Mustafa Centre

February 05, 2012

I am proud of Mustafa Centre. Everybody knows it and everybody means not just Singaporeans. In fact, foreigners know more about Mustafa than Singaporeans. They got so packed once that they were asked to do some revamp and some crowd control. At one time, they were even selling cars!

Mustafa sells everything. Sort of. It is obviously easier to name what they don't sell than what they do sell.

Even rare gems can be found here like "Prickly Heat' soap.

Or fresh dates.

Surprise to find my favourite "Tancho" here too. Favourite means as a young child mum would dip the comb into it to use on me and I felt like running. Once in your hair, it will survive a hurricane as not a single strand of hair would be out of place. Trust me. It also has a very unique smell!

You can also come here to replenish or build up your gym.

EPL and soccer fans can get hold of your team's kit. You can even find Blackburn Rovers here.

Or England.

Do you need a Liverpool scarf?

Basmati Rice, that special long grain, fragrant and premium quality rice you can make into bryani. There are several brands and variety and you can also find the various rendang seasoning there.

Look at the variety of fish available here. A fish market inside, yes.

You can find them here - big and small.

You can make your nasi lemak or bryani now in one fell swoop.

The sports section carried bicycles too! I haven't the time to really walk through every section.

And gosh! I found my fishing hat from a golf section here!

This is one of very few places here where you can find fresh goat's milk other than at the goat farm. Awesome!

I have even discovered a MBS restaurant nearby. I hope nobody got mistaken and gets in to gamble.

I think Mustafa Centre is as famous as our Orchard Towers if you were to Google it. The propblem with these big places is that you can't finish walking all over it. You have to go there many times to discover things.

To me, Mustafa is our equivalent of Chatuchak Market in Bangkok except that they don't do live animals and minus the heat. This is also one place and all of Little India that I truly like because it is authentic. You will experience real culture, noise, food, smell. I like the aroma of curry powder whenever I walk around little India.

Here is Graffiti art at a back lane.

Look at this one! Lovely!

Even the pillars have them.

More of them.

This type of housing evokes special memory for me. Low parapet and a small gate at the front. There is an open space before the main door where you can use as a veranda. Some folks actually build a fountain or fish pond at one corner.

I thought these are lovely houses. It brings back fond memories. You may have visited a relative, a friend who once lived in this type of house or may be even yourself. Whenever I look at places and things of our childhood days, I get automatically transported back in time. Using my imagination for time travel such that when you close your eyes it was as if you could hear the noises of yesteryear.