You have experienced this yourself. For the first few months of your life you were a street dog - a wanderer with no home. I am in that situation now. I actually find it a very comfortable lifestyle choice. I am currently sharing, or as the Singaporeans say, "putting up" at Muffin's house which is a landed property facing a National Park. As houses go in Singapore, I have definitely landed on my feet and Iam certainly not slumming it. It is a quiet area, away from the city and very Zen.
What is more, there are some really old properties around here - single storey dwellings that might well date back to the 50s where the owners are into guerilla gardening - rambutans, bananas, figs, herbs all vie for a space on the verges outside these little homes. I just love walking Muffin and checking out what is there.
In contrast not far from here are the big concrete edifces built for the masses. I think about 80% of homes in Singapore are HDBs. These are government-built highrise blocks for Singaporeans. It was in Toa Payoh yesterday - probably the oldest of the satellite towns full of HDBs - that I was asked whether I lived nearby. I didn't want to explain that Muffin had kindly let me stay with him so I said sort off and that I'm taking care of a friend's dog. To which the reply was, "Chinese?" For the life of me, I couldn't think of ethnic background of my friends so I said golden retriever. Aaaah, you dog lover... was the response. I knew at that moment I was labelled not as a dog lover but an eccentric Ang Mo.
I am not the only eccentric Ang Mo in the eyes of locals. I think many of us carry this badge of honour. Last night at Palais Margy was another last for me and I mention it here because there was a good deal of eccentricity around the table.. saying goodbye to old friends over a Sri Lakan curry. Margy's place is on the grand side and about as far removed from mass housing as you could imagine. When I am back in Britain, I can only dream of sitting out under the night sky in November. Thanks for a lovely evening ladies!
On a serious note, as I am of no fixed abode, form filling is a bit of a problem. Do I put my future address - my last address where I lived for 14 years or the temporary addresses where I currently am... ? Any thoughts... ? is there a place for vagrants like me in this modern world where you have to prove yourself to banks and visa people?
The biggest problem is that companies promise to send a cheque to the address you have moved from. So I am awaiting a cheque from Chubb as a refund for insurance on a place they know I have moved out of.. I wonder whether they get that Idon't live there any more and that they will send it to the temporary place I asked them to.. Watch this space!
See you Sunday...
Love you loads...
XXX
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