It was quite a delight coming back here to this place after having been away for so long.
I was glad to see that nothing (much) had changed- One Farrer Hotel more or less still looked the same- except maybe the buffet restaurant that used to be on the ground floor was now no more, replaced, instead, by a Chinese cuisine restaurant, which, judging by the groups standing by the entrance outside, looked popular with families and friends alike.
We were given a room on one of the upper floors this time.
I'd have loved to have the room with the longish foyer like what we had before, but we didn't get that one.
Instead we got a room that had a nice wooden ledge right by the window next to my side of the bed.
I loved it.
There was enough space for me to sit cross-legged, I could lean against the wall and write, and I could chuck my overnight bag onto the ledge and lay everything out.
Best part was that I could take pictures of the view outside with ease.
The view was marvelous, by the way.
From where I stood on the upper floors of One Farrer, the buildings from the road below the hotel (Race Course Road? Tessensohn Road?), Owen Road, Starlight Road, Rangoon Road, Dorset Road, and the flats of Pek Kio Market at the back.
It also covered the flats of Farrer Park, and Dorset, all the way to the CTE and beyond.
From our window we could see the distinctive building of TTSH in the distance, and further beyond, the high rise condos of Moulmein and Novena.
I found myself especially fascinated by the sight of this school building right below our window.
I don't quite know which era it is- I should think it's probably the 50s or the 60s- and it made me wonder, because I know for a fact that this was a residential estate that time as much as it is now, and was this school already there back then?
It's not every day that I get to be in such close proximity with a school of such architecture, and from a birds eye view, to boot.
So, next day after a lunch of briyani mutton and butter chicken at Sakuntala's along Race Course Road, I went to take a closer look.
But I didn't go in.
The building now houses the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society and it's not wise to intrude on artists in midst of rehearsal, even if all you want to do is to take a picture of the staircases, the stairwells, the school corridor, the old school tuckshop and maybe an old classroom or two.
That opportunity shall have to wait for another day (if ever there be one)
Honestly, it doesn't matter whether I get to see the school or not.
I'm pretty content to take a wander around this area.
Because there's a lot to see.
Yet, at the same time it's difficult to know where to start.
It's a little embarrassing, but despite having a rough perspective of the area. I actually had no idea where to go after walking out from Starlight Road where the school was.
So I simply made a right and turned onto Owen Road.
From there I made another right onto Dorset Road (with her charming apartments) then went onto Rangoon Road.
It might have been better had I started from the public housing blocks at the Farrer Park side.
It might have been even better had I gone all the way to the back where the flats near the CTE expressway are.
But I was curious about Owen Road.
Not so much for the coffee shops, the trading companies and the eating houses that line along the shop houses there, but the plot of land where a VWO organization/school once used to be.
It's long gone now, this school for handicapped children.
But I remember the place.
And I remember some of them.
I sometimes wonder whether the girl with Down Syndrome continues to read her books as enthusiastically the way she did do when she was in the classroom at school.
I also wonder about the girl with muscular dystrophy and whether she still has someone's arm to grip (tightly) on whilst she concentrates on brushing her teeth.
I had thought I knew what the shops in the shop houses along Rangoon Road and Owen Road were.
But no, I didn't.
I didn't know what they were.
So, yes, it gave me a bit of surprise when I saw (import-export) trading companies, equipment trading companies, and even electrical hardware companies tucked between random cafes offering espressos, lattes, cold brews, smoothies, brunch plates and even, cake.
Not to mention, there were a fair number of vehicle workshops (or something) too.
It's a bit of interesting juxtaposition seeing these shops reflect the different eras.
Especially when you consider that this estate has been around for a fairly long time.
How long exactly she has been here, I don't know, but I estimate it must be for more than 70 years, because The Parent had lived here as a child and had even gone to school here.
Which house it was that The Parent lived, I'm not sure, but there are some houses that look distinctly familiar, and there're many others that have rather quaint architecture.
I was drawn to this particular building that had sturdy rectangular balconies on both floors, and shutters for windows, open on all sides.
There were some houses with very interesting gates.
And I caught sight of an L-shaped street that reminded me of this stretch near Bendeemer Road and MacPherson Road.
I really wish I had had the time to explore a bit further beyond Owen Road, Rangoon Road and Dorset Road.
Or that I had had the time to go eat at some of the popular stalls in Pek Kio Market and Hawker Center.
But I couldn't.
Pek Kio seems to be a sort of breakfast-brunch place, and we didn't have time.
That's not to mean that we didn't have lots of delicious food though.
On the contrary, I felt like we ate a lot.
Like this surprise hotpot and grill buffet at a place right next to Chinatown MRT at Pagoda Street.
Like the mutton briyani and butter chicken which we had at Sakunthala's on Race Course Road.
Like this deliciously breaded pork fillet and this amazing dessert of mochi waffle and honeycomb ice cream at Bugis Plus.
And breakfast of kaya toast, coffee and eggs, at Ya Kun Kaya Toast in City Square Shopping Mall opposite Serangoon Road.
I don't have many pictures of One Farrer Hotel herself (this time)
But I have one of the pool.
And yes, despite it not being very fancy, was comfortable, quiet, and restful.