NTUC Centre

Would you associate a Trade Union to a supermarket?
Somehow in Singapore, when you mention NTUC, people's mind will think of a supermarket.

Fairprice is the name of the supermarket chain by NTUC. (National Trades Union Congress, Singapore)

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At the entrance of Fairprice:

Chinese 'aunty' speaking hokkien with another chinese 'aunty'.
"Ooo buay pang sai zhua boh, jin phee leh, bah lu si kor pua, oo sar chap lak liap leh. Wa chu ey lang, jing gao pang sai. Gao jiak, gao pang."

Malay 'aunty' speaking to another malay 'aunty'.
"Kak dah beli sirap ros kat NTUC tak? Ohper lah. Minggu ni murah. Boleh stok up lah.. Biskut Oreo pun ohper. "


When Chinese 'aunty' and Malay 'aunty', who are neighbours sees each other at "NTUC", they will speak as follows:

Chinese aunty: "Today vegetable on offer in NTUC, you buy already or not."

Malay aunty: "No lah, yesterday I buy already. Yesterday I go Giant, also got offer. Very fresh somemore, so I buy vegetable there already, today come here buy fruits only."

In many places in Singapore, Chinese 'aunties' and Malay 'aunties' will speak their own dialect/language amongst themselves. But when they need to speak to people of other races, they break into "Pidgen English - Singapore style."

AND.... They understand each other!!

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Thi is NTUC Centre at One Marina Boulevard.



I wonder if there's a Fairprice outlet in this building.