A Long Walk

Even in tiny countries like ours, regionalism exists. And among accounts of regional pride, none is as fierce as the Easties’.

Last Sunday I took a walk in the East. Whenever I go to Katong, it feels like I am on holiday - it is after all the birthplace of SG’s original leisure class. My walk started at Ah Yee Soon Kueh, and I made my way to coffee with ex-Eastie WW at one of many hipster cafes, before lunch at the original 328 Katong laksa. But the main destination is actually Seabreeze Bookstore (@seabreezebookssg), an extension of @trendlitpublishing .

Located at level 2 of 366A Tanjong Katong Road, the moment you look up the stairs, you will feel Seabreeze bookstore’s “Taiwan vibes”. They carry mostly Chinese language titles from Singapore, Taiwan and HK, and a small selection of merch, such as those by Taiwan label 小日子. I must say that Trendlit’s book designs are themselves very on-point, and in the context of Singapore publishing, refreshing. 

Do check them out. Also because *ahem* Furrie and Shortie Issues 1-3 and merch are now also available there! #self-interestedMarketing haha.

While there, I got myself a copy of Sean Lam’s vampire manga (which is in English, although the grammar is sometimes suspect) and despite my lousy Chinese, a collection of short creative non-fiction “A Long Walk/ 有時，我們遠行” by poet 蔡欣洵, published by Trendlit (check out the cover in Image 1). I read a few pages at the store, and it felt honest and lyrical - not unlike the feeling indeed of a long walk. 

On a long walk, you may have a destination in mind but given the distance, the destination feels almost like an excuse for the journey. Only your feet will take you there, and in this, you will feel the ground and all else in the air. With these conditions, a long walk often yields moments of curiosity or discovery, and you will be taken by scenes of unexpected beauty. The long walk is often experienced alone, but very rarely it can be with someone with whom you can spend time in quiet.