I have never really contemplated high
rise living. Open spaces, green fields, fresh air and trees are the
usual basics I look for when choosing a home.
Singapore however, is a new city in a
rather small country. Land is at a premium and the main direction to
build is UP!
I was surprised to learn that most of
the building in Singapore are no older than fifty years old so fast
has been its development and although the apartment blocks tower over
everything a huge amount of detail has been given to the spaces
in-between.
There are two types of high rise
apartments available to those wishing to settle in the country,
government and private.
Each are housed in huge towering blocks
but the private blocks are arranged around a complex of pools,
recreational facilities that include
gyms, steam rooms and gathering areas.
Private blocks also tend to have small
private entrances to each apartment.
The government apartments, on the other
hand, have long covered walkways
and verandas that link each level of
apartments to their neighbours.
They may not have a pool but they do
have wonderfully organised areas, each designed to get people out of
their flats and down into the communal areas below to meet and chat.
Picnic areas and BBQs are available for
use free of charge.
Amazing mini out door gyms grace the
gardens.
There are machines for legs,
for arms,
for toning,
stretching,
and strengthening.
They even come with instructions!
Feet massaging walks wind their way
around flower beds.
Apparently walking along these pebbles
bare footed is the best way to stimulate the pressure points in the
soles of your feet!
Play areas with seating abound.
And like the private apartments, each
set of blocks has a large gathering area
that can be used free of change for
functions, meetings or group activities such as Tai Chi, coffee
morning etc.
Trees and greenery are located in every
available space and the walk ways between are all covered.
All this is provided as part of your
lease. The areas around the government blocks are maintained by the
government contractors, while the private condo's have their own in house
contractors.
Cleaners are supplied as part of
your rent to clean the walkways, lifts, car parking areas and stairs.
The grounds whether private or not are all immaculately clean.
It is a system that, after the initial
shock of being so high along with so many other people, really works.
They have even worked out how to dry high rise washing!!
Each morning these recreational areas
fill with people as they begin their day. Some sit and chat before
heading off to work, others stretch and lunge, others read or watch.
As the sun rises in the sky the areas
become quieter as people take advantage of the shade. When the rains
arrive people move from place to place protected by the covered
walkways.
Everything seems to have its own designated
area! Shops are gathered together.
Even the different religions are
gathered into a specific religious communal space.Churches stand next to temples that are backed with mosques. Every one smiles, everyone seems at peace.
In the evenings, huge food halls come
alive in these various shopping areas. Tiny stalls open up around a
large seating area serving, Indian, Malaysian, Chinese along with
other food and drinks.
Waiters come and clear the tables
returning colour coded table wear to the correct shops. For S$1.50 or
less you can have a tasty plate of food. For S$5 you get a feast!
Different dishes can be purchased from
different stalls yet all can be brought together at the table to be
shared or devoured.
No steamy cooking at home, no washing up, no
shopping for unusual ingredients, all you have to do is wander
around, chose whatever the mood dictates and you can eat with friends
and family from 50p upwards. It is no wonder the food courts get so
busy at night.
For the next week we all settled into a
nice routine. In the morning Steve would go off to work while Lisa
and I would go for a short walk to the shops for whatever it was we
had decided we needed.
This was usually followed by a bit of
Tai Chi at one of our outdoor mini gyms,
Followed with dip into the heated
jacuzzi before, if I was feeling brave, a swim in the cool water
of the pool.
After the warmth of the heated pool the main one always
gave you an initial shiver but once you were in it was refreshing and
delightful.
Lunch consisted mainly of salad or
fresh fruit and ice-cream with the occasional stir fry thrown in on
cooler days, while the afternoons were spent either in the pool as the
rain poured down from the heavens
(it is the rainy season so at 2pm
each day it rains for about two hours)
or curled up on the settee
to watch some cable TV, or playing backgammon, dice and cards until Steve arrived home.
When the rains came they literally poured down in sheets and then as quickly as it starts the clouds would break up and the clear blue sky would return as the paving stones steamed far below us!
Evenings were spent in the food courts
before a spot of reading or PC work and bed.
As blissful as all this was, and as
happy as I was to see Lisa in her new home, I wasn't really needed
yet so by the end of the week, as the Christmas decorations filled
the trees, I was ready for a spot of exploring.
I inquired about trains up to KL but
with the Christmas holidays ALL the trains on line were booked until
January 5
th!! I even crossed the causeway border to see if
I could catch a Malaysian train but even though the lady at the Train
Station was very helpful, again everything was booked until January!
As a side note, the MRT to the border,
the bus across into Malaysia, the Train station inquiries and the
return trip cost S£5 and took three hours. It was a great way to
spend a rainy afternoon!!
Eventually I found a coach that left
from the food courts by Lisa and Steve's apartment that went all the
way to KL for S$26 (£13)
My bag was packed with what I needed
(my winter travel clothes, some books and boots I left at Lisa and
Steve's) and with a final hug I was ready to go.
Through the Workaway web site I had
been invited to help out at a farm in Lanchang. I planned to be away
until January 5th when I would catch the train back to JB
where I would help out at a nursery for a further week. The plan then
was for me to pop back in Singapore the weekend of the 9th
just to check on Lisa and the bump, and as long as she was OK I would
pop back across the border to the nursery for another week.
I had a plan, I had a bag, I was off to
see Malaysia!!
nice
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