Hawker centers meet "
The Amazings".
A platform connecting between (older) food stalls owners from hawker centers, who want to share their wisdom, skills and experience around food, life and history of Singapore, and younger ones, who would like to learn from them.
It can be interesting both for locals and for tourists as a great way to meet people and learn some history of Singapore while having a tasty dinner.
As one of the inspirations mentioned, Singaporeans love food and hawker centers are very important local tradition of dinning (and meeting).
There is an existing website by NEA
myhawkers.sg that promotes hawker centers and can be a base for the project. This website could get another chapter - based on the British concept of "
The Amazings", where everyone could book a place for specific food meeting.
Food brings people together, make connecting easier and is a great starting point for conversation and bonding. As in the original "the Amazings", it gives a place for older people who many times feel a bit left behind. It is a great way to learn something new from the ones that know best and have a lot of experience or remember times that we can only read about.
How would it work:
1. Owner of the food stall would learn about the project from their hawker center manager, posters, from past participant or from MyHawkers.sg website.
2. When he/she decides to make a Meeting at his food stall he gets guidelines from the organizer and materials helping in conducting the meeting.
3. He/she chooses the topic and the Meeting in uploaded to MyHawkers.sg websites. It's possible to also print posters and flayers.
4. Interested participants learn about the Meeting from past participants, website, social platforms or posters and flayers at hawker center.
5. Participants sign up for a specific workshop and pay some small fee. website + application
6. Everyone meets at the specific food stall and the Meeting starts.
7. The Meeting might take place inside or outside (for example wet market tour). Some possible types of meetings are:
- Tasty meal during which the Tutor (food stall owner) tells amazing stories (might be personal, history of Singapore etc)
- Workshop how to prepare the food, tips and tricks
- Special dish not usually served
- Learning some special skill connected with food
- any other thing that the Tutor has in mind.
8. The Tutor and the participants are getting updates and information about new Meetings from MyHawkers.sg. The website is also a place to share photos and stories and (it can have a blog section for less formal posts)
9. The participants learnt something new and had great food. And the food stall owner earned some money and probably got a lot of future regular customers.
How would it work:
1. Owner of the food stall would learn about the project from their hawker center manager, posters, from past participant or from MyHawkers.sg website.
2. When he/she decides to make a Meeting at his food stall he gets guidelines from the organizer and materials helping in conducting the meeting.
3. He/she chooses the topic and the Meeting in uploaded to MyHawkers.sg websites. It's possible to also print posters and flayers.
4. Interested participants learn about the Meeting from past participants, website, social platforms or posters and flayers at hawker center.
5. Participants sign up for a specific workshop and pay some small fee. website + application
6. Everyone meets at the specific food stall and the Meeting starts.
7. The Meeting might take place inside or outside (for example wet market tour). Some possible types of meetings are:
- Tasty meal during which the Tutor (food stall owner) tells amazing stories (might be personal, history of Singapore etc)
- Workshop how to prepare the food, tips and tricks
- Special dish not usually served
- Learning some special skill connected with food
- any other thing that the Tutor has in mind.
8. The Tutor and the participants are getting updates and information about new Meetings from MyHawkers.sg. The website is also a place to share photos and stories and (it can have a blog section for less formal posts)
9. The participants learnt something new and had great food. And the food stall owner earned some money and probably got a lot of future regular customers.
Some of the possible meetings types:
1. Holiday meetings
Special meetings for everyone feeling alone for holidays (tourists, expats but also Singaporeans). Great way to get to know some local customs and people. Even though the participants don't know each other, thanks to small amount of people, the atmosphere can be homy and friendly.
2. Organic/ healthy meetings
Hawker centers can promote more healthy eating habits. As Carmen suggested, there can be an organic garden next to hawker center where participant can learn about the ingredients. It might be also a workshop about growing own food or about pros of eating healthy and organic.
3. Wet market meetings
As Lindsey suggested, meetings that at least partly take place outside the hawker center, for example at wet market. Participants learn about choosing the right ingredients ("how to choose the best fish") and process of getting food to the table.
4. History meetings
Meetings where the food is a background for some great Singaporean stories from great Singaporean food makers.
Special meetings for everyone feeling alone for holidays (tourists, expats but also Singaporeans). Great way to get to know some local customs and people. Even though the participants don't know each other, thanks to small amount of people, the atmosphere can be homy and friendly.
2. Organic/ healthy meetings
Hawker centers can promote more healthy eating habits. As Carmen suggested, there can be an organic garden next to hawker center where participant can learn about the ingredients. It might be also a workshop about growing own food or about pros of eating healthy and organic.
3. Wet market meetings
As Lindsey suggested, meetings that at least partly take place outside the hawker center, for example at wet market. Participants learn about choosing the right ingredients ("how to choose the best fish") and process of getting food to the table.
4. History meetings
Meetings where the food is a background for some great Singaporean stories from great Singaporean food makers.
5. Hawker Legends
Meetings with retired famous hawkers. They might have amazing stories to tell and as they are already retired they also have time for a meeting. (idea by Philip)
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This concept builds not only on the related inspirations but also on the great comments to them!
Update:
Arjan had a great idea to mix organised events with more spontaneous ones. It could be interesting to start with one person sharing his stories with a crowd and that way attract other potential participants. Arjan also pointed out a great role of social media in sharing the events (visitors in hawker center suddenly see one of the stalls owners starting his story, probably they record it with mobile phones and share)
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