We’ve been spending many of our weekend mornings idling at Seletar Country Club recently. It was the same this weekend, except that we decided to venture beyond the club to check out the famousfortheirbuffalowings Sunset Grill & Pub and also, hunt down some wild cactus. Yesh, c-a-c-t-u-s. Only because my silly boy is soOoo into these thorny succulent plants nowadays.
So we drove a bit around the Seletar airbase and was pleasantly surprised by an interesting discovery.
For those who don’t know, this part of Singapore is home to four flying schools and clubs, the Singapore Armed Forces’ School of Logistics and a military camp for combat engineers. But it is also a tranquil sanctuary of green open fields, huge casaurina trees and some grey herons.
And families actually live here, in modest looking colonial style bungalows with generous gardens and yards. We often see children playing in their own little playgrounds or dogs being walked down the narrow streets.
Apart from the green haven of fields and trees we usually see, this time we found a new Orientus resort which is due to open in two weeks’ time in the middle of nowhere. Well, more like a hostel and I suppose targetting at travellers or visitors who want a little of the countryside. Neither upmarket nor modern, it’s got that rustic charm and reminded us of those we used to stay during our backpacking days. But I seriously wonder who will come here, given the obvious lack of public transport. Although this will no doubt change when the new Seletar Aerospace Park is developed here in nine years’ time.
THE sleepy surroundings of Seletar Airport will get a multi-million-dollar makeover as Singapore races to become the region’s hub for aerospace activities like aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul.
The new Seletar Aerospace Park will open in several phases and when complete in nine years, will cover 140ha or the size of more than 100 football fields.
By 2018, it is expected to create 10,000 new jobs and contribute $3.3 billion annually to the economy. The expansion will cost about $60 million, excluding the cost of upgrading the airport.
The spoils of capitalism. What grieve.
So in the end, we didn’t find the Sunset Grill & Pub but we saw many cactus along the way. Plus, an oasis of green escapade and bohemia charm which I hope will not be completely gone in years to come.
hey sesame, the place look so serene!
by the way, just to let u know i’ve moved to blogspot. i havent been able to access blogdrive for quite sometime already n its driving me crazy! i think blogger will be more stable and i managed to do up my layout exactly the way it is. when i’m able to access my blogdrive acct, i’ll make an official note that i’ve moved & transfer everything over. so pls note that im at :
http://bossacafez.blogspot.com
see ya around =)
Evan: I’m quite amazed you managed to do everything the same. You’re quite a CSS expert leh…
Comment by Evan — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 @ 6:02 pm
This looks so unlike Singapore.. More like Australia or something..
Zara is also into cactus nowadays, every time when she spots one, she wants to touch it.
ZM: Zara tries to touch? Ouch…hopes she doesn’t get pricked.
Comment by zara's mama — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 @ 6:30 pm
Haha…are all kids the same? Damien also takes a liking to cactus recently…he likes those colourful ones!
Hard to come by a place with so much greenery these days huh?
Eileen: Damien too? Seems that all our kids are in the cactus phase together…haha…so cute.
Comment by Eileen — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 @ 10:25 am
I agree with ZM, it doesn’t look like Singapore, too quiet and too green. But great that there are places like these sprouting out. We do need more green in this fast-paced life.
Comment by earthember — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 @ 6:12 am
C-o-o-l-e-d! Wah, you sure good at finding such serene in spore! Will check in out one of these day ;p
Comment by wtpgrr — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 @ 3:35 pm
I grew up around Seletar, and most weekends were spent hanging out at Seletar Country Club! Do they still have those arcade style puzzle-bubble machines?
Pity they’re giving the place a “makeover”. It’s still one of those places I trudge over to now and then when I’m in need for a quiet afternoon far away from the city.
w: Yup, hope they’ll still retain most of the peaceful ambience after the developments. For the time being, I’m going back often. Btw, I’ve not see those machines you mentioned.
Comment by w. — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 @ 11:12 pm
“But I seriously wonder who will come here, given the obvious lack of public transport.”
I will! A lack of public transport means more tranquility, I hope. Thanks for blogging about this.
hermit: Definitely more peace. In fact, we thought someone we know who travels frequently to Singapore will also like this place.
Comment by hermit — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 @ 8:20 am
Didn’t know of that hostel. Even though that area is not too developed yet, there are aerospace companies operating there. At East Camp. Sunset grill is at East Camp.
Did you know that there use to be a salt water swimming pool open to the public in the 70′s.
MacroGrey: Salt water swimming pool? So interesting! I saw a swimming pool just next to this Orientus Hostel, but I doubt it’s salted (unless from the urine…)
Comment by MacroGrey — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 @ 2:36 pm
[...] The Seletar Oasis [...]
Pingback by Casserole of my life » Scouting for Sunset — Tue, 5 Sep 2006 @ 2:34 pm
I lived in Seletar too. It is a lovely place and I’m doing all I can to save this part of heaven. This is still my home and I have loads of memories here. I am gutted with the expansion and demolishion. So far, we have 4,000 signatures in our petition to save Seletar from the bulldozers. Hope you got to Sunset Grill, Jerry is a lovely bloke and his recipe is brilliant.
Anastasia: You’re lucky! Yes, I hope that part of Singapore will be reserved too! It’s so lovely… Oh and we finally found Sunset Grill but haven’t found a suitable time to eat there cos it only opens in the late afternoon…
Comment by Anastasia — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 @ 1:27 pm
[...] The Seletar Oasis is a sweet narrative of just how pleasant the simple things in life can be, like a stroll through green spaces. [...]
Pingback by Word on the Street « Postcards from Seletar — Wed, 4 Jul 2007 @ 6:00 pm