After a full day of sleeping and resting at home yesterday, I felt much energetic now.
Had been lounging on my sofa watching Martha Stewart Show on how to decorate for Halloween.
Harro? Halloween?
That's like in October rite? Goes to show that this Martha Stewart show must have been at least 6 months old!! And yes, I dun have cable, I'm watching Mediacorp Channel 5!!
Back to what I was thinking when watching the show. I remembered when I was first living in the States, I was goo-goo and ga-ga about Martha. I regularly bought her magazine - Martha Stewart Living, bought her series of kitchen wares from Kmart. She even has her own series of paint in her name.
While reminicsing these memories, I couldn't stop but start to count how many homes I have lived in. And here's what I can remember as far as my brain can bring me.
(1) Toa Payoh
Well, I shouldn't count this as a home cos' I've no idea of it at all. All I knew was I was born there. No! No! Not born there! I mean I'm born in KK hospital (who doesn't in the 70s?). I was "made" there, spent my infant years there....no memories whatsoever. Knew that it was a 3 room flat. That's all.
(2) 5 room HDB point block flat
This move happened when I was 3. I loved this place. To my small body of 3 years old, the house seems huge!! I can cycle from one end to the other with my tricycle!
This is the house where I remembered my father most. He's a DIY man. He had a room all to himself for all the carpentry works, electrical tools, etc. We call it his "workshop". He had neighbours from the 2nd floor to the 24th floor as his "clients", fixing TV, radio, fan, bicycle for them. We used to walk down the stairs from the 24th floor to the 2nd floor, picking up electrical items that people would throw away during Chinese New Year. My father would fix them up and use it or sell it away. So, we have like 4 TVs at home at one go!! My father made all the built-in cabients at home, if not, it will be some upholstered pieces from our finds. I also picked my 1st "Play Mobil" set among our finds. It was FUN!!!
The neighbourhood was great too. We knew everyone. The newspaper vendor where my mother will get her usual dose of "Xin Ming", "Wan Pao", "Feng Cai" and "Xing Sheng Huo Pao". The provision shop where we get the usual ABC stout for my father and we get to chose whatever tit-bits we want. The Chinese Medical Hall which my father made all the pigeon holes to store the herbs. The fish shop where they sell fish and where we used to buy "Qiu Ying" to feed the fishes at home. Not to mention the photo-develop shop. My father spend lots of time there. He's an avid photographer. When we were young, my elder sister, younger brother and myself were his models! And guess where's the shot? The void deck!!
(3) Granny's Place
This is not an unfamiliar place. We spent our weekdays here before going home on the weekends. I call this my home too cos' I spend most of my schooling years here and there's so much people in this house. My mother has 7 siblings, all squeezed into this 4 room flat, and some with their spouse!! And us!! The Grandchildren!! You can imagine mattress laid all over the floor when preparing to sleep, morning was a rush hour for the working aunties and uncles. Everyone will be sitting all over the 2 big 3 seater-sofa, on the floor, stools, wherever you can find when "Bing Fen Ba San" was on TV. I loved to snuggle to my grandma. She has this smell that I like. But I was the tyrant in this big household. I got swords and guns to play with. I was my grandfather's and eldest uncle's favourite.
This was also the home after disaster struck. My mother, brother and myself lived in one of the rooms. To make us feel better, my mum bought brand new furnitures from IKEA. This was our little home in a home. Although we still had the 5 room flat, we didn't live in there for years. Life is different now. And we have to behave in this house now. I was 11.
(4) 5 room HDB point block flat
We were back! After a 3 years hiatus at my Granny's, we shifted back. This time with my aunt's whole family (her husband and son in tow). We kind of tore apart the whole house to accomodate the new arrangement. New furnitures, new curtains, new appliances and a brand new maid too! It was refreshing at first.....but I miss the old, especially those handmade furnitures my father made. I miss the smell. Afterall, those were what were left from him.
Life was different. We didn't get close to the neighbours. We shun away from the usual provision shops, the fish shop....eh?...the newspaper vendor is gone!! Besides school, I spent most of the time at home alone or with my maid. I had a lot of quarrels with my mum in this home. I grew apart from her. I grew from a girl to a lady. I fell in love with my 1st love here. I took my "O"s here. I spent less and less time at home. I had to leave home early for a 1 hour bus ride to Poly, came home around midnight after activities. I hardly see my mum or brother. That's the home where I grew further apart from my brother.
(5) Kembangan
I dun know what to write about this "home". I hardly spend time here. I was always busy with Poly activities. To make things worse, it was a 3 storey corner terrace house. I hardly saw anyone!! My mum's room was at the top floor, mine was second floor, maid is always hiding in the backyard. It was a house.
(6) Bendemeer
Strictly speaking, this was not our home. It was my aunt's. Now, its our turn to live with them!! An executive flat where I shared a room with my brother. Not much memories except that I graduated from Poly, started working.... All I could say was is it's a convenient place. 20 mins to Orchard by bus!!
(7) Bedok
Wah...this one came suddenly...out of the blue. Also dun know why my mum chooses this place. Si Ber far lor!! And have to take shuttle bus to the MRT station leh!!! Going to work was hell. But its huge. Two 3 room flat combined as one. I had the room with the attached bathroom.
Since I've already started work, I bought all my room furnitures with my own money. I painted the walls in stripes. I decorated the toilet. I was happy to have my own room. I was finally happy to stay away from my aunt, not that I dislike her, but just finally to call this place - home.
I didn't spend much time here cos' I left for UK in less than a year or so.
(8) Dante Road
My 1st home away from home. Cried like hell in that small cubicle. Missed my then boyfriend. Miss my mum. Aiyah, miss everyone and everything lah.
Everything looks gloomy in that room. It was on the 2nd floor and there were 6 rooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 kitchen with dining table and food lockers for each room, 2 cooker hobs, 2 sinks. Coincidentally, I had the biggest room in that flat. The room comes equipped with a basin, a cupboard, a bed, a writing desk and a bedside table. That's all. But somehow, I requested for a transfer. After a month or so, I shifted to another flat in another block, still in Dante Road. This time on the 4th floor. Although the room was much smaller. I like it. Its feels homey. I looked out to the window, I see chimneys, I see Big Ben. I became happy. This is the home I learned to cook, to look after myself, to buy grocery, to finally appreciate...... what is home.
(9) Brunlees House
Wah....this house didn't come easy man!! It was my last year in Uni. We were asked to give up our place in the Halls of Residence since we were the seniors liao. The Halls were given priority to freshies and we were left with finding our own private accommodation. I took 2 weeks of rumaging the "Loot", viewing tonnes of flats, depleting my money on staying in B&B everyday, eating out ....until we ran into an advertisement on this Brunlees House near our campus. This was my first house hunting experience....and not a good one.
Believe me or not, its a open house and it was renting out on a first-come-first-serve basis. When we were there, it was already filled with a lot of people!! With all the people rubbing our shoulders, we managed to squeeze into the house and..... bingo, we like it! We asked about the rent - 195 pounds a week. Without another second lost, me and my fren decided to take it. But guess what, when we approached the landlord, he said someone among the crowd had indicated that they wanted it too!! So how? He said whoever place the rental deposit first gets it. The other interested party already left to get money!!
Okay, we didn't have so much cash with us. We are students remember? And we were persistent to ge it. So my fren decide to rush down the ATM to draw the money while I stay with the landlord to "ward off" any potential tenants. Within minutes, my fren came back with the deposit!! And that's how we landed us a home. The moment we sign on the paper, the other interested party came back with the deposit!!
My fren later told me that he saw them (the other interested party) walking towards the ATM, at that time, he didn't know who they were. My fren practically walked pass them and while he was drawing the money at the ATM, they were standing in line behind him, queuing for the ATM!!! We were so close!!!
We had the whole flat. 3 bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 bathroom, 1 living room. I shared with 2 of my classmates. This place really feel like a home and because we had a living room (other frens were only renting rooms), a lot of our frens came and practically made it a "Common Gathering Place". They would gather here before catching a movie or before running down Ruby Tuesday to catch the football game. It was a home full noise and laughter.
This was also the home where I called home regularly. I got closer to my mum while staying here. I would walk to the nearest payphone to call her every week and she will be waiting for my call. We talked about everything. It was 1997, 1998. It was also the year of Asian Financial Crisis. Money was tight. Exchange rate of 1 English Pound to 2.2 Singapore Dollars became 2.9 Singapore Dollars. It was when I connected with my mum.
(10) Bendemeer No. 2
My mum decided to move...AGAIN! This happens only after months I returned from UK. It was a mess! I took care of the renovation of the new house. Basically, everything was torn down, mum gave me a big budget. She was proud when she saw the house ready. I was back living near town again. Yipee!!
It was a comfortable and cosy house, view was not blocked, overlooking the kallang river, wind is gusto..... I like it. I feel like we're living as a family again. My brother had almost completed his NS and spending more time at home, my mum was happier and I had a good job.
6 months later, I left for the States for 3 years.
Upon my return, I buried myself with work, clocking my Krisflyer miles, returning to this home only to sleep. This is also the home where my mum started to break things, started to yell......her sickness creeps in unknowingly, unnoticed.
(11) Guadalcanal Place
"Ulu and Big" is the word. 2 storey house with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a backyard, a garage, a shed. Its beside a golf course, at times hearing the train passes by at a distant. This was my home for 3 years.
This was the home I learned to cook (better this time), to drive, to pronouce the word vase as "vaese" and not "varse". I transformed from a lady to woman.
This was the home I embrace with love, didn't know that I would be disappointed by love itself. Realised that love is not all, not everything. Love changes. I was tortured by it, beaten by it......and relentlessly, I returned to Bendemeer No. 2
(12) Bukit Panjang
This was a house-sitting excuse to move out. To live alone. To be alone.
Again, I embrace the big change. To the extent that I got myself a brand new sports car! Thinking that changes is good and that the old and bad can be forgotten just like that. A brand new start!!!
2004 turn out to be a brand new start indeed! I got to know my "Ang" during this period. The house helped and contributed our courtship in many ways. He would place a bouquet of flowers at my doorstep, surprising me. He would pop by with take-away dinner knowing that I would survive on instant noodles again. He gave his confession of love in party held at the place. He saw me in an apron for the 1st time. He saw me doing laundry for the 1st time.
While living there, no matter how hot the weather was, all I felt was the breeze kissing my face, birds were chirping in my ears, and everyone I see was smiling. Before I knew, I was living with a man in this house - my hubby-to-be.
Like everything else, every nice thing has to end. The house of love ended when my fren returned from the States. Those 12 months were the most memorable.
(13) CCKC
We re-located to CCKC. This time with rent. It was a brand new place with new appliances and furnitures. My fren, who is the owner, hardly stayed there before he had to leave for States!! It was a comfortable house. If I could complain, it would be the lack of sunlight. My handbags and shoes were coated with a layer of mould!!!
This house gave reality to couplehood. We do finances, we do housework, we entertain, we argue, we quarrel. Everything comes in a package! Things became more mundane.
(14) This home!!
Finally, we used our CPF!!! ROARRRRR!!!!
Its been slightly more than 3 months since we moved into this home, which will inevitably put us in debt for the next 25 years. We took less than 1 week for renovation, only got the basic stuff. Nothing fanciful. Home trend is like fashion trend, it'll pass.
With the last count, after staying in 12 different places, I am sick of decorating liao. As we live in the house, the home will grow. We'll need that additional ugly looking standing fan at the dining table when it gets warm. We'll put up that beautiful little picture of toes on the wall when we became parents. We'll whip up that bland eating porridge when your loved one is sick....
Had been lounging on my sofa watching Martha Stewart Show on how to decorate for Halloween.
Harro? Halloween?
That's like in October rite? Goes to show that this Martha Stewart show must have been at least 6 months old!! And yes, I dun have cable, I'm watching Mediacorp Channel 5!!
Back to what I was thinking when watching the show. I remembered when I was first living in the States, I was goo-goo and ga-ga about Martha. I regularly bought her magazine - Martha Stewart Living, bought her series of kitchen wares from Kmart. She even has her own series of paint in her name.
While reminicsing these memories, I couldn't stop but start to count how many homes I have lived in. And here's what I can remember as far as my brain can bring me.
(1) Toa Payoh
Well, I shouldn't count this as a home cos' I've no idea of it at all. All I knew was I was born there. No! No! Not born there! I mean I'm born in KK hospital (who doesn't in the 70s?). I was "made" there, spent my infant years there....no memories whatsoever. Knew that it was a 3 room flat. That's all.
(2) 5 room HDB point block flat
This move happened when I was 3. I loved this place. To my small body of 3 years old, the house seems huge!! I can cycle from one end to the other with my tricycle!
This is the house where I remembered my father most. He's a DIY man. He had a room all to himself for all the carpentry works, electrical tools, etc. We call it his "workshop". He had neighbours from the 2nd floor to the 24th floor as his "clients", fixing TV, radio, fan, bicycle for them. We used to walk down the stairs from the 24th floor to the 2nd floor, picking up electrical items that people would throw away during Chinese New Year. My father would fix them up and use it or sell it away. So, we have like 4 TVs at home at one go!! My father made all the built-in cabients at home, if not, it will be some upholstered pieces from our finds. I also picked my 1st "Play Mobil" set among our finds. It was FUN!!!
The neighbourhood was great too. We knew everyone. The newspaper vendor where my mother will get her usual dose of "Xin Ming", "Wan Pao", "Feng Cai" and "Xing Sheng Huo Pao". The provision shop where we get the usual ABC stout for my father and we get to chose whatever tit-bits we want. The Chinese Medical Hall which my father made all the pigeon holes to store the herbs. The fish shop where they sell fish and where we used to buy "Qiu Ying" to feed the fishes at home. Not to mention the photo-develop shop. My father spend lots of time there. He's an avid photographer. When we were young, my elder sister, younger brother and myself were his models! And guess where's the shot? The void deck!!
(3) Granny's Place
This is not an unfamiliar place. We spent our weekdays here before going home on the weekends. I call this my home too cos' I spend most of my schooling years here and there's so much people in this house. My mother has 7 siblings, all squeezed into this 4 room flat, and some with their spouse!! And us!! The Grandchildren!! You can imagine mattress laid all over the floor when preparing to sleep, morning was a rush hour for the working aunties and uncles. Everyone will be sitting all over the 2 big 3 seater-sofa, on the floor, stools, wherever you can find when "Bing Fen Ba San" was on TV. I loved to snuggle to my grandma. She has this smell that I like. But I was the tyrant in this big household. I got swords and guns to play with. I was my grandfather's and eldest uncle's favourite.
This was also the home after disaster struck. My mother, brother and myself lived in one of the rooms. To make us feel better, my mum bought brand new furnitures from IKEA. This was our little home in a home. Although we still had the 5 room flat, we didn't live in there for years. Life is different now. And we have to behave in this house now. I was 11.
(4) 5 room HDB point block flat
We were back! After a 3 years hiatus at my Granny's, we shifted back. This time with my aunt's whole family (her husband and son in tow). We kind of tore apart the whole house to accomodate the new arrangement. New furnitures, new curtains, new appliances and a brand new maid too! It was refreshing at first.....but I miss the old, especially those handmade furnitures my father made. I miss the smell. Afterall, those were what were left from him.
Life was different. We didn't get close to the neighbours. We shun away from the usual provision shops, the fish shop....eh?...the newspaper vendor is gone!! Besides school, I spent most of the time at home alone or with my maid. I had a lot of quarrels with my mum in this home. I grew apart from her. I grew from a girl to a lady. I fell in love with my 1st love here. I took my "O"s here. I spent less and less time at home. I had to leave home early for a 1 hour bus ride to Poly, came home around midnight after activities. I hardly see my mum or brother. That's the home where I grew further apart from my brother.
(5) Kembangan
I dun know what to write about this "home". I hardly spend time here. I was always busy with Poly activities. To make things worse, it was a 3 storey corner terrace house. I hardly saw anyone!! My mum's room was at the top floor, mine was second floor, maid is always hiding in the backyard. It was a house.
(6) Bendemeer
Strictly speaking, this was not our home. It was my aunt's. Now, its our turn to live with them!! An executive flat where I shared a room with my brother. Not much memories except that I graduated from Poly, started working.... All I could say was is it's a convenient place. 20 mins to Orchard by bus!!
(7) Bedok
Wah...this one came suddenly...out of the blue. Also dun know why my mum chooses this place. Si Ber far lor!! And have to take shuttle bus to the MRT station leh!!! Going to work was hell. But its huge. Two 3 room flat combined as one. I had the room with the attached bathroom.
Since I've already started work, I bought all my room furnitures with my own money. I painted the walls in stripes. I decorated the toilet. I was happy to have my own room. I was finally happy to stay away from my aunt, not that I dislike her, but just finally to call this place - home.
I didn't spend much time here cos' I left for UK in less than a year or so.
(8) Dante Road
My 1st home away from home. Cried like hell in that small cubicle. Missed my then boyfriend. Miss my mum. Aiyah, miss everyone and everything lah.
Everything looks gloomy in that room. It was on the 2nd floor and there were 6 rooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 kitchen with dining table and food lockers for each room, 2 cooker hobs, 2 sinks. Coincidentally, I had the biggest room in that flat. The room comes equipped with a basin, a cupboard, a bed, a writing desk and a bedside table. That's all. But somehow, I requested for a transfer. After a month or so, I shifted to another flat in another block, still in Dante Road. This time on the 4th floor. Although the room was much smaller. I like it. Its feels homey. I looked out to the window, I see chimneys, I see Big Ben. I became happy. This is the home I learned to cook, to look after myself, to buy grocery, to finally appreciate...... what is home.
(9) Brunlees House
Wah....this house didn't come easy man!! It was my last year in Uni. We were asked to give up our place in the Halls of Residence since we were the seniors liao. The Halls were given priority to freshies and we were left with finding our own private accommodation. I took 2 weeks of rumaging the "Loot", viewing tonnes of flats, depleting my money on staying in B&B everyday, eating out ....until we ran into an advertisement on this Brunlees House near our campus. This was my first house hunting experience....and not a good one.
Believe me or not, its a open house and it was renting out on a first-come-first-serve basis. When we were there, it was already filled with a lot of people!! With all the people rubbing our shoulders, we managed to squeeze into the house and..... bingo, we like it! We asked about the rent - 195 pounds a week. Without another second lost, me and my fren decided to take it. But guess what, when we approached the landlord, he said someone among the crowd had indicated that they wanted it too!! So how? He said whoever place the rental deposit first gets it. The other interested party already left to get money!!
Okay, we didn't have so much cash with us. We are students remember? And we were persistent to ge it. So my fren decide to rush down the ATM to draw the money while I stay with the landlord to "ward off" any potential tenants. Within minutes, my fren came back with the deposit!! And that's how we landed us a home. The moment we sign on the paper, the other interested party came back with the deposit!!
My fren later told me that he saw them (the other interested party) walking towards the ATM, at that time, he didn't know who they were. My fren practically walked pass them and while he was drawing the money at the ATM, they were standing in line behind him, queuing for the ATM!!! We were so close!!!
We had the whole flat. 3 bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 bathroom, 1 living room. I shared with 2 of my classmates. This place really feel like a home and because we had a living room (other frens were only renting rooms), a lot of our frens came and practically made it a "Common Gathering Place". They would gather here before catching a movie or before running down Ruby Tuesday to catch the football game. It was a home full noise and laughter.
This was also the home where I called home regularly. I got closer to my mum while staying here. I would walk to the nearest payphone to call her every week and she will be waiting for my call. We talked about everything. It was 1997, 1998. It was also the year of Asian Financial Crisis. Money was tight. Exchange rate of 1 English Pound to 2.2 Singapore Dollars became 2.9 Singapore Dollars. It was when I connected with my mum.
(10) Bendemeer No. 2
My mum decided to move...AGAIN! This happens only after months I returned from UK. It was a mess! I took care of the renovation of the new house. Basically, everything was torn down, mum gave me a big budget. She was proud when she saw the house ready. I was back living near town again. Yipee!!
It was a comfortable and cosy house, view was not blocked, overlooking the kallang river, wind is gusto..... I like it. I feel like we're living as a family again. My brother had almost completed his NS and spending more time at home, my mum was happier and I had a good job.
6 months later, I left for the States for 3 years.
Upon my return, I buried myself with work, clocking my Krisflyer miles, returning to this home only to sleep. This is also the home where my mum started to break things, started to yell......her sickness creeps in unknowingly, unnoticed.
(11) Guadalcanal Place
"Ulu and Big" is the word. 2 storey house with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a backyard, a garage, a shed. Its beside a golf course, at times hearing the train passes by at a distant. This was my home for 3 years.
This was the home I learned to cook (better this time), to drive, to pronouce the word vase as "vaese" and not "varse". I transformed from a lady to woman.
This was the home I embrace with love, didn't know that I would be disappointed by love itself. Realised that love is not all, not everything. Love changes. I was tortured by it, beaten by it......and relentlessly, I returned to Bendemeer No. 2
(12) Bukit Panjang
This was a house-sitting excuse to move out. To live alone. To be alone.
Again, I embrace the big change. To the extent that I got myself a brand new sports car! Thinking that changes is good and that the old and bad can be forgotten just like that. A brand new start!!!
2004 turn out to be a brand new start indeed! I got to know my "Ang" during this period. The house helped and contributed our courtship in many ways. He would place a bouquet of flowers at my doorstep, surprising me. He would pop by with take-away dinner knowing that I would survive on instant noodles again. He gave his confession of love in party held at the place. He saw me in an apron for the 1st time. He saw me doing laundry for the 1st time.
While living there, no matter how hot the weather was, all I felt was the breeze kissing my face, birds were chirping in my ears, and everyone I see was smiling. Before I knew, I was living with a man in this house - my hubby-to-be.
Like everything else, every nice thing has to end. The house of love ended when my fren returned from the States. Those 12 months were the most memorable.
(13) CCKC
We re-located to CCKC. This time with rent. It was a brand new place with new appliances and furnitures. My fren, who is the owner, hardly stayed there before he had to leave for States!! It was a comfortable house. If I could complain, it would be the lack of sunlight. My handbags and shoes were coated with a layer of mould!!!
This house gave reality to couplehood. We do finances, we do housework, we entertain, we argue, we quarrel. Everything comes in a package! Things became more mundane.
(14) This home!!
Finally, we used our CPF!!! ROARRRRR!!!!
Its been slightly more than 3 months since we moved into this home, which will inevitably put us in debt for the next 25 years. We took less than 1 week for renovation, only got the basic stuff. Nothing fanciful. Home trend is like fashion trend, it'll pass.
With the last count, after staying in 12 different places, I am sick of decorating liao. As we live in the house, the home will grow. We'll need that additional ugly looking standing fan at the dining table when it gets warm. We'll put up that beautiful little picture of toes on the wall when we became parents. We'll whip up that bland eating porridge when your loved one is sick....
Martha was showing how to make meat balls with something cheesy. She spread the whole cheesy thing on the table and poured the meatball sauce on top of the cheesy thing. That's when the audience came forward to taste, using a fork spooning directly from the table!! Without bowls! That looks so much fun!!
And that's when I thought, when was the last time I had dinner with my mum and bro?
Wouldn't it be nice to have a home where a family eats together?
Simple, isn't it?
I'm cooking for my "Ang" tonight.
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