From my backyard:
The blind masseur of Tanglin Halt
Just sharing in case you are in need of a masseur around Queenstown.
In a few more years, this place will be torn down for en-bloc.
A lot of the shops and proprietors are here since the early 70s. Nostalgia.
This indomitable spirit of where we fall where we get is a trait amongst entrepreneurs, sales persons, investors, and traders who never give up.
Of course not every can do it.
Once we have a skill that someone is willing to pay for, we are financially free.
Investment not needed.
Is Commonwealth wet market tearing down too?
ReplyDeleteCW,
DeleteThe whole place including the market and food centre are included in the en-bloc ;)
I think its the biggest HDB en-bloc for SERs so far.
Many of the shop proprietors who are now in their 70s are using the "compensation" as their gratuity to retire for good.
Queenstown SERs
Cannot believe everything you read. PR is PR.
I don't believe most of the seniors in their 70s and 80s were pleased with the move... Would you? When you've lived here all your life?
Most of my elderly neighbours are frail and old. Every month there's a funeral here. Not everyone can survive till the move in 2-3 years' time...
The happiest people are their grown up children in their 40s and 50s not living here. Mom and dad moves to new flat, another 10-20 years, their children will inherit the new flat in a mature estate ;)
If no en-bloc, the lease of their Tanglin Halt old flat will be less than 50 years :(
For my case, I am beyond glad! My speculation has paid off ;)
I remember years ago, when I visit Margaret Drive for the claypot rice.. that’s when the market still look old enough for me to not travel in time.
ReplyDeleteThings are all getting ‘new’ here.
sleepydevil,
DeleteThat's the price for progress and development.
On one hand, we find it "quaint" that some neighbouring cities are still like Singapore in the 60s or 70s.
That meant there's no growth opportunities and the young men and women have left for bigger cosmopolitan cities to seek work.
Now when I pass Robinsons Road and Shenton Way on the bus, so much have changed... The CPF and MPH landmarks are now gone...
But some new buildings are quite cool. I made a deliberate visit to the new OUE Gallery to marvel at the new retail concepts there.
Occupation hazard. Must always sharpen my saw mah ;)
Hi SMOL,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the story. Sometimes we have to lose our sight to see, lose our home to find our real home and lose what's important to know what's important. I can only hope that I have the foresight and wisdom to really use the lessons of losing something to gain back something even more important.
LP,
DeleteI also hope I am made of more sterner stuff as being "lucky" Singaporean, I am not tested by natural disasters like typhoons, earthquakes, landslides and other acts of nature...
And thankfully we have no armed conflicts here - must support NS! Its not luck; its deterrence.
We have very prosaic goals like financial freedom. That's about living in the future; not in the present.
If we are in a natural disaster or armed conflict, living in the present is about food, shelter, and staying safe!
In Singapore's context, only a serious illness or bad accident may bring us back to the present.
temperament,
ReplyDeleteOne behaviour I can't stand Singaporeans overseas is this calculating "savings" or "good bargain" mindset.
Bargain until face blue with street hawkers for that savings of $1 or $2 Sing dollars equivalent!?
Taken to the extreme, we are not much different from that BMW driver who finds it OK to take advantage of a "bargain" from an elderly pump attendant's "mistake".
I understand why big daddy does not encourage a tipping culture in Singapore.
But I'll do my part to "tip" the pizza deivery person, the taxi-driver who showed patience with my mom, and sometimes for no other reason than to see the smile on the other person's face ;)