Along Geylang’s main road, the people observed seem like regular, middle-aged working adults who come to the coffee-shops for dinner. However, we see a flurry of activity, both legal and illegal, as we walk into the back lanes of the Geylang ‘lorongs’, and the groups of people frequenting those lanes dress and behave differently from many of those seen on the main road. The most prominent group would be the streetwalkers and their pimps, who roam certain lanes targeting both foreign and local men. Among the streetwalkers, we identified two distinct groups – those of age (who seemed experienced) and those who looked under-age. A line of skimpily-dressed Vietnamese and Chinese girls who looked to be in their mid-teens shrunk against the wall as we passed by. From their cautious demeanour towards strangers, we inferred that they were illegally trafficked and were afraid of getting discovered or caught. We felt that those underage girls may have been forced into the act as they seemed unwilling and unhappy to be there. The pimps and the Thai women, in their thirties, were more brazen, and followed us from the alley to the roadside while they actively solicited the males for sex. An illegal gambling den was also set up involving at least 30 gamblers around a makeshift wooden table, most of whom were Chinese nationals. We noticed a few spotters patrolling the alley and keeping a lookout by the roadside. They looked at us suspiciously but let us pass through. However, they stopped an Indian man wearing a plain polo shirt and jeans, who looked to be in his thirties, and prevented him from entering the alley. Because I learnt that a particular gang had authority over each lorong, I believe that they work together with the den operators and it is likely that they assess the appearance of each person walking through the lorong and evaluate the possibility of a person being an undercover policeman and that man was deemed a possible threat to their operations. I feel that their hostility stems from their distrust of people who are different (e.g. in dressing or even in race and nationality) due to the nature of their job and the high stakes involved.

Clusters of peddlers sat by the roadside selling items ranging from contraband cigarettes to Viagra to what looked to be a variety of sex-enhancement drugs. We learnt that they were probably smuggled goods as we observed an Indian/Bangladeshi foreign worker haggling over the price of a packet of cigarettes with the peddler. After the transaction, he had only paid $5, which is significantly lower than the usual store prices of over $10 for a similarly-sized packet. Upon observation, I notice that all the purchasers of the drugs or cigarettes are foreigners, e.g. Chinese and Indian nationals, and Bangladeshi workers (from their attire). I think that this is because they have little knowledge about the lack of quality control of such drugs and the subsequent negative health implications; or they are unable to afford the legal versions. From our talk with the injured migrant workers, we learnt that foreign workers experience long working hours (frequently working over-time with no pay), minimal pay and terrible working and living conditions. Hence, they are eager to get out of their dormitories to places like Geylang/Chinatown and Little India, for the Chinese and Indian/Bangladeshi migrant workers respectively, for entertainment and pleasure after work. We feel that this could explain why they are the main consumers of these illegal products and why many of the signs displayed at the brothels are written in Mandarin, specifically, in traditional Chinese characters (fan ti zi), because the target audience of these massage or sexual services is primarily the Chinese nationals.

In Geylang, the differences between the private residences and the brothels are clear. While brothels are illuminated with neon pink lights, have large signs advertising lowly-priced massage and sex services displayed above the door, and have frosted glass windows and doors (the silhouettes of the naked prostitutes within can be seen by passers-by, probably to attract potential customers), the residences are largely boarded up, and wired fences surround the property. Moreover, Geylang’s demographic profile consists of mainly middle-aged or older people, and there are few young children spotted. Signs on certain buildings and houses prohibiting the entry of the streetwalkers indicate that this may be a common problem dealt with by the residents in the area. These observations demonstrate Geylang’s lawless and unsafe atmosphere and environment, and the distrust of residents towards the various groups frequenting their community.

In conclusion, Geylang is a diverse place, where there are regular businessmen and workers milling about the main road, while the back lanes contain a different set of people making their living through questionable means, regardless of whether or not it was their choice.