Today I found myself feeling quietly grateful for something very ordinary, yet deeply important. The coffee shops around where I stay.
In a city that is constantly upgrading, renovating, and reinventing itself, it is comforting to still have neighbourhood kopi tiams that remain steady. Places where you can walk downstairs in slippers, find a familiar seat, and order your usual without thinking twice.
The hawker food is simple, affordable, and satisfying. No frills. No pretence. Just good staples done well. A plate of noodles. A bowl of soup. A cup of kopi. Food that fills not just the stomach but the heart.
What I appreciate even more are the people.
The auntie who remembers your order.
The uncle who greets you with a nod.
The regulars who occupy the same table every morning.
These coffee shops are more than food centres. They are community spaces. Conversations flow easily. Different generations share the same space. There is a rhythm to it that feels grounded and real.
In a world where dining can be expensive and overly curated, I am grateful for places that remain accessible. Affordable and tasty staples that do not require planning or reservation. Convenience that does not compromise quality.
Sometimes we chase the new and the trendy. But it is these everyday spaces that quietly hold our routines together.
Grateful for hawker culture.
Grateful for neighbourhood familiarity.
Grateful that I still have coffee shops nearby that feel like home.
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