Raffles Place Grass

I remember growing up watching the business news featuring Raffles Place as the backdrop with throngs of office workers walking past. (I know they still show it on television, but childhood images were wired into our brains)

I wanted to be part of that crowd walking there, with the green green grass as the backdrop.

To me - and I believe for many others, the lovely green turfs were the holy grail of the corporate world. And I often thought to myself: "Wow, that’s where real adult people work! Bankers and businessmen - they work on the grass!"

So after graduation, I got my first real job offer (my office was located in Raffles Place). I never hesitated and signed the offer letter, very eager to start work. I wanted to be near to that green Raffles Place grass.

During my lunchtime on my first day, I asked my colleagues if they wanted to join me to visit the green grass area. They shot me a quizzing look.

You smoke?
- Er, no…why?
Only smokers go there.
-Oh.

So I mumbled some excuse and went alone to the legendary grass site.


It was sore sight. Yesterday’s TODAY was ripped and strewn over the grass like the remains of gazelle’s carcass. Cigarette butts are snubbed on the seat ledge and god knows what have been left over the years. I saw a retiree smearing his slimy snot onto the seat (I vow never to see on that spot anymore).

My memory of the grass images called out to me. I reached out and felt the grass. It felt dry and prickly, a rude comparison to the soft, velvety carpet grass caress that I had imagined.

In my disappointment, I noticed that the grass had a yellowish tinge.
The grass was not green anymore. Or maybe they were never green in the first place.

Of creambuns and raisins

For those olobs that hang out at raffles place, I'm pretty sure that they have heard of the legendary cream buns that left many drooling at the mere mention of them. Imagine yourself pressing your lips against those soft buns, smearing your mouth with the oozing fillings and flicking your tongue at those supple raisins..

Its an unusual sight. adults gaping awkwardly in raffles place- office boys greedily sucking from those buns and girls going wild at the sight of the shop-frame.

Elevating food sex to a whole new level is this bakery which moved in early this year- Barcook bakery. My sources (office meimeis) inform me that the shop has some Japanese origins (everything seems to be of jap origins these days). Apparently, they have another outlet at central to cater to the cityhall olobs. The endless queue of hot OLs and their gushing reviews finally prompted me to give it a try..

Like a ninja warrior, I sneaked out during worktime and mingled with the rest of the raffles place snake-eaters. The queue was already forming up at around 10plus, encroaching into the adjacent stores. People were sweeping the shelves of buns by the dozens as though they were golden ingots at very attractive valuations. When it came to my turn.. The auntie asked me how many? I replied 2. The hot buns were swiftly placed on my palms.

They felt so right. I stood opposite the shop and ate them on the spot. It was so so but hearing office girls' ecstatic shrieks and watching them milk their expressions make the whole experience a lot better. Word of advice : have them while they're hot.