101 286
NEIGHBOURHOODS
101
June15
THE SCENE
When you walk out of your place,
the first thing you see is:
The ships in the strait between the
East Coast and Indonesia. Each and
every day the view changes based on
the weather; blue skies with ships in a
neat straight line or grey, windy skies, a
curtain of rain and the ships swinging in
every direction.
The closest store to your front
door is:
Not one, but several, in an amazing strip
of shops, including a convenience store
stuffed with everything you can imagine;
a dry cleaner who offers great-priced
liquor; and a highly recommended
dentist and beautician.
Your street would make the
perfect backdrop for a remake of:
An Indian reality show.
The unofficial uniform of your
street is:
Lycra: from runners to cyclists, gym-
goers, boot-camp regulars, tennis
players, swimmers, Zumba dancers and
yoga followers.
If a celebrity moves in next door,
it will most likely be:
A we a l t h y ma i n l a n d Ch i n e s e
businessman who lives here one
weekend a month, guessing by the
high-end cars in the car park.
When you’re in need of a dose of
culture, you:
Take a walk down Arab Street and Haji
Lane with friends.
If you’re missing home, you:
Visit Kinki Rooftop Bar. In the early
evenings it has a holiday feel –
surrounded by Singapore’s amazing
skyline, it reminds me that life is grand.
(Then I usually focus on recruiting a
friend or family member to holiday here.)
A mandatory stop for out-of-town
guests is:
Jumbo’s at Seafood Centre East Coast
for chilli crab. Book for 6.30pm, and
watch as the sun goes down and the
ship lights turn the watery view into a
fairyland: outdoor, waterfront dining and
seafood – all out-of-towners love it, even
those only stopping by for a few hours.
You’d swap houses in a secondwith:
An Emerald Hill shophouse, for a
completely different neighbourhood,
lifestyle and floor plan – and Orchard
Road convenience.
A common myth about your
neighbourhood is:
That it’s too far away. Announcement:
this island is not big;
nothing
is too far
away.
If you’re ever woken up at night,
it’s almost always due to:
A weather change, and I race around to
shut the windows.
A massive late-night rager on
your street is likely to be:
Our English friends who seem to never
run out of energy.