It's 'backbreaking work': Photographer shares album of hawker parents' day-to-day routine, drawing support

Eleven years ago, Maki bought a one-way ticket from Singapore to Italy to pursue a career in photography. 

The 32-year-old now works between London and New York City as a photographer and film director. 

But she still makes it a point to come back to Singapore once in a while to visit her loved ones — especially her parents. 

This time around, when she came during the Lunar New Year, she decided to do something a little different. 

Armed with her camera gear, she went down to her parent's hawker stall, Jia Xiang Traditional Noodle House, at Bukit Batok to document their day-to-day life. 

She shared these photos in a Facebook post on March 4 and revealed that they had worked the trade for almost 40 years. 

"I imagine a young couple, in their twenties, who gathered all their savings and decided to open their own shop," she wrote. 

"I imagine the early mornings, long before the sun kissed the horizon, they served up steaming bowls of lor mee, laksa and mee hoon kueh."

Maki shared that her parents, who are the first-generation owners of the stall, toil for a lengthy 15 hours a day. 

She also spoke of their unconditional love despite all the hardship they went through for the family. 

"Being a hawker is backbreaking work and I have mad respect for all of them who ply the trade." 

In the comments, regulars praised the hard work of Maki's parents. 

Many even shared that they've patronised the stall for decades. 

Several said they had grown up eating the stall's noodles since they were a child, while one even called it the "best lor mee in the west". 

Increase in rental cost, extreme heat and few rest days

Speaking to AsiaOne, Maki shared more about the challenges her parents have been through as hawkers. 

Their first stall was at 273 Bukit Batok and they were there for around 10 years.

They could have stayed there longer if the rental had not increased three-fold. 

"Being small hawker business owners, this wasn't sustainable for them," said Maki. 

After which, they moved to 271 Bukit Batok East Ave 4 and have been there ever since. 

Rental aside, Maki's parents also had to brave through physically tough working conditions. 

"They worked under extreme heat, 15-hour days, and only took one day off each week," she elaborated. 

"We used to live in Woodlands for 10 years and when they first started out working at 273 Bukit Batok, I remembered my dad had to wake up at 3am, and drive all the way to [the stall]."

To make up for lost sleep, Maki's father would take a one-hour nap in his car. 

"This left an impression in my mind as a child and I knew right away, being a hawker wasn’t an easy job, and I have always admired their diligence." 

Sometimes, there were also unexpected inconveniences that affected the business. 

Maki shared that occasional renovations in the neighbourhood would disrupt foot traffic. 

And then, there was the Covid-19 pandemic, where people avoided going out to get food. 

Recently, Maki's father also had an accident at work, where he got splattered by hot oil after some kitchen equipment fell. 

Because of this, the stall was shuttered for a month and it took half a year for him to fully recover. 

And even during his rehabilitation period, he had to return to work. 

"All of these impacts their income and along with the high rental costs eating into their profits, it makes it harder to maintain profitability," she said. 

Maki herself has experienced how tough the F&B industry is. 

Back when she was a teenager, she would occasionally help her parents out at the stall during weekends. 

"I remembered going home after helping out for just half a day, and I was completely shattered," she recounted. 

"The long hours, the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, and cooking in the extreme heat! These challenges you face on a daily basis truly highlight the immense amount of hard work that goes into keeping your business running smoothly." 

Address: 271 Bukit Batok East Avenue 4 Singapore 650271
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 6am to 3pm (Closed on Mondays)

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melissateo@asiaone.com