Food Choices N S E W!

It's been a while since I posted something about the variety of food choices we have around Viz. The post on the Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre is still valid, although precaution should be taken if you intend on using the shortcut. Use the main Queensway road if you intend to go there, for safety reasons.

For newcomers to Singapore or people unfamiliar with the area, we are literally at the crossroads of food delights...

Go North (Farrer Road and beyond) and you will encounter nearby middle- to upper-class Bukit Timah, with food choices ranging from reasonable budget meals to posh restaurants tucked away amongst landed properties.

Go East (Holland Road - Napier Road) and you hit the shopping belt Orchard Road and you'll be seriously spoilt for choices, although there are some good eating places within a 5km range (ish).

Go West (Holland Road - Ulu Pandan Road) and you hit residential condoland before getting to the Clementi Heartland, with pockets of decent food in between.

Go South (Queensway - Alexandra/Portsdown/Bukit Merah) and you get to more dining spots in the HDB estates, including plenty of hidden (decent) finds.

I hope to cover each of these areas soon, highlighting some of my personal favorites (although your taste and preference may of course vary!), choosing food places that are within a short (5-10km) radius so that it's easy for those who drive, or take public transport.

But some recommended sites (links included) for those too eager to begin exploring food choices around the area:

1. Hungrygowhere is a fantastic review-driven site listing out tons of eating spots around Singapore. You can narrow your search to specific areas or cuisine. Give that a spin if you're too hungry (or impatient) to wait for my subsequent suggestions.
2. ieatishotipost is a food blog run by Dr Leslie Tay and has been very popular for its focus on Singaporean foodfare, especially in the hawker centres around Singapore. These are cheap, good, meals.
3. I-S Magazine is available as a free magazine in various cafes in Singapore (eg Coffee Bean) as well as online. Recently, they have an iPad version which you can download their magazine and read on your device. The iPad version is pretty good! They have good recommendations for restaurants, albeit the more hip, happening (and expensive) stuff!
4. Ladyironchef is another food blog which has nice lists for best cafes in Singapore, best brunch in Singapore, best pancakes etc etc.

I'm sure there are more blogs or food sites out there. If you have a good one to recommend, put under comments here!

Be wary of strangers - Molest incident

Just received a letter from our resident manager titled "Incident of Molest at Viz @ Holland" dated 15 November 2012.

There was a recent incident whereby a female resident was molested at the HDB Access Gate on 6 Nov 2012 at about 7pm. A police report has been made and the cops are investigating the matter. The Management is looking into installing additional lighting at both access gates.

The following advice are provided to all residents:

• Be alert and mindful of strangers loitering at or near the access gates, especially when you are entering or leaving the estate.
• If you see any suspicious strangers, contact the management office or security staff at 64793143 immediately.
• Do not open or hold the gate for the next person to enter the estate, especially if you are not sure if s/he is a resident or not.

Being a regular visitor to the hawker centre and shops at Commonwealth Crescent, we were really shocked to hear the news. As regular users of the HDB gate will know, the area is not well lit at night, it is a long and narrow pathway from our gate to the stairs leading down to the HDB estate (and the hawker centre), creating a potential 'choke point' where a resident is sandwiched between the gate and the molester. There are also people who like to sit at the metal chairs at the bottom of the stairs.

I know in previous posts I suggested various shortcuts to Holland V (through Chip Bee Gardens). In light of this incident, can I suggest the following as well, to all residents:

• If you need to go to Holland V, use the main road - go onto Queensway, turn left onto Holland Road (at the major road intersection), and you'll hit Holland V quickly. You can cut through Taman Warna if you want. See below.

• If you need to go to the Commonwealth market/hawker centre, go via the main Queensway road and enter Commonwealth Drive and then turn right into Commonwealth Crescent. Again, slightly longer path but much safer as it's along main, well lit, roads with lots of cars. See below. (The crossed line indicates the path that is now potentially unsafe for single female residents.)

• If you have to use the HDB pathway, be especially alert of your surroundings. If someone decides to follow you, if someone who is seated at the metal chairs gets up after you and walks behind you:
• Get out your access card so that you can buzz yourself in quickly,
• Take out your mobile and make sure you have the security number on standby;
• Walk faster/briskly towards the gate, checking behind to see if that person has picked up pace as well. 
• The HDB gate can be heavy, so be prepared to PULL it once it's unlocked, and be prepared to PUSH it hard to close it to prevent the stranger from following you in.
• Wave at the camera that's situated there. A stranger may not be aware of the camera and may think twice about doing anything funny.
• Carry a shrill alarm to call for help or to dissuade him from coming too close. 
• Importantly, do NOT let any stranger into the estate, no matter how 'well dressed' or 'normal' that person is. It's often polite or less embarrassing, if someone is behind you, that you let that person in after you have opened the gate. Don't do that!! If he wants to be let in, tell him sorry but only RESIDENTS can use these access gates. Any visitor must go through the main entrance. If he claims to be a resident but has lost his card, tell him sorry, but he can call the security office and they can let him in. I know it sounds rude, or it may be frustrating to a genuine resident, but given the situation, it might be better to be safe than sorry! 
• The same applies in our lift lobbies! If someone comes in behind you just when you are about to enter your lift lobby, unless you know that person (have seen him before), do not let that person in. IF he pushes himself into the lobby, make sure he gets into the lift first (pretend you're making a call or you forgot something, and let him take the lift by himself). You should wait for the next one. If he doesn't take the lift up, leave the lobby and head to the guard post. Ask a guard to escort you if you don't see him leaving the lobby.

If you have maids who frequent the market/hawker centre, please let them know of this incident and tell them to be alert.

It's a pity we don't allow tasers in the country :( or pepper spray even... but personal alarms should be available, although I'm not sure exactly where to find one in SG!

Please be careful when you're walking alone outside the estate... Times have changed, and it doesn't matter where we stay, some people are getting more daring and crazy!

Antisocial Behaviour

To the owner or person walking the dog this morning...

the DOG that decided to take a DUMP in the lift in Blk C...

Yes, the person who then DID NOT CLEAN UP THE MESS AND LEFT IT IN THE LIFT FOR OTHERS...

You do realise that the security cams will show you bringing the dog into the lift.. right?

I mean, how hard is it to recall the lift when you've obtained a plastic bag, and get rid of your pet's droppings?

*shakes head*

Tags: viz@holland, viz holland, viz @ holland, singapore, queensway, antisocial behaviour, anti-social behaviour

How many visiting cars can fit into one lot?

(Can anyone spot the grammatical error here?)

Tags: viz@holland, viz holland, viz @ holland, singapore

Strange Lights

Spotted on 15 Feb 2010 night.. Thought it was an invasion. Turned out to be Marina Bay Sands' celebrations. So I wasn't that far off.

Tags: viz@holland, viz @ holland, singapore, queensway, holland

Checklist for the Recently Interned (New rentals, that's you!)

Just realised, speaking to someone just planning to move in here, that a list of possible wear and tear items might be useful when you do a checklist of the existing 'damages' to the unit, stuff that you shouldn't be accountable for, and you should note to the landlord etc. I've been here since the TOP of the estate and believe that I have endeavoured to keep the place as clean/tidy/nice as possible. Aside from a cleaning lady that comes in weekly that we call the Force of Nature (destroying things in its path and all that), damages to existing structures/fixtures etc are down to just good ol' wear and tear, poor quality, poor workmanship etc.

I'm only referring to those parts of the unit that came with it when the estate was TOP'd, not the other bits that were added by various owners.

So what I can think of right now are:

1. Hairline cracks in the tiles of the bathroom, particularly the master bathroom. I noticed these cracks over the years, and it's not because I've been banging the tiles in my frustration while showering. They just appear. Not your fault, unless you tend to bang tiles in frustration while showering.
2. Loose tap levers. Two of them have gotten so loose that they come right off. Trying to get replacements for them now.
3. Stains and scratches on the white kitchen top. That's a pain in the @$$ cos the top is one whole unit. No amount of bleach can remove some of the really stubborn stains too. Poor quality top, is all I can say!
4. Rust on the stainless steel drying rack in the kitchen. Can be removed with a lot of elbow grease and a metal polisher.
5. Take note of the faulty water heater issue. Might creep up on you if your unit hasn't had the motherboard replaced yet.
6. Tears in the rubber seal of the bomb shelter. Happens due to weather I guess. The rubber becomes fragmented.
7. Minor 'cracks' in the parquet floor.
8. Take note too, of the spa in the master bathroom. There's a square tile that is actually loose, and has to be in order for any repairer to access the internal parts of the spa. That tile is getting quite loose in my unit now, and if it slides out and breaks.. gonna be really hard to find a replacement. So tape it together, use blutac, do what you need to do to keep it secure!
   

That's what I can think of for now. Feel free to add, if any of you can think of others!

Tags: viz@holland, viz holland, viz @ holland, singapore

My Battle Royale with LTA.. Okay, more like hitting a stubborn stone wall with a salmon.

Ok, as a driver, I get bugged about the lack of signage to the estate, the problem of the buses blocking drivers' views when they need to get out of the estate, other cars tailgating you when you try to get into the entrance etc. So I wrote to LTA asking them to look into the matter, and offering some suggestions. I pointed out that on Queensway heading towards Farrer Road, there's like a gazillion signs indicating that Holland Road is to the left, including one right outside our estate. I argued that we need one saying Viz Holland/Viz@Holland/Viz at Holland about 200m before the entrance so that drivers know where and when to slow down/turn.

This is their first official response (dated 13 Aug 2010):

REQUEST TO PUT UP PERMANENT SIGNAGE WARNING OF ENTRANCE TO VIZ HOLLAND ESTATE
FEEDBACK NUMBER: 20100720-0782

We refer to your email of 20 July 2010.

We would like to inform you that there are existing information signs to inform motorists leading to the condominiums along this stretch of Queensway. Nevertheless, we will do a site check and monitor if additional signs is necessary and we will implement it accordingly.

The "Holland Road" sign is a directional sign to inform motorists of the general direction towards Holland Road. Thus, we have no intention to remove or change the sign at this moment. The bus stop outside Viz Holland along Queensway serves seven bus services and is provided with a bay for safe bus operation. To share with you, we have explored the location and due to site constraint, there is no site after Viz Holland to accommodate a bus bay. Thus, we recommend to retain the existing bus stop as it serves the cluster of residents from the nearby condominiums.

With regard to your request for Viz Holland entrance sign, our colleague from the Traffic Management, Dr Lau, will reply you directly once details are gathered.

We thank you for writing in.

Yours sincerely

(SIGNED IN LOTUS NOTES)
Rebecca Tan (Ms)
Executive
Project Communications & Feedback

This was followed by another email (dated 26 Aug 2010);

Request to put up Permanent Signage warning of Entrance to Viz Holland estate
FEEDBACK NUMBER: 20100720-0782

Please refer to your email of 20 July 2010.

We have studied and find that the existing signs along Queensway towards Holland Road useful in guiding motorists and keeping in the right lane and conform to LTA's requirement of directional/ information signs before an intersection. The information sign "Condominiums/Side roads, KEEP LEFT" advise motorist to keep left and not to proceed into the tunnel to reach the number of condominiums around this vicinity.

Signs to individual premises (i.e. facility signs) are normally restricted to location open to location open to public access. Condominiums are not regarded as being in this category. This criterion is set to manage our streetscape without cluttering it with too many signs.

The entrance/exit of Viz Holland is visible to the motorists, however to make it more prominent, an identity sign could be install within the development boundary.

Thank you
Yours sincerely

(SIGNED IN LOTUS NOTES)
TAY CHENG TIONG EMMANUEL
FOR DEPUTY DIRECTOR
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

In other words: "We've 'studied', you're wrong, status quo, thank you."
So, drivers of Viz, do you agree with their 'study' of our estate?

Tags: viz@holland, viz holland, viz @ holland, land transport authority, LTA