delicious).

The stall selling them seemed to generate the longest line in the food section – which is always a good sign – and is here year after year I am told.

So, my next festive fix will just have to wait until Christmas when I will be in Scotland. Until then, if I need to dip my toe in to the shopping fervour that holiday seasons seem to spawn, I suppose I can just make do and pop down Orchard on a weekend…

Tweet
When Someone with an Empty Suitcase Comes to Stay...
The Goldmine that is Far East Plaza

You Might Also Like

  • Westlake…One Dish is Cheaper Now than 20 Years Ago

  • Pheasant Schnitzel

  • Proper English Fish and Chips…in Bukit Timah

  • F1 Festivities

    As featured in:


    Singapore Tatler
    The Independent on Sunday
    Liv
    Telegraph
    Expat Living

    The Chinese Angmoh

    The Chinese Angmoh
    Why the strange name? Changmoh is an amalgamation of the words Chinese & 'Angmoh' (local speak for Caucasian should you be reading this in a country other than SG) // I'm an English girl living in Singapore and love the local way of life so much that I actually think I’m half Chinese. Maybe even three-quarters // Freelancer writer, author and editor ... you read it here first.

    Follow Changmoh


     

    Search Changmoh

    Recent Comments

    Re: My book! A Helping Hand:...
    Changmoh
    Thanks so much Giselle!
    Re: My book! A Helping Hand:...
    Changmoh
    Thanks so much. What a lovely review and yes - I need a child-rearing manual too! Pls do tag your...
    Re: My book! A Helping Hand:...
    Changmoh
    Thanks so much for your comment. Thrilled you like it! Please do tag any and all recipes successes with #helpinghandsuccess...
    Re: My book! A Helping Hand:...
    Elizabeth Hay
    This book is amazing! Such great recipes which are useful for everyday life and we especially love the banana...
    Re: My book! A Helping Hand:...
    Textpat Wife
    What a fantastic idea - and a gorgeous book. We have a mutual friend who told me about both...

    Click the pic to follow Changmoh on Bloglovin’

    Categories

    • Art
    • Beauty
    • Brit Stuff
    • Buy Book
    • Charities
    • Competitions
    • Day in the Life
    • Day Trips
    • Doggy Stuff
    • Fash
    • Festivals
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Hotels & Places to Stay
    • House & Home
    • International Sites – No Shipping Charges
    • Lobang City Guides
    • Local Issues
    • More Dash than Cash
    • My Edits
    • My Holidays
    • Online Shopping
    • Parties and Premieres
    • Recipes
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Shop Local
    • Tech
    • Things I Have Noted
    • Travel
    Expat Interviews
    Blog in Swiss

    @changmoh on Instagram

    Channel Changmoh

    Latest News

    • You may think you don’t smoke but, actually, you do: Air Pollution Quantified

      Thursday, 3 May 2018
    • French-Girl Chic (at Topshop – sssh)

      Tuesday, 6 February 2018
    • I bought it in a wet market…

      Tuesday, 15 November 2016
    • Luxe auction

      Wednesday, 12 October 2016
    • On the air: white wobbly stuff

      Tuesday, 4 October 2016
    Tweets by @ChangmohGirl
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Pinterest RSS
    Changmoh

    Made with in Singapore

    © Changmoh Consults. All rights reserved. Web Design by Inspireo Media