11 years in Holland Village

Holland Drive

It all began in 2009 when I received a sum of money as inheritance from my grandmother and I used it towards renting a flat.

This was the BEST FLAT EVER.

Have you ever stepped into a space and felt that it was completely right? The light embraces you, the air expands your chest, the floorboards welcome your feet? This was the first and the last time I experienced this wonderful connection with a space.

I have had my fair share of househunting. When I lived in England, I moved almost every year. I came to dread looking for a place to live. There was always something wrong: the price, the location, the landlord/landlady, the mould, the lack of a water heater...

In fact, househunting and moving are on the top of my list of most hated activities.

So there I was, in this wonderful space on the 25th and highest storey of an HDB point block on Holland Drive, trying to tamp down my excitement at finding the perfect flat. I couldn't believe it, a wonderful apartment in the neighbourhood I wanted, at a reasonable price and ready for occupation. The stars were in alignment.

On top of that, there was a 24-hour supermarket and restaurant nearby, and Holland Village a skip and a hop away. I signed the contract immediately.

The best flat I have ever lived in

My flat was a haven, a space where I began to heal from chronic illness, and where I began to work seriously on my drawing and painting.

For 2 odd years, I watched storms roll across the sky, enjoyed the distant views of Bukit Time Hill, caught glimpses of the western coast, and spied on the swimmers in the public pool downstairs.

The view of Bukit Timah Hill from my flat on Holland Drive

I made a little comfy corner, where I spent a lot of time reading and looking at art books. I began reading Charlene Harriss' Sookie Stackhouse series, which was eventually adapted by HBO into the series True Blood. I would wait eagerly for the next book in the series to be available from the library and then I'd catch bus no. 32 to the Queenstown library to pick it up. I'd start on the book at the bus stop while waiting for the bus and continue reading on the way home.

My reading corner

All too soon though I had to leave my sanctuary. It was being demolished to make way for the  Holland Village extension.

Block 12 Holland Avenue

I had to move again and I wanted to stay in Holland Village.

Sigh. Another round of house hunting.

I eventually found a flat in Block 12, next to Cold Storage. This flat did not lift my spirits as the other did but it was a holding space. I left all my belongings in boxes until it was time to move again.

Block 12 Holland Avenue, the second flat I lived in

The location of this flat meant that I could hear the off-key singing during the festivals held across the street and the roar of football fans who gathered to watch the matches in Holland Village.

The building is home to an amusing cat that sits in a slatternly manner and stares brazenly at passersby. It also takes the elevator.

The cat that lives in Block 12 Holland Avenue

Chip Bee Gardens

In 2011, I moved to Chip Bee Gardens determined not to move again for a very long time. I have been here ever since, and if I could I wouldn't ever move. I love this neighbourhood.

I like its playfulness and quirkiness, the personalities of the people who live here and the lushness of the place. 

When walking in the neighbourhood, I'm actively looking at the cats, and the ornaments and pets in the front gardens. I now know that a black bunny lives down the street, that a terracotta soldier stands guard in one of the houses and that a skateboarding bulldog lives down from where I am. 

All this has inspired me to draw and paint, to capture the charm of the place and its inhabitants.

A bird's eye view of Chip Bee Gardens

The winds of change 

But Holland Village is changing. The plot of land where my first flat was located and a large swathe of the eastern part of the neighbourhood is being developed into 3 new condominiums and a mall.

Will Holland Village keep its charm? Will it be more vibrant than it already is? What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

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