Cecil Lee

La Casa @ Woodlands Also uses white stucco Mediterranean style exterior walls. But the bumps on the exterior walls are less (ugly) pronounced. More natural.. less obvious even with age or not frequently white-washed.

Tay Ban Guan Shopping Centre / Katong Shopping Centre & Parkway Parade Before Katong Shopping Centre opened in 1973, everyone flocked to a three storey building at Onan Road called Tay Ban Guan Shopping Centre. There was also another entrance from East Coast Road where a shophouse was torn down and became an entrance way from this road. Then Tay Ban Guan was one of the earliest modern under one roof shopping centre comprising a coffee shop and a modern air-conditioned supermarket on the 1st storey. Tay Ban Guan Shopping Centre's second storey was devoted to what we see today in most Cold Storage and Giant sundry items: Toiletries, kitchen wares and clothings. It's third storey was leased to individual shops selling all manner of household items. Then, one can see troves of people carrying the Tay Ban Guan plastic bags with either groceries or other household items. Business was great, then. A few years after Katong Shopping Centre opened; everyone flocked to it as an anchor tenant was Oriental Emporium. Tay Ban Guan shut it's doors afterwards. In 1983, Parkway Parade Opened with two major tenants: Yaohan and Cold Storage. Same thing happened to Katong Shopping Centre. And with the insolvency of it's anchor tenant Oriental Emporium at it's basement. Business nosed dived. With mostly Optical shops, Photo copier shops and clothing stores. Today, at least 70% are Maid Employment Agencies. And the famous boneless chicken rice coffeeshop.

Singapore oldest Post-1970's Shopping Centres and their year of opening. CHART: Clockwise starting from Katong Shopping Centre (oldest) to newest:- Singapore's 6 oldest post-1970's shopping centres:- 1. Katong Shopping Centre 1973 (Mostly Maid Agencies - Failed en-bloc sale attempt) 2. Golden Mile Complex 1973 (Thai/Mixed) - en-bloc successful 3. People’s Park Complex 1973 (Mixed) - attempt en-bloc 4. Plaza Singapura 1974 (Fully Modernized & Mixed) 5. Queensway Shopping Centre 1974 (Sporting goods) 6. Bukit Timah Plaza 1978 (Heartland/Mixed) From 1980 onwards:- =============== a. Peninsula Plaza 1980 (Burmese/Fashion) b. City Plaza 1981 (Fashion) c. Lucky Plaza 1981 (Tourists/Electronics/Mixed) d. Far East Plaza 1982 (Mixed) e. Parkway Parade 1983 (Heartland/Mixed) f. Beauty World Centre 1984 (Heartland) g. Serene Centre 1985 (Mixed) h. Sim Lim Square 1987 (Electronics)

10 Qing Dynasty coins representing all 10 emperors: AD1614 to 1911 This set is highly degraded:-

It is not the street that matters. But due diligence if one wants to own a home along (around) the cul-de-sac. For example, one can still live on that street. However need to pay attention to those that you had marked as A.......etc.

In general, homes most affected by the cul-de-sac in a right-hand drive country: are C and D. (B is least affected) For countries with left-hand drive vehicles, then E and D. (C is least affected) Here, for the lay-person, a simplistic paradigm is that of: "To see if a vehicle going through the round-about could somehow plow straight into one of the homes." P.S. Righ-hand drive countries: UK & all former commonwealth countries like India, Singapore, Malaysia etc.. Left-hand drive: US, Rest of Europe etc..

Two more photos..of the frontage

Harbour View Towers is a 99-years leasehold project comprising 154 units. T.O.P. in 1994 It is located at 21 Telok Blangah Drive 109258 in District 04. With distinctive “link bridges”

HDB Waterway Sundew Recently T.O.P.

“Pay 5% and move-in immediately.. terms and conditions apply” Preferential Payment Plan (PPP) @ The Crest (Please always check with the developer for accuracy & availability - if any)“

For Sale

Case Study 10: Besides purchasing a flat near to a coffee-shop; another consideration is the barbecue pits? 1. Even if one’s home is a HDB flat, may also be “affected” by the whiff or smell from a near-by barbecue pit. In this case, from a neighbouring condo development... 2. This is another consideration when I do a Can or cannot buy review of a new development: “You don;t want your whole unit smelling of barbecued sea food & meat especially on a wonderful Friday, Weekends and Public Holidays... Location: Corporation Drive / Kang Ching Road area Most likely residents staying close (facing the coffee shop) had appealed to the coffee shop owners to put up the sign.... PLEASE LOWER YOUR VOICE AFTER 10.00 PM. THANK YOU

Just T.O.P. Cheng San Court has a mixture of larger flats and elderly units often starts with a prefix “Golden” in specialised blocks elsewhere. These flats have only a 30 year lease period as compared to the larger 4 or 5 bedroom units. The larger flats have a default 99 year lease. All these flats have several emergency pull strings linked to this alarm panel. Such flats have such a button in the master bedroom, the living room and toilet. When the emergency panel alarm goes off, it has a display screen showing the unit requiring emergency help.... These units also have a handle bar along the corridor leading towards such a unit’s main entrance.

At Cheng San Court stairwell area. Remarkable that this pipe was joined by placing such a clamp. No leak?

So 1950’s fencing. Actually it was also used as floor boards to increase traction. In World War 2, the British also hooked or clipped each sheet together and lay them (any size they want) on muddy ground for aircrafts to takeoff and land. These metal sheets were also used to lay roads for trucks and vehicles which otherwise may gets stucked also on muddy grounds. Hence did you see the side hooks on these fencing? See photo below. (What looks like “F” shaped hooks):- The hooks of each metal piece clip together to become a bigger piece of corrugated metal sheet.

Many Japanese and Chinese (Cantonese) don't like the number 44 Certainly, it is unlikely to come across any Japanese residents living in this cluster of HDB flats.

Same location. Seems like an annual celebration.. This year’s placements.. the only difference is that these photos were taken on an iphone X.. sorry I mean iphone 7... Erh.. spot any difference? For one .. no more peacocks in the background wall..

Pool area of The Rainforest @ Choa Chu Kang Broken outdoor tile design.. properly spaced out tiles. Generally does go well with the outdoors = blend in with nature and the surronding plants.

This advert was placed on geomancy.net via Google ads system: 30% available... This advert yells: “limited stocks of ECs (elsewhere .. therefore, please, please, please do us a favour: buy from US! instead”

Case Study: “I bought a unit to have a lovely pool view” 1. What a pity! It is not happening for ground floor units at The Rainforest! 2. Under Shapes and Forms Feng Shui, such units cannot enjoy good "Bright Hall". The shrubs are not only thick but also so tall...As good as living in a jungle prison... [Below] The external blinds of this unit makes the Feng Shui even "worse-off" or a hermit dwelling at best...

Prevalent in many condominiums.. with thoughtless individuals nearby.. “Please dry yourself after swim before entering the lift lobbies” Location: The Rainforest @ Chua Chu Kang

Unfortunately this cocoon like fencing can be an eye-sore especially if it is poorly maintained - if at all. Looks so yucky...close-up.. don’t you think so? Aliens? The planners or architects or designers of this fencing should be lined-up along this fence and executed... Missing slap....

Latest recycle bin sign Location: Blk 684B HDB Waterway View

Bicycle rack: This design or it’s variations are common. However, it uses square instead of rounded stainless steel tubes Location: HDB Waterway View in Punggol: Just T.O.P.