Night Sketchwalk at Geylang

Sketches at first, second and fourth locations. Geylang is hailed as the red-light district in Singapore. So you can imaging our reaction when the idea of a night sketch walk at Geylang was mooted. As I was waiting for the sketchers to arrive shortly after 6pm at Kallang MRT Station, I sketched "7-Eleven" - a popular local convienient store near the entrance so late-comers would see me. Next, we arrived at the corner of Sims Avenue and Lorong 7, Geylang Road. We ordered a few drinks so we could sit comfortably and sketched the durian stall opposite the coffee shop. There were many uncles in the coffee shop and I saw a young lady approaching a lone uncle offered to sit with him with a big smile on her face. She looked decent in her laced dress but who would ask to sit with a lonely man at Geylang?

Durian stalls were mainly found along Sims Avenue and KTV, bars, pubs and bright neon signs were the common sights along Geylang Road. We stayed together and sketched at the corner of a back lane and Lorong 19 after a sumptuous meal near-by. It was so difficult to sketch in the night especially under the dim sodium street light when I could not see the colours properly. YES, interesting activities around us. Uncles were all around here and there pretending to be walking, smoking or waiting for someone. I saw many cars going into the dark alleys where the girls were standing at both sides. You could see bright lights at the end of the road in the sketch and it was the lights from Paramount KTV at Geyland Road.



Sketch at third location along Lorong 9, Geylang proved to be an interesting experience too. I was sitting alone on my small stool at the corridor when the sky turned pitch dark. I could only see my sketch with the help of the bright light from the coffee shop opposite where I was sitting. Passers-by often stood a short while and looked at my sketch. Constrant stream of people, cars, buses and trucks making the place noisy and lively. Why was I alone? other sketchers were sketching the workers working in the middle of the road and I chose to do the streetscape that took a longer time. I later met up with the sketchers for a dinner highly recommended by people who frequent the eateries at Geylang. It was a wonderful night full of excitement throughout with good company, good food and good sightseeing of a different kind.