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Published: November 11th 2012
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Scaled Model of Singapore Island
Andrew on top of the world - well, on top of Singapore! Question 3 Singapore is one of three City-States around the world. Which are the other two?
The more we walk around the City, the more I am amazed at the mish-mash of architecture in Singapore.
Singapore City Gallery near Chinatown, is home to two amazing 11mx11m scaled models of the island and of Singapore central areas. The model of the island has every building on it, even Andrew's office in the far North of the country.
Regency House, our temporary residence, is reproduced in the larger scale model of the central area of Singapore. The workmanship and the details are astonishing. I highly recommend this unnasumming gallery to any visitors to Singapore or locals to get an idea of the areas. We're almost sorted with our condo in Elizabeth Heights. The tenancy agreement still needs to be signed by both parties, but the Letter of Intent we sent to the landlord has been approved and we've set the move in date for the 19th November and checking out of Regency House on 21st November. So what's a condo? A condo is an appartment in a block with full facilities. Usually, facilities will include a pool, Scaled Model of Singapore central
View from above. The buildings in beige are being built or will be in the future. a gym, BBQ pits; and maybe a playground, tennis court, squash court. We're lucky, because our block is an older block (34 years old), all these facilities are there, to Andrew's delight re the squash court!
An appartment is a flat in a block with no facilities, but usually does include a parking space. A landed house is a terraced, semi-detached or detached house. We saw a few of these - see my previous blog. The ones we saw were amazing, but you do end up a tad isolated. A landed house can also be a shop house (old shops where the shop is on the ground floor and accommodation upstairs). There are many of these in Little India and Chinatown, as well as converted ones in Emerald Hill (just off Orchard), see pictures. Many shophouses residents in the 1960s lived in squalid conditions.
Cluster houses are usually terraced houses with condo facilities so you get the best of both worlds. A cluster house might have been a good option for us, but the ones we saw didn't fit our needs. Whose mad idea was it to request a 2.5m long dining table, 6 chairs and a bench as a wedding present???
Locals very often live in HDBs (short for Housing and Development Boards) - equivalent to Council Flats. HDBs are credited for replacing the slums of the 1960s. The initial HDBs were mostly meant for rental by the low income group. Between 1960 and 1965, 54,500 units (flats) were built in high-rise buildings due to land constraints. In 1980, a quota was introduced to ensure no particular racial group concentrentated together, to avoid sectarianism. Housing of different income groups are also mixed to prevent social conflicts. In the 1990s, the HDB concentrated on updating existing buildings and installing new facilities like lifts which stop at every floor!! These days, tenants can purchase their unit and pass on to the next generation, but only down one generation. HDBs are built around MRT stations and handy for local markets, supermarkets and bus routes so are very popular with the locals. As I mentioned at the start, what surprises me the most is the mix of buildings on any street in any area. When walking in the street in the central part of the city, one walks past a shopping mall - a shop house - Scaled Model of Singapore central
Regency House in the foreground with behind, the City, Marina Bay Sands, the Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay a hotel - a condo - a buillding site - a HDB - an office block - another mall - a colonial building - ... I've posted pictures to illustrate my point.
Andrew's on his way to Pakistan tonight. His first trip since we arrived. He was told to bring warm clothing... Hmmm so we went to GAP yesterday to buy him a jumper as he didn't pack one in his case. 😊 He comes back next Sunday just before we move. He'll also spend a week in Oz before the end of the month. We knew this would happen, so it's ok. I'm feeling relaxed. We're also very well looked after here at Regency House. Breakfast is served between 7-10am Mon-Fri. Housekeeping cleans the flat Mon-Sat. Julia flicks her eyelashes at all her friends in Reception. Both Cynthia and Belinda's husbands are also travelling these next couple of weeks, so I don't feel alone here.
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