31 Mar 2022 – Happy 85th Bday to Jo
Wed: have been a struggling the past few days trying just to have enough energy to stay upbeat in anticipation for visits from Norway. Distracting whatever hopefully just minor underlying physcial or psychological ailments to pass quickly by going thru’ old pix to find something intresting to focus&reflect on.
Dec1998: when we returned to SIN for May&Albert’s wedding – I then decided to stay on working a day-job&reseraching on the family’s heritage travelling only to visit with 1st&2nd-born (then both still in USA) for 2 weeks during annual leave from work was a major transition in this life’s journey.
1999-2000: at a resale price S$175,000/market price S$155,000 for this HDB and with a 1st-time buyer grant+loan+down-payment, managed to buy it, not as an investment, but a place as a base to stay in between other places and to keep my stuff here no matter where in the world I may be!
Unless in financial difficulties, hopefully this will be the final one&only place I am owning. Now can also sell it back to HDB, not a good deal, but better than no choice – today’s going price is~S$300,000-400,000.
| Block No. & Address: | Blk 46 Marine Crescent S(440046) |
| Completion Year: | 1975 |
| No. of Floors: | 12/109units (65-70sqm) |
| HDB Tenure: | 99-year Leasehold |
2000-2005: renovation works were done to this 3-room (ie 2bedrooms, hall/kitchen&bathroom – total floor-area of slightly under 65sqm) slowly but surely as to my taste within my budget. The floor&walls (the only wall is the kitchen-fire-wall which is against regulations to be removed) were the first to be hacked away to make it into a one-room studio apt.
2001-2005: upgrading administrations&works with utility room added, losing one kitchen-window but gaining an extra room. 2005 was the year I decided to be in SIN only when I had to so as to get away from the construction mess, noice, etc. Also the year I was done with day-jobs and hiking the AT-Thru’Hike was achieved. Today this is a useful store+laundry-room and if necessary can be converted to an extra bedroom
2005-2019: have been away from SIN from 3-6months every year and that has worked well for me.
Edited 30Jan2023 – https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2023/01/30/explained-singapores-hdb-and-affordable-housing/
3Nov2019-31Mar2022: the longest (since 1965) staying put in SIN without leaving the island due to Covid. Feb2020: 1st&2nd-born+#2&6 visits is the highest point so far. 2020-22: taking care of incidental underlying health issues which were quite a chellange in the midst of this pandemic. Appreciate&blessed to have these 4-wall-space to chill in until I can hopefully soon be on the go again.
Thu: Happy 85thBday dear sis Jo. 2018group-pix from her 81stBday@WahLok/Carlton, tkx to niece Sue. And last year’s pix with her 2grandchildren for her 84th. Hope that her family will be able capture a family group pix for her 85th today (now 10ppl max for social gathering).
A birth-date is a reminder to celebrate the life as well as to update the life ―
31Mar2022: WorldOmeter of COVID-19 deaths are as follow:
SC/USA/pop ~5+mil in an area of ~82, 932km² – 17,591
Norway/pop ~5.3+mil in an area of ~365,268km² – 2,518