answers to

where are these one-storey terrace houses?

the answers can be found here and here.

i had thought that most people would have missed this place because it is off the main road. if you drive, you will just whizz past it with no chance of a second look.

however, all four - victor, peter, chun see and nah - knew exactly where they are and why they were built that way. i am surprised though that peter does not know about the many massage joints at roxy square.

answer to school building quiz

unlike some blogger who asked 5 questions based on an old photograph (and got 18 direct and indirect responses), i asked only one based on this new photograph of a new building but did not receive a single direct response. yes, there was one response from stanley but it was a misplaced one; it was supposed to be for the posting that came after.

i can conclude that either people are tired of the many quizzes that i have posed or they really don't care for new things; they prefer nostalgic stuff. or they simply don't know the answer.

anyway, since the other blogger has revealed the answers to those tough questions, i am going to answer my own question.

this school building, together with a lot of other unoccupied buildings, is located within the murai urban training facilities at jalan murai. i had wandered into this place as there was no sentry, no 'protected place' sign and the gate was wide open. i had mistaken it for some movie town that they were developing until i saw army trucks and soldiers on the roof of some building one day.

answer to 'one tree hill at bukit panjang'

i am sure that when i get back to singapore at the end of this month, the tree in question (why did they leave this tree alone?) will not be standing anymore.  it will have served its purpose and like all old things in singapore will have to make way for development.

up to today, no one has given the correct answer to the reason for its stay of execution.  it has been spared because some the people involved were waiting to enjoy the fruit of its labour.  this is the durian season - yes, it is a durian tree - and these people just could not bear to 'kill the goose that lays the golden eggs'.  

they have been waiting to gather its fruits and when there are no more 'golden eggs' to savour, they will not hesitate to fell the tree.