An afternoon walk in Chinatown, Singapore.

It takes the summer holidays to have the free time and luxury to just wander around side streets and lanes of the Singapore I know and love.

Shophouses are my passion. Spiral rear staircases, tiles in rich colored patterns and wooden shutters! 

These dwellings, so typical of this region, are now more commonly the domain of restaurants, offices and the like rather than homes. They are also very upmarket.

If you want to see inside a shophouse and witness the typical narrow layout and multiple levels, head to an antique shophouse called Tong Mern Sern (Dong Men Sheng). 

Located on Craig's Road you can walk in, ponder how on earth it got so crowded with antiques and imagine the internal layout minus the romantic clutter. There is an air well on the upper floor as well.

After you've done imagining your dream home, head next door for a coffee at the cafe. Oh and buy an antique for good measure! 

I can't believe I created this post on my phone with 18% battery left!