Latest news with #SikhTemple
Independent Singapore
05-07-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
‘I survived on Indomie and cucumbers': When you're broke in Singapore, what do you eat?
SINGAPORE: It started with an unpretentious, level-headed question posted on Reddit: 'What should a Singaporean eat if they've gone broke?' The user who posted the question provided a rather miserable answer of his own — an 'endurance kit' comprising Indomie instant noodles, one cucumber split across three meals, some bread, and Milo. A little pathetic, a little tear-jerking — but it touched a nerve. The thread rapidly took off, becoming an unusually bolstering joint confessional. From frugal food hacks to community resources, fellow Singaporeans weighed in, providing guidance, compassion, and tales of resilience. Community before calories One suggestion didn't involve food from a store at all: 'Queue up at a Sikh temple for free meals. They have it 3x a day.' Langar, the practice of offering free meals at Sikh place of worship, has long been a silent pillar of support for the famished. In a country where 'dignity' and pride can occasionally stop people from asking for help, the idea that such support is present is both practical and profoundly sympathetic. Another commenter built on this spirit of kindness and genuine care: 'I think I would go to temples to get free meals, or look for soup kitchens. You need the nutrients and don't want to end up with medical conditions due to deficiencies and end up saddled with medical bills.' The message is clear: rudimentary nutrition is important, not just for endurance, but to evade a downhill spiral into health emergencies that can be more expensive than food. Hacks from the hungry However, not everyone who participated in the thread was penniless. Countless others knew what it felt like to stretch a dollar until it pleaded for mercy. And their imagination and resourcefulness were apparent. A user recommended: 'Get packet instead of cup instant noodles, and the extra saved can get cheap add-ons like eggs, imitation crab sticks, and some fresh veggies.' It's the type of logic born out of inexpensive grocery trips and hawker-centre economics. Another shared a time-tested and validated technique: 'I used to buy those red bean bun packets that had like 6 inside and tried to make it last for two days. I remember it was like $1.80 back then. Now don't know if $2 can cover.' Inflation has made these recollections feel like wistfulness from another age, but the approach — make small things stretch — still works. Others took a somewhat darker, more cynical attitude. One commenter, countering the cucumber idea, remarked flatly: 'Wa cucumber ah, I think I rather drink water and save the money to buy something else.' Broke in body, spirit, and energy Not all responses were firmly about financial difficulty. One predominantly touching response came from a student who depicted a different kind of destitution — emotional burnout: 'Wasn't 'broke' broke in terms of bank, but broke in terms of spirit and energy… I kept a container of instant oats in my dorm room… some weeks, almost the entire week.' Now and then, being broke isn't just about the wallet; it's about mental reserves, social investment, and the resolve to carry on. Their nourishment consisted of oats, hot water, the sporadic raisin or chocolate bar taken from school events, and a great deal of skipped mealtimes. The hidden economy of being poor Possibly, the most valuable observation to arise from this Reddit thread was not a suggested dish or food item, but a broader awareness — being broke calls for more than just being frugal. It requires imagination, community responsiveness, and frequently, a throbbing 'realignment' of pride. See also Singaporeans say S$2K monthly salary is considered poor One wise commenter condensed it seamlessly: 'Home-cooked food, well-planned and budgeted, far outstrips anything like cup noodles or low-nutrition food. This should be practised even on a normal budget, not just when you're poor.' More than just a meal Food has always been more than just nourishment. It's about individuality, well-being, and, for countless people, a device to gauge stability. What this thread disclosed was not just how Singaporeans feed themselves when times are hard, but how they care for one another. The penniless, the once-broke, and the still-financially-stressed all congregated around an online table to exchange recipes, recollections, and hard-fought wisdom. For sometimes, just to know that another person has made it through on raisins, noodles, oats, cucumber, and free grapes is enough to help another one get through one more day.
BBC News
02-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Telford Sikh temple gets go-ahead for children's nursery
A Sikh temple has been given permission to use part of its site as a children's Gurdwara in Priorslee said it wanted to "maximise its benefits" for the community.A plan to hold weddings for up to 881 guests was recently rejected over concerns about traffic at Telford & Wrekin Council said that the Abbey House site had 109 car parking spaces, while the applicant estimated that the nursery would create 40 trips per day. The gurdwara (Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Gurdwara) near Priorslee Roundabout already has permission for a games area and children's have said the play area must be developed before the nursery to provide outdoor space. The opening hours of the nursery would not coincide with any event taking place at the gurdwara, and would make use of an "under-utilised" part of the building, the application added that the facility would be "open to the general public, as well as existing members of the congregation/Sikh community". Extended contribution Council planners said: "It is understood that the area in question is currently only occupied during ceremonies or events at the site, providing space for the marriage registry and areas for religious learning."However, during the weekdays this space is not required for these purposes."Planning agent Richard Jewkes of Simpatico Town Planning Limited had told the council that the proposal was aimed at improving facilities at the site, and extending the contribution which the gurdwara makes to the local community. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Independent Singapore
27-06-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
S'poreans share their 'I'm broke meal' when money is very low
SINGAPORE: In this day and age of high food prices and inflation, it does not hurt to have a money-saving hack or three to help us get by. On Reddit, after some Singaporeans shared their 'best money choices' earlier this week , another local user asked others about their 'I'm broke meal' in Singapore. 'If you've ever been broke. I mean like broke broke – $2 in your bank account kinda vibes for the entire week, what is your go-to meal?' wrote u/kittyprincessxX in a post on r/askSingapore on Thursday (June 26). The post author then went on to share their own favourite 'I'm broke' meal — Indomee, a cucumber portioned across three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), bread, and Milo. The most upvoted comment simply read, 'Early bedtime', which is likely to mean skipping at least one meal each day. It also implies, of course, a person who does not go out at night to socialise and, therefore, spends nothing. See also Woman calls $4.80 chicken rice portion 'pathetic' 'Rice, egg, soy sauce' was another top comment, though someone else added that eating luncheon meat or chilli garlic oil with this meal would be most welcome. 'Queue up at a Sikh temple for free meal. They have it 3x a day btw,' another suggested, though others did not take too kindly to it, as these meals are earmarked for the needy in Singapore. A commenter wrote that they cooked a protein with rice and a vegetable — and one week's worth of these meals cost less than S$10. 'How do I know? This is what I did in poly and NS, for years, this was all I could afford for weeks. I couldn't even eat cup noodles because that was too expensive and I would literally die of health problems eating instant noodles for weeks on end. Chicken, rice and lettuce are what I built my body off growing up. I've tried so many variations and to this day I still eat it when I have no idea what else to eat and I have very standardised recipes that I cook.' See also 7 Unique Dining Experiences in Singapore You Need To Try in 2022 'I used to buy those red bean bun packets that had like 6 inside and tried to make it last for 2 days. I remember it was like S$1.80 back then. Now I don't know if S$2 can cover,' another noted. When one suggested cup noodles, another wrote that packets are cheaper. 'The extra saved can get cheap add-ons like eggs, imitation crab sticks and some fresh veggies,' they added. 'For breakfast it would just be some bread and water. A lot of cabbage potato veggie soup and rice to stretch it out for the week. If I'm lucky I can add egg and milk to these meals. The only seasoning would be salt and pepper. I'd rotate this with indomee if I have it on hand. I avoid cup noodles like the plague,' one commeted. /TISG Read also: S'poreans share the 'best money choices' they've made to help them save towards retirement
RNZ News
23-06-2025
- RNZ News
Man surrenders after assault leaves two injured at sports complex near Sikh temple
Takanini Gurdwara Sri Kalgidhar Sahib. Photo: Google Maps A man has turned himself into police Monday after two people were injured in an assault at a sports complex located next to a Sikh temple in South Auckland over the weekend. Police said the attacker had entered the sports complex next to Takanini Gurdwara Sri Kalgidhar Sahib and approached a man known to him about 5pm on Sunday. "He has begun to assault the man, before bystanders have intervened to stop the offending," Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Taylor said. The victim and a second person both suffered minor injuries during the assault. Both received treatment at a local medical centre. Security removed the man, and he was seen getting into a vehicle before police arrived on scene, Taylor said. Taylor said the assault was not believed to be a hate-motivated crime. "We acknowledge that this incident was confronting for those who were present at the temple at the time," Taylor said. "However, we have established that this incident occurred as a result of a dispute between two parties known to each other." Police had conducted "reassurance patrols" around the temple due to the assault, Taylor said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
23-06-2025
- RNZ News
Two people injured in assault near Sikh temple in south Auckland
Takanini Gurdwara Sri Kalgidhar Sahib. Photo: Google Maps Two people have been injured in an assault at a sports complex next to a Sikh temple in south Auckland. Police said the attacker entered the Takanini Gurdwara Sri Kalgidhar Sahib and approached a man known to him about 5pm on Sunday. "He has begun to assault the man, before bystanders have intervened to stop the offending," Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Taylor said. The victim and a second person both suffered minor injuries during the assault. Both received treatment at a local medical centre. Security removed the man and he was seen getting into a vehicle before police arrived on scene, Taylor said. Taylor said the assault was not being treated as a hate-motivated crime. "We acknowledge that this incident was confronting for those who were present at the temple at the time," Taylor said. "However, we have established that this incident occurred as a result of a dispute between two parties known to each other." Taylor said police have since spoken with the driver of the vehicle, after it was stopped in the Manurewa area later in the evening and are following positive lines of enquiry in relation to the offender. Police carried out "reassurance patrols" around the temple as a result of the assault, Taylor said. Anyone with information that can assist enquiries can update police online now or call 105, using the reference number 250622/3501. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
