On 17th September, it was a dark and cloudy morning… oh no, I thought…it’s going to rain… if it does, it would be most inconvenient for all the SHC members attending the gathering at Gillman Heights.
Fortunately, toward the afternoon, the dark clouds were blown away, and 17th September turned out to be a beautiful day…
To all who attended the monthly gathering at Gillman Heights:
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you – for making my last few days at Gillman Heights happy and memorable.
Dolly and Sam – thank you for organizing the event.
ALL THE HELPERS – thank you for helping.
If I miss mentioning one or two names, please forgive me… it was a very busy day, and my recall for names is not so great.
Terence, Rene, Oi Cheng, Kristin, Karen, Sockie, PatrickL, Mary, Sue Chan, Lily, Andrew, Dan, Freddie, and Tim.…
I hope that the 20 liters of pandang tea was enough to go round and that all 77 over guests managed to taste a small cup. If not, please excuse me…
Thank you – to all the guests, who had made time from their busy schedule to attend this gathering.
Many guests expressed their concerns, asking me questions such as where I’d be moving off to… some guests thought that I am a millionaire….
To dispel misconception, here are the facts: The Gillman Heights owners received $870K to $930K. Yep – Gillman Heights owners are not millionaires. It was the Farrer Court owners who received $2million each.
For the Gillman Heights owners, it was a matter of poor timing. We simply have to accept reality, and move on with our lives.
We are sad to leave Gillman Heights…. Spacious, sprawling housing estates like Gillman Heights will no longer exist.
I hope that I did manage to greet each and every guest. If I missed some of you– again, please excuse me.
Many guests commented that you have not met me before. I must be “new member”, or that I must be “inactive member”.
Not really. I registered more than two years ago. I have met many other members during these events which I have attended:
Self-development Talk (Intercontinental vault), The MacRitchie Walk, The monthly gathering at Han’s café (nonya parade), The Investment Talk (Bali Lane), The Barage Walk, The Pasir Ris Walk, The Investment Talk at Raffles City Tower.
And, I have hosted Mahjong Beginners Lessons at my place, taught by MJ teacher Freddy Liew. I was actively “promoting” Feztus’ Yunnan Health Rejuvenating trip, the first group went in Feb 2009. And I am also the EC for the laughter exercise at Hort Park.
Enuff “lee lee loh loh”. Enough said for my “credentials” as a SHC member.
I look forward to see all of you at some future gathering.
I will miss Gillman Heights. Thank you for sharing my memory of Gillman Heights.
With warmest regards
jacqueline
Hi Jacqueline! I feel for you. To be uprooted in a place you’ve called home, knowing it will be torn down must be heart pain for your family and yourself. I can understand because I know of a lady who used to live in Farrer Court. She spent so much time, money and love into her home and when the time came for her to move out, she was really emotional. It took her months to get used to her new apartment! I trust you will be blessed with a new home, one that is filled with joy, laughter and love.
Regards,
Ros
Hello Jacqueline! No place is like home. Especially, when you have fallen in love with it and the environment. But since nothing in life is permanent, we move on as the time ticks as certain as the day passes. We learn to let go.
Hope through time, your new abode with be as pleasant as your present one. Your demure and unassuming personality
is also friendly and engaging. I love you as a friend…
Hold on SHCians, please broaden your outlook of thoughts.
Frank and without any agenda.
With Love
LeePat S J
Hi Jacq, Yes, you”ve forgotten one impt name, i.e. yours truly, an invitee who was absent – to the cheers of many. Like Don Juan, I shall remember you, demure, unassuming, friendly and engaging, and of course the Hort park and Gillman heights, and without any agenda.
Hey, Don Juan, can this love be shared….?
Sorry CB (Chin Boon), this unique love of Jacqueline cannot be shared. One woman two men is catastrophic.
And two women one man is doomsday for the man. As Feztus puts it “the dynamics are complicated”. Both ways: one man two women or two men one woman. I am not in your league lah, hahahaaaa!
No wonder, a Don Juan has always proved to be a live-wire, more popular and attractive to the ladies, and more horny than just-an-ordinary Romeo. This “unique love” is all yours….! I’ll stay MIA for golfing. All the best, pal.
Hi Jacqueline Han,
I feel the same for you too. When I sold my Lagoon View Condominium my home of 16 yrs to downgrade to a HDB ,I too felt something was lost. It was only abt.5 mins walk through my backdoor to the underpass and I reach the lagoon food stalls to enjoy eating the famous wan ton noodles. Long Q every night. Moreover, I will miss all the sea waves,wind,greenery,cycling ,jogging and so much activities at this ECP. And that was the main reason why I bought LV for its amenities after renting out rooms in Geylang shophouse, Eunos Crescent,Bedok Reservoir and finally buying my own home at LV.
However, I had to made the “hard” decision of selling as I requested for early retirement from teaching. After teaching for 25 yrs. in a sec.school and at expense of my health, I told myself it was enough.
I wanted a more MEANINGFUL life rather be bogged down with marking almost every night,preparing for student’s assignments/tests/exams of different levels and streams.My eyesight is failing too. Now Loh Far Ain.
Sometimes during weekends I will still have to work to meet datelines when I could jolly well relax at the beach or to meet up with my friends or colleagues for drinks,chit chat , movies or shopping. I told myself what is the point of earning so much money when my life is so MISERABLE.
MY health is definitely FAR more important than just earning money in life. If I were to continue teaching for another 10 yrs.or more and with future additional stress , I may even get cancer as one of the main causes of cancer is STRESS. And so in the long run it was not worth it. I then had to spend my entire savings for long term treatment which may only prolong my life.
WHY not use this hard earned savings to ENJOY my BEST time of retirement instead after working for so many donkey years. As long I spend my money wisely for daily expenses and traveling to other countries,it is enough to last for my life time from the profit which I made selling my condo and my entire CPF savings accumulated.
I was lucky that I opted for the CPF scheme rather than the pension scheme at that period of time, I was a M’sian but now a Sporean.
And had engaged in my part time tutoring,I can made MORE time for myself to look after my plants,swimming,cycling,gymnasium,cooking,reading newspps,housework,SHC activities,and most important of all enjoying my TVB HK Canto exciting dramas at my own pace when I could NOT spare so much time when I was still teaching.
My dear StevenC
The reality of your life is all written like a script for a movie. Reality can be painful many a times.
Apart from your Labrador dog to keep you company, and all the goodness of life, you seemed void of one thing.
Go search for your elusive dream before your dream fades
into oblivion and you can only see the silhouette of a distant shadow of beautiful dame. Heheheeee!
i understand yr feelgs but who knows u might find somewhere just as nice 2 stay. anyway thanks 4 sharing with us yr nice pl @ Gilman
Jacqueline Han
Apologies for not writing earlier.
It was very sweet of you to allow us to mess up your place a little. :-) and I’m glad we contributed to “making your last few days at Gillman Heights happy and memorable”.
Jacqueline, I must compliment you for being the lovely, gracious, immaculately attired and smiling lady that you are.
Your pandan tea was very refreshing and a real thirst quencher. I must ask you for the recipe, if I may?
I can understand how you must feel, leaving the place you love, for I once felt that way too. Never mind, life goes on, things change and soon, you will develop a new ‘love’. :-)
I look forward to meeting you again and this time, perhaps we could actually sit down and have a proper conversation without all the distractions, haha.
Cheers!
Hi Jacqueline,
Although I do not know you but I do feel for you as I can understand how you feel when leaving your “loved” home where you are so used to it.I have the same feeling as you, too, its alright, life goes on and hope that you could settle in your present place comfortably and hope all the best for you in the years to come as the saying goes, “Happiness is an attitude of mind, born of the simple determination to be happy under all outward circumstances. ”
Be happy Jacqueline, CHEERS!
Hi Jacqueline,
Although it was my first time making your acquaintance at the gathering, you left a deep impression with your easy charm, hospitality and graciousness. I had a good time there and am sure many share my sentiments that it was time well spent.
I personally went through a similar enbloc exercise of a very spacious and quiet place where I called home for 18 years. Timing was also bad, and after a protracted 2 and a half years, the price we finally received cannot even pay for another condo of half the size! Thankfully, I have settled nicely into my present abode. Home is where the heart is.
Warmest wishes, and certainly hope to have more of your company at future SHC events.
hi jacq, i intended to join you folks for mid autum get together but i realised on the day itself that i have 2 other appointments that nite. so sorry, couldn’t even gate crash. any how i heard from yunnan trip gang that it was fun, that i shouldn’t have missed it. anyhow i hear that still look the same, so that is good.
you must be missing your gillman height house, but with what you have you can buy a big guest house in yunnan and play host to shc folks who are thinking of doing short term homestay there in china! you can also teach english for side income and live a long and healthy life with the no-pesticide and organic veges, fruits, chicken and pigs!
Wow
I don’t know what to say…
I am speechless….
….. I don’t know what to say… ummm, I said that already? ….
Wow…
I decided to write a “thank you note”, and instead of using the “chong chiew jie” post, I decided to start a new post….
I just logged on, and wow….
I didn’t expect to see so many responses.
Thank you for your compliments – you are very kind….
Thank you for your words of encouragement – they are deeply appreciated, More than you’ll ever know…
Thank you for sharing your life experiences… there are lessons for me to learn…
If I respond to each and everyone individually, in detail, I would hog the full page of this forum. I think it better to respond briefly in the forum, and I shall write in detail privately to your email addresses.
Rosalind –
Thank you. I understand that you were Miss Singapore? Which year was it? I liked your self-introduction, unassuming and friendly. A grandmother already? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE share your beauty secret….
PatrickL –
Thank you. I grew up in an environment that does not encourage PDA. You will forgive me for not responding in kind. But – thank you for your affection.
Chin Boon –
I really have no idea what goes on with you and PatrickL. Enjoy your golf!
Steven Chan –
Thank you for sharing your life experiences. There are valuable lessons to be learned: one ought to change one’s priorities, enjoy life while one can. It must have been difficult changing your paradigm…. please do tell me more about how you had managed to get off the rat race….
Mary Chan –
Thank you for your compliments. Back at you! It was nice meeting you. Certainly, I will email the pandan tea recipe to you. I look forward to “sitting down” with you.
Nancy Major Tan –
You didn’t attend this SHC gathering, but took time to write words of encouragement. Thank you. “Happiness is an attitude of mind”. Well quoted.
Marilyn Tang –
THE lovely lady…. Thank you for your compliments. Thank you for sharing your enbloc sale experience. “Timing was also bad… and protracted for 2 and half years”? oh no… I thought Gillman Heights enbloc sale was the worst enbloc sale in the history of enbloc sales! Please tell me more, the next time we meet.
Feztus –
How are you? Long time no see. I asked you to register for the gathering, but your schedule was tight. Lucky you didn’t manage to find time to gate-crashed. Dolly will throw you out! There were really many many ppl….. I’ll catch up with you soon….
#16 Hi Jacqueline,
There is nothing between Chin Boon and me. We are mere
acquaintance of a friend. I just cannot hold a candle to him. He is unique.
We are all gentlemen.
in afterthought, though i seriously wanted to go and missed it, it was a good idea being not able to visit the gathering, don’t want to mess around with dolly and her macho bouncers. with the inflated medical fees and the need to stretch my medisave account for extended years, i certainly don’t want to be physically messed up physically by her and incurr frequent medical bills.
look forward to catch up at some other safer and less violent activity.
Hahaha Feztus,
Wahpiangz, I so fierce meh. not dat u cant gate-crashed but hor, hv 2b fair 2 tose registered members rite. In fact hor, all macho bouncers super tame 1 la n definitely will not let u inflated a hety medical fees lor.. no worry, sure no nid 2 touch CPF 1 la.. If u happened 2 come by dat nite, at most, will oli arm wrestled u 2 pay $7 oli mah.. tio bo?
Hi Jacq, vry nice of u 2 offer GH for our mthly gathering wif so much fun n laughter, TQ n ok 4geting sum names lor as aft a few gatherings, u will remember them liao, ka si? This plc is reli fantastic n sad 2c them tear down by Nov’09. But hor, life still goes on n on lor.. Just bo bian n b hapi lor..
Cheers n cu ard.. Dolly
#14 Jacqueline,
‘Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’ and after so many decades, I know I am no longer slim, young and pretty. That is a fact and I’m very comfortable with who I am now. :)
It’s nice to recall the past, especially when we look at our old photos but to live in the past = not living in the present.
I admire several ladies in SHC, yourself included, who still maintain a svelt figure.
I look forward to meeting you again at the next SHC event/meeting.
Have a nice day, Jacqueline!
Ros