Sunday, January 11, 2004
Was walking down the underpass leading to borders today when this particular man standing at the side with a classical guitar caught my eye. At first, I brushed him off as one of the usual 'homeless' people that hung around underpasses, singing songs painful to detail yet devoid of feeling. The ones that end up sounding like they're singing these songs in a language completely foreign to their tongue. So I just walked on by him with no second glance, but just as I was opening the door to Marks and Spencers, I heard this strong and particularly melodic voice start to sing along with a guitar accompaniment. I paused in the midst of opening the door and just stood there listening to his voice echo throughout the underpass with a roughened, musical quality. He was a weathered and amiable-looking fellow - dark-skinned, relatively tall and lanky, and in his late 40s or 50s. I couldn't make out if he was chinese or malay, but he sang with such feeling that I had yet to hear from underpass buskers. His was the type of voice that was soothing to the ear and it's roughened texture only seemed to add more emotion to his song. He sang this really old song, I can't remember what it's called, but I think it was Jambalaya (On the Bayou) if I'm not wrong.
As I was standing there watching, this family passed him by and one of the kids, who looked to be about pri 6 or sec 1, just covered his ears and pouted as he walked past, shaking his head with a bratty look on his face. The man noticed, but kept smiling and singing to the family with a gentle and good-humoured look on his face as he strummed his guitar. I tell you, at that moment, my respect for him rose by the level. It must have been hard to sing there what with an audience that doesn't even acknowledge your presence half the time, and yet even when faced with such blatant disregard, he still managed to laugh it off and continue singing. Such good-naturedness should deserve much better respect in accordance to it, don't you think. The kid probably didn't know any better though, so I can't blame him. But that man really showed me what it was to be good-humoured. I doubt if I'd be able to suck it up and continue singing if I were him.
So if you happen to pass by that same underpass as I did this morning, please do donate some money to him too, because I reckon he's one of the few that actually do deserve it.
Shu at 6:24 PM
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