Checking Out a Residential Block @ Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam

I am the type who is always curious about other people's home, even when I am overseas! 

In my trip to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), I noticed many residential blocks like the above and since my companions had yet to complete their pampering session at Spa Salon Galaxy, I thought I might as well make better use of my time by checking if I can access the upper levels. 

Woah! No barriers to entry! 

At the back of the block were more buildings, which were the typical long ones with compact entrance. Very different from this wider block which reminded me somewhat like our shorter HDB blocks, albeit without lifts and with higher ceilings. 

Time to climb up! 

The corridor; humans are the same, across different countries. Despite the need to ensure a clear passage, residents would always deem the common corridor to be their property and will attempt to stake their ownership by sprucing up the area in front of their unit.

Due to privacy issues, I didn't take any photos of those residential units. I did notice that given the taller ceiling, some owners would 'build' an additional level to accommodate more people. Each unit also appeared to be deeper than our boxed-shape HDB units that were built in the early 1980s.

Another interesting feature was that not all units were residential; some were obviously commercial entities and I found like two cafes in our short visit. I wonder how people would know since there were no noticeable logos to attract people walking past on the ground level.

Don't belittle it though; the Auvery Cafe commanded a perfect score of 5.0 on Google review, and it offered creative beverages like Pistachio latte! Maybe I shall check it out the next time I am in HCMC. 

Right across the block would be the restaurant where I had my most expensive meal in HCMC; Quince Saigon. Its original outlet was in Bangkok, which is a michelin-plate establishment! 

Time to hit the street as my friends would be arriving soon.

And I was actually pretty hungry! 

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Click here for my 6 Days Itinerary in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) - Pearl of the Far East @ Vietnam

One of The Many Little, Narrow Lanes in Between Buildings @ Ho Chi Minh City [Vietnam]

The above was the window view from our room within Vien Dong Hotel. With so many buildings tightly packed, one would wonder where exactly are the roads, and entrances to the buildings! 

Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to check it out alone, during the day! For safety reason, I chose a lane along Bui Vien Street that's close to our hotel, and it's a straight route that didn't look devoid of human activities.

With a provision store near the start of the lane was assuring as it means the cluster of buildings along the stretch would be filled with homes, and not some shady business. 

Lane was about 160 meters long; and one thing I noticed was the many budget hotels or hostels. In my search for accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City, I did notice these establishments but were worried that it might be hidden in some dark alleys.

Prices were incredibly cheap; imagine a single room that cost only 200,000 dong a night! That's only about S$11. Even a triple-person room would not set you back more than S$20.00 a night and this Tam Anh Guest House even provides air conditioning, hot shower, cable TV and free Wi-Fi! 

Always nice to see pet dogs around! The lane was quite narrow, which means a car wouldn't be able to drive all the way in. Maybe that's why motorbikes are way more popular than cars in Vietnam.

Back to the main road! I bet there are lanes that might be more interesting and with so many in the city; you might chance upon one, if you dare to explore. 

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Click here for my 6 Days Itinerary in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) - Pearl of the Far East @ Vietnam

The Interesting Sign - 精武体育会超场 near Chinatown [Singapore]

Even as a proud Singaporean, I can't claim to have explored every nook and cranny of this little red dot. Things I chance upon sometimes still surprised me and one such incident happened near the original outlet of Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant.

精武体育会超场 - I do recognize the seven, red Chinese characters from across the road; it loosely translates into a training ground of a martial arts association.

The design reminded me of some of the Hong Kong movies set in the post world war two period, for example, the Ip Man film series. My curiosity was definitely piqued. 

Remember, this is land scarce Singapore and given the prime location, I doubt I would miss a training ground that's built for Chinese martial arts, including for lion and dragon dance practices.

And the above photograph, showing the scene right behind the sign, generated more question marks as it's more a pathway surrounded by flora and foliage. Hardly sufficient space for people to train for martial arts. 

I climbed down for a better look; there's an underground passage that connected to the path where I queued for more than two hours before stepping into Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant. 

Given the eye-catching sign that looked like it was maintained regularly, I was expecting some sort of information panel or plaque to explain the history behind it. Maybe I just wasn't sharp tough; I did notice the sign that this entire stretch is known as the Duxton Plain Park. 

Know what this is? It's a sundial and god knows why it's here. Maybe it's there to spruce up the park as it was indeed quite plain. Nevertheless, it is still a very much needed green and peaceful oasis amidst the towering buildings and historical structures. And there were quite a number of chickens roaming around! 

Anyway, I did find out that the area was indeed a training ground for the Chin Woo Athletic Association which was formed in 1922. Read here for more information! 

Should I explore Pinnacle@Duxton the next time? Two interesting facts about it when it was first built; it was the "largest public housing development in the world and has the world’s longest skygarden"! 

Changed View Outside My Parents Flat Between 2010 and 2012

I have been staying in Yishun since i was six years old and most part of it was spent at my parents' place until i got my own flat about four years ago. My parents' apartment faces Malaysia and before the primary school was built, we could see Malaysia and sometimes, the fireworks during festive periods like Chinese New Year.

Many memories were made at the green patch in front; during the windy season, we would bring down our kites and fly them way higher than the surrounding housing blocks. The space was also occasionally used for religious activities like funerals, temple ceremonies etc. 

In early 2010, there was a sudden hive of activity at the field and before we knew it, hoarding was put up with the greenery slowly decimated into the mess above. 

Temporary container offices were built shortly with large boulders brought in. 

In Singapore, major construction works are required to put up a board outside the site that would indicate information like project title, reference number, developer, architect, builder, and expected date of completion.

Project Title: Proposed new erection of public development comprising 1 block of 15-storey residential building (total 392 units) with open carpark, community facilities and ESS (short for electrical substation).

15-storey block?!?! That would literally mean my parents' block would be blocked by this taller block right smack in front us! p.s. that's quite a number of blocks. 

Expected date of completion was supposed to be the first quarter of 2012; hm.... can a block of flat be completed in less than two years?! That's insanely fast right? Not to mention that Singapore is fraught with extreme weather changes which would bring thunderstorm all of sudden when it was all bright or sunny just ten minutes ago! 

In less than six months, the first floor was already being built. 

Before 2011 kicked in, the builder had already completed about nine floors! My parents' main worry was whether this would hinder the strong wind that the flat was fortunate to receive for the past 20 over years.

I always wonder how they manage to build the cranes so high up. Maybe a civil engineer would care to comment? And i super respect the crane operators; it would have been unimaginably scary for people with a phobia for height. 

Finally, the 15th floor was about to be completed. It's already the first quarter of 2012 and while i still found speed-to-build amazing; i doubt they could handover to Housing Development Board (HDB) within one or two months.

At about the same time, the existing block next door was undergoing the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) which aims to provide greater convenience for residents on each floor of the older housing blocks. p.s. a bit of background, the lifts in the older blocks would only stop every 5-6 floors and this proves to be a problem with an ageing population.

Colours were up yet the space in front, likely the open car park, was still in its beginning stage of construction. As it doesn't involve much building, i guess it wouldn't take too long.

This was November 2011; the carpark was already operational although the flats in the block remained unoccupied. From my understanding, the block would consist of 1 or 2-room rental flats. 

Life was finally injected to the block at the end of 2012. This post took a long time as i kind of forgot to blog about it until i was organising the 158,000 photographs took over the years! 

The Lack of Posts!

No thanks to the festive celebration for the new lunar year, a lower immunity and a particularly infectious patient zero (my mom by the way), i am down with cough, sore throat and strangely, fever at night!

In usual circumstances, i would be able to blog despite the discomfort. This time round, it's different; I have yet to visit a doctor and am relying on Alex's medication for sore throat and cough which is totally fine except for the drowsiness-induced cough syrup.

I would very much love to restart my postings on the Bandung trip (next of which is the sari ater hot spring that's, in my honest opinion, better than the poring hot spring at Kota Kinabalu) but i am afraid i have to disappoint my readers once again.

Hopefully, i would be awake and alert for a longer period tomorrow evening after work. Enjoy the fifth day of the rooster year and remember to drink tons of plain water!

Place to Shoot Top-Down Photographs of Chinese New Year Centrepiece @ Singapore Chinatown

In a few photographs i shared earlier in the posting on decorations for the upcoming lunar new year, i mentioned a fantastic spot to shoot the centre of attraction that's smacked in the middle of Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road.

The above is the location and many people usually don't access this level unless they drive! I don't park there; in fact, i am not even aware there's a multi-storey carpark within People's Park Centre (opposite Chinatown Point)! 

Unfortunately, time is not on my side this year and i doubt there would be a separate post on a night version for the above scene this monkey year. Nevertheless, you can try to access the level at night. 

Two issues though; one, the atmosphere can be eerie and not all the lifts are accessible. For the latter, that would mean climbing down the exit staircase, which can be nerve wrecking. The photo above has been adjusted for brightness; the original picture was a lot darker!

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Location

101 Upper Cross Street, 6th Floor 

(accessed from lift at main entrance facing Chinatown Point)