White Tangerine Cafe

I just came back from supporting a group of friends performing at a cafe at Paya Lebar Kovan Community Club called WHITE TANGERINE.

I had a REALLY good time there listening to good music from this group of live performers who in the day have their own day jobs but because of a simple passion and love for music continue to perform at little gigs like this.

BUT before you think I'm doing an advertorial for this cafe. READ ON.

My night started a little bumpy with the introduction of a waitress whom we'll just name "sister of the boss" or in short SOTB. She wasn't nasty or anything at the beginning but she was PUSHY and BOSSY.
Me and Carrie chose to sit at the table right in front of the stage where our performer friends had put their bags on.

And as usual (similar to the past 3 times we were there), we had to get our own menus. We have NEVER been served out menus before even after waiting fruitlessly for 5 minutes. But since we're nicely entertained, 5 minutes is nothing, walking to get the menu's ourselves, is well, not too much of a hassle for able bodied citizens like us.

My friend's parents then came along, and just as they were about to seat themselves at a table behind us(that has a nice view of the stage), SOTB bossed them to another table at the side "no no, you all sit over there." which was not too bad since its still right in front of the stage but there was a POLE in the middle of the table, which seemed to block Uncle's view of the stage.

I was already incredulous then. The place wasn't empty, but it certainly wasn't bustling with people. Out of the 10 table areas that was available, only 4 was occupied. This was at 8.30pm.

When Uncle came over to speak to us a while later, SOTB appeared again and said

"You all want to sit together?"

"Nope."

"Sit together la."

"No."

"You all want to talk right? Sit together can talk what."

"No need, I think Uncle they all want to sit there..."

"You all sit together then this table i can let other people sit." PUSHY BOSSY PUSHY BOSSY!

A naked flame had started burning in me. I looked around and said "there aren't alot of people around anyway..."

Well, everything went as per normal. The food was nothing great, the price was affordable at 10 dollars for fish and chips, soup and a drink but the portions were pathetic. Not enough even for a dwarfling like me.

The music was good.

Suyi covered Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" so brilliantly, Ivan was charmingly dedicating all his songs to Angie, Ming Jie's canto and jap songs melted my heart and Jim's accompaniment on the guitar and piano was just TOP NOTCH standard.

Jim btw, is 林倛玉 老师.

That's why i said I had a REALLY good time listening to great music over dinner. This PLACE is so LUCKY to have these people there tonight. I couldn't possibly have gone there for the food.

While they were clearing up,(there are speakers, and wires, and mic stands, and a keyboard and lotsa other jarpalangs) which required them to carry all these things behind a narrow counter in the store, a nice waiter offered to help Jim carry some of the stuff in. At this point, SOTB appears and says :

"Don't help them move! Help them for what? They SING, They MOVE!"


If you are civic minded citizens of Singapore, or any other nationality for that matter, or at the very least, know how to respect yourself and others.

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL???

HOW WOULD 倛玉 老师 a total genius who has put SINGAPORE on the albums of so
many pop stars FEEL??!?!??!?!?!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN by "they sing, they move!"

We are singers. Not coolies.

We don't mind moving these things ourselves, but i think the least you can do is show us some RESPECT.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

SOTB looks down on us. 她看不起我们。 不尊敬我们。

Even friends of the singers , Me and Carrie, paying customers of this restaurant, had felt bossed around.

What about these singers?

Who sing for two 45 minute sets,
don't get any free drinks,
any free food,
have to move heavy equipment in and our all by themselves,
only to get insulted by the management who thinks they are all big and mighty
because they pay these singers a total of 50 dollars for ALL their effort!

Hullo.

Me, Carrie, Su's parents, Kelly, Angie, Joyce, My aunty's family, My parents, My other Aunty.

And another group of people who walked past, recognised that Jim was the keyboardist and sat down for drinks.

The total bill should hit more than a hundred dollars.

How bout WE PAY YOU 50 dollars to move the equipment yourself?

But did Jim say anything? He didn't. He kept quiet because he was too nice. Too nice to flare up at SOTB. But oh boy was he fuming mad.

The last straw came when we were just all hanging around and she came and said :

"can you all move the chairs down from the stage."

"but the chairs are always on the stage everytime we come."

"if you don't move it, that means WE have to move it."

Look LADY. the chair isn't made of MARBLE! WOULD IT KILL YOU TO MOVE IT? OR GET ONE OF YOUR STAFF TO MOVE IT?

DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT TONE ON US?

I could take it no more. I walked up to her and asked that she showed these singers some respect. To which she very self-righteously said she was never rude. I told her that she had a very sarcastic tone and that they didn't need to be talked to this way because they don't necessarily have to be here to sing to which she gave a very 不稀罕 face.

OH i was really containing my anger by then.

At one point she said " You all should help when we are busy."

Help? These people are DOING ALL THE WORK. Not helping.

Busy? Really lady, more than HALF of the customers here are my friends, and from what I know, we haven't been getting very great service.

Should? Well... you SHOULD really give others some respect. Especially these great people who have brought you half of your business for the night.

I am so glad Suyi and gang are NEVER going back to perform. Today is their last night.

I've never had a worse experience at a cafe like this.

I performed at Tao's at Paradiz before, and they always helped with the setting up and provided us free drinks and simple food fare which we greatly appreciated. it made us feel very appreciated and loved.

White Tangerine.

White Tangerine Cafe.

You will never be earning another dollar from me.

I will never forget the kind of disrespect you have shown my friends.

And because of people like you SOTB.
I will pride myself even more as a singer.
I will never ever let you have a chance to treat me like TRASH.

黑色柳丁

今天我心情有一点怪怪
可是说不出到底为什么
好像有一点悲哀的徵兆
可是病因不知道
头上有橘色的加州阳光
我的口袋只有黑色的柳丁
我只有一个蓝色的感觉
不要问我为什么
很想说但又感觉没有话好说
我只恨我自己逃不出这监狱
或许我是个没有出息的小虫
不该一直作梦你不是个英雄
叶子用坠落证明换季
可我昏昏沉沉没有办法醒
你愿意做个英雄
还是你会要放弃
天是亮的却布满乌云
所有焦距被闪光判了死刑
你想做什么英雄
我看你不过是佣兵
我只想哭只想哭只想哭
我只想哭只想哭只想哭
今天一起床我就头痛
不管吃了几瓶药都没有用
心情有一点莫名的焦躁
你离我越远越好
外面有橘色的加州阳光
我却躲在自己孤独的黑洞
我只有一个小小的要求
就是请你leave me alone

我只想哭只想哭只想哭
我只想哭只想哭只想哭


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