Yesterday I moved out of a home I had lived in for 14 years and shared with you for nearly 12. It was strange. After I had mopped the floors, cleared the cobwebs and put bleach down the toilet, Jeremy and I sat on the floor in the living room - now an empty shell - and drank a beer to celebrate the end of an era.
The man from the SP Services came at the appointed time to read the meters and turn off the water and electricity. Then that was it.. I walked out the door and closed it behind me knowing I would never cross the threshold ever again. Wow! that was weird. I had lived in that place longer than any other in my whole life and I simply. locked the door; a door I had locked a thousand times before knowing I would never do that again.
Without the support of so many friends I could not have done this. Jeremy always there with a sensible suggestion - -and a really strong helping hand - especially with the bags and boxes; and Melanie for emotional support and coffee - this has been such a big part of my time here and more than the bricks and mortar. It is all the people - too many to mention-- who have been around me that I appreciate beyond comprehension. I will miss you all, really and truly I will.
Dairy Farm is the whole world - literally the whole world lives at Dairy Farm. It was designed by Tay Kheng Soon way back in the 80s - This man builds communities - not just homes and with Dairy Farm he achieved this on so many levels. May it live long and become a protected building for nature and the residents.
I should really devote at least a few sentences to the monitors, monkeys, colugos, cockatoos, barking owls, boars - an endless list of amazing wildlife that is slowly being squeezed out of its natural habitat because of the pressure the government is putting on natural green spaces. For now these creatures have a home of sorts within the confines of this condo. It is so commonplace to see these creatures almost daily that it is easy to forget how special it is and what a privilege to be able to live this close to nature.
Of all the wildlife, it was the monkeys you didn't like. I think they frightened you and lurching at them didn't make things easy for your relationship with them. A long time ago you hid in the kitchen when a monkey came into my bedroom. The kitchen was the furthest point from the monkey. You are a 36kg Rotweiller X and you tremble when faced with a long-tailed Macaque.. You, Marmite, are a WIMP of dog.. really! I love you for that. XXX
Those evenings of training, Christmas and New Year Eve parties. So much laughter there.
ReplyDeleteThen there was Marms lunching at the monkeys. I remember the one on the canal that leapt up a lamppost only to find it couldn't dig its claws in. Slowly sliding down towards Marms.
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI can survive a long time on the laughs we have had