From Desolate Town to a Place I Call ‘Home’

When Mr Ng Hong Lai, 55, first moved into Woodlands New Town more than 18 years ago, there was no bus stop near his apartment block, no trains, no adjacent buildings, no shops, no facilities, not even neighbours! “When we moved onto the twelfth floor of Block 705 on Avenue 4, we were the only family along that whole corridor!” he said in Mandarin. “There were probably other families on the other floors, but very few,” he added. Mr Ng and his family had decided to shift out from their three-room flat in Yishun in the 1990s because their young family was growing and they needed more room. They upgraded to their present four-room flat in Woodlands. Even though there was such a severe lack of facilities in Woodlands at that time, Mr Ng was not deterred. “We needed the room,” he explained. Mr Ng and his wife have three children. At the time of the move, his two sons and a daughter were 15, 12 and 10 years old. He described Woodlands Avenue 4 during the 1990s. “When I stepped out of my front door and looked out over the balcony, all I saw was flat land. There were no forests or landmarks because the trees had been cut down to make way for development. A few streets away, quite far, was the industrial park. The only landmark breaking the monotonous landscape was a canal.” “At night, it was totally silent. The only sounds to be heard were the whirring of cicadas.” This unpopulated environment suited Mr Ng because he does not enjoy crowds. The family developed their own ways of coping with the lack of amenities. The eldest boy studied in a secondary school in Yishun, the younger two relocated from their primary school in Yishun to Marsiling Primary School in Woodlands. Even though the primary school is located in the neighbourhood, there was no bus service plying between their home and the school. So, Mr Ng booked a taxi on a daily basis to send his three children to their respective schools every weekday morning. After school, the children would go to their aunt’s apartment in Yishun to rest and wait for their father to get off work. Mr Ng would then drive his children home. It was usually evening by the time they reached home. They would then eat a home-cooked meal prepared by their mother before she left for her night shift. Mdm Ng was able to get to and from work because her company provided transport, and often she was either the first or the last to embark and disembark. There was no supermarket, wet market or sundries shop near their apartment block for years. “But I made sure we never run out of supplies,” said Mr Ng. He explained that he was in charge of the pantry. He would take note of the foodstuffs or household items that were running out and buy them before returning home every night. “And I always bought spares,” he said proudly. Mr Ng never remembers any occasion when his wife ran out of salt, sugar or other necessities. “How could we go anywhere to buy these items since there is no nearby shop? So I made sure such emergencies never happen.” After dinner, the family would usually relax around the television. Going downstairs, taking a stroll at a nearby shopping mall, etc, were out of the question. The highlight of the week was Saturdays, when the whole family would troop south to Yishun. There, they would perform all the errands that they could not do in Woodlands. If a family member’s hair had grown too long, they visited their favourite hair salon in Yishun. If somebody was not feeling well, they visited the clinic. They stocked up plentifully at the supermarket and treated themselves to favourite dishes in the coffeeshops there. “Yishun was our old home, so we knew all the right places to go,” Mr Ng explained. Other weekends, they went back to Mr Ng’s childhood place – Chinatown. Mr Ng was upbeat about Woodlands because he was confident that more amenities would be added as more people moved in. And he was proven correct. First, his block became busier as more neighbours moved in. He formed lasting friendships with some of these people. A bus service – 911 – was added to connect the residents to the vital bus terminus in Woodlands Central. Then the much anticipated Woodlands MRT Station was opened in 1996. It was one of the stations on the North South line. At that time, Mr Ng recalled that the North South line ran from Woodlands to Yio Chu Kang. If commuters wanted to travel south beyond Yio Chu Kang, they had to transfer to buses. The opening of the Woodlands MRT station created such a big buzz among the Woodlands residents that Mr Ng recalls it to this day. “The opening ceremony was performed by a Minister, you know?” This way of life continued for the Ngs until, one day, one of the children came home looking very excited. He broke the news that a shopping mall was going to be constructed next to the MRT station! Mg Ng laughed as he recalled how excited his children were. “I wasn’t so moved by the news. In fact, after Causeway Point was built, I haven’t been there more than ten times! After the Woodlands Regional Library was opened, I’ve only been inside once.” Mg Ng was more thrilled by the construction of the much smaller 888 Plaza on the opposite side of the cross junction in front of his block. The Plaza housed a coffeeshop. Mr Ng beamed, “It meant that daily breakfast was settled!” Before the Plaza was constructed, Mg Ng used to go to work without breakfast. Other shops moved into the Plaza – NTUC supermarket, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), a medical clinic, a pharmacy and a hair salon. All the amenities were now a short stroll away. Over time, the Ngs have weaned from their dependence on Yishun. They now get all their supplies from 888 Plaza. For amusement, the children, now grown up, could go to the movies or buy quality clothes and shoes at Causeway Point. In fact, Mr Ng’s children have grown so accustomed to Woodlands that two of them bought apartments in neighbouring blocks after they got married. Now, three generations of the Ngs live in Woodlands. Now that they are in their 50s, Mr and Mrs Ng’s interests are centred much closer to home. Mrs Ng has retired and now helps to look after her grandchildren. For recreation, the couple likes to spend time with their friends from the Residents’ Committee (RC). For Mr Ng, a pleasant evening is to gather with his RC friends and drink coffee at 888 Plaza. Whenever he takes the lift at his block, he makes a point of checking out the notice board. The nearby Community Centre posts notices of upcoming one day tours on this notice board. These one day tours introduce the residents to local sights like mushroom farms, goat farms and specialised factories, among others. The tours are a particular favourite with Mr Ng. He can be said to be well and truly settled into Woodlands. by : Pauline Loh In collaboration with Woodlands Galaxy CC This story was documented as part of SMP’s collaboration with Woodlands Galaxy CC.