Bukit Batok West Avenue 8

At noon, I stumbled upon this quiet piece of HDB estate because I had an errand to run. Far from the main heartland of Bukit Batok, this area has a skate park where anyone can paint streetart on its walls legally and with the permission of the authorities. There were no skateboarders when I was there, only a few children riding their scooter bikes around the skate park ramps. I decided to walk around the neighbourhood to enjoy the peace and quietness of a weekday at a time when no one really relishes going outdoors because of the intense heat of the day. Surprisingly I did not feel hot nor was I bothered by the extreme temperature of the day. 

 An old school playground that I am sure gave the kids who live in this area enough fun to keep them away from their pcs and what not when the sun is about to retire.

The estate was clean and green with a variety of trees that have stood their ground for a number of years here.

A place in the void deck where people could meet to exchange stories and happenings in their lives. I guess I am referring to the elderly citizens who were nowhere to be found at that time as it was lunch time.

A nice and cool corner where people could sit and relax in the evening.

A kind old lady feeding a stray cat with canned food.

I like the curlers in her hair and the fact that she took the time and effort to take care of a homeless animal.

Neat shelters that make it pleasant for people to get home in the rain.

Red is the colour of good luck.

Colourful sarongs with pretty prints caught my eye.

This quiet estate has western as well as TCM practitioners.

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A modern laundromet. I cannot imagine who would use it as I am sure every household has a washing machine.

All the snacks you need to reduce the stress of living - work, taking exams, studying etc.

Tuition is available at the RC - not cheap though.

I just love the greenery.

Usually, I would just melt in the heat. The mature trees and surrounding greenery made a great difference to those out in the open.

Approaching a Siamese Temple that has been around here for years.

Their lease is up and I hope that they will find the funds to be able to stay where they are.

Typical HDB designs of old.

Prayer flags outside a Chinese Temple next to the Buddhist Temple.

Stage for a puppet show performance. I haven't seen one in years and the last time I saw the stage and the puppets were at the National Museum.

Walking back, I saw this Malay lady trying her best to shield herself and the child from the rays of the scorching sun.

Across the road, stood a bus stop and these beautiful trees.

Pine trees in Singapore have proven to be the most adaptable trees in the world.

Identity proclamation.

A coffee shop under renovation.

A fengshui water feature to bring in good luck.

The colours of life in a HDB housing estate.

My favourite circular seat.

I love stone furniture.

Going back to the playground.

Some paintwork needed here. I was looking at the herb garden maintained by people in the neighbourhood who were interested in gardening.

There is no need to live in an overpriced condominium to enjoy BBQ facilities under the shade of coconut trees.

And voila! The Bukit Batok Skate Park!

 If you walk around it, you will see this old man who seems to have been asleep here for a hundred years. 

 Grafitti or Streetart. It's just art and more walls should be made available all over our island for our young and talented to paint on and for others to enjoy or just ponder upon.

Walking back to the carpark.

Random shot of grandma and kid going home for lunch.

A unique windchime.

Cool and cozy corner for the residents of this estate to gather and bond.

This estate is neat and clean and has facilities that are simple and that I am sure are appreciated by the residents.

New seats along the corridor for folks to sit and perhaps to rest their tired legs enroute home from the market.

I hope that there are many HDB estates tucked away in some corner like this one where people have homes that they love and enjoy.

This huge bungalow at 13 Wilkie Terrace has been sold to a developer and when June is over this bungalow will be gone. However, for the next three weeks there will be art activities by artists and musicians who will interact with the public to bid farewell to this beautiful house. The art project, called Displacement is the brainchild of Mr Yen Phang who is a member of the family that has occupied this house for three generations.

Because of the initiative of this young man,my friend and I had the chance to step into the past for a while and when we left, it was with the sad knowledge that what will follow in the wake of its demise will be something that leaves you with an insipid after taste. I cannot see how any future development can match the artistry and craftsmanship of the builders of this house.

 Thick textured glass windows that were tinted green and these windows ventilate the house well and let in light that will make a photographer and artist  want to stay here for a long time.

 The super-high ceilings means that the doors are elegantly long. The hardiness and quality of the wood of the doors and wood panels upstairs are remarkable.

 I have never seen collapsible window grills till now. How pretty and yet practical.

 The light, the light, I just love the light that comes into the house and the floor tiles - you will never see them again.

 An artist's statement blending in with the simple lines of the window. Enough is said.

 Wooden doors that could have found homes elsewhere.

 If I were a kid I would have a great time climbing in and out of windows such as these and if I were a teenager, perhaps these windows will facilitate a forbidden rendezvou at Cathay cinema nearby.

 A glimpse of the future and the fate of houses like these in the area.

Gates that have a style that defies age.

Stairs that could tell stories of countless footsteps recorded in their memories, if they could talk.

The spiral staircase appears to have moulted.

The wood can exist for another hundred years, if only they were allowed to. I hope they would not eventually end up as firewood.

Concrete is hard and unkind to those who are not careful as they walk up and down these steps. People learned to be mindful in those days.

And here's one of my favourite subjects - chairs.

So it's been a long while since you last visited me.

We never miss our Cantonese soap operas.

Let's get dressed up to the nines and go party tonight.

When the weather is hot, it will always be airy and nice here. Let's have some tea.

People in the old days, gather around to engage in after-dinner talk enjoying the coolness of the evening on high ground within the compound of their home. Nowdays, not many of us have the luxury of such private space. Anyway times have changed and it is no longer cool to hangout at home with the invention of an activity called clubbing.

Things that caught my eye because of my interest in Chinese Calligraphy and all things old.

 Wandering around the house.

 The fan will stop rotating when the time comes. The world will still rotate on its own axis and around the sun but we are at the mercy of those who are careless with the riches of the earth.

 The future is written on the wall. It's how you interpret what you see that determines how our next generation will live.

 

 Making the effort to pay a visit to the bungalow at 13 Wilkie Terrace also gave us the opportunity to explore the surroundings at Mt Sophia and Mt Emily. We were delighted to see a few remaining bungalows and old-style buildings in the area.

 

 

We did not see many people appreciating these houses and buildings. We surmised that they have all gone to look at the showflat of a condominium project that is coming up right next to 13 Wilkie Terrace.