Listen to the Tissue paper song here
This lady with amazing voice use to visit my neighbourhood, selling tissue paper. I won’t call her the Tissue paper lady, but rather, the lady with the voice, selling tissue paper. She has been plying her trade for almost a decade.
However unlike many other disadvantaged Singaporeans, she sings for her sale, rather than just selling them. She was made famous by Tan Pin Pin’s 2005 documentary, “Singapore Ga Ga”. Check out the documentary, a great piece on Singapore.
Whenever she is around, she really brightens my day with her beautiful singing, making it a rather colorful neighbourhood rather than a static and stagnant one. Thank you, I do hope to see you again.
About Tissue paper selling
A pretty common occupation for disadvantaged Singaporeans. It is not begging, for begging is illegal in Singapore, but a way for poorer Singaporeans to earn a living. In a highly developed city like Singapore where the wealth divide is getting larger, disadvantaged Singaporeans found a way to earn some money. Life is hard here in Singapore, if you are older, or handicapped, or disadvantaged in some way, selling packets of tissue paper may be the only choice.
Lets hope the higher authorities do not put pressure on these folks and raid them, but appreciate that life is tough here, and perhaps they could help and allow these people to ply their tiny trade.
About the Song
It is sang in Hokkien:
Tissue paper, one dollar one dollar, only one dollar
Aunty, Uncle, brother, sister, please help buy, tissue paper
one dollar, one dollar, only one dollar
I have the Travel Lust - photographing one place at a time 