THE FIRST
FLOOR
The first floor has a money changer shop, massage parlours, some food stalls, and a second-hand bookstore situated in the open plaza. It even has a tuition centre Kumon.
Mary Tham's Dresses
#01-26
"the night clubs started coming in and the whole place turned sleazy"
Inviting us into the shop, there were no display racks, no mannequins modelling the choicest pieces, there was nothing you would expect in a clothes boutique. A sprightly old woman in her 60s, she sits amongst a maelstrom of fabric swatches, sewing pins and foot cranked sewing machines. Madam Tham relies heavily on regular customers to get by. In fact, many of her customers phone in their orders and only see her shop when they come to pick it up. When we asked her about her future prospects, she laughs and says that she doesn’t really mind the slow business. She has a eye on retirement and the only thing propping her shutters open is her interest in tailoring.
When asked about the bad reputation of the mall, she looked uncomfortable. She maintains that whatever happens outside does not really bother her because she has her business and they have theirs. Her shop closes at 5.30 sharp and whatever happens after that is not of her concern. Her daughter, Adel Lim, who was waiting for her mother to wrap up, chipped in with a few observations of her own. “I’ve been hanging out here ever since my mother moved her shop. When I was a teen this place used to be very interesting with shops such as 77th Street and other SMEs selling handicrafts. But they all moved out and the night clubs started coming in the whole place turned rather sleazy and I can’t see it changing any time in the future. Now it’s just a place I come to wait for my mother.”
As we walked out from the shop, Madam Tham bid us farewell and closed the shop front curtains, another light going out in a corridor already shrouded in darkness.
Madam Tham
#01-28
Natural Reflex Beauty & Therapy Centre
"(you) don't need to help us with publicity. it's only my wife and I here. we can't manage too many customers"
For the past 28 years, the Natural Reflex & Beauty Therapy Centre has sat in a corner on Level 1, and customers are welcomed by Mr and Mrs Vincent’s warm greetings as they step into the shop. Photograph cover the walls of the shop, each featuring either Mr or Mrs Vincent together with different customers. One can observe how the couple has aged together with their therapy centre. Their smiles, though, remain constantly radiant beside every customer, reflecting their dedication and passion for the service that they provide.
They believe in providing the best for their customers. “If customers are unhappy with the massage we are very receptive and will change.” This has provided them with a constant stream of customers through word-of-mouth as many associate Natural Reflex with their honest and dedicated owners and not with the image and reputation of the mall. Mr and Mrs Vincent have also given massages to artistes such as Kanye West, Rain, A-Mei, and Show Luo, but remain humble in their portfolio. “(You) [d]on’t need to help us (with) publici[ty], it’s only my wife and I here, so we can’t manage too many customers,” Mr Vincent told us as we explored his therapy centre.
Mr Vincent - owner of Natural Relax.
