Singapore - my place to Tanjong Pagar

[slimboyfat]

Well I thought I would start doing some stuff about Singapore in case anyone is interested in coming here for a short break / visa run or whatever.

So, yesterday, armed with my trusty phone camera i took some pics on my journey to the office where I work in Tanjong Pagar.



This is actually where I live, just off Upper Thomson Road in a flat in one of these HDB blocks. They are government flats and the lease is 99 years. It looks pretty crappy but the price does not reflect that. Our four room unit (3 bedrooms) costs around S$250k (or around 6 million baht)

[buadhai]

Thanks. Great idea. Give us a full tour.

[Butterfly]

how much do you pay in rent ? is that the cheap government renting contract or the more expensive contract ?

[slimboyfat]

So, after taking the dog for a walk, its time to head to the office. Unfortunately my place is not near an MRT station so I have to take the bus first and then the MRT. The bus ride is generally worse than this, but I was a bit earlier than usual yesterday.



Jammed up against the bus front windscreen as usual........



I used to regularly chat with the old guy in the white shirt a few years back, but as his only topic of conversation is how succesful his kids and grandchildren are, I don't talk to him anymore.

[slimboyfat]

Originally Posted by Butterfly

how much do you pay in rent ? is that the cheap government renting contract or the more expensive contract ?

we own the flat. after saving up and buying the flat I quit sailing on the oil tankers. it actually cost us S$200k but we bought it from my mother-in-law at a low price.

rental would be around $S800 per month.

[MeMock]

How long have you been living in Singapore?

[slimboyfat]

After the bus I take the MRT to Tanjong Pagar. I tried to get some pics on the train but people looked at me like i was a perv or a terrorist info gatherer or something.

So anyway, get out at Tanjong Pagar MRT station.



Here is the delightful view of Tanjong Pagar Plaza. More HDB flats and shops also owned by HDB (that stands for Housing Development Board by the way).

Tanjong Pagar is actually one of the older areas of Singapore. It was once a hotbed of vice and controlled by gangsters. This is also Lee Kwan Yew's constituency. In order to get power there he had to get the support of the gangsters, which he did. After that he then purged them out of his constituency.

[slimboyfat]

Originally Posted by MeMock

How long have you been living in Singapore?

almost 12 years.

[slimboyfat]

As I was a bit early for work I thought i'd take some pics around the area.
This is the indian temple at Keong Saik Road. This road is notorious as it used to be where rich Chinese men housed their mistresses. There are also a few brothels further up the road. The ladies are local but most have been working there for over 20 or 30 years. If you like a cheap hooker who can take her teeth out for you then this is the place.

There are a few budget and boutique hotels further up the road. The Keong Saik Hotel to the left of the picture is quite ok and a double room costs S$85 (2000 baht) per night including breakfast. Ok it is more expensive than Geylang hotels, but here you are close to the city and chinatown so is quite a good place to stay.

[slimboyfat]

Tanjong Pagar Road. Lots of pubs around here and also just behind here in Duxton Hill. The green building is now a Filipino eating place. The reason? All the pubs around here are packed with Filipinas working illegally and trying to get you to buy them a lady drink at $20 (480 baht) a go. The girls are not officially for hire but I guess it depends on the individual.....
There must be at least 50 such bars in this area.



Below a couple of pubs. It all looks very quiet in the pics as it was only 0830.......

The pub on the left is called Bonkers. One of my Singaporean colleagues is currently getting ripped off by a filipina who works there.

[buadhai]

It looks like this neighborhood from my photo taken in 1977:

[slimboyfat]

This particular stretch of shophouses along Tanjong Pagar road has three Tui Na shops on the second storey (supposed to be traditional chinese massage but in fact just fuck shops). These are illegal and all the girls are from China. $20 for the massage (entry fee really), $50 for HJ, $50 for BJ and $100 for full service is the standard pricing ....cough cough.... so i am told.



Here is the entrance to one of them..... So nice. Well actually I havent tried this one but my colleagues go here for lunchtime sessions.

[slimboyfat]

Originally Posted by buadhai

It looks like this neighborhood from my photo taken in 1977:

yes it does, but I believe there were many places like this knocked down to make way for new developments. Luckily some places were conserved before all of Singapore's old charm was lost forever.

[Butterfly]

you don't have a car ?

[slimboyfat]

Here is a very popular coffee shop in the area - Ya Kun - they now have many outlets around the island but this is the oldest and best one in my opinion. Even on weekends I sometimes come here with my son to enjoy a cup of local black coffee, soft boiled eggs and some kaya toast (kaya is like some kind of coconut jam - dont know if they have it in thailand or not).

[slimboyfat]

Originally Posted by Butterfly

you don't have a car ?

i dont have $S80k (1.9 million baht) to spend on a car when i live on an island that is only 30km across.

[Butterfly]

housing seems to be cheap, and traffic is good there. Even a small car could be useful. Or is that the min price to pay for even a small car is 1.9m baht ? would seem a bit expensive

[slimboyfat]

Originally Posted by Butterfly

housing seems to be cheap, and traffic is good there. Even a small car could be useful. Or is that the min price to pay for even a small car is 1.9m baht ? would seem a bit expensive

that would be the minimum. because you have to pay for a COE on top of the car price. The COE is a levy you have to pay to the government....basically something to dissuade everyone from having a car and jamming up the roads.
I have never really considered running a car as the public transport and taxis are fairly good and cheap.

Carparks and petrol are pretty damn expensive too...

[slimboyfat]

Tras Street.

My office building is at the end of this road. Along here are a few nice pubs and small restaurants. My favourite restuarant is Mustajab - selling nasi padang - Malay mixed rice. Quite a popular place that people come to from all over Singapore to eat at.
There is an Irish pub called Shamus O'Donnells, owned by an Irish bloke (funnily enough) called Pat (even stranger). Good selection of beers and not too expensive.
Other pubs include Patricks Place which is full of Venezuelan hookers (funny concept but who am I to argue). Apparently a few of the pubs in this street are gay pubs so I havent explored all of them.....



Just next to my office block (Maxwell House) is this large red building which is XTD karaoke. Huge place, very expensive and the girls all look like Miss China on a good day. Went there once for work 'entertainments' and the bill for 8 of us came out to S$4000 (about 96k baht - and that was without any hanky panky)



At the other end of Tras Street is House of Rock - a Malay joint. Good live music downstairs and a dire KTV upstairs full of Malay slappers asking for too much money for any action.

[in4zip]

back in 1995 I lived in S'pore, right behind St. Mt. Helen hospital
for four months straight save for short trips to Jahor Bahru and across
to some indo rat trap tourist joint island, the name escapes me now.

It was a rather boring time cuz knew nobody there so beside Orchard and Raffles area, i didn't get around much.

But it seams that there is a will to make the place more lively and more fun like opening of casinos ...

SF at what point is the casino venture. Still a pipe dream or ...