Richard Chong, 68, co-founder of Dakota Dreams, shares about his experience and passion in running the bookstore. Story and photos by Nur Syafina Binte Imran.
Richard Chong posing proudly in front of Dakota Dreams.
Seated inside an eye-catching bookstore, Richard Chong gave a friendly smile upon my arrival. He enthusiastically showed me around the bookstore while exuding an air of wisdom.
From an article by The Straits Times in 2020, Richard is one of the five retired co-founders of Dakota Dreams located at Old Airport Road Food Centre. His journey with the bookstore began when another co-founder Fong Hoe Fang, 68, introduced him to the first dreamer Vienna Fong, currently in her 50s, who sparked his interest in opening a bookstore together.
So, how did his love for books come about?
Hoe Fang and Richard were secondary school classmates and continued keeping in touch over the years. They went to the library to do a lot of research and brainstorming for their General Paper subject during their junior college years which motivated them to read more. Even when he entered the working life, he continued to read more books which were his first love and for his continuous learning journey.
“Still have to read and improve to learn a lot. Evolve your skills. So, over the years, instead of reading fiction I read more non-fiction books,” said Richard.
He has read a lot of books but what stood out to him were management books. Richard said he read about how to manage companies and himself better because they help grow his knowledge. He learned how to talk to his family better, have a more balanced life, and look after his own health.
“Still have to read and improve to learn a lot. Evolve your skills.”
Being unable to attend university after his GCE A-Level, Richard worked very hard for his career. He spent a lot of time engaged in work to look after his family. He had run a business with a friend and worked at a colour separation firm where he gained printing skills.
After dedicating much time to the commercial world, he joined a church which was very fulfilling. Not too long after 50 years of work, Richard felt it was time to start a new season.
“At this age, I came to feel that our lifespan is only limited. So, this could be a new season where we get to choose to retire from vocation and avail ourselves to see where we can serve the community,” shared Richard.
That led to Richard’s motivation to run a bookstore. When he explored how he could reach out to the community, he believed that the theory of helping others didn’t matter, “it's a matter of being on the ground”. Hence, Dakota Dreams was an ideal platform.
“So, this could be a new season where we get to choose to retire from vocation and avail ourselves to see where we can serve the community.”
Dakota Dreams creates recreational activities for the community to get them to spend time there. Richard said people are encouraged to come and create handicrafts, like bead crafts, or even just have some fun by bringing their ukuleles.
His most memorable experience with a customer was with an Aunty, - a Singaporean term to address an elderly woman. Despite living far away, in Clementi, the Aunty would come by to converse with him when she’s in the area to get work done by her seamstress.
Richard shared that another unique point of the bookstore is the books are sold at an affordable pricing from SGD $2, making it accessible for everyone to buy.
A customer, Graelon H. Salvador, 21 said the low price made books more accessible to everyone which helped people try something new. This is something he hopes to see more of in Singapore.
A big challenge Richard faced while running the bookstore is getting volunteers. If they were to get more volunteers, tending the bookstore will become a job rather than a way to reach out to the community.
Earl Jio Cada, 21, another customer of Dakota Dreams shared, “I think I feel the main goal of the shop is not to have business but more to reach out to have more people into the book scene.”
He further explained that the bookstore founders go out of their way to promote events they have for bonding.
“What I noticed was they did approach younger customers telling them about the events and meetups they have for bonding. So when they bond together, they can also share the same interest, which will improve the book scene in Singapore,” he added.
“I think I feel the main goal of the shop is not to have business but more to reach out to have more people into the book scene.”
Regarding the bookstore being part of sustaining the book scene in Singapore, Richard felt that he needs to understand how he will affect the community.
“I think the biggest issue is realism. You begin to look at things in a more realistic manner rather than what you think people will need. So being here seeing things and then being available, we will begin to learn these things as we go along.”
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