Teban Gardens wet market stall owner goes the extra mile, praised for kampung spirit
A heartwarming video showing a woman mending a beancurd stall at Teban Gardens wet market has gone viral after she went the extra mile to help a fellow vendor.
In the video, the woman is seen stepping away from her stall to assist with Mandarin translation for a customer at another stall.
The clip, filmed by Instagram user George Coates (@gcoates_), was posted on 20 Jan and quickly garnered praise from netizens for its wholesome depiction of community spirit.
The woman’s spontaneous act of kindness, offering help despite her own busy stall, struck a chord with many viewers, who commended her for embodying the true “kampung spirit”.
Since posting, the video has garnered more than 3,000 likes and 126,000 views.
Stall owner says they try to help one another
The video begins with the woman quickly moving away from her stall to assist a neighbouring vendor. “Coming! What do you want?” she calls out in Mandarin.
After returning to her stall, she explains: “Sometimes, they [stall owners] don’t understand Mandarin. We work together. We need to help one another, then we will grow.”
She adds: “If we are just (working as) individuals, that will be too selfish. This is what I think.”
The videographer, Mr Coates, goes on to chat more with her, asking her why she doesn’t have a stall name, among other things.
When he mentioned he was meeting his father for breakfast, the woman went the extra step, noting that many Malay stalls were closed that day, with only the nearby roti prata stall open.
Source: @gcoates_ on Instagram
Netizens were charmed by the encounter. “So kind,” said one. “The aunty we all need,” said another.
Video part of a hawker series on Instagram
This video is part of an ongoing hawker series documented by Mr Coates, a 27-year-old account executive who works in the fragrance industry.
Mr Coates, who grew up in Singapore and moved back in 2019 after studying in the UK and China, has been using his Instagram to capture local hawker culture.
“I love Singapore, it feels like home to me,” he told MS News.
He said he initially started documenting the Bukit Timah market before its closure but found the project so enjoyable that he expanded it to other markets, including Teban Gardens.
He walks around every market he visits, asking different people if they would be willing to have their photo or video taken.
Reflecting on his chat with the woman behind the beancurd stall, Mr Coates said it was “interesting to hear about how they help each other”.
He praised her positive mindset, which he feels is a reflection of Singapore’s communal spirit.
Source: @gcoates_ on Instagram
S’pore’s hawker culture & kampung spirit a part of Singapore’s identity
Mr Coates also had positive things to say about the hawker culture here.
“I love it, I think it’s an important part of Singapore’s society and I hope people will continue to support the hardworking stall owners that make it possible,” he noted.
In the short time he’s been documenting his series, Mr Coates has met many kind and welcoming people.
He believes that his videos “speak for themselves”, and said: “If you look for kindness, you will find it. But sometimes we are so busy we miss these small gestures.”
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Featured image adapted from @gcoates_ on Instagram
