Beyond the Hill

Once in Singapore, a lot of people get on with their weekend travelling right away, and we probably would have done the same if I didn't need to find a job. But I think that this settling period was good, invaluable in fact! When in life do you get to spend time at home, do things at your own pace, dedicate yourself almost entirely to your side-projects? I enjoyed every simple deed of love towards myself and my family – cooking, looking after my skin, swimming, cuddling my cat, preparing an elaborated birthday cake for my loved one, go for long walks and get lost taking photos, or simply staying by the sun when I could.

I learned in London that one of the most important things when changing home is to discover your surroundings, your neighbourhood and all there is that can be useful nearby. The west coast can seem like an isolated area, but soon we we discovered the under-layers of the neighbourhood.

One of the best is the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre, which is our local market, as well as...well, a wholesale centre. The fruit and the veggies are fresh and incredibly cheap, compared to extortionate supermarket prices in Singapore. When I say fresh, I mean freshly arrived from many parts of the region – and beyond – as in fact, the only local thing you'll find here is the uncles and aunties selling at the stalls. They will tell you where the produce is from, so you can pick and chose if you prefer to buy only stuff that comes from relatively close countries. And yes, you can address to them as “uncle” or “auntie” and they will be very pleased with you integrating some Singlish to your vocabulary. Going to this market is a real local experience, you can see all the photos of this place throughout this article.

In the area there is a very tiny mall as well, called Viva Vista, which has a lot of potential but it's still very new and many of the shops are empty or used as storage/merchandising for appointment only services. It's a bit of an odd place, as every time you walk in it's a bit of a bet on whether what you are looking for will be open or closed, but there are a few staples, that saved my day more than once: a convenience store, a pet shop with plenty of cat food and treats; a laundry service that also serves as photocopy/scanner service; a tailor. But there are also things that are good to have there, like Saw and Reap, a very cosy cafe where they serve good espresso coffee and freshly baked cakes. For an Italian it's rather essential to have a reliable cafe nearby and this is a particularly lovely corner where to relax, read a book, or write some thoughts down in a notebook.

Food centres, or food courts, are very important in Singapore. Every neighbourhood has one and we have the Pasir Panjang food centre relatively close by. This is well known for its seafood and it gets very buzzy in the evenings, unlike most food courts. Close to that, we also have various restaurants, one of which is a recognised Thai restaurant, called E-Sarn, where we enjoy a Thai green curry and family-run-restaurant atmosphere every time we can. Very close to home, down South Buona Vista road, is also 99 Kitchen, a restaurant with such a big menu that can be considered a food centre on its own. With local and Chinese dishes, 99 offers us a fix on those lazy days when we want a take away, their specials are local dishes such as fish-head curry and pork ribs with salted eggs, but the menu spoils anyone, local or expat, for choice.

So June was a month of discovery, overall, and one when I also found a job! But I believe that's July material.