8_Days__June_1_2017

STORY
YIP JIEYING PHOTOS EALBERT HO
expensive to make the walls completely soundproof,
and if we put soft padding on the walls [to absorb
sound], they might get damaged very quickly by
customers who hit the walls,” says The Fragment
Room’s boss Royce Tan, 23.
3. Blast some music
Each of the two rooms is outfitted with a small
Altec Lansing Bluetooth speaker for you to plug your
smartphone in to play a rousing soundtrack as you go
on a rampage. Or you can just enjoy the no-frills OST
of ceramics breaking. The melodious ‘clink’ is rather
soothing after a while.
4. Suppress
the thought
of wastage
Our crate of
breakable stuff
contains a mixture
of porcelain pot
lids, ugly mugs,
Chinese teacups
and, gasp, good
wine glasses. Royce sources the breakables, which
also includes electrical appliances, from a karang guni
supplier. He explains “All of this stuff is headed for the
junkyard anyway, so [smashing them] is another way
of getting rid of them.” If your inner eco warrior is still
protesting, take heart that the debris will be sent for
recycling.
5. Adhere to the safety guidelines
Before you enter the rage room, you have to sign an
indemnity form. Your package gets you a chic white
workman suit, sturdy suede gloves, safety boots and a
heavy-duty helmet with a full protective visor.
1. Try to be a Fruit Ninja
Royce is open to folks bringing in stuff they
DON’T want to destroy (like, ahem, stuff belonging to
an ex). But don't try to be funny and attempt
to bring fruits in for a round of Fruit Ninja. Royce
recalls, “I once had a guy who asked if he could bring
a watermelon in for smashing. The answer is no! No
organic materials! It's really hard to clean up food, and
it might leave a bad smell in the room.”
2. Treat the rage room as a place
to show off your weaponry
collection.
You can choose from a baseball bat or even a fancy
crowbar by streetwear label Supreme to do your
Hulking with. But Royce says no to people using their
own weapons: “Like this guy who wanted to bring a
sword from his collection here. For safety reasons, we
tell people to
stick to the bats
we provide.”
3. Think
that this
place
promotes
violence
Nope, being
encouraged
to hit stuff
doesn't stir
dormant
destructive
tendencies
in us. My
colleague and
I — both not
the type of
people who
turn into the
Hulk when
we’re angry —
gingerly hit a
few mugs and
pot lids. “I
Combat mode:
The Fragment
Room’s boss
Royce Tan.
expected to like it, but it wasn't as shiok as I imagined
it to be. It's just not for me,” my colleague admits. I
did feel a little like a rebellious teenager compelled
to destroy stuff just for the sake of it. But some
folks come in and experience epiphany, like an older
gentleman who went into the rage room before us. He
walks out with a renewed spring in his step. “I thought
it was only something my son would like, but it was
surprisingly satisfying to smash things,” he raves to us.
But would the practice of de-stressing in rage rooms
become a common way of life like practising yoga, or is
it just a fad? Royce admits he has no way of predicting
the longevity of his business idea. He says, “But we’re
planning several initiatives to attract customers, one of
them being an Unhappy Hour where people can come
in to try the rage room at a discounted rate.” Whatever
it is, we could sure use more ways to de-stress.
Fragment Room, 3 Balestier Rd, S329671. To make
an appointment, call 9155-8897 or go to www.
thefragmentroom.com.
8 DAYS | 65