003 : exquisite timing
“Hey, Singapore in the 60s felt like this.”
In the movies, Singapore in the 1960s and 1970s is described as an opium den, a port full of gangs, slums along dirty streams, and an unstable society overflowing with unemployed people.
“Singapore wants independence”
Banners were hung everywhere, and people were busy moving.
Shall we say that the anxiety and anticipation caused by the fast-moving gait of independence are buried at the same time?
I don’t know how the passers-by actually felt, but it looked like that to me.
“This was the time when Singapore split with Malaysia. Chairman Woo boarded the plane at the perfect timing. Ah, am I now Chairman Woo?”
All I can say is that I was really lucky.
While working at a company, there were occasional cases where I heard legendary stories from retired OBs from popular groups, but the stories of expatriates in Singapore were unique.
In Singapore in the 1960s, the memory was clear because they said that they were engaged in business that was confusing whether it was trade or smuggling.
Speaking of which, there were not one or two problems faced by Singapore during the time of independence from Malaysia.
As well as political instability, the economic blow was significant. The first meant that the Malaysian market, which operated as an existing domestic market, would change to an overseas market that would have to pay tariffs.
The second problem was a bigger problem. Even though Singapore became independent from Malaysia, Indonesia confronted Malaysia on every incident and banned Singapore’s transit trade.
All of a sudden, Singapore has lost sight of the huge market around it at the same time.
However, those who made a living through trade could not quit their business, and eventually chose smuggling.
What’s even more funny is that even Indonesia, which banned imports, did not actively crack down on smuggling because the economy could not function properly without smuggling.
It was used as a tool to control prices by intermittently cracking down on smuggling only when necessary.
The third problem was probably the Vietnam War, right?
Since this year is 1965, it can be said that now is the time when the US military is on the verge of sinking into a quagmire.
In short, to visit Singapore when all of Southeast Asia is in turmoil, it seems that Chairman Woo was lucky.
“Come on, let’s hurry. I mean, there is no time.”
I came to Singapore on the pretext of transit, so I had to leave the country quickly to get a refund of half of the plane ticket to London.
The airfare at this time is 2,000 dollars one-way between Seoul and London, so if you go back from the middle stop, you will get 300,000 won for approximately 700 dollars.
In other words, it means that the expenses that can be spent in Singapore are about 300,000 won. You don’t have to walk like a beggar.
with my daughter with my daughter
“welcome. Guest.”
“I’m trying to fit a suit.”
As I left the airport and entered the city, I entered the first tailor shop I found.
Fortunately, it was a shop run by an Indian owner.
“Come here. I’ll start by measuring.”
It was once under British rule, so there were many tailor shops in Singapore that dealt with menswear, and it was a place where the fabric market naturally developed.
“You are tall and have very broad shoulders. Roughly 1,000 dollars to fit a suit with plenty of clothing…”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to wait. I like the suit hanging over there. How much is it?”
I pointed to the suit on the mannequin in the display case and pretended to take out my wallet.
“Oh, you have high eyes. That suit is made of British 120-count Prestige fabric. A certain gentleman ordered a dress for 900 dollars, but it was left behind because he hurriedly returned to England.”
It was as if he had met the owner of a tailor whose lies flowed out every time he opened his mouth.
At first glance, it was absurd to say that a polyester blend fabric was a prestige fabric.
“Have you ever seen such a foolish person? What kind of prestige is the poly blend!”
With a puzzled look on my face, I put my wallet back in and hurriedly turned around.
Hey, did I do this well?
No, looking at the 60s as a 21st century human, everything looked simple.
Even my English, which I had been using for a long time, came out smoothly.
“Ugh! Guest. I was momentarily mistaken. This suit is made of 100-thread Italian Canilico fabric. Although the poly is a bit mixed, it does not crease and is very easy to wash. This fabric is preferred by young and handsome people like you. If you need it right away, I’ll give it to you for just $599, no more.”
“Italian Canirico? No, I know it’s a Vietnamese fabric, so why are you lying like that?”
“……”
The owner of the tailor shop froze at the word Vietnamese fabric.
I thought I asked a stupid foreigner, but it’s completely unexpected, right?
How do you know I’m a Vietnamese fabric?
Of course you know.
Because it is the heroic story of Chairman Woo, who was injected day and night as a new employee of Daese Group.
Replacing Vietnamese fabrics, which were mainly used by Singaporean clothing merchants in the 1960s, with Korean ones, was the starting point for the birth of a major group.
“100 bucks. Is the labor cost sufficient?”
“A hundred bucks? Does this suit look so shabby?”
“I do not like it? Not then.”
I took out $100 and put it back in.
Turning around at once, he snatched my pants.
“Ah, guest. Who said you didn’t like it? I was just surprised when they called the original price. good. You seem to be a frequent visitor to Singapore, so let’s take you as a regular.”
“I will wear the suit right away, so there is no need to wrap it. Please bring some fabric samples from Vietnam as a service.”
“A sample? Are you a fabric business?”
“Yes, I am a fabric merchant. I have a business meeting on High Street today, and my luggage is missing at the airport. Thanks to that, not only did I lose the fabric sample, but I also lost the suit I was wearing.”
I proudly asked for a sample and stuck a ten-dollar bill into the tailor’s top pocket.
It was not an unreasonable demand.
If you are a tailor shop owner, you get tons of fabric samples from the fabric vendors.
It was an album booklet with small pieces of cloth stacked on top of each other, so it was difficult to deal with if several copies were piled up.
“A high street meeting?”
The store owner’s eyes changed.
It is also true that Singapore traders were largely competing with two forces.
One was Chinese merchants based on Pagoda Street, and the other was Indian merchants based on High Street.
In the 21st century, the Chinese eventually push out the Indians, but at this time, it was a competitive relationship.
And when penetrating a new market, the answer is to stick to the weak side and start.
On the side that is being pushed back, even a third party is bound to make an effort to increase the power.
“Was it the Indian Chamber of Commerce? Anyway, I have an appointment with the warden over there tonight.”
“Ugh! Do you mean you have a dinner date with Razak-sama?”
The name of the President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce is Rajak?
Razak, Razak… Let’s memorize it.
“Hmm, it looks like I said something stupid.”
“If you are a guest of Razak, you should help with anything. Hang on, you’ll need a shirt too.”
“I don’t even need a shirt…”
“It is a service. If you see Razak-nim, please mention once that the suit you are wearing is from an Indylan Tailor Shop.”Read at noblemtl
Just by citing the Indian Chamber of Commerce, the shop owner started promoting his shop by handing out samples of shirts and fabrics.
Well, it’s hard to imagine that a blue guy like me came to break through one of Singapore’s two biggest traders.
You might think he’s the son of an old trading ship…
“I see.”
I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to tell you the name of the tailor, but I’ll try. He’s a nobleman who even takes care of shirts and fabric samples.
“thank you. thank you.”
The store owner kept bowing his head, and I paid for my suit and left the store.
After putting on the suit, I managed to look at it.
It would have been nice if the shoes were new, but they didn’t seem to be too bad if I dusted them off.
“Why do you think you are a little tall?”
My appearance reflected in the street show window has changed.
I wondered if it was an illusion, but since I was wearing a suit, it was clearly different from the moment I was reincarnated.
In particular, the face was changing.
Do you think the atmosphere is changing?
My original face was overlapping Chairman Woo’s face.
An angle began to form on his round face, and his shoulders were widening.
As the mind changes, so does the body.
I even heard that I was friendly because I became like myself.
“Is this the High Street side?”
High Street is a place where the upper class is active enough to have the National Museum and the National Gallery nearby.
Shall we say Hannam-dong as an example of Korea in the 21st century? In any case, it meant the street where the upper class gathered, and it was openly using the name High Street.
「Adelphi Hotel」
It was a luxury hotel that symbolized the High Street.
“welcome.”
“I’m here to see the president of the Rajak Chamber of Commerce.”
I went to the hotel front desk and found Razak right away.
It was funny to find the president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in a hotel, but it wasn’t wrong.
The man was using a suite in this hotel as both his office and home.
Indians working abroad should not be viewed as water.
Among that large population, you must have a middle or higher caste class, among them you must receive formal education, among them you must have outstanding abilities, among them you must have some financial power, and among them you must have connections with the central political sphere of India or England to go abroad. it can work
If you are a nobleman who is the head of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, the hub of Southeast Asian trade, it is safe to say that you belong to the top 0.1%.
At this time, Singapore lived five times better than Korea with a per capita income of 500 dollars, and India lived worse than us with a per capita income of 60 dollars.
How rich would such a person from India be if he lived in a suite in a luxury hotel in Singapore?
‘A rich man like that is very embarrassed right now. It’s a great chance to meet someone like me.’
I looked straight at the front desk clerk, who was taken aback by my words that I had come to see Razak, and made up my mind.
Trust me, you can.
Originally, the wheel of history also rolled like this.
“Do you have an appointment with Razak-nim?”
“no. I couldn’t make an appointment.”
“Then I can’t meet you…”
“It’s so urgent that I couldn’t even call ahead. Please call me right now and tell me that Chan Su has come to Vietnam.”
“Vietnam?”
“okay. My name is Chan Su-wu. I don’t know the name, but I’ll be waiting for someone from Vietnam. That is what I am!”
I opened my passport and shouted.
“Now… hang on… I’ll call you back.”
At the mention of Vietnam, the front desk clerk was scared.
What if I really am the person Razak has been waiting for?
It would be like disrespecting a VIP customer.
Although dubious, the employee had no choice but to call Razak.
Tururu. Tooru…
The soft ringing sound of a hotel in the 1960s was heard over the handset.
＜Hello.＞
“Yes, the front. A guest has come to see Chief Razak.”
＜A guest? I don’t have a meeting appointment today…＞
“I want you to tell me that Mr. Chan Su-woo has come to Vietnam.”
＜What about Vietnam? Chansu Woo?＞
“Yes. If you tell me that, you will know. According to your passport, you are from South Korea.”
＜… send it up.＞
“Ah, yes. Yes.”
The front desk clerk bent down while holding the handset.
I left the staff behind and headed to the top floor.
I didn’t even need directions.
**
I must have occupied the entire top floor, and when the elevator opened, a handsome Indian grandfather with a mustache was staring at me.
“Nice to meet you, Rajak. My name is Chansou. Please feel free to call me Chansu.”
I didn’t even have a business card to hand, so I held out my hand with enthusiasm.
“Come on. Mr Wu. As for the handshake, I will do it or not after hearing the reason for mentioning Vietnam.”
“I will supply fabrics that have been cut off from Vietnam. instead of Korean ones.”
“!!!!”
Razak’s eyes widened.
