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54
January14
What brought you to Singapore?
I came out here with my husband in
1998, and our marriage broke up quite
soon after that; it sometimes happens
that way. Before moving here, we’d
been living in Palo Alto, California,
where I lectured on English Literature
at Stanford University.
I was hugely impressed by the calibre
of the students who had been through
United World College South East Asia
(UWCSEA); there were a number of
them at Stanford. So I started tracking
the school on the internet, and when
my teaching programme at Stanford
came to an end after two consecutive
three-year contracts, I applied for a job
in Singapore.
My role is a dual one: I teach English
literature at the Dover campus of
UWCSEA, but I’m also the college
guidance counsellor, supporting our
students with their university applications.
How long have you been in this
apartment?
My second stint in this apartment began
four years ago. But I first moved here
15 years ago, during my third year in
Singapore. I had to move out in 2003,
when the owner wanted the place back,
so took a flat in the opposite block for
about three years. When
that
one’s
owner wanted to move back,
this
one
had just become available again.
It’s about 30 years old. It’s still largely in
the original condition, including parquet
flooring in the bedrooms and these
classic black-and-white floor tiles in the
living area. I love them, because I always
associate them with conservatories. The
bathrooms are pretty unredeemable, but
they do the job.
Ceiling fans keep the place really cool
and we manage without air-conditioning.