I joined The Media Challenge 2015 (held by Republic Poly) with Alexa, Ee Jean, Carissa and Yvette, and we had to work on this news package which had to be completed in three days. Initially thought it would be boring but it was actually pretty fulfilling (and fun !!) and I learnt quite a bit in these three days.
We were supposed to write an article, submit a photograph and create a video so here it is -
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Balancing the Weight: Mr Kok Kim Siew, 62, measures out herbs on a scale. He faces a hard time balancing modernisation with older traditions.
Cars whizz by Balestier Road, far more attracted to the glitzy light showrooms than the simple shop down the street. A sign hung overhead reads "herbal tea" in Mandarin, and the fragrant smell of exotic ingredients wafts out. Passers-by may think this is just another old store, but what many do not know is that this is the last Traditional Chinese Medicinal Hall in Balestier.
Under the dim light, wrinkled hands fold glossed pink paper, wrapping dried medicinal herbs meticulously. At the age of 62, Mr Kok Kim Siew is the owner of Wan Xing He Medicinal Hall, having inherited it from his father. This shop has remained in operation since 1952, withstanding the test of time and the modernisation of Balestier Road.
Wan Xing He Medical Hall opens from 9am to 9pm all year round, with the exception of 3 days during Chinese New Year. "lt is not especially busy, but it is very time-consuming," said Mr Kok. The lack of business is due to minimal advertising. "We have to wait for customers to come to us. We do not have the freedom of choice, it is the customers who choose us."
In Singapore’s 50 years of independence, the pace of life for many Singaporeans has quickened. Decisions are driven by getting the maximum result in the minimum amount of time. Even when it comes to the choice of medication, it is always easier to pop a pill than to spend hours brewing a concoction of pungent herbs.
"Our trade started to decline because people’s attitudes have changed," Mr Kok mentioned, "they prefer Western medicine, which works faster as opposed to Chinese medicine, which is slower."
Mr Kok has no plans for a successor to take over his shop. When asked for further comment, he responded: "The practice of traditional medicine is already waning and nobody wants to work in this field any more. "lt is not like a course that you can complete in a few years," said Mr Kok, "learning the skills [of preparing Traditional Chinese Herbs] takes very long."
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While we were at the medicinal hall:
They had all kinds of medicinal herbs (and animals ??) - including this snake
Light trails while we were on our way to Cari's house -
Our third day -
WE WON BEST PHOTO!! (the one of him balancing herbs on a scale)
Thank you to the team, Mdm Hui, Abby, Raj and Kulvin for guiding us through this three-day journey and making this experience a fun one! :-)
