Strider24

I have a huge capacity for going off subject..or at least modifying it...but one of our projects was to rescue and old cinema and convert to a shop with a lovely apartment where the mezzanine used to be overlooking the Nambucca River. Another was doing up the second home ever to be built at North Parramatta, convict brick, broad boards and all...never did a shophouse though.

ex reg

Those photos are great.
Any idea the age of the house???
We lived in Jalan Wajek near Bukit Timah at one time.
The semi d bungalow was maybe 50 years old or so just post war but had been recently renovated very nicely.
3 beds with en suite, indoor kitchen outdoor kitchen big living room.dining room with big veranda with doors into the living room which opened the full width of the house.
The garden was lovely as well.
It was so breezy we never used aircon.

Unfortunately Jalan Wajek and the whole area has been totally pulled down and rebuilt upon with those massive 3 and 4 story houses which completely fill the area with little or no garden but a driveway for cars.
The houses are so close to one another that I'm sure you could stretch out of the windows and touch the house next door.

That's progress here.

Oh and sitting out in the veranda during a thunderstorm drinking a beer and reading a book was the best stress relief after a tough day I've ever found.

Kooky.

We think they were built in the 1930s. It's Lorong 24a, and our landlord owned a few of them in a row apart from one, much to his dismay as he had grand ideas of keeping the frontage but turning them into apartments. Thankfully he couldn't raise the money and, to the best of my knowledge, they're still individual houses (I think I walked down last year on my way to No Signboard, but didn't this year as I only went as far as Lorong 9 Beef.)

I think the one he doesn't own is in original condition - certainly no glass in the windows

We only used aircon in the bedroom for a few hours on a night. High ceilings and fans rule, we had the upstairs windows open constantly (with netting) and the huge double doors to the courtyard open all day until we went to bed. We didn't have a mozzie problem (I don't think we got the dengue at home) and we didn't have any issues with mould, unlike our friends in airtight and airconned apartments.

We'll be getting ceiling fans installed in our apartment before next summer.

Strider, I would love to do a conversion of something like a cinema, warehouse, electricity sub-station, etc. We had our eyes on a warehouse here but the bare shell was at the top of our budget (A$700k+) so we couldn't have afforded the conversion.


edit: BTW we paid S$2200 a month for that house!

Kooky.

Several of our friends lived in the old camp at Seletar. I think those houses have gone now. Progress, as you say

Strider24

Country town, A$100k to buy, A$150k to renovate. Added some photos, verandah addition over river, part of Mum's kitchen (25 powerpoints and she ran out!!!), murals by our daughter of early town scenes

ex reg

Very nice Strider.
Is that your mother, wife or daughter

Strider24

Hi ex reg. That is the one to be obeyed at all times without question, pays me weekly pocket money and never walks 3 paces behind no matter what the prenuptial promise was.

ex reg

I was down there today driving along Sims Ave and was going to turn into the lorong and have a look but I thought it was Lorong 24 which was one way into Sims Ave so didn't bother. Now I see it was Lorong 24A.

Maybe next time.

That whole area is one I'd like to live in, so lively with so many coffee shops etc etc.

We stopped for lunch in a place in Changi Rd and the noodles were as good as I've eaten.
The cook had been cooking for 30+ years and had started out as a helper and worked his way up. The place was spotless but in a good un sterile Singaporean way
So much better than the nouveau hawkers who are just in it to make cash and cut corners and miss out ingredients and don't wash chop sticks or plates properly..

bakedbean

You'll be for it when she knows you're putting her pic on a forum

mizelli

sorry just a quick question as I see penang on your avatar? does any one know Sandakan about the early 70's and a place called hungry hill just a thought please ignore me if I'm way off mark...and Sung Siew primary school ????

bakedbean

Hi Mizelli and welcome to the forum

Yeh you're off topic... but we all are Never mind eh.

I've only been living in Penang for almost 1 year so I certainly cannot answer your question. Did you grow up in Penang? I have a few friends who grew up here and now returned under the MM2H visa.

Strider24

Hi Mizelli,

Only been to Sandakan once, but fell in love with the place. I found this on Sung Siew Secondary School http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sung_Siew_Secondary_School
but the only references to a primary school seem to be ex students. Perhaps it is now the secondary school only. can't find "hungry hill" but sounds very Chinese or Irish But seriously could hungry hill be a place name from one of the Sandakan to Ranau death marches. Wish I could help.

mizelli

Thank you both for your information,I have photos of the school ,1972!many happy memories .Hungry hill was behind the sandakan markets,a long steep winding road with a small wooden bridge about half way up,our house was called leila view and looked over the harbour.I was eventually sent away to school but have often wondered what happened to people and places.........a small yatch club and cookies ekan bilis....................trips to bahala island[unsure of spellings anymore sorry!]remember the start of the Sepilok sanctuary, joan and her baby martin who unfortunatly died due to dysentary ,kota kinabalu and kuala lumpur as well as singapore were all beautiful places.Indeed am quite jealous reading about it all.Sorry for rambling on and off topic as well!!health wealth and happiness to you all!

mizelli

have posted one reply ....dissapeared !! will check back later if it isn't back and redo .....thank you both for info !

columbine

Golly, never been to Sandakan or that part of the world. I think it's quite far away from Penang Sorry not familiar with all the names and places there