So, further to yesterday's post (although it may well be a lot longer than that by the time I finish and post this, given my recent lack of time availability to blog), what triggered my little bout of nostalgia was a memory that popped into my head about one of the places I used to live in, specifically our house in Damansara Heights in KL, where we lived from 2014 - 2016. I refer you to a post I wrote ages ago on places I have lived, and I am going to add to that and annotate it for the topic behind this post, which is homes I have had that resonated with me. Here's the old link:
https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/1373380587723815614/3646855623745055236
So now we have the table of awesome places where I have lived, updated to today, not that our current house features on this list, despite being a pretty cool home:
The first one was our magnificent condominium apartment in SG. It was situated up on a hill and had a grand view. Clementi Park also had a super pool and overall complex, and being at the end of a (long) cul-de-sac (Sunset Way) it was fairly quiet. The three years I lived here were amazing, and I would gladly return to Singapore on the basis of these memories. Of course in this day and age that is easier said than done - one would need a very healthy income and/or expat contract in order to afford that lifestyle now. The image is low-rest so apologies for the small size.
Second on the list was Lucette's family abode in Hurstbridge, on the outer suburbs of Melbourne. I spent my 4th year at university there, and loved the beautiful house and land, and the peaceful and idyllic surrounds. Actually I recently ventured through this area and even went part-way up Cherry Tree Road (where the house was), which brought back memories, although I was not all that familiar with the place. Both my memory and the passage of time have had an impact I believe. Whilst still semi-rural and lovely, urbanisation is certainly a whole lot closer to there now than it once was. I was naive and emotionally immature in those days (first serious girlfriend), and thus was majorly distracted. But I still enjoyed the lifestyle, Lucy's great family, and the peace it gave me during a hard last year at uni. I was so close to her parents actually that I went well out of my way to go visit them in Cairns many years later at their new property where they chose to retire.
Third on the list is a little iffy. Iffy because it was at a time when I had kind of lost the plot and was leading a pretty stupid lifestyle. But hey, the things we do. Despite that, I have ultra-fond memories of this small apartment, that I shared with Adam. He was and is a great friend, very generous, easy-going and an all-round good bloke. We lived on Bennett St, about 200m from the good old Fenians Irish pub. And about 500m from the WACA. It was an easy walk to get some decent food, a beer, or to watch sport. In a different time I would have loved it more, but even then, it was great and a memorable experience. More lifestyle of the day related I guess, not sure I'd love it now, but there you go.
The last two are hard to beat. At the price tag they both fetched for rent, and the city they are in, that is not surprising. Seni was a brand-new hill-top complex with a glorious view of the CBD. Even though it was ultra-modern and very stylish, being SEA, some of the handiwork of construction left a lot to be desired. We had myriad plumbing issues after we moved in, and we heard down the track that one of the large window panes fell out of an apartment window, almost killing a resident on the ground! Alas that's how things went in this part of the world. Most manual labour consisted of Bangla's, mostly unskilled. So things like plumbing and wiring, and tiling and fixtures, might look good at face glance. But of course beauty is only skin deep...
Anyway I digress, Seni was really my first adult foray into nice living, as the other place I had stayed in KL prior was below par for obvious reasons. Both Wifey and I enjoyed being here, and it was where we lived when Lala came into the world. It had Solaris close by, with groceries and eateries, and wasn't far from Desa Sri Hartamas or the city. It was a great place to live, although the price tag would make it prohibitive these days (both it and the next one were RM8,500 per month - about AUD$635/week). Still, recent AirBnB experiences have shown that condo living can be good in older and/or simpler places too. That old Mont Kiara one and even the Sri Permasuri one we stayed at during trips from Kupang were good in many respects. As long as they are secure, comfortable enough for our family, have adequate and reasonably well-maintained facilities and good access to food etc, then all good. The wow factor is nice, but not essential by any means. Picture of Seni below.
Last place on the list was the one that prompted this epistle to begin with - our semi-detached house in Damansara Heights. Back in 2010/11, JR lived next door at iDamansara, which was just too hoity-toity for us. But our complex, Semantan Villas, was a bit older, a bit less chic, and very spacious and comfortable. It was a 3-storey house, albeit the bottom level being a one room area we converted into a kid's playroom. With a rubber mat floor we installed and a gate at the base of the stairs, along with a wall-mounted TV, it was perfect for the kids and they loved it. The only downside was the backyard, which came off this room, was dark, wet, dingy and mosquito-infested. Thus the only time anyone ever went out there was to mow the lawn.
But upstairs was spacious, with a lovely open living area, and an adjacent deck perfect for drinking and BBQ'ing. The top floor was all bedrooms and ensuites, with our room being as big as a squash court, and more than enough for all five of us to live in. The landlord was great too, and very understanding and helpful when things didn't go so well during the ASN end-days in 2016. As it happens with these things, we ended up filling the house with furniture and goods, and ended up having to get rid of a whole lot when we left. When I think of how much we have given away over the years it is mind-numbing. But all good. Our more simplistic and clutterless lives now are a direct result of those experiences. The photo below is the two big kids (small then) enjoying a "tea party" on the deck.
So that brings us to today. Here in northern Victoria. A newish abode, compact, but big enough for us. Actually only last weekend, Lala graduated to having her own room, so now our office is part of the master bedroom. She is very happy with that and it is well-deserved. As mentioned before, life is a lot simpler for us now - partly by choice and partly by necessity - but there is not much of the old expatriate lifestyle that I miss. It is more the places than the residences. Still, between our own homes over there and some of the amazing ones we visited that our friends lived in, KL had some magnificent places to stay. Given the way the world and our family has evolved, I suspect that life, however warmly remembered, is a thing of the past. Should we venture back to SEA for Round 4 at any time, I am really not sure what it would look like for us. Time will tell.
