At the Scene (by Nur Azhar)

Upon reaching where Mr Zhang does his cobbling services along Blk 142 Teck Whye Lane’s lift lobby, we noticed that he had already set up his stall. He was waiting for customers at 10 minutes to 8am even though his opening hour starts at 8am as indicated on a piece of cardboard, hanging on the pipe.  As we scanned through his work area, we found old tins and cardboard boxes which he uses for storage of his tools. We also spotted a small work bench where he places his tools such as the hammer, drill and many nails.

During our interview which took about 25 minutes, we were perspiring due to the still air. Moreover, there was also a pungent smell coming from the garbage bin nearby. With that, we experienced a snippet of his daily life.  

While we were waiting for customers to interview, a passer-by in his early 60s came and had a chat with Mr Zhang. He shared about Mr Zhang’s medical condition and commented that cobbling is a job that no one wants to do. He also gave praises to Mr Zhang for continuing this trade.