Vedasri Siddamsetty

The residence of the Indian Ambassador to Singapore is a rather splendid one. Located on Peirce Road in Singapore it is the grandest of the heritage properties on the island. Built in 1911 the bungalow, is a part of the many black and white style bungalows built by the British dotting the island. Tucked away in what one can all the green scape of the island, the house stands on a mounded hillock. The Indian government is said to have purchased the bungalow in about 1948 for a paltry sum.  In 2000s the highly dilapidated bungalow was decided to be renovated and additions to the house were agreed upon.

Ideated by Singapore based architect Steven Siong the bungalow was re-created to match with precision its predecessor. Freshly painted and gleaming with pride its soul seems to have risen like a phoenix. The Ambassador’s wife was gracious enough to let me get a peek into what can be easily touted as the grandest heritage residence in Singapore. The older part of the house remains intact. With a winding driveway, a porch stepping down into a large garden the entrance is grand and warm at the same time. Stepping into a main lobby we are greeted by not only the pictures of India’s current President and Prime Minister but also a promise of what lays beyond. The louvered glass and wooden frames show a glint of the courtyard beyond. The dining room flanks the lobby on one side while a grand staircase embraces the lobby on the other. The dining room is large and elaborate and surprises. With walls in black and the ceiling and floor in white and the architraves of the 1911 the decor is quirkyly goth.

The courtyard behind the existing house is the first of the many new structural additions to the house. Envisaged to use the Hindu Mandala concept of building, the courtyard is made central in the house plan with the addition of a drawing room at the far end. The drawing room again, is elaborate and has a Japanese ring to it. The central roof of the room is lifted higher to let in ample sunlight and completely glorifies the space.

Out of the drawing annexe is a meandering path that leads to a lawn space with a swimming pool that is woven into it. Far across is seen smaller units that are residences of the other officers of the High Commission. The house breathes and while at it encourages you to breathe as well. India seems far away with only art works showing a reminiscence. Bronzes of the various Indian dances are freckled over the semi-open spaces in the outdoors.

The outside comes in and the inside goes out extremely effortlessly and fluently in a house that is splendid by light, night and sight.

It is estimated that over 90% of singaporeans live in public housing. The housing development board builds and sells these units at a subsidized price for their people.

When my goodself, got to live in such a phenomena it sparked an interest in public housing around the world. Living in affluent neighborhoods in landed houses there is no real perspective on housing. Generically speaking the mass housing is one of the most important typology of building.

Upon research I find that in most countries of the world, public housing has been taken very seriously. Housing figures prominently in the list of public infrastructure. Low or high in density countries like the United States, Australia, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, a few notaries, have built their public housing purely in the interest of the public. They did not have to entice developers or use other means of self-interest to house their people. When socialistic endeavours as such are made it is difficult or almost impossible to handle the mix of people. New Orleans in the United States has a terrible repute in regard of the people who live in the area. Crime rates are considered high and living in public housing is almost lethal. But in the Netherlands and closer home in Singapore the absence of crime, or rather the stiff handed measures against crime keeps the standard of housing considerably higher.

Tropical climate does command the need for heating systems. The apartments in Singapore perform efficiently, they are essentially matchbox size houses built at an affordable cost and with neat finishes. Going upto 12 usually and 40 storeys sometimes the main effort of the housing is to provide decent housing for its citizens. The layouts of HDBs have evolved over time but I found that the underlying principle has not changed. Today HDB has different strata even in their public housing. The Pinnacle at Duxton, is HDB for the elite. Located centrally and with an award winning design, it is by far the best. However modest the HDBs do serve their purpose and do the needful.

HDBs are also equipped with garbage chute compressing units that complete the first part of the decomposing process. The effective systems of waste removal through the chutes is a quality that marks the worlds best public housing. For construction pre-cast walls, columns and beams are used. Block walls are employed for the inner walls. Safety and security are also two prime considerations for design. In more recent times the government is beginning to pay attention to the aesthetics of the housing complexes all across the island. Considering they are all in your face, it would help if they looked pleasant.  Simple, effective and needful is the public housing in Singapore.

Dezeen is one of the most informative design and architecture website.

Their new launch dezeenscreen.com is a portal that showcases architecture as a moving picture.

 

Split your lifetime into minutes of ten each. Then do all you can to while away as  little of the tens as you possibly can.

The words are the crux of the life of the man himself. The man in question is Ingvar Kamprad from Elmtaryd who also lived in Agunnyard. A simple name that has made a big difference. So much so he was the world richest man in 2007 and continues to figure in the list of the uber rich. His story, like all the success stories began at his late teens and has sailed on till now when he an octegenarian.

Many years after IKEA being in business I got to visit the store. The store for one is utterly delightful. Every store, the brand and the graphics have all one usp and that is of good design. The price is kept low and is almost unbelievable. You dont have to be rich to be clever they say. One cant help but agree with such marketing captions. The quality of wood used is definitely questionable and in most cases it may not be wood at all! But as of today with all the environmental worries the marketing manager at Ikea is definitely not a worried man. Made with recycled materials and keeping in mind all the sustainable issues. They may not have furniture for keeps but they do have fun, quirky stuff if only you’d like replacements every 3 years! Nevertheless with my eye for beauty I fall in love with IKEA everytime I go there. And yes the swedish desserts, they make me want to have a sweet tooth. Smart, chic. Two words that precede the most important, cheap.

Though our house is not filled with furniture from IKEA ( Indians that we are, long-lasting means everything to us), we do buy all the accessories that IKEA makes to for an easy existance.

So much so now am their friend. Quite literally!

A bday treat basket for my 24th birthday all the way from my family!!

Realisations galore, new ideas lure

for lo! behold am now twenty-four!

A yearful of less warning

and good sense dawning

not to mention the learning

as the year begins to close

Tales of adventure

of not so far dentures

looking for greener pastures

and whirlwind ventures

A new beginning

in corporate living

seeing and working

a novelty in being

Strengthening of the heart

and bonding with the hearth

helps mend things burnt

with a firmer resolve

Ambitions come close

take form and get a hold

for there is much more

in the offing I am told

As I bury another year

spent in considerable fear

and become more dear

to everyone who is near

I learn what I need to know

of patience and brow

of beauty and lore

for I have found my chore!

A. Age: 24

B. Bed size: Double. Hardly 1 year old, precisely six months old. Hardwood with a little grill design.

C. Chore you dislike: Doing the dishes! Got myself cheerful yellow gloves to make it tolerable. It does work, the color that is.

D. Dogs: Had 2 pomeranians who I had to leave behind in my parents home after marriage. Hope to have 5 dogs someday. A beagle and a st bernard in the list!

E. Essential start to your day: Weekdays, turning on the The primetime show. Weekends finding my running shoes!

F. Favorite color: Yellow!

G. Gold or silver: Gold, loopier the better 😉

H. Height: 5’7″

I. Instruments you play(ed): Passed the grade 2 in piano ABRSM exam of the Royal school of music! Hoping to do the rest, all in good time.

J. Job title: Architectural Coordinator.

K. Kids: Someday!

L. Live: Singapore. The (is)land of aplenty!

M. Mom’s name: Mommykins!

N. Nicknames: One. Veds.

O. Overnight hospital stays: Zero – I’m very lucky!

P. Pet peeves: Extreme, unrelenting negativity. It gets you nowhere!

Q. Quote from a movie: Its more like a passage but I quote, “Relationships-there are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up a lot of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you, you love, well thats just fabulous.”

R. Righty or lefty: Am righty and contrary to popular belief the right side of my brain is more polished 😉

S. Siblings: My little brother! Who is not so little anymore as he towers over !!

T. Time you wake up: Between 7 and 8 most days. Its hard at times but I love early wakings.

U. Underwear: Always cute!

V. Vegetables you don’t like: Bittergourd!!!

W. What makes you run late: Changing clothes.

X. X-rays you’ve had: Dental!

Y. Yummy food you make: Ahem! My best should be my Indian fanfare or maybe my Italian.

Z. Zoo animal favorites: Giraffees….or dolphins! I adored them as a child!!!

The latest India-Pak match at the 2011  world cup was a friendly one, in more than one way.

The D-day as a lot of Indians would like to call it was one that brought out the patriotism in me. After explaining painstakingly to my Malaysian colleague about the two warring nations all afternoon I headed down to Boat Quay to catch the match with some friends. Boat Quay was packed! So to say the least. I had never previously seen so many Indians in Singapore at one time. Or rather Indians and Pakistanis. The atmosphere was buzzing so to say the least. Watching from Singapore it was the first time I got to see the tensing match with Pakistanis on the next table. Indians painted their national tricolor on their cheeks while the Pakistanis wore their team jersey with much elan! Here we were cheering and it was a match worth watching, we won.

The next innings I saw at a family friends house. Not so fierce the cheering I did here was much lady-like. The first cricket match Ive seen in a long time and so much fun. The players seemed to be having fun too, after all the pressure the smiles were really endless. 🙂

There is a restaurant chain in Singapore by that name. And the food there is stellar. As I took my first bite I was enticed, the second I was teased and by the third I was floored. The vegetable seekh kebab roll is awesomest. Something that I would recommend you all to try.

The roll got me thinking.

26th January 2011 was a special day. The husband and I were invited to the Republic Day Celebration hosted by the Indian Embassy in Singapore. I can probably never forget the feeling upon entering the Banquet Hall in Shangrila Hotel,  Singapore. For company we had the creme de la creme of Singapore, the affluent Indians in Singapore and most importantly the Indian Foreign Services officers. The atmosphere was completely buzzing with achievement and positivity. Conversations moved from India’s new revenue policy to the possible expansion of the Indian art scene in Singapore. Here were a bunch of people who talked ideas. Going by the look of it all, they all seemed ingrained in ideas. Great people indeed talk of ideas. The visuals and the music in the background did little more than produce goosebumps. Needless to say I felt marvellous. Business leaders, entrpreneurs and industrialists were all there making impressions on India’s premier officers.

Then on a humbler note, at the recent International Contemporary Furniture Fair. I take great pride in observing that people paid more attention to the fact that I come from India. The eyes of most people literally light up at the mention of India. The severity of race classification may still be there but one cannot miss the spark in the eye. At lunch I noticed more than one instance wherein a meeting between Indians and foreigners was on. In office I cant help but smile as our Managing Director tries so hard to impress land developers from Bangalore. The receptionist was swiftly instructed to arrange for Jain vegetarian food for the entourage. So much so she came to check with me if cheese was alright. For a company so large and connected it was so endearing.

There are bound to me more such instances. A colleague of mine remarked that he would love to work in India, two others joined in the chorus. Is it just me or is the world suddenly turning Indophile? Commonwealth fiasco we think, but the world doesnt seem to care. Once again they are seeing potential where we refuse to see. There are concerns, they seem so superficial. For whats not to conquer with fire in the belly? I can almost hear the rolling of the drum beats!

Writing in from Singapore, I feel, for everyone out there.

It really is the time to Go India!

Some things are better left to gut feeling and instincts. If not for others, for mine definitely works.

I have always felt so rejuvinated after writing/talking, that when I came across a blog pushing my case I was impressed, with myself.

What do you think?

http://ontechies.com/2011/01/26/blog-more-it-is-good-for-your-health/