Ah Tan, Professional Inker

In one of the understated shops of Jonker Street, we met Mdm Tan Yizhen, also known as 'Ah Tan' by many, who works in a printing shop which has been around for more than 100 years. Her story intrigued us and we decided to interview her.

Ah Tan has worked there for a few decades! We were all very impressed by her dedication and commitment to her work. She was also very patient when answering our questions.

When we first stepped into the shop, we saw shelves filled fully with old stationery such as old pencils and antique sharpeners. We learnt from Ah Tan that though the shop still sells various kinds of stationery, it has been mostly converted into a museum.



Another group who visited the museum mentioned another room further in held antique, bulky and expensive printers which were used in the olden days. This shop used to print a monthly newspaper back then. We had wanted to enter the same room, but as the shopkeeper was not in (Ah Tan was only an employee), Ah Tan could not risk letting us in for fear that we would accidentally damage the machinery.

Though we were disappointed that we could not see the printers, just hearing Ah Tan's story of how she has worked here for decades is very inspiring.