Prawning making a splash in Singapore

Call it primal instinct to catch, kill and eat, but there is a new hobby that has hit local shores that is taking this little red dot by storm. Some people like to bake, others like to garden, but a new hobby is making waves – and with that comes a group of people who like to, get this, prawn.

The concept is relatively simple – one can loan a house rod at the respective hourly rates ($15 per hour on average) and bait it using the meat provided (usually minced chicken heart), then proceed to the pond of choice and while one’s afternoon away snapping up the tasty crustaceans.

For those still inexperienced in this scene, fret not, for there are an increasing number of prawning forums on the Internet created to provide advice on where and how to scoop up the best prawns at the best price.

Prawning enthusiast Mr David Foo, 54, says, “Ambience-wise, I would say it’s a tie between Bishan Prawn Fishing and Yishun Prawn Fishing. But if you’re looking at the prices, Pasir Ris Farmway Prawn Fishing wins hands-down—they sometimes throw in a couple of lobsters too, for good measure”.

With approximately 15 such prawning spots in Singapore to date, prawning enthusiasts now have a larger pool to choose from. These spots are scattered all over the island, with compounds located from Punggol to Pasir Ris.

Newest to the scene is Geylang Prawn Fishing Restaurant, which sprung up where people once practised their drop shots and smashes – the former Singapore Badminton Hall. Out of the 15 prawning spots, this is the only indoor one, much to the joy of prawning enthusiasts.

Regulars such as Mr Alan Tian, 40, who is self-employed, likes the indoor concept so much that he visits four times a week, and fishes for up to three hours each time. He adds, “There is ample parking space and this place’s prawns are bigger than at other places. I can catch up to 2kg worth of prawns in one night. Also, bad weather and rain is not an issue anymore”.

Additional perks such as the sheltered compounds encourage enthusiasts to indulge in their hobby even more regularly, and the profits of these prawning spots continue to soar high amidst the economic slowdown.

But just how lucrative is this business? Owner of Geylang Prawn Fishing Restaurant, Mr David Ang, 45, gives one a rough idea, “The place sees up to 100 customers a day, with the figure doubling on weekends. If one customer approximately loans the rod for 2 hours, then we earn about $3000 a day, in gross (profit)”.

Not too shabby at all, in this day and age. However, those running such businesses are not the only ones profiting from this novel hobby – seafood suppliers are getting their fair share of this fat pie as well.

Suppliers such as husband and wife duo Mr Tan Sien Hock, 50, and Mrs Tan Liew Xia, 45, supply the prawns for both Pasir Ris Farmway Prawn Fishing as well as Pasir Ris Town Park Prawn Fishing.

“We supply freshwater ‘big-head prawns’ from Thailand to Pasir Ris Farmway Prawn Fishing, but saltwater Tiger Prawns and Grey Prawns to Pasir Ris Town Park Prawn Fishing. Different prawns to different places, it lessens conflict,” says Mr Tan.

They supply an average of 100 kilograms of prawns each week to both prawning spots, with the prawns costing approximately $20 per kilogram.

Whatever the cost, there will always be those willing to fork out money to experience something new and exciting – and for a good reason at that.

“It’s a chance to get out of the house, and exert dominance over less powerful creatures,” Mr Foo jokes. “But honestly, it’s more for relaxation than anything else. The challenge of sitting there and not giving up is remarkably testing”

No sleaze please, we're Singaporean!

The oldest profession assumes many forms, and in Singapore a witty aphorism applies: dirty secrets thrive in clean cities. Politics hadn’t stopped seediness — it had complicated it, taken the fun out of it and made it assume disguises. In the 21st century, business is as business does.

It is almost midnight, and Apple sees her favourite customer make his way across the dance floor amidst the flashing lights and heart-stopping bass. Smiling, she snakes her way through the writhing crowd with a tequila shot in each hand.

Welcome to Thai Disco 2. Tucked away in a grimy corner of Golden Mile Complex, it is probably the heartbeat of the entire building. Apple, 25, is a “coyote”, the street name for a Thai disco girl. “Coyotes” like Apple are not at all rare in our sunny metropolis – with more than 50 Thai clubs and pubs island-wide, one just has to know where to find them.

“Coyotes” are not part of the lucrative prostitution trade in Singapore. It a simple barter – customers have to buy at least two tequila shots (each shot costs $12) in exchange for their company. These “coyotes” then pocket 50 per cent of the charge.

One class above the “coyotes” are the club singers, whose golden voices have saved them from needing to prowl for customers. Singers can play hard to get, agreeing to only a short 15 minutes of their company in exchange for a minimum of $10 for a garland of plastic flowers. These plastic flowers are forms of appreciation bestowed upon the singers during their performance, ranging from $10 to as much as an impressive $1000. The singers are entitled the entire sum.

With no end to the constant flow of admirers, a singer can earn up to $8k monthly, while a “coyote” can earn anything from $2k to $3.5k depending on their popularity. The secret to staying sober all night (their shifts start from 9pm to 3am daily) of many a “coyote” is simply to “mix the tequila shots with water,” says Apple.

A common misconception that many have is that the mere two shots entitle the customer to a free-flow of flesh, but 20-year-old club regular Low Kai Hui, disagrees. “When you pay for the tequila shot, you’re paying more for her company than her flesh, and this also depends on how much she likes you,” he says.

This does not mean that no seedy activity goes on behind closed doors — on rare occasions, some “coyotes” attempt to tempt potential customers with sexual favours for monetary exchange. When a “coyote” goes thus far, it oversteps the boundary and “morality” of the profession — she is now working as a free-agent.

Although police raids are not unheard of, they are still considered rare. Regular customer Lim Kuan Siong, 24, says “There are no drug or prostitution activities going on. What is not legal is that most girls here have overstayed their social visit passes.”

So what exactly draws in the crowd at these Thai discos? With a plethora of clubs and pubs, Singapore is practically the nightlife hub of Asia. Yet as many as 200 revellers every night shun big names such as St. James Power Station and The Butter Factory in favour of lesser-known Thai discos, the reason being the “wholesome” Thai hospitality.

“I can spend about 100 dollars each time, because the Thai girls here are different. They are more sincere and friendlier as compared to local girls,” says Low.

Of course, customers always want their money’s worth, and the drink prices are a draw as well. A jug of house pour spirits costs $38 and a jug of beer $28. That doesn’t even cover Happy Hour, where 3 jugs go for just $50. Also, a bottle of Martell VSOP brandy, Chivas Regal whisky, Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky and Courvoisier VSOP cognac costs between $148 and $178 each. What’s not to love?

Add booze and gals, and the result is an alternative to the local clubbing scene. Now remember, these girls may not be all that sleazy, but they have their demands as well. In this line, money talks. But don’t worry, it’s nothing personal – it’s all merely (risqué) business.

A poke at the Facebook Generation

What worth do we place on the friends that we carry on our Facebook pages? To what extent do they replace, extend, revitalize or decay our real world relationships? Some users have tens of friends. Others hundreds. Thanks to Facebook, it is no longer surprising to have friends numbering in the thousands – it’s the norm.

Strangely enough, The Social Network isn’t just a movie about Facebook. It’s about societal structures, unchecked ambition, and friendship versus the destructive tendencies of power. But above all, it’s about heart. Kids, get out your notebooks, because you might want to take some notes.

THE MOVIE

If you’re hoping to see an enthralling movie about business in the 21st century, forget about Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps – The Social Network, delivering downright sizzle, intrigue and drama, is where the money’s really at.

The film depicts its teenage characters with unflinching efficiency as it weaves the nasty web of deception and betrayal that is the story of the ironically socially inept founder of the world's top networking site.

The docu-drama is then bickered over though two separate legal proceedings, wherein Zuckerberg is sued by his erstwhile best friend and Facebook co-founder/CFO Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), as well as a twin-set of professional rowers, the Winklevoss' (Armie Hammer) along with their business partner (Max Minghella).

A tale of money, genius and betrayal, The Social Network isn't merely a yawny timeline of Zuckerberg’s quest for digital dominance. It is a hard-hitting gem of a movie with a full tank of creative gas that keeps it roaring from start to finish.

MY SAY

It has been touted by many a critic as an era-defining drama, but does The Social Network really capture the zeitgeist of the Facebook Generation? Well, it comes damned close, if I may say so myself.

The truth is, we are more than just slightly harder, colder, and socially inept than the Baby Boomers and Generation X. Nevertheless, we make up for it by being wonderfully entrepreneurial and ridiculously tech-savvy, our Facebook wall continually flooded with status updates, personality quizzes and virtual shout-outs from our ‘friends’.

It’s no doubt a disturbing state of affairs, but the film is merely a superlative example of art imitating life, and earns its keep as a provocative commentary on the ever-widening gap between the virtual world and it’s more realistic counterpart. This then begs the question: does technology, along with all its conveniences, truly bring us together, or is it secretly driving us apart? A curious thought indeed.

Nevertheless, The Social Network is an engrossing look into one of this century’s biggest cultural phenomena, all the while being bracingly smart, brutally funny and acted to perfection. This one deserves to go viral.

A brilliant show of mettle

The stage was set, the competitors poised and the engines raring to go as the inaugural METTLE GAMES 2010 opened in Singapore from 29 October 2010 to much fanfare.

The event marked the first time a large-scale lifestyle action sports event combined water, street and motoring sports in one offering, and was held over two separate weekends (29 – 31 October, and 5 – 7 November).

Weekend One of METTLE GAMES set the pace (and what a fiery one at that!) with an array of five world-class tournaments. Sanctioned by the Asian Extreme Sports Federation, the aggressive inline skating, skateboarding and bicycle motocross (BMX) events took place at Xtreme SkatePark @ East Coast.

Gracing the high-octane event were professional skateboarders Jereme Rogers and Aquil Brathwaite from the United States of America, Asian X Games BMX silver medallist Kiattichai Wanitsakun from Thailand and the X-mini Ambassadors from Spain, the United Kingdom and Thailand. Still, it was the death-defying ascent of the 42-storey (165m) Singapore Flyer on 5 Nov by the French Spider-Man, Alain Robert that took the cake.

The 48-year-old vertical tourist began his heart-racing ascent at 6pm, buoyed by the cheers from his unceasingly supportive audience. A mere 15 minutes later, he was already reaching the pinnacle of the wheel. Then it started to rain.

With his vision obscured and his grip affected, what could have been a piece of cake for Robert was now a challenge. But in a brilliant show of mettle, the gutsy Frenchman doggedly climbed on, refusing to succumb to circumstance.

Half an hour later, his efforts were handsomely rewarded – amidst resounding cheers from the relieved audience, Alain Robert descended the Singapore Flyer, pioneer climber of the world’s tallest observation wheel.

The daredevil ascent is a personal record for Robert, who has only ever scaled vertical structures prior to the Singapore Flyer. “The key difference between climbing a vertical structure and a circular one,” he quips, “would be that that is no end. You start at the beginning and you end at the beginning, which is really very funny.”

“Still, it was very interesting, because usually people pay money to sit inside a capsule and look out at the world, but here I am, looking in from the outside.”

Weekend Two also saw fast cars and superstars descend upon the Lion City as it roared to life with superb drag races and heart-stopping drift stunts. Two-time British Auto test Champion, Russ Swift, was also in town to burn some rubber. If it was a show the audience wanted, it was a show they got.

Swift, who holds the Guinness World Record for parallel parking, J-turn, as well as for making the most number of complete spins (also know as Donuts) with a car, thrilled the audience with his endlessly impressive skills behind the wheel. But it wasn’t just the audience who lapped up the adrenaline-charged excitement – Swift too, had the time of his life.

“It was amazing. The crowd was amazing, the weather was amazing, and I’d like to think I was pretty amazing too,” he laughs. “I loved every bit of it, and I’d come back again if they’d wanted me to”.

Swift is right, the action sports extravaganza was no doubt a roaring success, but it wasn’t all fun and games – the event gave back generously to the community as well, via a collaboration with the Make-A-Wish Foundation®, going to show that good things are indeed meant to be shared.

All in all, hosting METTLE GAMES 2010 has highlighted Singapore's ascendancy into the ranks of sporting giants, but this is only the beginning. In the years to come, as more international events are held on local shores, Singapore will undoubtedly be a sporting force to be reckoned with. How’s that for a brilliant show of mettle?