What do I miss and don't miss

[bgd]

I've recently moved to a small condo, 16 units in total I think. People (just about all locals) are friendly and everyone says hello and occasionally we will pass the time of day. I have lived in other places where people were less friendly so I guess it really does depend on where you live and perhaps condo size. I suspect it is a bit of a lottery here.

@Rob - how do you find the different climate? I really like the heat of Singapore and imagine moving to cooler climes might be a challenge.

[Barnsley]

This in contrast to the suburbs of even big cities of UK and Australia, where people live in landed houses and after 6PM if you walk on the streets, totally deserted and eerie, all shops closed, people just don't get out of the houses, is something we didn't like.

When were you in the UK?

1985?

There are 24hr shops all over the place, even my parents pokey little town has a 24hr Supermarket.

Maybe folk want to be in their home of an evening also.

Are you saying you spend all your time here outside your home?

[RobSg]

@bgd- The change of season took some getting used to. My future plan is to become a "snowbird", as they say it here. The Pacific Northwest is wonderful during the Spring and Summer, but then for about 4 months, it's nice to visit warmer areas and be a "snowbird". Options are Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Arizona, or even back in SE Asia.

I like long hikes, and unfortunately the heat of Singapore restricted that hiking to mornings or late afternoons. I don't miss that. As I said before, I miss the real convenience of never needing a car, but with some effort, you can do that anywhere, even in North America.

RobSg

[PNGMK]

This in contrast to the suburbs of even big cities of UK and Australia, where people live in landed houses and after 6PM if you walk on the streets, totally deserted and eerie, all shops closed, people just don't get out of the houses, is something we didn't like.

When were you in the UK?

1985?

There are 24hr shops all over the place, even my parents pokey little town has a 24hr Supermarket.

Maybe folk want to be in their home of an evening also.

Are you saying you spend all your time here outside your home?

If WD40 is referring to W.A. or QLD in Australia he is correct - those states shutdown at 5pm on a Friday.

[Barnsley]

This in contrast to the suburbs of even big cities of UK and Australia, where people live in landed houses and after 6PM if you walk on the streets, totally deserted and eerie, all shops closed, people just don't get out of the houses, is something we didn't like.

When were you in the UK?

1985?

There are 24hr shops all over the place, even my parents pokey little town has a 24hr Supermarket.

Maybe folk want to be in their home of an evening also.

Are you saying you spend all your time here outside your home?

If WD40 is referring to W.A. or QLD in Australia he is correct - those states shutdown at 5pm on a Friday.

I should have removed the Australia reference as I dont know how it is there.

I was surprised to find that Frankfurt was almost 100% closed on Sundays, something to do with shop fronts facing the street have to be closed on Sundays

[Wd40]

This in contrast to the suburbs of even big cities of UK and Australia, where people live in landed houses and after 6PM if you walk on the streets, totally deserted and eerie, all shops closed, people just don't get out of the houses, is something we didn't like.

When were you in the UK?

1985?

There are 24hr shops all over the place, even my parents pokey little town has a 24hr Supermarket.

Maybe folk want to be in their home of an evening also.

Are you saying you spend all your time here outside your home?

If WD40 is referring to W.A. or QLD in Australia he is correct - those states shutdown at 5pm on a Friday.

NSW also not open for too much longer:
http://www.westfield.com.au/sydney/hours

[JR8]

I don't know may be just psychological, I even hate staying in condos where there is absolute silence and no signs of life. In contrast, I like the hustle-bustle feeling of living in HDBs close to market places, you never feel lonely, even if you are. So I guess I am completely opposite of you RobSG

There certainly isn't silence in our condo, far from it. There are always people using the facilities whilst they are open (= apparently all waking hours). There are 5-6 units per floor and I got to know in passing the people from the adjacent two; though both have now left before anything more might have come of it. The immediate neighbour on the other side of the lifts I wouldn't want to know as they are an antisocial PITA (noise!). I can't say I've ever run into the others.

Depends what you're used to I suppose. If you live in an HDB, you might have 30 (?) other units on your floor, and they all pass your door to get to the lift/stairs. You probably keep your windows open too, hence you have little choice than to be 'ok' with the noise.

I don't need to have other people's noise inside my home to not feel lonely. I remember last time I moved from here back to Europe, once I closed the front door the silence was total (that's sealed unit double-glazing for you), and it took a little getting used to. Then there was the next level up, at my parents in the countryside, where the silence (relatively) is so total that it literally rings in your ears. Maybe you need to experience that to understand what I mean. That might be occasionally broken by the call of an owl or a fox, otherwise, 'echoing silence'.

So you can imagine what my parents make of visiting SG. Don't get me wrong they have enjoyed visiting a few times but the 24/7 noise is off any scale previously known to them. For you it means a 'lack of loneliness', for them it means sleepless nights, even with earplugs in.

p.s. @ SMS. Deep thought man. Connectedness via having all your neighbours pass by your windows, versus, another kind of connectedness via lying on the lawn and looking up at the stars trying to identify the constellations and so on.

[JR8]

You need to live in a block close to the market place. ...Its like Rajagainstthemachine, live near Tekka market. You live near that kind of area, you will never feel bored.

So you live close to such places to have even more noise and crawd as what your neighbors do is basically insufficient? Ok, to each his own, but I don't really think there are too many people around sharing your sentiments.

Maybe WD means: 'You live near that kind of area, you will never feel like you're away from home.'

Edit/ps. I found it curious the suggestion that you are dependent on other people being physically/audibly around you, in order not to feel bored. I cannot join the dots on that, at all. Dependency, vs self-sufficiency?

[JR8]

I was surprised to find that Frankfurt was almost 100% closed on Sundays, something to do with shop fronts facing the street have to be closed on Sundays

Similar applies in many Christian countries, that have yet to have their heritage debauched by 'multi-culturalism'.

It certainly applies in Germany and also Scandinavia. It used to apply to off-licenses (and pubs!) in the UK but has been somewhat deregulated.

In much of Germany you can't even mow your lawn on Sunday. Supposedly because of the noise. Perhaps it interferes with contemplating God after you're back from church.

[x9200]

You need to live in a block close to the market place. ...Its like Rajagainstthemachine, live near Tekka market. You live near that kind of area, you will never feel bored.

So you live close to such places to have even more noise and crawd as what your neighbors do is basically insufficient? Ok, to each his own, but I don't really think there are too many people around sharing your sentiments.

Maybe WD means: 'You live near that kind of area, you will never feel like you're away from home.'

I really have this feeling WD40, on occasions like this one, tries to convince himself rather than his interlocutors. No offense WD40.

[rajagainstthemachine]

Its like Rajagainstthemachine, live near Tekka market. You live near that kind of area, you will never feel bored.

what ? I am extremely bored

[x9200]

Its like Rajagainstthemachine, live near Tekka market. You live near that kind of area, you will never feel bored.

what ? I am extremely bored

You have to move inside Tekka market.

[rajagainstthemachine]

Its like Rajagainstthemachine, live near Tekka market. You live near that kind of area, you will never feel bored.

what ? I am extremely bored

You have to move inside Tekka market.

heh! I was being sarcastic.
While Little India is an interesting place, it is way too noisy, I am contemplating getting out of here because it is a real horror story on weekends for the people who live in that area.
No place in India is quite like Little India on a weekend, ratio of men to women is atrocious.

[bgd]

heh! I was being sarcastic.
While Little India is an interesting place, it is way too noisy, I am contemplating getting out of here because it is a real horror story on weekends for the people who live in that area.
No place in India is quite like Little India on a weekend, ratio of men to women is atrocious.

I think Little India would be a step too far for me. Geylang, on the other hand, appeals more. But I guess these places, while fun to visit, might be a little much day in day out.

On the noise front, the residents in my place are relatively quiet. Can't say the same for the surrounding neighbours, or more correctly their dogs. It seems having a noisy dog is a requirement to live in the area.

And then there is the neighbour's helper. Sings when cooking. Sings at the top of her voice. The kitchen is outside. Actually I can't complain, I like her singing.

[Addadude]

I live in a HDB and it happens to be the quietest place I've ever lived in in Singapore. The loudest thing there is the f***ing Asian Koel that periodically decides to make one of the trees downstairs its home.

To JR's point, whenever my better half visits Ireland with me, she complains that she can't sleep at night because its too quiet.

Wd40's idea of home is my idea of hell.