Zest

“Heroes are never perfect, but they're brave, they're authentic, they're courageous, determined, discreet, and they've got grit.” – Wade Davis

‘I have a bata shop at Hougang Avenue 3. Now my husband take over. Cannot two together, later argue’, she said with a hearty laughter. Nancy, the cook at Sedap Yong Tau Foo, is a feisty and zestful hawker who wears many hats. Apart from having a bata shop at another part of the city, she also cooks and manages the staff at her current stall. ​

I’m more of a leader that manages the staff. If something is not right like business is no good, I will approach the staff to ask or find out what happen.

It is a common assumption that hawkers own their stall. This is not entirely true, evident in Nancy’s case where her Yong Tau Foo stall does not belong to her. Rather, some stalls are owned by an individual who then leases these stalls to people like Nancy to handle the business.

Fei Siong (boss/owner) has it cheap, but rent to people very expensive. One day 200, one month how much you calculate, 2000. But Fei Siong take from the government one month 1500. But rent out 6000, they confirm earn right?

However, this system is the least of her concerns. ‘Rental only is 4000, don’t even include utility bills. Worth or not? I still have to buy the bowls and all that. Every month pay you know? 4400. Then water bill, employee? Then boss don’t need to eat ah? Eat sand? Then all the ingredients?’ she ranted. The cost of sustaining a stall in a hawker centre has been a problem cited by a lot of the hawkers that we have spoken to. The constant struggle to earn enough from the day to day business to meet the high and rising costs is apparent.

Despite the clear challenge, Nancy remained steadfast in handling the Yong Tau Foo business, working 10 hours a day and overseeing her other staffs and other business needs fervently.

Recently one got sacked because she cannot work, so the boss and I agree to let her go. Like I cook the soup ah, everything must weigh. Her soup very no good. So you need to find people with experience! Cannot anyhow. Later the customer drink the soup, eh! why so lauya (lousy) one! Later she tomorrow don’t drink, affect business. That’s why we must work together. If customer like, will recommend friend. If no one eat, then the food will also spoil have to throw.

Just like many hawkers, Nancy has a laidback and casual appearance, donning just a T-shirt and a pair of trousers. Yet, there is an underlying business acumen, zest, and strength that not many qualified and budding businessmen and women have. Even with real challenges and problems, Nancy seems to be able to tide through them and still remain optimistic. ‘It’s tough, but the food is free. You can eat food here, eat until tired then eat there. Eat there tired then eat here after all same boss. I prefer come here and work,’ she said with a smile. ‘Now I work 10 hours, last time I work at bata shop 16 hours. That’s why I run away and call my husband do,’ she ended off with another hearty laughter.

There are many great attributes in hawkers that common people like us are not aware of. The challenges they face go beyond just the physical. Yet, with all the hawkers that we have spoken to, none have yet to exhibit any form of defeatist attitude.

These hawkers have to worry about many things, including the real fear of whether they can earn enough to flip their ‘open’ signs out, but they keep on going. It is this that makes the Wok Stories team to want to keep striving to feature their stories and make their voices heard in order to alleviate their problems a little through policy improvements.

#Hawkercentre #food #yongtaufoo