One of the perks of being an actor is that I get to be at places that I wouldn't otherwise be. Or quite unlikely to be. In this shoot called "Treasure", we were in a retro hairdresser shop in Boon Lay, the west part of Singapore. Kinda 'Almost Malaysia' to Easties.
To my surprise, it was like a time capsule. Time seems to have stood still and it was like a walk down memory lane.
And the neighbourhood even oozes the warmth and closeness of communities more commonly found in housing estates decades ago in Singapore.
Some wall motifs.
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There are also Thai and Burmese shops.
... and they would not let me go... would not let me go....
The coffeeshop is still run the old fashion way. In the morning rush hour, he leaves all the coin takings in a loose pile on the counter.
This is Miranda, a Lasalle Musical Theatre student and my screen daughter in this production. It is a story about the sentimental moments between a father-daughter, three days before her marriage.
This is how the inside of the shop looks like.
At the hairdresser table, I found this old Chinese magazines Lau fuzi, that was very popular in the 1960s and 70s. Most people would have forgotten about them and those below 40 years old probably didn't know these comics existed.
They tell simple stories, mostly slapstick humour, but it was enough to entertain thousands of readers back those days.
A fixed line phone, a transistor radio and phone numbers scribbled on the wall like an open directory. In the age of digital technology and Internet connectivity, who does that?!!!
Some of the scribbles even have pictures drawn. Kind of a code language I guess. Back in the old days, gangsters leave coded messages on public walls for their brothers.
These old fashion barber chairs still have ash trays in its arm rests.
That was why hair salons were smokey. It is amazing how tolerant people were those days.
It is a skeletal crew, so the actress helps to slap the slate.
I like the red monitor cover. It adds some brightness to the otherwise black and grey equipment.
I think that is the wrong way of holding the boom. No wonder he was complaining of his arms aching. lol
The over-the-shoulder shot.
"Hmm... should we have another take? Last one, last one..." - famous last words.
"Ok, the next take..."
It is a wrap!!!
If you like to to see more interesting locations, click at the photo below:
Sadly, some of them are already demolished and redeveloped into sterile condominiums.
