It is officially DEAD

The 12th 4-weekly enbloc notice has been placed around my estate. The percentage of owners who signed the CSA has remained unchanged for the past few months, standing at approximately 32%.
The enbloc is officially dead in my estate. Hooray!! :) Here is to, at least, two years of peace and quiet before some idiot decides to try to enbloc my estate again.

Earth Day and Enbloc

Today is Earth Day.

My girls were told by their pre-school to wear green or brown clothes in order to celebrate Earth Day. Juliane wore a green dress while Marieann wore a green flowery blouse. Juliane's class celebrated by creating and decorating their own paper bag titled "Save Our Home". Marieann's class did a class painting of Earth and they also had a discussion on how to save our Earth.

Both girls enjoyed celebrating Earth Day.

***
However, on a more sombre note, I am sad to say that Singapore is not friendly to our Earth.

The BCA Green Mark Scheme was launched in 2005 with the intention to promote sustainability in the built environment and raise environmental awareness among developers, designers and builders when they start project conceptualisation and design, as well as during construction of environment-friendly buildings. It is a applaudable move by our government to help conserve our Earth. But another act of the government has totally eroded this good effort.

I am talking about the enbloc law in Singapore. Structurally sound buildings, namely condos are being enbloc-ed and demolished, all in the name of profit, opps I meant to say the politically correct term of "urban renewal". It is definitely a waste of resources and energy tearing down structurally sound buildings and definitely not very environmentally friendly. As long as the current enbloc law remains, Singapore will be "one step forward, two steps back" in its effort to be environmentally friendly. As long as the current enbloc law is not changed, the Singapore will be far from ever becoming an enviromentally friendly nation that it aspires to be.

New Enbloc Law Takes Effect 4 October 2007

This is indeed very good news. The new amendment to the enbloc sale legislation will take effect from today, 4 October 2007!

As I went for counselling early in the morning, I didn't have time to read the papers. If it had not been for a good friend who sms-ed me the news, I wouldn't have known about it. I rushed home immediately after my counselling to read the papers. For such good news about the enbloc sale legislation kicking in today, I have to read it myself for the kick. Lol. Sorry for the pun. Hahaha.

With this new enbloc sale legislation, the enbloc attempt at my estate will come to a HALT, that is, the sales committee is honourable and keep to their words of disbanding the committee if 80% has not been reached by the time the new amendment passed into law. Well, they didn't get their 80% and now the new amendment has kicked in. Sorry, no choice, they have to disband whether they like it or not. Hahaha.

For more news about this new enbloc legislation and other enbloc issues, you can go to this particular blog by a Dr Minority who has been most informative and objective in his views about the various enbloc issues. Many, many thanks to Dr Minority for all the help he has given through his blog.

Mood Swings - Enbloc

Aiya, this enbloc thing is giving me mood swings.

Reading about enbloc in the newspapers (be it property reports on ST, BT, LHZB; letters in the forum), reading about enbloc experiences from the various (anti) enbloc blogs (activism is truly alive here! Lol), hearing about individual experience, views about enbloc, ...

It heartens me that there are people out there who are doing their best to highlight the social dangers of enbloc and the social problems that are brought along with enbloc. Or at the very least, these people are doing their best to bring to more people's awareness of what enbloc could do or is already doing to unweave the cohesive fabric of our community, society, and nation. Three cheers for them!

At times, it disheartens me that for the same number of anti enblocs out there, there is an equal number of pro enblocs, if not more(??), judging by the number of enblocs that have gone through. What people would do for greed, for short-term tangible gains. Sigh!

Sorry, just being in a pensive mood. Enbloc does that to me. Don't worry, I am a fighter. I won't be going down so easily without a fight. But for now, I just want to vent.

Thank you for listening, my friends. Thank you for your encouragements. Thank you for fighting along side with me, my good friend.

Dreadful Sunday

Today is one of the most dreadful Sunday I have ever experienced. My experience is not unique. It is also happening to some other people across and all over our island country. Yes, I am talking about the nasty enbloc experience, especially for people like me who value our home.

Before I go into that, I have to be fair to my girls. We did spend a rather nice time at Tanglin Mall Mckkies' for breakfast. I ordered a Big Breakfast set which I shared with my girls. I couldn't eat much as I was very much affected by the then impending Owners' Meeting in the afternoon. Hubby later ordered a Pancake set to share with the girls. Marieann enjoyed her breakfast throughout but Juliane was sulking at first because she wanted an ice cream for breakfast. Of course, CANNOT lah! Lol. You can see her sulking in the photo while her sister was beaming away.


I was really stressed about the Owners' Meeting that I skipped lunch. I am becoming psychosomatic again and this time it is really bad. Never had it so bad before and lasting quite so many days. I have been throwing up due to the stress :( No, definitely not coming down with anything and please, I am not expecting either!

Anyway, I attended the meeting. It was basically telling owners to "sell, Sell, SELL" and trying to get people to sign today even though the protem sales people were saying "You don't have to sign today" but yet, the next moment was "I hope all of you sign today". There were errors and ambiguities in the CSA. I did speak out too. I can't sit there passively, just hoping and praying that the enbloc will not go through. I owed it to myself to make a stand for what I believe in. No one can do that for me. When I left the meeting, there were a few people who went up to sign the CSA. So there begins the start date of the CSA. So there begins the start of enbloc hell, enbloc nightmare, enbloc pandemonium for me! I HATE ENBLOC!!

Time Out

The usual time out for Juliane and I. Couldn't decide where to go. Orchard Wheelock? Well, I could go to Borders but we have been there so often. Better try a new place... Hmm, where to go?? In the end, I let the bus decide for us. We boarded the first bus that came to the bus stop and we ended up at Great World City. Lol.

We walked around a bit at Great World. I took a wrong turn and ended up at the kiddie rides. Juliane went "crazy". Ok, since she has been quite a good girl, decided to let her have a ride. Hahaha. For lunch, we went to Ichiban Boshi because she wanted her tamago (egg). We shared a McDonald's ice cream cone for dessert. Before we left for home, I bought a tuna sandwich for my mother from Spinelli.



Didn't do very much back at home. Started reading a book, Treasure by Clive Cussler. But concentration wasn't very good. I am edgy. I am worried about the owners' meeting (enbloc) tomorrow. I feel sick just thinking about it. A very good friend sent me some documents in the afternoon which might help me with tomorrow's meeting. Must really thank him for his help but I think I am too stressed/ edgy/ tense now to read it carefully. Maybe later tonight...

Enbloc, Garden, Harry Potter

Enbloc
Our estate had an enbloc presentation by a certain agent recently. Upon attending the presentation, we realised that they had self-invited themselves to our estate, WITHOUT permission! These people were actually walking around our estate, coming into our blocks, ringing our doorbells at night, all WITHOUT permission. This is truly how low and greedy people can get. I definitely feel very angry and especially violated by them. I can't even feel safe in my own haven, without thinking if the next ring of the doorbell is another unscrupulous agent trying to sell my home. Sigh.

A good friend sent me this link to the mrbrown show (25 June 2007). Listen to it if you can. It is really funny but it also reflects a social problem that could become very REAL in the near future - A half-way home for enbloc victims.

***
Botanic Garden
It was a cool afternoon so we went for a walk at the garden. It was crowded as usual being a Sunday and I think the cool weather also encouraged more people to be outdoors. We walked around and we saw the Illawarra Flame Tree with its red flaming flowers. But according to my mother who saw it last week, before the news of it came out in the papers, the tree was much more beautiful then, unlike today's which seemed to be nearing the end of its blossoming period.


***
Harry Potter
Knowing my reading speed and the interest I have in it, I would have finished Harry Potter by now. But I am now reading it very slowly. As I was reading it last night, it hit me that this is the LAST Harry Potter book that I will ever read again. NO MORE Harry Potter. With that dreadful realisation in mind, I slowed my speed in reading it. I am savouring the pleasure of reading Harry Potter and trying to prolong that pleasure as long as possible. However hard I have tried to draw out my reading of Harry Potter, I would finish it by tonight. But rest assured, my friends, I will not be posting my review of it so soon, I would wait at least another few days so that you would have a chance to read it before I spoil the story for you.

Enbloc "Panadol" - Development Charge

What a piece of good news!

On the front page of today's Strait Times (19 July 2007) is the article "Property charge hike may cool en bloc fever". Finally, an enbloc "panadol" has appeared. Our government announced yesterday that there would be a development charge for the developers who want to enhance the use and value of sites by building bigger projects. The tax payable will now be levied at 70% and this change took immediate effect as of yesterday (18 July 2007).

Although some property analysts say it might be a knee-jerk reaction and not likely to derail the property market boom which is supposedly to continue way into 2008, I think there will still be some effect on the enbloc market. Developers will now be more cautious and not rush/ badger/ harass/ pester/ hassle/ hound owners into selling their homes, especially if their homes are on super prime land, like maybe near the Botanic Gardens or something because of the higher tax they have to pay the government.

This is indeed good news for some of us who have been tormented by the thoughts that we might lose our homes because of human greed. Now with this "panadol" (development charge) , the feverish and rampant enbloc market will at last be "cured" (kept in check). I sound too hopeful? Well, hope springs eternal in the human breast.

Sorry, if today's post seems a bit too serious, no-nonsense, prim and proper. Just have to get this off my chest. Tomorrow's post will be in a lighter mood, I promise. =)

Writing, Die Hard 4.0, Enbloc

I managed to do some writing today. I think I am pretty happy with my chapter 2. I have added in new articles, polished up my theoretical framework, presently all to my satisfaction. Was working hard on my writing last night until 3:30am this morning. But I didn't sleep immediately as I thought I would read Black Order to relax. I was wrong, the book was really gripping until I had to force myself to drop the book and sleep at 5am. When I woke up at 8am, I continued my writing. Strike the iron while it is hot, while the ideas are still in my mind lol.

***
Decided to reward myself after my hard work as well as take a break. Went to see a movie in the afternoon. I saw "Die Hard 4.0". Hmm... it is an okay film if you just want a time-filler. It has all the usual stuff or rather the same formula that comes with all the "Die Hard" series - one really macho man-hero that saves USA/ the day from an evil group who didn't know what they were getting into when they faced off with him and when they held his family hostage. It has become very predictable and repetitive lol.
One saving grace of the movie was the aircraft, F-35. Really cool! =) Yes, there are really F-35s out there, it is not just a creation of the movie. F-35 can do what was depicted in the movie. I think that one is most likely a F-35B which is the STOVL (Short Take Off, Vertical Landing) variant. Ok, to be fair, another saving grace of the movie, the action was quite good. Lol.

***
Two men came round to each household about 8pm+ giving out a letter. They are the 2nd sales team for my estate. WHAT?! They really know how to pick a time/topic to spoil my otherwise happy and perfect day. Hmm... it seems these people have gone ahead to form another sales team and they are proposing one-for-one exchange versus the other sales team's enbloc collective sales. They said there will be a meeting this Friday, "It's just a survey, you can ask questions", they said. They went on to say they also have a buyer. HANG ON!!! WHAT?! A BUYER?? I rebuked them what rot is that about having a meeting on Friday to do a survey when they already have a buyer on the side, actually 2 buyers when I "interrogated" them further. I hate the lack of transparency, what do they take us, the residents for?? These people are not going to get it easy from me... I HATE ENBLOC.

Enbloc Blues, Finally!

Finally the newspapers is adopting some balance in its reporting of the Enbloc craze that has been sweeping over our island country.

Yesterday (16 June 2007), there was a Special Report section in The Straits Times which devoted 6 FULL pages about the downside of the Enbloc fever. FINALLY! There were articles on:

1. how the "windfall" from the collective sales might not be a windfall after all for those who were pro-enbloc;
2. how the enbloc dissenters are gaining a voice and fighting back against enblocs through blogs and such;
3. how many are forced to downgrade after going enbloc;
4. how social values such as sense of belonging, sense of identity, sense of rootedness are sacrificed for monetary gains;...

If the current enbloc fever is not checked, it is going, if it is not already so, to cause a lot of social problems and erosion of social values that the government has spent so much time building up, namely the sense of identity and belonging towards our island country.

Money isn't everything. There are more important things in life. If no time is a good time to sell, then DON'T sell. At least, you will still have a roof over your head and a place to call HOME.

PS. Must have been too tired, saved it instead of publishing it when I was finished with it...

I HATE ENBLOC!!!

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HATE ENBLOC!!!

Why can't some people see past the monetary gain??!! I am really upset about this whole enbloc thing. I have all sort of NASTY thoughts going through my head, mainly on how to deal with such people with no heart for the home... craving it out with a spoon, a VERY BLUNT spoon might just be able to appease my anger... for a little while. There are worse, FAR WORSE thoughts but I shan't say them here... I must be mindful of my readers' feelings...

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HATE ENBLOC!!!

Updated 24 May 2007, 9:11pm
Sorry about my emotional outburst. It is just too much after coming home from a hard day of work to see a letter regarding the enbloc of your home, your safe haven. How would you feel?? Well, no one messes with this Scorpio...

Enbloc Craze

It took me a long time to decide if I should ever write about this on my blog. It is definitely something that I DO NOT FIND tasteful. Sorry for the pun, none intended. (Those who know me well will understand.)

For so long, we have only been reading about the "success" of enblocs and the "millions of dollars" to be gained, everyone is "happy", blah, blah, blah. Oh, you are feeling contempt pouring out of me?? GOOD! I don't intend to be polite about this.

The papers have been pretty lopsided in their reports. What BALANCE?! Maybe I still have a naive view about the world but what happened to the newspapers which are supposed to be impartial, objective, balanced and to bring the truth to people? Now what "truth" and whose "truth"? I am sure we are all aware whose truth it is, we shan't go into it. No point really. The biased articles have, in part, been instrumental to the fuelling of the enbloc craze that we see all over our island while bending the truth to a dangerous level. Has it been as rosy a picture as the articles painted? NO! Definitely NOT everyone gained, NOT everyone is happy, even our society stands to LOSE as social values are quickly being ERODED (community, neighbourliness, tolerance, respect for others, valuing values, ...)

A home is so much more than just financial gain. What happens to the memories, to the heart and soul of a home, of a family? Whatever happened to the social stakes that were encouraged by our then-PM Mr Goh (1995), "There is no better stake in the country than a flat or a house"? The government encourages us to be stayers, not quitters. But frankly, it is kind of difficult to be a stayer when you are evicted from your own home due to some people who can't see beyond the short-term monetary gain. Is this how the government encourages ownership?? This enbloc craze is fast becoming a "runaway train" gaining momentum and possibly out of control!

At least, I take heart that the government is now trying to do something with its recent Ministry of Law Public Consultation on the proposed amendments to the en bloc sale legislation (which ended on 12 May). I earnestly pray it will not become just a paper exercise.
And I am also heartened with the fact that the flip side of enbloc sales, of people who are against enblocs are slowing surfacing in the newspapers, which is long overdue! Let's hope the newspapers continue to give more balance to their reports.

I must apologise to my friends who are used to reading my lighthearted posts. This post, I agree, is a somber one for enbloc is an issue that weighs heavily on my heart. Thanks for bearing with me and for listening to my personal (erratic) thoughts. I shall not speak of this again on my blog,... unless circumstances indicate otherwise...