Making Headway.

In the Straits Times today, Friday 28 September, 2007, there are three full pages in the Classified section with all the names of those who have signed up for the en bloc sale totalling 565, and those who did not sign totalling 53, making a grand total of 618 owners. This advertisement, is a legal requirement, in our final submission to the Strata Title Board (STB) for approval for the en bloc sale. Approval, in principle, had already been given to the developer's submission of plans for the project, as well as for the topping up of the 99 year lease, by Singapore Land Authority (SLA).

Looking through the names in the list, it is how little that I know of the neighbourhood. I have lived in the estate for 30 years since it was built. Since then, people have moved in and out, most of the original owners have moved out and a small group like myself have stayed behind. People are not that friendly and when you meet them in the lift, they are usually stone faced. There are a few who are quite friendly and will greet you but this is few and far between.

My neighbours upstairs are a noisy lot banging and scrapping furniture. There is a kid who has the annoying habit of tossing a golf ball and a ball at all hours. Below me, there is a lunatic woman who howls with her dog everyday. This is one of the reasons why I am looking forward to moving out.

Looking at the list also, it is interesting to see some of those, who were so vocal and nasty against the en bloc sale, finally signing up. They were so nasty as to resort to shouting and bickering and trying to entice their neighbours not to sign. Among the 53 who did not sign, there is a group of trouble makers who want more money and who just want to be difficult. I have been informed that some are bankrupts, whose money will eventually be taken away from them to pay their creditors. There are some joint owners who have divorced, and not being able to sign jointly, must wait for their legal proceedings.

It is true that an en bloc sale will bring out the good and the bad of the community. There are always pros and con, with valid reasons. It will be the sticking point in all housing estates in Singapore in years to come.

For the last two weekends, I have been viewing houses. Saw a new project at Thomson Hill, but found the layout disappointing and the prices too high.

Last Sunday, I went to the new Springside launching with the family. When we got there, the crowd was so big, it was incredible that they were all looking at houses. The show houses were nicely done up especially with the modern concept. Starting at $1.7m, and with a TOP at around 2009, I had to back away. It not only broke my budget, but the timing is too far away for me. But I like the location and hopefully I can buy a resale unit in one of the older development.

The next stop was at Saraca Villa, an old development which was left unoccupied due to the downturn of the property market a few years ago. The terrace houses were quite nice with a long backyard and three storeys of living space. Quiet but facing the CTE shielded by a long row of tall plants. Priced at $1.4m, it would require renovation work to bring it up to standard. This will probably cost another $100k at least and without warranty. It is also very out of the way for me since I have no car but depend on public transport.

Last stop @Stratton close by. We had our dinner at Jalan Kayu and by the time we got there, they were packing up. But they obliged to open up for us and showed us their new project. Nice and innovative, the models looked attractive. It was a soft launch and the project has not been built yet. Priced at $2m and with a TOP of 2010, it is obviously not for me.

And the hunt goes on and on. Unfortunately I have not received my money yet which makes it difficult and frustrating for me. At this point in time, my money is only expected by March 2008. Hopefully all the procedures will go smoothly and the money will be on time and maybe earlier.

Besides the en bloc frenzies, it was also my wife's birthday. The previous Sunday, the family had a very nice lunch at the Churchill. It has been one of the favourite places, where we gather for the Family Lunch on a Sunday. With a $50 voucher, it is conducive for us to indulge in the fine spread of good food. The kids always enjoy eating there with the children's menu and the lavish spread of dessert, not forgetting the balloons. This time, they have removed the play area, which reduced the noise level.

Last Saturday, being the actual birthday itself, the family gathered at home for a home cooked dinner by the wife. On both occasions, my other son-in-law was absent due to work. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable. Emma, as usual, took the limelight and was as funny as ever. She is the live wire and everyone's darling.

As I am trying to close this post on Sunday evening, I had another indulgence today after having a delightful and expensive brunch at the Shangri la Hotel, with my son and wife. Costing about $70 per pax, we consumed several plates of the seafood comprising of oysters, scampi, prawns, crayfish, mussels and scallops. Following this, we had Japanese sushi, tuna, yellowtail and salmon. Then on to a splendid roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, finishing off with plates of dessert and decaf coffee.

Both my son and myself have the same strategy, in tackling a buffet, where there is so much food that it is impossible to eat everything. Surveying the spread of food, we go in for the expensive sections like the above, and indulge ourselves leaving space for everything. If we account for all that we ate in an ala carte menu, it would have cost more than the buffet price. If we had blindly stuffed everything in, we would be too full and not truly enjoyed the food. It is not possible to eat every item. This coming week, I must work harder at my exercise to burn off the extra food.

Till then....

"Big house!"

Had another house viewing on Friday, 14 September. Through a client of my son, we trouped down to Springside, to view a new house.

Packing all the three kids including the maid, wife and son, we drove down to the site. We were met by my son's client, Leo and the developer. You can imagine the boisterous group including the live-wire Emma, laughing away.

On entering the house, I was struck by the immense layout of the property. It was beautiful and tastefully decorated. Emma yelled out, "Big house!", and clamoured all over the place eventually climbing up all three flight of stairs.

Judicious placement of glass panels made the house bright and cheerful. There was an air-well above the dining allowing ample light in. Featuring a dry and wet kitchen, there was a fifth bedroom with bath and toilet attached at the back of the house.

The staircase was at the side which did not mar the appearance of the house. With three stories, the master bedroom was large. Another bedroom on that level offers an opportunity to turn it into a study, cum computer, cum library, cum hideaway. Third level featured a duplicate master bedroom, which would fit my son's requirement, and a fourth bedroom.

On the roof, a terrace garden with a gazebo. It extended the length, the depth of the house. Excellent for a putting green. My son would love this, smoking Havana cigars with his friends.

It was befitting of my dream house, agreed by my family especially the kids. When I spoke to the developer, I was informed it would cost $1.9m o.n.o! They would consider $1.8m. My heart sank, for it broke my budget. The only consolation was that, they would sell the house with everything inside. That is, with all the furnishings, air-conditioning units, kitchen, dining set, lounge set, beds, refrigerator, etc.

The house was a corner terrace house with a nice garden space and a lap pool. The kids would love this, swimming in it. It would have made a perfect family home for family gatherings. I was told that the house was originally priced at $1.6m, but with the rise in property prices, it has been raised to $1.9m asking price. It has been used as the show house. Another property at the other corner, is also available at the same price, but with a small swimming pool and with some additional fittings. Again it would break my budget.

How frustrating! Disappointed, we left for Leo's house, a stone throw away. Leo showed us his house in which he keeps sting ray in the middle of the house. Also a very nice house but different from the show house. Interesting to note that many houses in his neighbourhood are still vacant. Leo told me that some of them buy for investment. Some of them had very nice roof gardens. So I told Leo that I would be interested in a resale if his neighbour should decide to do so. A glimmer of hope there. Another phase of new houses will be built around there, but will not be ready by 2010/2011. Too late for me.

If I had won the big sweep last month, I would have bought the house outright. I hope another house like that would come my way when I am truly ready with my money. Meanwhile, back to my dreams!

Till then....

What's up?

As Bugs Bunny would ask his signature question - "What's Up, Doc?", my posting today will be updating on some of the events that has happened. My mind has boggled lately and it is hanging somewhere out there.

Our Lady's Procession on 2nd September, 2007.

I have been serving as Eucharistic Minister for this annual event for many years now, and enjoyed it. Held at the Novena Church, Thomson Road, we commemorate the important role of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. The procession would start at 6 pm with the Rosary. During the procession, the various church groups including the nuns and priests will be walking together, and a big portrait of Our Lady will be carried in the centre. The Archbishop will invariably be at the back as the main celebrant. It is a very solemn and poignant sight.

The procession will end up at the altar, erected in front of Novena. The Mass will then commence. During the Mass, the Bishop will crown Our Lady on top of her portrait.

This year's event has been shortened somewhat. Just as the crowning was taking place, there was a short shower. We called it a shower of blessings. But we were protected by some huge umbrellas provided by our Communion Guides. I had a young and pretty girl as my guide this year, who helped me give Holy Communion along a very narrow and slippery path. There were over ninety Communion Points.

The Mass ended just after eight. This year saw the emergence of the ladies Eucharistic Ministers who joined us, the men. Subdued in our men's jokes, we coped well with them. Some of them took a lot of kidding from the guys. I remember giving directions to a lady looking for the toilet. It turned out to be a gent's toilet. To save face, I told her that in the eyes of God, we are all the same! She took the joke well. This year's hymns are not as lively as last year though.

My en-bloc update

The EGM was held on 25 August, 2007. The turnout was very good and amicable. This was our last meeting, and surprisingly, went off well, without the usual fighting and shouting, common among the residents. There were obviously many 'money faces' laughing and cheering away even thanking the agent and lawyers. Some who opposed the sale, were there looking very sullen. I found out that some of them has already bought their replacement properties. Many have commented on their selfishness.

Given the legal process, barring any hiccups, we should conclude the sale by May 2008, and receive 90 - 95% of our money at the same time. We are given six months to finally move out and to receive the final tranche of money by then. That would be around November 2008. With 91.3 % of owners already signed the CSA, the cut-off date will be 15 September, when application will be made to the Stata & Titles Board for approval and to hear the grouses of those who did not sign. It would be impossible for a 100% sign up, because there are some bankruptcies, and divorced couples who have not settled their legal proceedings. I hope the sale will complete in time and without any hitches.

So now I sit back and wait for the next phase. I have not been out viewing properties lately since there is nothing I can do until the money comes. My post box has been filling up with advertisements from the various housing agents. Running through my mind now is the final packing up for the move. We have all been accumulating so many things through the years and packing will be a major operation, throwing away most of the unwanted things. This will also be our last Christmas and Chinese New Year here. Wonder where we will be Christmas 2008?

Till then....

My week that was....

Last week started rather gloomily with me in very low spirit and depressed, despite my rather funny episode on the toilets. It was a brief respite for me to think back to my childhood and younger days in hilarious situations, and to laugh over them. Nowadays, I tend to be melancholic. Also I am trying very hard on anger management, through prayers and self control. It is tough going, especially when confronted in an angry situation with someone, and restraining myself from being angry about it.

Plagued by the anxieties of my en bloc sale and my current financial state, and other domestic problems, I seemed to be in some sort of limbo. The gloomy weather of late did not help much.

The week saw me serving at the church altar every morning, covering the duty for a friend of mine, who is recovering from a knee operation. This boosted my spirit eventually. I always feel good and calm serving the altar

Monday and Wednesday saw me on the track doing my brisk walk of six laps. My weight now stands at 64.5 kg. Quite an achievement.

Wednesday also brought me news from my son and housing agent that a choice HDB apartment could be available for sale. A corner unit in which the owner had built an extension to the living room, and a spacious garden around the side. Two doors away from my son's place, it is very much like a terrace house. When I first visited the place, I could not believe that it was a HDB estate, given the green grass, trees and open space. Priced at $600k - 700k, it would be well within my budget. This news certainly lifted me up from my depression.

Tuesday, my free day when I normally pick up my bag and jump in and out of buses around the city, I was not in a mood to wander far. Wife went out with her friend, so I took the bus to Holland Village and had Indian curry lunch alone. Home after that and after a cold shower, sat down to watching documentaries on the television.

By the time Thursday and Friday came round, I was in a better frame of mind when Emma, the live wire came to us for the two days. Lively and full of mischievous antics, she brought some laughter and noise into our lives. It has always been good to have her around.

Friday night, I was at Novena, rehearsing for Our Lady's Procession, scheduled for Sunday 2nd September afternoon. For many years, I have been taking part in this very meaningful Catholic event. This year it is no different except that for the first time, we have ladies Eucharistic Ministers. I pray that Our Lady will grant us fair weather on that day.

The EGM ( Extraordinary General Meeting) for our en bloc sale was held on Saturday at 2 pm. Filled with trepidation at first, the meeting went off very well and amicably among the owners present. The salient sale terms were discussed and a revised timeline was projected. At the end of the meeting, there were many happy 'money-faces' applauding. I was surprised because for once there was no fighting and shouting among the owners, which was very much the norm, resulting into chaos and unhappiness.

Prior to the meeting, we had a nice family lunch at O'Brien, Jelita. My chicken bacon triple decker toasted went down very well. A short spiel at the Cold Storage and we were home.

Sunday, I had lunch at the Botanic Gardens with my son and wife. The curry chicken leg was rather tough due, I suspect, to it being frozen before cooking. Can always tell the difference because if it had not been frozen, the chicken meat would have been soft and tender and separated from the bone after cooking.

After lunch, we drove to view the HDB property from the outside, since we were not able to go inside as yet. It was two doors away from my son's place. Nice property with the extension but what a terrible paint job. The extension wall was painted purple. In front was planted a Franjipani tree, which I thought was rather weird and obtrusive. The extension roof was sloped in an awkward angle and will need to be re-structured. There was a nice garden space by the side. The property sits at the corner facing the road in, and appears to be a terrace house more than an apartment. I met my agent there and he re-affirmed that he will work on the property and will also continue to source for a corner unit. All in all, my family and I would be interested in the property, if and when it becomes available soon. There will be a fair amount of renovation work to be done to it.

That was my week that was, started rather poorly but finished on a brighter note.

Till then....

Toilets

In my search for a new place to live, uppermost in my mind is the toilet. One of the things I will have to do is to hack the toilets and change to new ones. I always feel queasy when I have to sit on some body's toilet bowl.

Fortunately, I grew up using the squat toilet with modern flush system. During those days, most toilets utilised the rubber bucket system. To me that was always a nightmare. I was petrified of the darn thing. Not only was it smelly and dirty, I was always afraid of either falling into the hole or dropping something into it.

To my young readers who are not familiar with it, the system consisted of a raised cubicle shit-house, where you climb up several steps to go inside it. Inside, there is a concrete slab with two bricks and a hole in between. You place your feet on the bricks and squat down to shit. Your knickers and pants are stretched across your knees. Your nose comes very close to your knickers and you have the full aroma of vintage pee! For ladies, not that I have seen it, you pull your skirt/dress/cheongsum up to your waist, leaving your dainty panty across your knees. Now you know why I have this phobia of dropping something out of the pocket. At the very bottom is the bucket made of very heavy rubber. Everyday, the night-soil collector will come round to pull the bucket out and replace with an empty bucket. At the back of the house, you can see a square hole with a piece of rubber flap. This was where the bucket is exchanged.

When the sitting toilet was introduced, my brother used to trick me into believing that when you flush sitting down, the water will also wash your backside. Trying that out one day, I discovered the water did not reach me at all.

I had a friend whose shit house was built outside the house. One day, he was squatting inside. I picked up a bamboo pole with a hook at the end, and started to probe from the opening until he started yelling. I had a good laugh at his expense.

I was so petrified of this toilet that I refused to use it. When I was a little boy, one day, my father took me to Penang and stayed at a friend's Peranakan house at Mentri Lane. There were two other little boys there with their mother and grandmother. The toilet was the bucket system. My father had gone out in the morning leaving me alone with the two boys. As luck would have it, I needed to shit. Bravely, I held on until it became excruciating. I started to walk round in circle trying very hard to control until it was impossible. The darn thing came out in my shorts. Suddenly one lump fell out on the floor. I panicked and ran to hide under the staircase not knowing what to do.

A moment later, the grandmother happened to walk by and noticed the lump. She called out wondering what it was. The other two boys ran up to join her out of curiosity. They squatted down to examine the lump. I was watching all this from my hiding place. The grandmother touched the lump and smelled it. She cried out in horror that it was a lump of shit. She never got to find out who did it, and was puzzled how that lump of shit got there in the first place. That evening when my father got back, I told him I soiled my shorts. He took me to the bathroom to hose me down and washed my shorts.

Not too long ago, I was flying from Labuan to Kuching in a Dart Herald. After passing Brunei, I suddenly felt my stomach cramp. I thought of going to the toilet just behind me. But decided that since it was not severe, I would do it on the ground at Kuching. Shortly after that, Operations called me on the radio informing me that I had to divert into Sibu, to pick up two coffins. As I made a left hand turn towards Sibu, the cramp returned. It was too late for me to go to the toilet as I started my approach into Sibu. Needless to say, I was most uncomfortable trying to concentrate on my landing and controlling my bowel. As soon as I shut down the engines, I told my colleague that I had to go to the loo very urgently.

I found the toilet just by the tarmac and it was newly installed. It was a squat toilet with the modern flush system. I was wearing my one piece green flying suit. When I unzipped, I found my top joining shirt trailing behind me. Trying to remove my suit, my shoes got in the way. By this time, the urgency was so great that I started to break out in a sweat and shivering with the cramps. Unlacing my shoes one by one, I finally kicked them off and took my suit off. Squatting down, the darn thing came out like a bomb! Phew! Just made it. Accustomed to the sitting toilet, it was quite an effort trying to squat. My legs began to shiver and by the time I had finished, I felt like I had been in a sauna. Luckily for me, the toilet was very new and clean, and was quite spacious allowing me to throw my suit on the floor and squat wearing my socks.

When I was in the jungle, I had to dig a hole and cover it up after I had finished. The officers had their own toilet, which was a large bucket filled with Jeyes fluid. The fluid smelled so bad that it made me puke; smells worse than the shit. One evening after dinner, I had wanted to shit and walked towards the jungle looking for a quiet spot. The sentry saw me and decided to keep watch over me. I doubled back and had to use the officers toilet.

My youngest daughter K and my grand daughter seem to have inherited this trait from me. Before they enter a toilet, they must check it out for cleanliness before use. Otherwise, they would rather constipate until they reached home or the hotel.

Enough shit jokes for now. Will keep some for future use.

Till then....

You want to retire?

In the news lately is about retirement and in today's papers, there are news about people still working until their 80's & 90's. Friends have often asked me what it is to retire. They have the lofty notion of sitting back doing nothing, and away from the 9 - 5 routine (though nowadays it is very much beyond 5).

I wince every time someone asks me this.

This is now my 12th year of retirement. Seems how time flies. It was not my intention to retire, but I was forced into it. My world fell apart when I was told to retire. Not much of a golden hand shake as well, in monetary terms. To add insult to injury, I was taxed of my hard earned gratuity, just because some tycoon got away with a multi-million dollar hand shake setting a precedent.

I was offered a position by a Japanese company, who even went out of the way, to show me my new office on an offshore island. The next meeting was to discuss my remuneration. Suddenly, everything went quiet. I finally called up my friend who had arranged all this, and he was embarrassed to tell me that Tokyo head office had turned me down because of my age.

Disappointed by this, I began to apply for other job vacancies. No success, only one company replied saying the position had been filled. Turned down because of my age! How depressing.

Resigned to my fate, I then immersed myself into church work. I worked diligently and drew a lot of accolade from the Priests and people in church. It was very spiritually satisfying and I enjoyed the work. Unfortunately, church politics dampened my spirit somewhat, and I have now scaled down my involvement.

Retirement is not a bed of roses. Like I mentioned in my first blog posting, I am worried whether I will outlive my savings or my savings will outlive me. My life style is one of frugality, and even lower self esteem. Money spent is money gone and there are still so many bills to pay trying to stretch the dollar. I have spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out my finances. It is okay if I have a lot of money but I do not. So money is a big concern.

I have never been so close to my wife physically until my retirement. I mope around the house trying to do my own things. I am the automatic dish washer in the kitchen. Periodically, I sling my bag and take the bus out and browsed around the city sometimes aimlessly, sometimes looking for something or other. Even meeting up with friends is a good diversion. Without adequate funds, it is merely window shopping. After that it is home by bus, avoiding the evening rush and also before four and having to pay full bus fare. Home to face the wife again. I envy those couples who can get along with each other and going in and out together. I have resigned to being alone most of the time. Not good being lonely, but then I have no one to disagree with. Life can be funny at times. A paradox.

To be unemployed and not earning any money is a terrible thing. To have to pay bills on top of that is a nightmare. So to those who asked me about retirement, can you afford not to work and yet support yourself and spouse (with or without)? Are you sane enough to face your spouse every waking hour day and night? Can you and your spouse get along? Think about that.

True that you have the time to do the many things, that you long to do when you are working. If you can maintain the quality of life style that you are accustomed to, well and good. But if you cannot, sacrifices have to be made. As for me, I cannot say that I am absolutely happy with the way things are. I still nurse my depressions and anxieties. I am blessed by the Lord with what I am and I am grateful for that. I will continue to seek solace by trying to be a good Catholic.

Three important things you must consider seriously:

1. Have you a nest egg you can fall back on to sustain your life style? Money may be the root of all evil, but money pays for your food and bills. You cannot rely on anyone, even your children, for money. They also have their own bills to pay. You must be financially independent. Good if you receive some money from the children. Consider that as a bonus. Early financial planning for your retirement is essential.

2. Do you get along with your spouse? Good if you do but disastrous if you do not. You are going to face each other day in, day out. You begin to notice certain traits of your spouse that you did not notice before. That can be very irritating. Not married? Good for you. Keep your current friends and single out those you find agreeable. Loneliness is a terrible thing to live with. You may have a large family, but they are not with you all the time, because they have their own lives to live too. Do something to keep your mind occupied. I have my computer, photography and church work. Since my wife have no interest in any of those, that will keep me away from her. Important to keep your mind working all the time.

3. Be religious. You must be spiritual for the last and final lap in your life. If you have not been attending church regularly, it is still not too late to make amends. You are the lost sheep that our Lord will be very happy to welcome you back. Do charity or church work. It will stabilise you spiritually to prepare you for that final moment when you leave this troubled world. Make up for all your past sins. Not a Christian? Convert. It is not too late. Other religion will have their own teachings and doctrines too. Find yourself and God.

I hope anyone reading this post will learn from my mistakes and I hope I have given you, my dear readers, something to think about.



Till then....

Sunday at home.

This Sunday 12th August, 2007, had been a quiet Sunday at home. Frequently we are out with the son &/or son-in-law, daughter and grand daughter for lunch, browsing at malls or lately, viewing houses. But this Sunday, my son is in Hong Kong and my son-in-law pre-occupied. It has always been great going out with them for quality family time.

When I am at home on Sundays, I always like to listen to FM90.5 Brian Richmond presenting old favourites in the afternoon between 1.30 to 5 pm. I get to listen to some of the oldies I grew up with from the 50's and the 60's. It is very nostalgic and brings back fond memories of my young days. The program used to run in the morning, but since they changed it to the afternoon, I miss it often as I tend to go out in the afternoon.

This particular Sunday, the vintage chart at 3 pm., featured the top ten hits for the year 1957. It struck a chord with me, when I realised that 1957, was my last year in school, when I took the Senior Cambridge examinations. That was 50 years ago!

As I sat down to listen to the top ten hits of 1957, I was filled with nostalgia of my good old school days. Each tune brought back memories of that year. How foot loose and fancy free I was.

I began to think of my school friends and childhood friends and all the fun we had. I also felt very sad when I realised that so many of my friends are no more around. They did not get the chance to witness the passing of 50 years on. Friends like Chooi Chee Mun, who died as a bachelor; Toh Yi, who died a few days before the reunion dinner he organised for us; Kam Leong, who slided down from his chair and died at the foot of the table; Kok Wai Lum the tennis player and the many more, too sad to mention.

This is the problem with growing old, when you sit down and think of the good old days, and seeing the days passing by you. The young have no time for you for they have their own agenda and priorities. It is not right to impose upon them as they have their own lives to live. So we have to stop thinking that far back, and cope with our lives ahead, and live for the present. We can go anytime, like a thief in the night.

Till then....