Murky flood water be damned; nothing can interrupt a kopitiam session with kopi, beer and reading the newspaper. Last Saturday, Hua Hua Eating House in Marine Parade Central was hit by a flood that resulted in brackish ankle-deep water flowing under the chairs and tables of patrons. Who, we must say, remained unflappable amidst the abnormal situation.
Retired Straits Times political correspondent Ismail Kassim posted pictures of the flood on his Facebook page, including a shot of his bare feet after taking off his shoes. Stall owners at the coffee shop appeared to be frustrated as they waded in the waters, but the patrons looked pretty nonplussed by the state of things.
But how did the entire kopitiam get flooded? It was a pretty rainy Saturday in the eastern and northern parts of the country, according to the National Environmental Agency (NEA).
Thundery showers mainly over northern and eastern Singapore in the evening. Issued 5pm.
— NEA (@NEAsg) July 7, 2018
Heavy rain warning: Moderate to heavy thundery showers with gusty wind are expected over eastern areas of Sing.. .
— NEA (@NEAsg) July 7, 2018
Also, this wouldn’t be the first time a coffee shop got flooded in the low-lying district. Back in 2013, the Marine Parade Central Food Centre was hit by flash floods, with foul-smelling waters measuring 10cm deep filling up the area thanks to overflowing toilets. Currently, the popular hawker center is undergoing major renovations and will only reopen in January next year.
Perhaps the familiarity with waterlogged coffee shops has resulted in seasoned residents being accustomed to having some local fare with a side of flooding.
