The Bus Is My Other Car.

My CIP door-to-door survey ended. For the past 2 afternoons, I had been going down to Boon Keng to do door-to-door survey for AWWA. An unforgettable experience.

The first day (Saturday), it kicked off with a new HDB block. Response wasn't good. Then, it was a four-room segmented block. It was a maze, and ahem, there was this distinctive *** smell. The oil + urine + bed + undried clothes smell. We were told to avoid the 2nd level, because for some reasons... and we supposed it's mentally unsound patients who are placed there in close proximity to the family service centre. Had to eat clorets while doing my rounds with Alvin. One unit, the floor was mopped, but I wondered with what. Came across this peculiar unit on the 8th floor with white shoes outside the door but with no children's clothes hung out. All those typical indian/china worker shirts. Sensing that something is amiss, we didn't go knock knock. Or else, we might find ourselves knocking at the heavenly gates the next moment.

A lot of half-naked men walking around. Looks like Singapore men are really hot.

One room flats were undergoing renovation and tenants weren't living inside. But it was quite freaky walking along those dark corridors with the light at the end of the tunnel. The usual stench was masked by the cold concrete smell. This time round boys were paired with girls. Again, I came across a peculiar unit with adult shoes and a child shoes outside. I didn't knock the door (there was no doorbell, to the fortunate people who are reading this) because I felt something was amiss. I got to interview an old woman in Cantonese. Oh well, communication breakdown.

My friend got a freaky experience when she saw a big black-and-white portrait of a woman staring right at her face when she peeped through the half-opened door of a unit. She was lucky that this erm, fellow 'respondent' didn't resquest for 'financial assistance' from her.

Saturday wasn't my unlucky day yet. Sunday was worse for me.

This time we took a "scenic walk" to Whampoa. Got to see how 'pristine' Singapore waters were in the canal.

Started off with 2 room flats. Oh well, at least they were better than yesterday's 1 room. Met friendly correspondents... Malays are generally friendlier. They are not that poor and speak pretty good English.

Then, it was back to new HDB flats just opposite the road. PHEW. 4-5rooms. A huge contrast and it speaks something about the society. But the same thing, people are less receptive.

A re-live of childhood memories when we got to play at the playground during the break.

After that, it was hell with the 2room flats. Firstly it was the *ahem smell, and secondly, unfriendly residents. I got niao-ed by this cynical old man. Ok lah, my FAULT for asking him what's his houshold income when he claims that his family is not employed. But he spoke super good england (better than myself), claimed that he got no education, and he even dao-ed me when I first spoke to him in Chinese. Then, he went on niao-ing me with 'fili-fele' england that I didn't know how to conduct survey and I was being exploited by this social serive centre (like I didn't know what CIP is for)... Luckily the supervisor came along and kao-dim. Heh, the supervisor said that he was a psycho. But was a horrifying experience cos' of his slicing stares. I looked at the living conditions and I really felt like crying.

Some said they would do the survey if there is $$$. Old folks said they would help if only they could be helped. All the pent-up frustrations in a state of helplessness.

But all ended well when I interviewed a lady living with her sister and have a total nett income of above $3001. Really, like what Alvin said, why would one want to live in such a f***ed-up place when one earns so much. Then it was squeezing through the narrow corridor amongst the smell and knocking on doors. As usual, avoided those with strange portraits of Indian deities. Brr... *goosebumps

So it was an eye-opener for me and everyone, and I'm sure all are glad to be home finally. Even if it was exploitation, it was worth it... And I strongly recommend acs, scgs, mgs, ri, rgs students to go have a taste (or smell) of it. All the spoilt brats like myself.

Don't really feel like I'm going Australia tomorrow... no holiday mood. So damn busy right up till the day when I'll be leaving...

posted by 23degreecelsius @ 12:31 AM