Mainland on weekdays, Pulau Ubin on weekends: Poly student helps run grandparents' 100-year-old provision shop
An 18-year-old student balances his education in Singapore with helping his grandparents run a century-old provision shop on Pulau Ubin. The story highlights the challenges of island life, including limited infrastructure and the preservation of traditional lifestyles.
Why it matters
It provides a human-interest perspective on the contrast between rapid urban modernization and the preservation of heritage communities.
In a city filled with towering buildings, bustling streets and the constant hum of activity, a slower way of life still exists just a short boat ride from mainland Singapore.
On Pulau Ubin, where visitors can trade traffic jams for cycling trails and concrete landscapes for lush greenery, 18-year-old Isaac spends his weekends and school holidays with his grandparents, helping out at their provision shop that has been standing for more than a century.
The Republic Polytechnic student, who lives with his parents on the mainland during the weekdays, shared a glimpse into his life on the island in an episode of Mediacorp's Gen Z Crash Course, posted on YouTube.
Pulau Ubin offers Isaac a quiet retreat from city life, though living there also comes with its share of challenges.
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