Singapore Expats

Help! I need to break tenancy agreement due to bad neighbour

Discuss about life in Singapore. Ask about cost of living, housing, travel, etiquette & lifestyle. Share experience & advice with Singaporeans & expat staying in Singapore.
Post Reply
User avatar
zzm9980
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6869
Joined: Wed, 06 Jul 2011 1:35 pm
Location: Once more unto the breach

Post by zzm9980 » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 12:45 am

In fairness, it was PRC Chinese that had the complaint. The article did highlight that, and I recall the incident caused another anti-PRC uproar when it happened.

User avatar
the lynx
Governor
Governor
Posts: 5281
Joined: Thu, 09 Dec 2010 6:29 pm
Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location:

Post by the lynx » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 8:53 am

But... but... but the smell of curry is so heavenly, so ethereal that I have to time my humble meals to coincide with my neighbour's cooking time so that I can whiff that aphrodisiac orgasmic aroma to help me eat my paltry food.



On a serious note, we need more info about the nature of the neighbour's threats. What triggered it? What exactly s/he said? How long it has persisted? How frequent? Did you manage to get a recording?
Those will be the same questions that the police will ask if you report.

User avatar
JR8
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 16522
Joined: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:43 pm
Location: K. Puki Manis

Post by JR8 » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 9:59 am

ecureilx wrote: seriously? since when people started cooking at home? :cool: :twisted:
I cook curry at home. As with most home cooked food, it's way better than much you can find elsewhere...

---
One of my favs is Malaysian chicken curry ('Student's Brand' curry powder, from Malaysia). Also works well with seafood (beef or lamb too, but I don't do the latter in curry here as the meat is not good enough quality).
Made with additional whole fresh herbs + spices (cinnamon sticks, star anise, lime leaves etc).
Leave for a day* for the flavours to 'mature'.... mmmm 'sedap lah' [tasty!]


* In the fridge. Thus the fat from the coconut milk rises and solidifies, making it simple to remove = super-tasty low-fat curry :)

User avatar
ecureilx
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 9817
Joined: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 5:18 pm

Post by ecureilx » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 10:26 am

JR8 wrote:
ecureilx wrote: seriously? since when people started cooking at home? :cool: :twisted:
I cook curry at home. As with most home cooked food, it's way better than much you can find elsewhere...

---
One of my favs is Malaysian chicken curry ('Student's Brand' curry powder, from Malaysia). Also works well with seafood (beef or lamb too, but I don't do the latter in curry here as the meat is not good enough quality).
Made with additional whole fresh herbs + spices (cinnamon sticks, star anise, lime leaves etc).
Leave for a day* for the flavours to 'mature'.... mmmm 'sedap lah' [tasty!]


* In the fridge. Thus the fat from the coconut milk rises and solidifies, making it simple to remove = super-tasty low-fat curry :)
ok, ok ... I was saying in a sarcastic way .. since most Singaporean households forbid cooking .. other than instant noodle, cup noodle .. coffee ..etc..

:roll:

x9200
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10073
Joined: Mon, 07 Sep 2009 4:06 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by x9200 » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 10:47 am

Forbid?

User avatar
JR8
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 16522
Joined: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:43 pm
Location: K. Puki Manis

Post by JR8 » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 10:48 am

ecureilx wrote: ok, ok ... I was saying in a sarcastic way .. since most Singaporean households forbid cooking .. other than instant noodle, cup noodle .. coffee ..etc.. :roll:
It's easier to spot sarcasm if you put a ' :wink: ' after it, otherwise the default is to assume it's simply an incorrect statement.

Every SGn home I'm been to (without a single exception) cooks home-made food. Maybe not for every single meal, but certainly for entertaining.

Where else are you ever going to get something like this...

Image


Whole lobster, asparagus, eggs, on roast garlic rubbed fresh baked ciabatta bread... for around euro10-12 (approx S$20 - ample brunch for 2 people)?

User avatar
taxico
Director
Director
Posts: 3327
Joined: Sat, 10 May 2008 6:05 pm
Location: Existential dilemma!

Post by taxico » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 12:08 pm

taxico wrote:or perhaps a stylish hat. :wink:
JR8 wrote:...If someone is threatening to harm or kill you, it's a good idea to report it to the police. Just to get it immediately on record. Hello, correct, right!?
the police really can't do much in such quarrels - sure they can be made to do more than give a verbal warning if the OP's life was threatened but we still don't have details of exactly what happened... but generally i wouldn't rely on the police in most neighborly disputes.

who knows - might be as much his/her fault as the neighbor's. (just saying)
Aut viam ad caelum inveniam aut faciam

User avatar
ecureilx
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 9817
Joined: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 5:18 pm

Post by ecureilx » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 1:01 pm

x9200 wrote:Forbid?
last house hunting ... met a landlord who said I can use the kitchen, just wash after cooking

innocently I asked what I can cook, answer ... instant noodles, cup noodles, instant heat and eat food ... all else not allowed as kitchen will be dirty ...

JR8! what's the calorie content of that brunch? :twisted:

I am with taxico re the threat .. unless there was violence cops will do their advice and bye ... no warning .. unless OP can say what lead to what or whether any weapon was brandished ..

User avatar
sundaymorningstaple
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 40376
Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
Answers: 21
Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 1:57 pm

JR8 wrote:
Where else are you ever going to get something like this...

Image


Whole lobster, asparagus, eggs, on roast garlic rubbed fresh baked ciabatta bread... for around euro10-12 (approx S$20 - ample brunch for 2 people)?
It's a shame about the bread. Otherwise a very healthy meal. ;-)
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

User avatar
rajagainstthemachine
Manager
Manager
Posts: 2871
Joined: Sat, 24 Nov 2012 10:45 am
Location: Singapore

Post by rajagainstthemachine » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 2:49 pm

ecureilx wrote:
x9200 wrote:Forbid?
last house hunting ... met a landlord who said I can use the kitchen, just wash after cooking

innocently I asked what I can cook, answer ... instant noodles, cup noodles, instant heat and eat food ... all else not allowed as kitchen will be dirty ...

JR8! what's the calorie content of that brunch? :twisted:

I am with taxico re the threat .. unless there was violence cops will do their advice and bye ... no warning .. unless OP can say what lead to what or whether any weapon was brandished ..

^

this is true, when I first moved here I had a room rental agreement with a landlord who used to allow me to do "light cooking" which meant anything from heating a cup of noodles in a mug to making a cup of coffee as as long as it didn't involve a lot of kitchen apparatus he was ok with it.
even on sites like cragistlist the room rental ads usually state "light cooking allowed"
To get there early is on time and showing up on time is late

User avatar
JR8
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 16522
Joined: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:43 pm
Location: K. Puki Manis

Post by JR8 » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 5:11 pm

ecureilx wrote: JR8! what's the calorie content of that brunch? :twisted:
I am with taxico re the threat .. unless there was violence cops will do their advice and bye ... no warning .. unless OP can say what lead to what or whether any weapon was brandished ..
It's not as crazy as it might appear (asparagus = very little, small lobster > ?, three eggs, half a ciabatta => some there as it's made with olive oil). I'm not going to calculate it, but I'd be disappointed if it had more calories than a Big Mac (vs which it is considerably larger). And oh boy was it good :lol: :cool:

My wife was away on holiday without me, when the local supermarket had a very brief 10 euro special on sweet little Maine lobsters, bang in the middle of asparagus season. So I made that dish about three days in a rows, getting yet more elaborate each day, and chuckled sending the pix to my wife who I knew would probably be surviving on blah chicken rice + 'Kentucky'...

Meanwhile -

I'd report a threat by an identifiable neighbour to the police, and definitely if it were a threat of violence, and even more so if it involved racism. A neighbour can't demand you stop cooking 'under threat of violence'!

I don't get it. If you bumped into the said person in the lift lobby and they threatened to kill you if you cooked more curry, you'd just brush it off, correct?

I appreciate that the police cannot intervene in 'domestics', but they can record it, and if you wish offer advice, and IME/IMHO 'threatening behavior' is something noteworthy.

User avatar
QRM
Manager
Manager
Posts: 1831
Joined: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 5:23 pm
Location: Nassim hill

Post by QRM » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 8:06 pm

And talking talking of pissing off neighbors with cooking smells, looks like all my neigbours have moved out, ( a sign of the times? ) that means I can fire up the BBQ! We all had a no BBQ agreement when everyone was around to stop smoking out the houses, most of which were open plan so there was no way of keeping out the smoke.

GSM8
Chatter
Chatter
Posts: 218
Joined: Sat, 14 Dec 2013 11:01 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by GSM8 » Thu, 26 Jun 2014 7:51 am

I saw this on TV yesterday. Guidelines to handle neighbor disputes including a community mediation center option

http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10333p.nsf ... enDocument

User avatar
JR8
Immortal
Immortal
Posts: 16522
Joined: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:43 pm
Location: K. Puki Manis

Post by JR8 » Thu, 26 Jun 2014 8:48 am

GSM8 wrote:I saw this on TV yesterday. Guidelines to handle neighbor disputes including a community mediation center option
http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10333p.nsf ... enDocument

URL CENSORED DUE TO COPYRIGHT ISSUES

re: 'Neighbourhood Courts - which deal specifically with neighbourly disputes'.

I've never heard of them before - might be an avenue for someone else in future...


p.s. The censored weblink was to an article on the Asia One website re: the creation of these Neighbourhood Courts [anyone interested can Google for it].

GSM8
Chatter
Chatter
Posts: 218
Joined: Sat, 14 Dec 2013 11:01 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by GSM8 » Thu, 26 Jun 2014 10:08 am

It might be relatively new, which is why it was feature on the tv program

Just for the record though the link I had posted was actually to the HDB website entitled Guidelines For Handling Neighbour Disputes & Nuisance. The specific link inside it was Option 2 for Community Mediation Center

Both are gahmen websites so unlikely to entail any copyright issues, but if urls are prohibited on this forum the above search terms should take one directly to them

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “Staying, Living in Singapore”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests