BRILLIANT ZINE
{STORIES FROM THE NEIGHBOURHOOD}
These stories are part of a larger series of stories collected from participants in the Brilliant Corners workshops. These youth-oriented workshops were conducted on Zoom and the age of the participants range between 10 to 19.
*To respect the anonymity of the participants, their full names have been omitted. Some of the stories have been very lightly edited for clarity.
The Girl From Katong
On a Tuesday afternoon, a group of friends decided to explore the places near St Patricks' School. Little did they know what they would stumble upon.
That fateful Tuesday afternoon, the group of friends went to Parkway Parade to plan their night hunt for treasure. They decided to have lunch at McDonald’s. There, they saw students from different schools. However, one student shined brighter than the rest…
The musically talented students in the group decided to compose a poem about that girl, “The girl from Katong”.
– Joshua
Pet Shop Boy
Animals are one of the many joys and wonders of life along Tanjong Katong Road. When I saw the beautiful artwork, it reminded me of how much I miss all the cute and furry creatures before the outbreak.
I would visit the pet shop near my home every day. I was intrigued and fascinated by the different species of animals I observed living there. I would wonder about the habits and also the way they lived their lives which allowed me to know more about them.
Their sincere and innocent looks always brings about a smile on my face. When I look at the murals, I will always remember the moment and relationships I formed with the loving creatures. Creatures that I love and long to see after this crisis is over.
- Sherman
Teenage Distractions
I was on my way home when I walked past the Saint Patrick’s school gate and saw 2 boys fighting over a girl from Katong Convent. they hurled punches at each other violently, and soon one triumph over the other. The loser was left bleeding head to toe and went home.
— Rohan
The Walking Dead
It had been 10 years since the first sighting of the undead. The undead, or zombies, had taken over the world. Leaving the weak to join them, the strong and brave to fend for themselves.
I was one of the survivors, and along with the last 9 Singaporeans, we hid out in the building of St Patrick's School.
By locking the school gates, we were able to block the zombie horde off and live simply. A building that once held over 1000 people daily — students, teachers, staff — now, only held 10...
One day for the very first time in 10 years, we finally ran out of supplies like food and water. We all knew what was to come, inevitable death. The war between zombies and humans would finally end. After a long and treacherous 10 years of surviving on what little we had. It had been a test of survival and strength, and would continue to be… until the very last one of us finally dies off — whether it be to hunger, dehydration, or to the zombie horde.
— Jonathan
The Robbery
The robbery at Siglap was cool. There was a big gang .
Their hideout was at the back alley of St Patrick’s School, where they unlawfully assembled. Swimming in the canal at St Pat’s, they would throw rocks at the water.
One day, they got very angry and started marching to Siglap Stadium.
The place was big and the opportunities were endless, The gang decided to rob the stadium, they opened the coin box and then took all the money and used the money to get stolen tokens. The stolen tokens were later used to rob the prizes at Siglap stadium.
— Darius
Fishes on the wall
The sun was burning angrily. An old lady dressed in rags dragged along her trolley. She was small, she hardly spoke and you would not have noticed her if not for her stench. Catching a breath, she stopped and sat down on the floor. Then, she noticed something different. Fishes on the wall. And she remembered, or she imagined that she remembered, the days when she still had a fish tank or perhaps a fish pond. Days when it was cool.
— Ling Kang
Filling the Void
I remember sitting at the void deck with my friends. We used to sit there every day after school just to hang out. It is one of my most favourite memories because I had a lot of fun just relaxing and laughing with my friends.
– Din
Geylang Serai
Geylang Serai is filled with people when it is almost Hari Raya. Many people go there to buy their baju raya (hari raya clothes) and kuih. It is also filled with lights.
Tanjong Katong is also a familiar place.....it is filled with people. There is a painting near the 7-11 that shows us how the people live in the past.
– Haziqah & Ain
Oops!
I used to go to Katong Shopping Center everyday after school to the comic shops and read some comics with my classmates. One day, I used my last coins to buy a comic I really wanted. But I forgot that I used up all my bus fare instead…and I ended up having to walk all the way back to Bedok South where I lived. It took me one hour to walk back in the hot sun. It was a very unpleasant walk. But it was worth it for me!
– Eng Kiat
Behind the Scenes…
Saint Patrick’s School. A prestigious, distinguished school that takes in rowdy boys and metamorphoses them into fine, well-balanced gentlemen.Visitors to the school often leave very impressed; it would seem like the young men who study in Saint Patrick’s School are well-taught.
On the surface, it looks like the teachers are excellent. In a classroom full of joy and laughter, those teachers incorporate moral education in their lessons in order to build up the young mens’ character.
However, once the guests and visitors leave, the smiles on the teachers’ faces would fade into an infuriated, enraged frown as the students, frightened, freeze in terror.
“YOU!” one angry teacher roared with the powerful might of a lion, “HOW COME YOU NEVER SET UP THE CHAIRS PROPERLY?! HUH? THE GUESTS MUST GET THE CHAIRS THEMSELVES IS IT? YOU ARE A PATRICIAN AMBASSADOR SOME MORE YOU KNOW!”
The boy on the receiving end shrivelled up like a withering flower.
– Zafir
Noisy Bird Estate
Every evening at about 630pm, many green birds fly around my estate. They hide in the day so I don't see them. I only see them in the evening when they are going home. They are also very noisy. I think they escaped from the Bird Park. I still like them because they have beautiful green feathers. I wish there were many more different types of birds in my neighbourhood.
– Charlie
Day At The National Stadium
I remember once when I went to the National Stadium for a jog, I saw many people exercising there too. I was amazed to see that many people exercising during the pandemic.
I went there to watch some kids play with their skateboarding and rollerblades. I also went there to watch a soccer match. I even raced my friends around the stadium!
We had a lot of fun over there.
– Haziqah & Ain
I Hate This Place
Entering the brightly lit building, I could hear the chitter-chatter of middle aged men and women.
I entered with a scowl on my face as I heard the ridiculous laughter of the mynah birds which had infested this place that I so despised… the hawker centre.
Well that is, I used to hate hawker centres. But that was before I truly understood why this national icon was so popular among the Singaporean population.
– Jay
The Otters
It was drizzling at noon and a group of otters were swimming in the canal behind St Patrick’s School.
It was the first time I had ever seen otters in real life. I was so excited to see them that I was willing to brave the drizzle. By the time I left, I was drenched, but it was worth it just to see a big group of otters swimming in the semi-clear water.
- Anonymous (Reconnecting…)
Magic Drop
Nuraidi broke up with his girlfriend and sat at the food court alone, crying by himself.
Just then, a pair of limited edition Nike shoes magically appeared from the sky. With that, he was no longer sad.
- Rafael
Blue Tick
At the end of last year, I remember finishing school early because we had no lessons on that day.
However, on the next day we were going to have a long day of studying so we were expected to go home straight after school on that day.
But, my friends and I decided to go to the nearest 7-11 near my school to buy some snacks and then hangout at the void deck near by. My friends and I got text messages from our parents asking us what time are we would be reaching home, but we would just blue ticked them.
The next day at school, my friends and I got in trouble but we had fun together. I did not learn my lesson and still did it every day. However, one day we had to stop and now I am in one of the hardest situations in my life right now…
- J & Faeisha
BBQ Birds
There was a bird shop in Tanjong Katong behind the bus stop next to 7-11. One day, I walked by and saw the shop had a fire. The shop was all black. I wonder if the birds escaped or did they all become BBQ birds.
– Jonathan
The Perfect Hideout
The hideout in Geylang was a hotspot for illegal activity. Criminals would hang out there, buying and using drugs. The most dangerous gangs in Singapore would settle conflicts and party there.
If the police found out about this hideout, gangs would be a thing of the past. How did they keep this hideout a secret? Well, it was hidden in plain sight behind a beautiful mural. Many tourists were attracted to the mural in Geylang, making it the perfect cover for the hideout.
- Emmanuel
Jogging in Mountbatten
My friends and I would always go to the stadium to jog over there. After jogging, we would usually go for our lunch at the McDonald’s in Mountbatten. Then we would go back to our houses to shower.
Sometimes, we would then meet up and go to Marina Bay to walk around until the evening. My friends and I enjoy the walk.
- Ashraf
What we do in Geylang Serai
I used to hangout with my friends everyday after school. We would always tiktok and have fun. We really enjoyed ourselves. My friend’s mother would usually cook for us when we were starving.
During Hari Raya, we would all go to Geylang Serai to buy clothes and things that we needed for Hari Raya. Me and my friends would save money and spend it on each other. We enjoy it very much.
After buying the Hari Raya clothes and all the other stuff that we needed we, would go to a food centre near by as we would usually be starving.
Me and my friends find Geylang Serai a very fun and interesting place to go when we are bored. That is why we always go to Geylang Serai as it is fun to go there.
- Siti & Ivana
Escape from Parkway Parade
One day after their exams, two boys from St Patrick's school, James and Shmuel, decided to go to Parkway Parade to have lunch.
They made their minds up to go to the food court in the basement to eat their favourite dishes, chicken rice and char siew noodles.
However, trouble lurked. Just as they were about to take a scrumptious bite of their delicious meals, a gang of six well-built and muscular looking boys from a different school approached them. With intense rage, the gang demanded money from the two friends.
The two were frightened, and beads of perpetuating sweat flowing down their head. The two decided to the most dangerous thing by scuffing one of the gang members to the side, and dashed out of the food court hurriedly, The two ran out of Parkway Parade as far as they could, and managed to pull off the escape. Shmuel and James caught their breath, and let out a sigh of relief.
- Adnan
A Good Day
Ashraf and I went to the void deck in the afternoon after school. We asked our friends along to play football with us. Some of them managed to play with us but some didn't. Even though there were so few of us, we managed to divide the teams equally. In the end we managed to play a very good match. Afterwards we went to the shop and treated everyone to drinks.
- Syafiq
Why I’m Excited
Today I am excited because I was selected to paint at Dakota tomorrow. I look forward to meeting artists in Singapore as it feels like the first time since forever since I last met one.
I would also like to share my art ideas with them so that I can learn how to do a proper type of art. I would also like to learn how to do 3D art. I want to draw 3D art because I was long inspired by the 3D art I have seen on the internet, in school and in the public.
- J & Faeisha
25 Minutes of Heaven
The chariot the angel was riding had just arrived. As slowly as she could, she got off the bus. She stood there, glued to her book, unaware of her surroundings.
She was not aware of the pair of eyes locked in on her. The moment she darted her gaze upon me I would break away from the connection. I would always look and wait for her bus to arrive as it gave me an excuse to look at her.
Looking at her was a boon that only arrived in the morning. In fact, I have never been late to school this year. Do you want to know why? Every morning, I wake up early and hastily get to the bus stop 30 minutes earlier than I need to. For what?Just for 25 minutes of heaven!
I study her every time I look at her. Without a conversation, I already know her more than her friends. If only I studied this hard for my mathematics.
- Jeswanth
The Fan
John was a huge Manchester United fan. He spent many hours of his day watching Manchester United related videos. No one was a bigger fan than him. He was obsessed with the team. Not a minute in a day went by without him thinking about Man Utd and his favourite players. It was quite fun and easy being a Man Utd fan as they were winning every single game.
Suddenly one day, they lost to a small team. The team was not a famous one, they were not that good either. This really made John lose his mind. He tried to stay calm and see if it would happen again. To his surprise, this became the usual outcome. John was mad. To overcome his anger and pain, he decided to go eat his favourite chicken rice. He thought that it would lift his mood. However, he still felt sad and mad. This caused him to turn to drinking.
After that day, he became a heavy drinker. Due to his uncontrollable need to drink, he ended up wasting a lot of time, spending most of his day drinking and crying.
- Alistair
Why we Hang Out
I used to hang out with my friends under the block. We would usually hangout till late at night after school. The boys would always play sepak takraw and the girls would relax and watch them play.
We like hanging out as we have fun. When one of us is in trouble, we will always have each other’s backs. I like to hang out with my friends as I don’t like going home. At home I have to do chores and I don’t like doing that so I saw it as a way to escape from all the dirty work waiting for me at home.
Besides hanging out under the block, we would also go to playgrounds and staircase landings to hang out there too. We have fun and that is the reason why we like hanging out.
- Siti & Ivana
The Fish
The old man stumbled past the dusty mural, his cane trailing behind him as his bare feet dragged against the rough tarmac, flesh and skin alike being torn off into the wind. If only he had been more attentive… if only….
The sun shone brightly on the still-glistening orange paint of the massive Koi, rays bouncing off in an alluring manner, drawing the gazes of passers-by. The artist leaned back in his portable chair and beamed as he admired his work. Finally, the Singapore Government had commissioned him for a public work of art. It felt like his whole life had led to this moment, but his happiness was short-lived.
Even as his self-titled “Fish” drew countless curious eyes, so did it draw the local gangs. They called themselves “812903820193”, and had been running these streets for almost a decade at this point. The artist, Dock Loo, had been warned about the gang, but had assured his secretary that there was nothing to be worried about…
- Bastian
Obey!
It was a tiring day of school. A group of friends and I decided to head to Parkway Parade to get McDonald's for lunch.
However, when we got there we did not obey the safe distancing measures and got scolded by a McDonald's manager.
- Brandon
A Day in The Life
I remember sitting down at the void deck with my brother and friend. After that my friend and I played football. We were having fun but one thing i was not having fun with is my brother. He doesn’t know how to play football so he did a tiktok with my friend.
After that me and my friend drank water and we continued to play football for an hour. An old man driving a small car passed me and my friend. We wanted to turn off the battery so we followed the old man and he saw us. He throw a rock at us so me and my brother and my friend all ran away.
The next day, me and my friend and my brother wanted to go to the shop. But, the old man with the small car was there. He turned on some music, and me and my friend and my brother had some drinks.
- Ashrel