"I knew that bird singing contests were common in South East Asia, but nothing had prepared me for the scale of the spectacle in the Bird Arena Café: a roof of railings with hooks on which dozens of identical 20-inch round bamboo cages were hanging, one bird per cage; competitors, almost exclusively male, sitting in a row of chairs parallel to the line of cages above, sipping a mug of coffee; waiters bringing drinks, collecting dishes and taking orders; judges walking around making notes; and spectators sitting at tables..."
— from Singapore Swing, by John Malathronas
24 July 1994, Sunday: Travel writer Paul Money once remarked that "China is probably the only place where people walk their birds and eat their dogs." But we weren't in China; we were in the former British settlement of Singapore. Chinese Singaporeans make up 75% of the city-state's 3.5 million population and, as in China, keeping song birds is an old tradition. Emperors used to keep song birds; the more beautiful the song, the more colorful the bird, the more it valuable it was.
Today, on our second full day in downtown Singapore, we saw no one "wokking the dog", but we did have the opportunity to hear and see the song birds for ourselves.
We'd read that one of the nicest things to do in Singapore was to go to a Sunday morning “Bird Singing.” So, before church, we decided to do just that. After breakfast in our new digs at the graceful Miramar Hotel, we took to the wheelchair and hastened over to the nearby "bird corner" at Tiong Bahru and Seng Poh Road. Here we found, in a veranda under a translucent roof, a traditional outdoor kopitiam (coffee shop), the center of life for many Singapore neighborhoods. We sat at the one remaining table, a fretful little man materialized, and I said "coffee". He grunted, sped off and soon returned with two cups of kopi, served very sweet, very thick, and with more than a hint of butter. We nursed them and watched while the locals dined on saucers of watery soft-boiled eggs and crisp slices of toast slathered with thick yellow butter and kaya (coconut egg jam) — Singapore's answer to a Devonshire Tea.
Above us were the singing birds, not in lofty tree branches, but hung in cages. The beautifully-crafted ornate wood and bamboo bird cages were hung on wires strung overhead while their owners lined the walls or
congregated around tables sipping kopi. We joined this charming scene for over an hour, watching the men take care of their lovely pets and listening to a truly musical bird chorus. Most bird-fanciers are middle-aged or elderly men who want a companion for their daily walks.Dozens of them had brought their beloved well-fed caged thrushes, merboks, shamas, and mata putehs – all treasured for their singing ability – all for the bird-singing session.
Listen to the White-rumped Shama, "that most beautiful and melodious of songbirds."I later learned that bird singing contests are often held on Sunday mornings, with the winners being the birds that can sing the highest number of different songs in 15 minutes. Bird-singing competitions are serious business in Singapore as champions are worth up to $3,300 (U.S.). Hours are spent training them.
— David De Sousa
Currently, the bird corner boasts more than 320 hooks with number tags, but no bird cages are to be found, not to mention the song birds. Despite spending $200,000 by the hotel in the renovation, the corner failed to regain its former glory. Gone were the enthusiastic owners with their songbirds.
Today, the corner is quiet and deserted, unnoticed even by the passers-by. Perhaps it no longer has the feeling of "home."
| Author Patrick Simpson and his wheelchair-restricted wife Anne uncover their experiences exploring historical and cultural experiences around the world. Visit now to learn how independent travel for disabled persons is not only possible, it can be fun!! www.booksbypatricksimpson.com |
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White-rumped Shama
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