Another Friday evening

This article had a definite effect on me, from the time I read it a few months ago.

Today I was wandering quite aimlessly near the mall in Tampines, half hoping to find some library there. After some uninterested browsing in the Levi's, Fila, Fox, Bum equipment showrooms I just moved on without buying a thing. Disappointed with my own botched up shopping spree, I decided to help the Singaporean economy by spending just 1 dollar to buy the irresistible curry puff of Old Chang Kee. I walked to a side wall, leaned on it and started to nibble at the puff.

Sitting on a small stool and leaning on a pillar , some 10 feet away from me was this 50 something old Chinese man with a saxophone started to produce some sounds. We were separated by a corridor where a streaming mass of pedestrians walking to and fro. The mobility of the people and stillness of this man was a strange sight indeed, and for a while was a bit distracting for me. But the man kept playing a melody and didnt seem to be bothered by the hurrying rabbits around him, and thats when I noticed he was blind.

Now as the music picked up, and the image of the player is only what i saw amidst the blurry chaos between us, and I relaxed to some soothing music to please my ears, and the puff satisfying my palette. One does get much better music in a concert in Esplanade Concert hall,but they allow you to simultaneously enjoy a hot curry puff inside!

After a couple of songs, I was ready to leave, I walked up to him, dug out all the coins i had in my pocket into his money box - probably helped him for his next meal.

Then I went to him while he was resting between 2 songs, moved close to his ears and spoke softly "very nice music Uncle..good night ! " - probably helped him for his next song, as he thanked me with a warm smile that truly belongs only to a performer of the arts.