One of the reasons that we decided to live in Tiong Bahru is that you can feel a sense of community. While it seemed like a rather standard experience for me in Australia because I was connected to our neighbors through volunteering, sports teams etc, in Singapore, and when we lived in a Condo life, we hardly even spoke to our neighbors.
In fact we lived in one high rise condo here and never even met the people that lived next door and not for the want of trying… I suffer an affliction of always saying hello and introducing myself. 
But today in Tiong Bahru, as we walked back from a morning coffee with Ella – the heavens opened and we were stuck at the block opposite us. After a few minutes of debating how to run across with Ella in the Bjorn and a small burp cloth as her only cover, a neighbor, Jeffrey (who we don’t know) came across and offered his spare umbrella. As we got to our block our other neighbor, Cecilia (who also provides us a regular supply of pineapple tarts) had walked down her three floors with two umbrellas to help us across the road.
Now, it is only a simple gesture, but really it is these small things that help you connect with your neighbors and help us build a community.
I really am happy I live here.
