Observation of Legislative Council/HSBC/Prince Plaza

While the commercial, photographic, entertainment and picnic area of the Indonesian females in Hong Kong all appears within the boundaries of Victoria Park, the program of the ephemeral Filipino city occurs in different areas throughout Central. (One can argue that the boundaries of Victoria park is arbitrary, where the relationship between programs are more correlated to the relative distance between programs rather than the boundaries themselves). In Central, the actual chores occur in World Wide Plaza and the pinicking occurs within the internal area of HSBC plaza. The plaza between HSBC building, Prince building and the Legislative Council functions as the photography, hawking and mini trading as well as picnicking. In this area, there are far more signs that warns of illegal activities such as smoking and hawking in Tagalog, clearly targeting a certain group. Even though there is picnicking that occurs in this area, they are not grouped in circles but in lines along the bench due to the arrangement of the facilities in the area. Because benches and standing do not encourage long term interaction for larger groups, people are gathered amongst two or three persons and most are not permanently located but appear to gather in the park momentarily to consume food. This area appears to have good circulation, where most Filipino females are seen to gather in designated sitting areas without inhibiting the flow of pedestrians. There are administrators who are stationed here in the plaza in the afternoon.

While there are main areas where domestic workers will congregate around Central, there are other areas such as the park behind the Legislative Council, underneath bridges and on sidewalks. To facilitate the use of public space by Filipino female workers, the Charter Street was also closed to enclose the area for this purpose on Sundays. Besides this main area of gathering, there is a large group of domestic workers who uses the underpass that leads to the Star Ferry is also crammed with large number of foreign female domestic workers. From my observation, areas that provide shade to protect the area from rain and strong sun are more popular as compared to open spaces. This is apparent as the empty and clean Charter Street is empty while the bus stops, the HSBC internal plaza and underpass is filled with campers. Because of this observation in Central, one sees the lack of shade and shelter in Victoria Park as a potential issue on rainy days for the Indonesian population. That is why large numbers of picnickers are found on the pedestrian overpass and underneath bridges near Victoria Park despite the relative cleanliness, pleasantness and increased facility within Victoria Park. Perhaps this behavior is also related to the preference to station and not to shift throughout the day. In areas where it is sheltered (with the exception of HSBC plaza), it is observed that there is a higher need for privacy amongst this group, where most would use umbrellas or other equipment to hide card playing or semi gambling activities.

Observations Causeway Bay/Victoria Park Hong Kong

While the Filipinos are gathered around Central Hong Kong, Indonesian domestic workers are known to gather around Causeway Bay and Victoria Park. I headed towards Victoria Park at 11:00 am and found upon alighting the tram that a large number of domestic workers are seen to be trafficking in and out of money remittance shops, Indo supermarkets, restaurants and other facilities similar to that seen in World Wide Plaza except that these shops are not located on outdoor street instead of within a complex. Sugar Street appears almost pedestrianized with few or no vehicles passing through even though most people remained on the sidewalks, indicating that the road is in fact not closed. Most of the signs and advertisements around the area are in Bahasa Indonesia (Malay) and even circulation signs in supermarkets are marked in Malay. I walked towards Victoria Park to find many groups picnicking on top of pedestrian bridges stairs, underneath bridges and so on. The area is not as clean as that seen in Central and far more crowded. All the leftover space, except for major circulation areas are occupied by groups and people picnicking, a scene far more compact than that observed in Central.

As I entered Victoria Park, the signs are beginning to read in Malay and far more non-smoking signs are seen within the area. The crowd of Indonesian female domestic workers are far younger than the Filipino domestic workers seen in Central, ranging from early teens of 15 or 16 to 25 but the Filipino domestic workers in Central range from 30 to 65 years old. The entrance to Victoria park are marked with mobile barriers and upon entering, I found a number of park administrators lining up in the area. In the center of the entrance space are two large groups of picnickers, densely picnicking underneath newly planted trees in the area. There are barriers that contain and mark the areas for picnicking and groups are seen to locate only within these barriers. The circulation areas are therefore uninhibited by pinickers and are allowed to circulate with alot of space despite the large crowd. On the side of the circulation areas are "fancy" photographers (who were mostly locals) who are camped in the area to take pictures for Indonesian domestic workers to send home to friends and families. The area has 2 large trash bins in the area in anticipation of the large litter that will accummulate at the end of the day. As I walked around and interviewed some domestic workers, I found that none of the domestic workers were playing cards or games as I have observed in Central. Most picnic goers are either talking on their cellphones, looking at photographs (or taking photographs), eating, drinking or chatting. Not many domestic workers were open for a chat (in my broken Bahasa Indonesia) but some were able to communicate in Cantonese. Most express that they enjoy meeting friends in the area but did not want to respond on more complicated questions regarding preference of public space or their idea of a functional public space for them. While domestic workers in Central were using umbrellas to protect themselves from the cold wind, the Indonesian workers here are using personal umbrellas to protect themselves against the burning sun. I wonder if the newly planted trees in the area were done so to provide shade to these picnickers on Sunday. While walking around, there are very very few locals and no tourist in the area walking through the entrance to the park.

Further into the park is a flea market organized by the YMCA Hong Kong. Although the flea market is local organized, the goods sold in the flea market are all catered for Indonesian domestic workers, with most clothing are Malay or Indonesian fashioned and the goods and accessories (such as scarfs) are also catering to Indonesian females. Around the flea market is are benches and a separate circulation area that was also roped off as designated picnicking area where the picnic groups are seen to camp only within the area. The benches in these areas appear to be serve as obstacles (taking up possible picnic space and those who sit on them are not on the same eye level as peers) rather than acting as facilities for the consumption of public space. This area has become the commercial area of the mini city of Victoria Park. I spoke to the YMCA representatives and accordingly, the rental for a space is 200HKD a day and anyone with a Hong Kong ID can rent the space. Most students with the visa can obtain a Hong Kong ID and accordingly, a domestic worker who has been in Hong Kong for more than 7 years area also eligible for an ID. The leaflet by the YMCA has the intention of promoting a park for the Hong Kong Youth, with activities and games on Sundays but I wondered if the large number of Indonesians have dettered the success of these organized actitivies. The YMCA members did not respond to this question.

Walking further into the park, the lush greenery was lined with pockets of picnicking groups or few domestic workers walking or sitting along the flowerbeds. Within the area, there is a garden area that appears similar to the entrance area. Here, there are no barriers that contain the picnickers but the overall circulation of the area is internalized and maintained, although unstructured. Here, the small palm trees provide far less shade as that seen in the entrance. Because of the secluded location of this area, there are many individuals who were hawking and peddling food and other goods. Hawking and Peddling without license is illegal in Hong Kong. I walked around and sat down to talk to three Indonesian domestic workers who were all named Siti. They were well versed in Malay, English and Cantonese but due to accent differences, it was most comfortable conversing in English. They were fluent in English because of their previous employment in Singapore. All of the 4 Sitis have previously worked in Singapore and despite not having days off in Singapore and the higher salaries in Hong Kong, they preferred to work in Singapore. I enquired why and they quoted the higher expenses and less savings because of their Sundays off and the stricter rules, cleanliness were preferred as compared to Hong Kong. (They also indirectly eluded to the harassment that they felt by males outside the park on their Sundays off). While sitting amidst their group, I noticed that far more Indonesian domestic workers were consuming purchased food instead of food brought from home and most of the picnicking material such as the plastic that they sit on, the food containers and others are disposable. This is a strong contrast with the Filipinos who brought everyting from chairs, board games to thermos on their picnic days. At around 1:30 pm, I saw some individuals who began performing their daily prayers in this open picnicking spot. Usually, prayers are done indoors after a ritual of ablution but here, it is done with friends in the open while facing Mecca. I asked Siti if this is usually practiced here and she said yes and despite the lack of facilities to cleanse, female domestic workers would find their ways around to do their prayers if they want to.

Deeper in the park, there is a large open space where more picnicking occurs. There is no shade in the area so umbrellas mushroomed all over the area. The picnicking is less dense but far less organized than that observed in Central with almost all the picnickers are sitting on disposable plastic sheets. I was offered to buy a plastic sheet as I entered this open space for 10HKD. Even though it was a cold day, the sun was warm and the area itself was without shade. Because of the piercing sun, some would even use their hoods and coats to shelter from the sun. One wonders if this same pattern of picnicking would be practiced in the midst of summer. As compared to the Filipino groups, the Indonesian domestic workers gather in larger groups of an average of 6 or 7 but ranges from 3 to 12. On the periphery of the area, there are also barriers previously seen in the entrance that functions to designate and segregate circulatory areas from picnicking areas. In some parts of the field, there are people playing music and practicing dances while others look on. This was not observed in Central. Besides the picnicking Indonesian domestic workers, there are ocassiona local families who are strolling with babies and infants but they are significantly outnumbered by the large number of Indonesian females. While walking around the park I found park administrators who are "guarding" the jogging path that circles throughout the park, making sure that the large groups of crossing pedestrian do not occupy or inhibit circulation along the jogging path primary used by locals for exercise purposes.

The park is a large area but besides picnicking, there are other very interesting activities that occur throughout more private areas and more secluded pockets in the park. In one section, I found a group of Indonesian girls practicing a traditional Indonesian dance while being instructed by an Indonesian male. They appeared to have arrived to the park via a van, equipped with a sound system to facilitate the practicing that goes on. The dance was beautiful and colorful, attracting locals to watch the performance. Nearby is a group of Christian Indonesian females who is rehearsing gospel in a choir. These activities next to each other was interesting. In a more secluded areas were a younger group of teenage Indonesian females who were practicing a hip hop modern dance to contemporary Indonesian music. Besides dancing and singing that happens in the area, there are also religious groups who gather in specific spots to read the Quran or to pray. In the area adjacent to the boat racing pond. A group was gathered on the floor, underneath a sitting hut to readn discuss the Quran, bringing along a large speaker and a microphone to facilitate the discussion of the large group. There is another group who is gathered together in prayer, attired in
prayer clothing throughout their discussion. This religious activity in the public space is interestin and not seen in Central. Hong Kong has far more churches as compared to mosque, resulting in the lack of religious institutions to cater to the growing number of Muslim female domestic workers. Muslim community also has gathering private spaces where they study the Quran (much like Bible studies), especially for younger Muslim female domestic workers. Perhaps the lack of such private communal religious spaces have driven this new use of public space by female domestic workers.

Despite the large park space, there is insufficient number of toilet facilities to cater for the large number of females that frequent the park every Sunday. As a result, toilet facilities in neighboring shopping complex. In one higher end shopping complex, the janitor quotes that one janitor services the facility on weekdays, two on Saturdays and three on Sundays. One janitor (with her high tech bluetooth technology) sheperds the patrons while the other two constantly cleans the facility to cater for the large number of Indonesian females. Unlike Word Wide Plaza, Lucky Plaza and Kota Raya, they do not restrict or charge the domestic workers but merely increased manpower to cater for the large volume.

Around Victoria Park (around the St.George road entrance and Sugar Street entrance), groups of policeman are seen to be stationed to maintain "order" in the area, while the immediate area after the entrance, there are park administrators that helps to make sure park rules are adhered. While interviewing a park administrator, he states that the large number of Indonesian workers has complicated the administration of the park. The litter that they produce requires around two to three trucks to ship away at the end of each Sunday. While there are only seven administrators throughout the week, the number needs to be tripled on Sundays in order to maintain the safety of the park and that number have increased recently due to "terrorism". Indonesian females do not always adhere to the park rules but administrators "dare not" ask them to behave, leving peddlers, hawkers and smokers alone despite that it is illegal. Accordingly, there are foreign males who also frequent the area outside the park and park administrators, and sometimes even police, avoid conflict with this group. Although Mr.C* is not pleased with the "troubles" caused by the large number of Indonesian females, he is sympathetic to the fact that they need a recreational facility and a "place to go". He said that if they are not allowed in parks, they would clog up the circulation in the streets around Hong Kong, which would be "more troublesome". While interviewing Mr. C* I noticed a larger number of police rotating the area and foreign males leaving the area at the sight of police men. This tension or need for security was not previously seen or felt in Central.

Observations at HSBC Hong Kong

HSBC Hong Kong, like the picnic spot in Singapore, is directly connected and located very close (at around 5 minutes walk) to World Wide Plaza. At approximately 9:30 am, the area is already occupied by a large number of people, forming different groups and all setting up picnic areas defined by picnic matts. There are 2 major circulation path that are left uninhibited to allow the plaza to function as a circulation path for tourist and visitors to the area. HSBC plaza is in fact located on a major tourist walk path and therefore, many tourist would walk through the plaza from City Hall towards St.John's Cathedral and onwards towards the Peak. Perhaps with this awareness has allowed resulted in the two major circulation area being automatically designated. Within the major picnic area, the arrangement is also placed in such a way where there are smaller paths in between to allow people to walk enter, leave and walk around the area. While there are already people picnicking and gathering in HSBC, the crowd is think, of a maximum of around 100 people. Most matts are empty with a bag or suitcase placed in the middle to mark ownership or to prevent the matt from shifting place. Groups are very small at this point, around 2 to 3 persons per group. Some people were either drinking tea or eating but most are cuddled tightly together. Hong Kong of is cold at this time of the year, around 10 Celcius (50 degrees). Moreover, the sloping ground level of the plaza created a low pressure area and invites strong wind through the plaza from the sea, introducing a windchill factor in the area. Most campers buried their heads in caps and hoods and appear to be very cold.


At around 11:00 am, the crowd has almost doubled with many more individuals standing and gathering around for other activities such as playing cards, scrabble and looking at magazines. The area is still as cold as before but the plaza has brightened up significantly at this time. I found many groups on the edge of the gathering have opened their
umbrellas to protect themselves from the hailing wind. Why do they stay on this cold spot when there are so many other areas that they could go? I interviewed 2 ladies who were sitting at the edge of the gathering, proteting themselves from the wind by holding an umbrella. They appeared to be happilly chatting in Tagalog and oblivious over the bad weather. Throughout the conversation, they quoted the area as "their place" and were very happy to have a place to spend their days and to act as stations in between running chores, shopping and going to church. She explained that most people come and go according to the church service they go to and they rotate throughout the day, allowing them to meet different friends at different times of the day. They have effectively privatized the area. The ability to have a place where they can call their own, despite the temperomental quality of this ownership, seems to give them great joy. When asked about the facilities that they feel lacking in the area, they happily said nothing, quoting that all their necessities can be brought along or modified but having a place of their own was the most crucial element of their Sunday. Throughout my time with them, they explained the mystery of empty matts with luggages placed in the middle. According to them, people would arrive in the morning to "book" their place to avoid crowding later in the afternoon and would rely on neighbors or friends to "look after" these luggages while they perform their chores. As a result, friends and families would usually cluster around each other and usually, they would return to their spots week after week, creating a permanent yet illusional real estate ownership of an area. One can in fact map the social relationship of domestic workers based on their real estate location. This is very interesting because it means that there is a continuity week after week, like flea markets of the world, where people return to the same spot for familiarity and for the convenience of finding friends and family in these temporarily privatized spaces. The nice ladies offered me lunch and drinks, and we continued to chat away.

As the afternoon went on, the number of people in HSBC plaza grew exponentially. At around 3:00 pm, the crowd has grown to approximately 500 to 600 people with many standing and walking around the plaza looking for friends and family. The groups have grown significantly, ranging from 4 to 5 a group to 20 at times. Activities in the area has also changed. No longer are the individuals merely eating, drinking and chatting but most are now playing cards, dice, and interestingly , BINGO. Many area also reading or playing board games like scrabble or monopoly or reading the bible. The large number of people could be a result of the end of mass at St.John's church, which has a service from 2-3 in Tagalog. While the crowd has increased significantly, people are becoming less friendly. While I was invited for tea and food in the morning, most people now appeared to be unhappy about my presence. I approached several people for a chat (most were busy playing cards or chatting) and was turned down and shooed away. There were a larger number of people smoking, previously unseen, despite the clear prohibitive signs nearby. I was warned by several people to not record or take pictures in the area (this is probably because gambling or card playing is illegal in public spaces within Hong Kong). I noticed throughout my stay that while many locals, tourists and non-domestic workers walk through the plaza for circulation purpose, none have lingered around like I have and therefore, my presence has attracted attention. One person approached me and asked why I was there (clearly taking notes and taking pictures). In alot of sense, despite them being present in an extremely public space, they felt their privacy invaded as I appeared clearly "different" from domestic workers in the area. It was extremely interesting to observe that the sense of "privacy" in public spaces for foreign female domestic workers significantly increased with the increase in the number of individuals in the area.

As the hours ticked on to around 4:00 pm, a larger number of people entered the plaza as another mass from the Baptist Church nearby has ended and many were returning to their matts in the plaza. The area was so crowded that the previously unoccupied and unstructured spaces and now filling up and the circulation area has also diminished in cross section. One notices that there are fewer and fewer locals and tourists that passes through the area at this time (since it is getting late) but probably also due to the large crowd in the plaza.

• HSBC Plaza Hong Kong is a "station" or "home" spot for Filipino domestic workers on Sunday, using it as a base for them to rest or leave their belongings while they perform chores or go to Church



• The area has an internalized circulation and real estate logic that is both based on the circulation pattern and efficiency as well as social relationship of the people (similar to a mini organic town) that is memorized and repeated week after week



• The sense of ownership is related closely to the enjoyment of the public space by the domestic workers, where the facilities themselves can be foregone or substituted but the sense of ownership and belonging in a private area can not.



• Weather is not a deterrant to the occupancy and consumption of the space



• Card Playing, Scrabbles and other recreational activities are observed in Hong Kong but not in other cities



• The sense of privacy and ownership is correlated to the number of domestic workers present in the area. Group becomes more defensive and practice a higher sense of ownership of the public space as the number of individuals/groups increases.

(Empty office, filled plaza)

Observations at WorldWide Plaza Hong Kong

On the morning of my observation study, I headed towards Central using the MTR. During my journey, I observed a large number of foreign female groups that are traveling either alone or in groups and carrying large suitcases or baggage. Their carry ons are much larger than the paper and plastic bags seen with Filipino domestic workers in Singapore. As I alight into Central Station, I followed the crowd to the exit and found a large number of people have already gathered at the entrance to the MTR station that appears to be waiting for friends and family. Next to the gathering spot is an entrance to a bank that is roped off with a sign clearly station "no-waiting/no sitting". At 9:00 am, the path leading towards Worldwide Plaza (a plaza similar to Lucky Plaza Singapore and Kota Raya Kuala Lumpur) are already packed with hundreds of people and many promoters of telco deals, phonecards and other Filipino consumer products are already stationed to wheel in Filipino customers. There were also a number of church members present in the area. While most stores around Central are not yet opened for business, the WorldWide Plaza is bustling with people and business with hardly any space to circulate. The atmosphere is peculiar with almost 95% of the crowd is female and mostly likely foreign domestic workers. I was surrounded with Tagalog and Filipino snacks are piled outside shops and people eating and chatting in and out of the shops. It is as if the entire floor was a singular space where the internal spaces of the shops merely provides a space for the shopowner and for storage. I walked around and found alot of the shops similar to those found in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, selling mostly phonecards, mobile phone credit, food, groceries, clothes, jewelry and others. The difference here is that there are also tiny shops that sell a combination of all these goods and appear to extend the food business for Sundays as the food is placed in the circulation area beyond the shop. The place was extremely crowded with a LOS of E , reminding me of the weekend shopping traffic in Oxford Circus, London. The plaza has three floors but unlike the other complexes, the whole complex caters for the Filipino consumer with no or very little sign of shops catering to local consumers. The plaza is at the same level to a network of pedestrian overhead, which a large number of female domestic workers are also waiting or resting although no one is seen picnicking in the World Wide Plaza or the overhead bridge. While there is a large number of female customers in the building, there is only one washroom for each female and male per floor of the building but unfortunately they are not opened for public but for tenants only. They are locked and only tenants have access keys to these facilities. I expect this to be highly inconvenient for customers since there is a very large number of female customers in the complex. At around 9:30, the bottom floor female toilet was opened to public and ropes were placed around the entrance to form a queue. Large number of foreign female domestic workers are already seen queuing up for the facility. As I have mentioned before, the entire complex and area appears to have been permanently privatized and this is more apparently when I looked at the advertisements around the area which is sometimes entirely in Tagalog or adverting directly towards Filipino clients.

Observation Studies at Lucky Plaza (and vicinity) Singapore

Prior to my visit to Lucky Plaza Singapore, my research has shown that the picnicking and public gathering of foreign female domestic workers in highly visible areas has generated some controversial discussion amongst Singaporean community. A particular blog that addressed this issue is, Haro Singapore, which detailed the gathering of Filipino domesti workers in the Orchard MRT station in 2005. The article talked about the picnicking, drinking and eating habits of Filipinos in the station and the apathy of MRT officials over the behavior. The blog attracted a number of locals to express their dissatisfaction over the phenomena. With this information, I headed to this area in the early part of my observation day. I found a few people sitting on the edges along indoor space. However, the previously mentioned station area was closed due to construction therefore no Filipinos were seen gathered in the area. Disappointed that the area was closed, I headed towards Lucky Plaza to gather information about their new gathering spot.

Surfacing around Tangs Plaza, I found some Filipino domestic workers gathering around the entrance to the MRT station. Most were alone, waiting for friends and family while sitting along edges along the display windows of the shopping complex. The edges of the window sills were sometimes slanted to prevent sitting or squatting around the area. Towards the Lucky Plaza section of the area, there are larger groups (4 to 5) of female Filipinos that appear to be waiting for more friends to arrive.

In the immediate area outside of Lucky Plaza, some female Filipinos are sitting along the curb of a flowerbed, next to the taxi stand. It appears to be a dangerous spot to be sitting in.

As I entered Lucky Plaza, I noticed a large number of female Filipinos sitting along the edge of a sitting area while others are standing or gathering around the central area. The security guards have installed a barrier to prevent further gathering of the female Filipinos and to make sure that the circulation around that area is not obstructed by the agglomeration of people in the area. Walking around the shopping complex, the shop arrangement of the area is clearly separated, with the more luxurious and higher end products located in the lower floors. The higher floors caters more for lower income domestic workers needs ranging from money remittance, banks, mobile service, food to clothes and cheap jewelry. While most female domestic workers seem to gather in the higher floors, many also gather at ground floors where it is convenient to meet friends and family. One would find small groups of 4 or 5 individuals gathering outside popular shops or major circulation points (such as next to escalators). Due to the design of the complex, there are nooks and corners around the major square that is not part of the major circulation. Female domestic workers stagnant and gather around thesse areas. Clearly, the large number of female domestic workers have forced the shop owners and administrators to take certain measures to ensure better circulation around the complex. Outside higher profile or non-Filipino frequented shops, these signs that say "no-picnicking" or "no-sitting" were placed. This is to avoid large groups of people from gathering in front of stores and prevent circulation and consumers from entering shops. Although there are no signs of picnicking or private gathering in the complex, the designated sitting areas around the mall (usually located in non-frequented) areas are usually packed with foreign female domestic workers. This picture was taken at around 10:00 am when some of the shops have not opened for business but the sitting area is already packed with people. The atmosphere in the complex was very lively and energetic. To understand the phenomenon further, I interviewed the security guard stationed on the ground floor. According to R*, the Filipino domestic workers have been using Lucky Plaza as a meeting point with friends and family for a long time now. Because of the large number of them on Sundays, they inhibit the normal business operations of shops in the complex and therefore, they have taken specific measures to ensure that the people flows through the plaza and do not clog up the circulation. The tenants of the complex, especially the luxury products, do not consider the large Filipino crowd as customers and therefore and unhappy about the overcrowding and the previous "picnicking" that happens in the complex as it affects business from the higher income group. R* thinks that it is incorrect for the Filipinos to think of Lucky Plaza as their "mini-hometown" on Sundays since it is private property. According to him, current threats of "terrorism" has further increased the complex's need to ensure the security of the complex with so many people there on Sundays. He said that he doesn't oppose to the gathering of the Filipinos in Lucky Plaza saying that " as long as they are disciplined and adheres to the rules and regulations, they can come and stay around". He quotes the fact that they do not oppose to those gathered and sitting around the flower beds along the taxi stand (see picture above) so that they have a place to stay. R* is very sympathetic to the fact that Filipinos need a place to eat and meet friends and socialise on their days off but feels strongly about the need to keep order, cleanliness and business operations around semi-public places such as Lucky Plaza complex.

While Lucky Plaza is an interesting place to observe with so many Filipinos frequenting the place, their consumption of the space is severely limited by the strict rules and the limitations placed on them since it is technically not a "public-space". In search for their new gathering spot, I went back to CK Tang to talk to some domestic workers to find out more about their new gathering spots. Around the CK Tang gathering corner, I interviewed Ce* who has been working in Singapore for 2 years after working in Hong kong for 2 years. She is waiting for her family to come meet her for lunch. When asked about her preference between Hong Kong and Singapore, Ce* quoted that her experience in Hong Kong was much better. In Singapore, she is only allowed to leave her employer's house twice a month and there is no place for them to gather. She quotes HSBC bank and Sunset Boulevard and how the area is designated for them on Sundays in Hong Kong. In Singapore, they are asked to leave either by police or security guards, therefore it is inconvenient to use indoor facilities as meeting points. This is problematic as Singapore's tropical weather means that it rains a great deal and outdoor meeting points are highly inconvenient. I asked Ce*about pinicking in Singapore, she explained that there used to be a park opposite of CK Tang and next to Wisma Atria, which is a previous park in which doubled as the Orchard MTR station entrance but was recently taken over the the construction of another high end shopping mall. The area used to have flower beds and open space for picnicking but they no longer have that space. Currently, they have moved to a clearing spot behind Wisma Atria. Ce* picnics there with her friedns and family every other week to cut the cost of lunch and other expenses during their days off. Next to Ce* sits Wt*, an Indonesian domestic worker that is also waiting for her friends. She reveals that orchard road is not the frequent spot for Indonesians although the visit it at times. Indonesians prefer to gather around Citi Plaza. My conversation with her was too short to gather anything substantial because her friends showed up in the middle of the interview. With this new information, I headed towards the picnic spot.

The picnic spot is conveniently located behind Wisma Atria, short distance (around 5 minutes) from Lucky Plaza. Surrounded by higher end residential area along a quite road parallel to Orchard Road, the area is accessible by a flight of steep stairs. The bottom of the staircase is next to a bus stop. As I approach the picnic area, a large number of foreign female domestic workers are seen to alight from the bus to the picnic spot or to walk towards Lucky Plaza. This shows that this is an access point for domestic workers into the area. As I ascend the stairs, I found several female groups(andvery few males) who are picnicking in the area underneath beautiful bayan trees. The area is bare with cow-grass and full grown trees. Except for a small walking path, there are no other concrete walking path, one small trash bin and a few street lights along the facilities in sight. While some groups are sitting on fabric that they have brought from home, others sit on the cow-grass or on large cut up trash bags and on the surfacing roots of the giant trees. Groups closer to the staircase are in twos and threes, indicating that they have just begun to set camp while the groups further into the area is larger around five to six individuals. Walking around, I found most groups are having lunch or chit chatting but some are studying the bible together and was not happy with me prying around. I asked if I can have a chat and they were upset and told me they were busy. Finally, I found a group that took me in and even invited me to dine along their delicious Filipino food.


Rosemary, Flori, Jenny and Michelle are friends who have been working in Singapore for a large number of years (10+), all who have just recently renewed their contracts. They frequent this area for lunch and have brought along fried vermicelli, wintermelon with carrots tomatoes, fried fish and coca-cola to share with friends that day. While we were having lunch, there were some Filipinos that were peddling in paper bags with Filipino snacks and other packed food. On Sundays, they would take turns to prepare food to share with others and set camp in the area as a resting spot between shopping and other activities throughout Orchard Road. While some friends would leave to meet other friends, others would come and rotate in this spot. Our friends also talked about the old spot where they used to camp, next to the MRT station that was shut down. Apparently, that area was much more pleasant, with concrete pavements and flowerbeds as compared to the current spot which is nicknamed "the jungle". The current spot is inconvenient and much harder to clean after a long day of food consumption and therefore, the groups lay down trashbags and other form of disposable layers to ease cleaning after their picnic. I asked about toilets, washing areas, chairs and other facilities needed in the consumption of public space and Flori immediately responded by saying that it is surprising that Lucky Plaza charges 20 cents per person for entry but they feel uncomfortable going to other shopping complexes to use the restrooms there. They don't really mind sitting and picnicking on the floor but the fact that there isn't shade in these open areas are problematic in the rainy climate of Singapore. Previously, they would retreat to inside of the MRT station (when they were picnicking in the previous park) but now, the whole area is closed for renovation and they have no where to go if it rains.

Besides this secluded gathering spot that is clearly not inhibiting the normal Singapore business operations, there is another more active spot that is located closer to Lucky Plaza. In a small area (pedestrian path from Queen Elizabeth Road to Orchard Road) between Lucky Plaza and Hour Glass, a previous group of gathering domestic workers that is sitting on the flowerbeds along that path has grown significantly from early morning to around noon. Notedly, the plaza outside of the hour glass building is roped off to prevent entrance. At around 1 pm, a larger group is seen to be gathered in this area, sound has begun to picnic and camp in the area. I began to take notice of the area even though I was not sure if it was a typical gathering spot. Returning later at 2 pm, I saw a larger crowd and people are beginning to gather in larger groups of 5 to 6 people and are seen to be lunching and chatting amongst themselves. Some are seen to be doing pedicures and manicures for each other and others are seen to be standing and sitting in circles chatting, drinking and eating. The entrance to the area is blocked by an ice cream peddler ran by a local but there are no signs of anyone using the path for circulation purposes since most people around the area appears to be stagnant. Clearly, the area appears to have been "occupied" or momentarily "privatized" for the group in the area. There is also a higher number of male individuals amongst the foreign female domestic workers as compared to the secluded spot.To understand this better, I attempt to enter the area to interview a pedicurist at work. As I approached the area, I was met with curious looks and stares that appears unfriendly as compared to my reception in the secluded picnic spot. When I introduced myself to the pedicurist, she immediately asked if I was a journalist. After I have detailed my research to her, she explained that a journalist has previously interviewed them and have resulted in alot of harassment and newspaper discussion on their public gathering in the area. She appears upset that they have been prevented from gathering in all areas around Orchard Road. Even the open space or semi-public area outside of "Hour-Glass" and "Takashimaya" are now closed on Sundays to prevent them from gathering in those "business" spots. Clearly, there is alot of pushing and negotiation that is occuring between the female foreign domestic workers group and the locals in these public spaces that were open for "public" previously. I asked her about her pedicure and activities in the area and she said that they merely want a place to gather and spend their sundays with friends and family without harassment and maybe operate some personal business such as pedicure, manicure or small trading (street hawking is illegal in singapore and foreign domestic workers are not allowed to receive other income with their visa). The interviewee are very careful to not reveal her name or have her picture taken. It is interesting to see that despite the openness and clarity of their activities in the public area (pedestrian path), the strict government officials have not taken action against the group. My interview with the pedicurist was cut short by an intruding local male who approached me to ask about my presence. He was holding a can of beer and clearly intoxicated as he started to intimidate me. I excused myself from my interviewee and left the area and was again met by gazes by the group in the area.

In the next posting, I will summarize my observation in Singapore.

Other Gathering Spots in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Despite the replication of the sense of smell, taste, sigh and sound, St.John's Cathedral (or the area immediately outside of the church) cannot provide the Filipino domestic workers with all their needs on their Sundays off. Therefore, the crowd proceeds to the other areas in the city for other type of entertainment and chores. Primarily, most Filipinos gather in the nearby shopping complex (Kota Raya, around 5 minutes walk) , which is a known gathering spot for foreign workers as many of the banks and money remittance agencies, mobile phone agents, package or freight mailing centers are located here for the convenience of immigrant workers. Some of the stores sell Filipino products and entertainment. It is here that most of the Filipinos I interviewed quoted to gather over lunch time. On the basement level of the building is the "singing boxes", simplified karaoke facility for those who long to sing. The top level of the shopping center is the food court where Filipina food is served. After lunch, most Filipinos would head to the dance club Angkasa, at the bottom level of a hotel. They would enjoy an afternoon of dancing replicated like the nightlife. The dance club is opened from 2-7 pm for the convenience of female domestic workers who need to return to their employers home before the evening.

Some Filipinos I interviewed mentioned picnicking in the Lake Gardens on their days off, usually over a special occasion like someone's b'day. The reason that this is done rarely is because the secluded location of the park and the difficulty of getting there by public transportation. I visited the Lake Gardens on a Sunday to see if any Filipinos are gathered in the park but did not find any group of Filipinos picnicking. The park is rather large and they might be dispersed so I did not manage to find them or the timing of my visit did not match their visit (I went at around 10 am on the sunday close to Christmas day) According to some domestic workers, most request to take both 24th December off (and 25th) and worked on that Sunday in order to celebrate Christmas with friends in town. Perhaps that is why the crowd observed on the 28th of December seemed fewer than expected, in all areas.

Kuala Lumpur St. Johns' Cathedral

St. John's Cathedral is nested near the Bukit Nenas forest reserve in Kuala Lumpur City. The road leading to the church is a narrow street with a sharp 90 degree turn into the church parking area. Within the church, the large number of cars clog up the access into the church. Before the mass service (church session (9:30 am) has not yet ended, many of the Filipinos have began to leave the church grounds to gather outside the area. Some have left the St. John's cathedral area to other parts of town. Filipino traders who have brought food and other goods to the area begins to set up their stalls in the immediate area outside of the church grounds. One stall was located within the church grounds and was quickly asked to relocate outside the grounds. As more and more Filipinos gather around various food stalls and clothing traders, the church gate appears to be barricaded by patrons of the various Filipino food stalls, making it difficult for vehicles that are trying to leave church grounds. As the crowd grew and vehicles became clogged up, slight conflicts begin to arise in this intersection or transition space where church goers in automobiles begin honking to clear up the congregating Filipino crowds around the entrance area.

Around the small area, approximated 2000 square feet of space. I observed the unfolding of various programs. The area consist of 5 - 7 feet sidewalks and a dead end, sheltered space (which is an locked entrance to another building). Stalls were set up by Filipinos on the sidewalks itself. Since domestic workers do not own personal vehicles, they transport most of their goods to the area via taxi. Besides the actual ready made food, they also brough along tables to display the food and chairs for themselves and fellow Fillipinos. The food traders trade both breakfast food (which range from snacks such as chicken spring roll and rice cakes) to full fledge lunch food with rice, fish and etc. It is difficult to consume these dishes standing up but there is not sitting area or facility nearby. Therefore, I observed that most patrons to these food stalls would either sit near the edge (around 4 inches in width ) of the fence surrounding the church grounds, on the ground of the sidewalk or nearby steps. Some food operators brought along stools and chairs for the convenience of fellow Filipinos. The crowd clusters in groups of four to five depending on location, usually sheltered to facilitate conversation. As time passed by, more and more vendors appear in the area, some selling bargain clothes, toys (probably for them to send back to the Phillipines), drinks and even VCDs of movies and CDs of Music from the Phillipines. Besides Filipino vendors, there were small local vendors (Malays, Chinese and Indians) who saw the gathering of Filipinos as a business opportunity to sell phone cards ( on a motorcycle), toys and others. Big corporation such as telecommunication companies (Maxis and Digi) appear in their promotion vehicles to provide mobile phone services to the Filipinos who makes large number of international calls to the Phillipines.

Nearby, large number of male (probably Filipinos) gather around two phone booths to make phone calls. They are dressed similarly in white shirts, a tie and a black slacks indicating that they might be working as a part of the church or a uniformed organization and that they don't own personal mobile phones unlike other Filipino domestic workers. Besides eating, the Filipino domestic workers would chit-chat with their friends around the area, catching up with fellow countrymates. Some even helped each other in a makeshift changing room to try on the clothing on sale. Some Filipinos are dressing up or putting on make up to get ready for their day off. While traders come and go, the crowd shrinks as Filipinos move on to other parts of town. However, as the time to the second mass nears, many locals begin to arrive for the second mass. They would pass the rows of Filipino vendors as they approach the gate but do not participate or purchase from the vendors. Most locals avoid the sight of the gathering Filipinos. It is interesting to observe the momentary confontation of "the other" as the two groups overlap in space.

As the crowd from the First mass dispersed and the place emptied out, I surveyed the area and found food trash littered around the church grounds. Church goers and administrators expressed frustration over the condition of the littered church grounds. When the crowd has dispersed, I went to inspect the toilet facilities and found that the chruch has recently renovated the facility to accommodate higher usage. The facility has mirrors, wash basins and toilets but Filipinos were using the facility as a powder room. In other words, the facility needs a separate powder or mirror area to not inconvenient other church users.

During my visit, I interviewed H*. H*is a domestic worker in a nearby suburban area, Ampang, approximately 15 minutes from the church. She was selling some Filipino snacks in baskets at the gate entrance to the church. In addition to instant food, she was also selling some cakes, well packed so that fellow Filipinos can bring it home. While interviewing her, she told me that she would come to the church via taxi with all her goods and go into church for mass with her goods and start her sales after. I asked her about the space where they are gathering and she talked about how they merely find any space available to set up camp. According to H*, they used to be allowed to set up their food stalls within the church grounds but they have been banned from doing so recently to support a local food vendor within the church. Sitting on the curbside, I asked H* if she thinks that Filipinos need a proper space to gather and share food, and why they do not picnic by bringing their own food. H* explained that the public transportation in Kuala Lumpur is inconvenient and Filipinos have to travel from far away from their employer's house to St. John's and later to other areas and therefore, it is difficult to bring their own food from home. She also said that government officials often come to the area to take away the goods traded since none of the Filipino domestic workers have a trading license and it is in fact illegal for them to conduct businesses while being employed. However, Filipinos long to taste some Filipino food on their day off and since they cannot bring their own and there isn't a space for them to picnic, they created a demand for the smell and taste of Phillipines. That is why these Filipino food are priced significantly higher than normal Malaysian vendor food (it cost me RM 1 for a spring roll, where I can get 3 from a normal Malaysian roadside trader). Since the area is located on top of a slight hill, the vendors can see the approaching government officials where they would quickly gather their goods and return into the church grounds. Government officials cannot prosecute them if they are within private grounds. I did not observe this happening on my visit but H* notes that they come to the area on every other Sunday at around 10 am, which is the time the area is most crowded with Filipinos.

At 11:00 am, the area becomes quiet with certain traders leaving and others coming in their place to catch the crowd from the second mass. (11:30) The crowd from the second mass church goers consist of fewer Filipinos and therefore the atmosphere is not as rowdy as 10:00 am. As the crowd thins out, some stall keepers load up the vans in which they came with to leave, leaving some trash on the side of the curbs and around the monsoon drains. There was one worker from the local government cleaning agency (Alam Flora) that came to tidy up the area with one broom and a dust pan. As the place emptied out (12:30 pm) the church officials locked up the gate and the remaining Filipinos were packing up to go. Trash were gathered and left within close proximity to the gathering space and crows and other scavengers appeared to gather and attack the remaining food waste. I left at approximately 1:00 pm, feeling a little drained from the hot sun. The gathering space did not have those cooling bayan trees that would have made sitting around the area much more pleasant. Some Filipino vendors were familiar with the climate of the spot and have brought alot a shady umbrella, fans and fly swats to make their camp more pleasant.