Have you ever asked yourself why you are working so hard? Some of us may work continuously all our lives in pursue of the 5Cs. Some of us may devote all our time in search for glory and fame. But is glory so tangible that it will last forever? In the first series of MyQueenstown Cares, we shall explore the lives of Queenstown residents staying in rental apartments sprinkled at various corners of the estate.

Auntie Siew Zhen and Auntie Gui Yi

Both of them reside in Queenstown all their lives. Auntie Gui Yi has 3 children and one of her sons live in Blk 159 Mei Ling Street. She used to stay in Lam Po Lay in Strathmore and tried getting a flat in Tanglin Halt when she was asked to leave because of SERS. She said she was fortunate to be physically healthy. Both Auntie Siew Zhen and her would visit the sports complex once in a while for a short brisk walking session. She believes keeping healthy is crucial so that she does not fall sick easily and incur unnecessary healthcare costs! Her grandchildren would visit her during the weekends and teach her how to use Mandarin. "Education is very important. We must carry on learning and make ourselves useful and relevant. Otherwise, being detached will make us lonely and despondent."

Auntie Siew Zhen, on the other hand, have 2 children. She has one who also lived in Blk 159. She has decided to rent an apartment because of clashes of faiths with her daughter-in-law and she doesn't want to quarrel with her and put her son in difficult spot because of that. "Afternoons are exceptionally long if I have nothing much to do," she commented. She also went on to express her concern on the impending demolishment of Commonwealth Avenue Cooked Food Centre because it was convenient for her to settle her meals there. She recalls, "Before the food centre was constructed, food is very cheap. Now every meal is so expensive and it will be worse in the future. Therefore, I would visit the market every day and cook something nutritious yet affordable for my child when they come back for work."

A quiet corridor of Blk 48 in the afternoon

They are ordinary people leading ordinary lives. I believe there are many others in Queenstown who have family issues and conditions similar to that of Auntie Siew Zhen and Auntie Gui Yi. Some of us may come from richer and more stable family who do not have to worry about food or our loved ones. They may come from the lower income group but there is nothing different in the way their experiences and destiny for the future! Let us show our concern and friendship today!