It's not exactly a consumerism backlash, but it's an interesting development in Singapore, nonetheless:

“Haji Lane is closer to our aesthetic,” she continued. “Here we feel free to go a step further and explore new things. We showcase our own artwork, and the crowd is very encouraging.”

Indeed it is. Haji Lane has become a meeting place for the city’s anti-mall crowd.

That's a big climbdown from the malls-are-all aesthetic of Singapore. Believe me, I walked through three of them on my way to work every morning. Singapore is, if it is anything at all, a city of malls. A city of shoppers.

What I found interesting about this story is how close Haji Lane is to where I lived in Singapore: just a few blocks away. I lived at the corner of Beach Road and Leang Seah. Leang Seah is well know as a foodie street in Singapore, with lots of boutique food stores, many of them run by Thais, Malays, Vietnamese, Singaporeans and Chinese. Toss in a Tamil for good measure.

It was a fantastic neighborhood to live in, as well. It felt like a cosmopolitan neighborhood of small shops in the heart of a big city, which is exactly what it was.

I miss the food. And that fifty cent coffee of fresh, right off the mountain Sumatra I had every morning on the way to work.