May 28 (Fri) was a holiday here. Since it's a long weekend, my friend and I hooked up for a KTV night. We had dinner and decided to try a first time at Kallang Leisure Mall, as it is the nearest mall to both our houses (our houses are just a station apart and the mall is a 4 short stations away from my house). We arrived there 10pm and a bigg room was given to us since it's running fullhouse. Big meaning it can hold 10pax and there's even a projector screen. Awesome, I've never sung with such a humongous screen, quite an experience. But after a few minutes, small rooms were vacated by others and we took over a normal-sized room. Nevertheless it was fun. We were singing latest pops to 90's to 80's. Since it was almost midnight where cab rates have already doubled, we decided we wanna do some more hours. We finished late, very late, wee hours of the morning. We walked out of the mall and roads were quite manless and cabless.
My friend suggested that we go to main road, and if we're lucky, we might even spot a Night Rider bus. Main Road looks near.. but after like 2minutes walking with empty lots beside the mall, and 2 chinese male strangers who I didnt notice were walking behind us, I told my friend, 'let's head back to the mall and call a cab'. (Calling a cab just have an extra charge of 2.5sgd) I know I have the habit to be praning (exaggerately cautious) about walking in the night, despite Singapore being a safe country.
***..
Back in Manila, I try not to take cabs at night, and if I do, I will have to murmur a prayer and hope I get out alive. :p Thanks to filchis having an elite kidnappable stature in Philippines, and my complexion seems to make it harder to camouflage in the general public. I was robbed in a Morayta jeep in college days, a man sat beside me and kept edging near. I was bringing my first ever self-bought pink Girbaud bag from OJT salary. I could feel a sharp object being nudged against my bag. I was feeling stiffed, I couldnt move or shout coz if I do, probably my stomach would have a hole. The jeepney trip ended and the man was not successful to take anything out of my bag, as it was a nerd's bag with notebooks, and the wallet/cellphone were luckily on another side. I went down shaking. My bag had several cuts at one end. And of course, it was never used again, no chance of repair. That is the worst encounter, I still have a few other similar incidents, mostly as witness and not a victim.
We headed back and called a cab, the trip was quite short. I was dropped off first since my house was nearer. I went up to my unit. To my surprise, the main gate doesnt open. I tried yanking the key, it just DOESNT open. Holy shit, I didnt know tbat in this house we moved to, my housemates are actually locking the main gate like that, 'double lock', 'child lock', coz I hardly go home at wee hours of the morning. I called my flatmates and no one responded. Sh*t again, seems like both of their phones were on silent mode. Countless doorbells, but I dont know if they can hear it. Countless knocking. (like what I wrote earlier in a blog entry, u felt that you kept knocking all your life that your hands have bled, of course just figuratively).
After 30min struggle, I was so damn angry and upset and tired and perspiring and sleepy. I gave up and thought of other options. The nearest decent 3star
hotel would cost me 200sgd. The cheapest option is the motel just across the next road, 70sgd, but sleeping there might be another problem and not a solution.
My phone was also about to die, with only 1 bar left. I managed to sms my friend, 'Can u send me your exact address. I am locked out. Seems like I need to sleep in your place. Sorry'. Times like this you realize hell I dont memorize anyone's number or anyone's address for that matter, Battery please dont die or else I dont know how to get through the night. And thankfully, my friend answered. Good thing she lives near and I was with her so she should still be awake. I waited some time in the nearest bus stop (again, manless), and took a cab to her place.
That's it. Being locked out is not funny, especially if you have it a second time. (refer to my earliert incident of being locked out)
And life goes on.
3 Days after, I was watching TV on a normal Monday night dinner. I have not watched TV in the last 2 years+ as the TV unit was faulty and TV is not really an essential thing for me. It's only when we moved in to the new place that I started watching TV again. Surprisingly I was watching news and not variety shows that night. What I heard was shocking. 4 people were robbed and nabbed in Kallang area on May 30 (Sun) early hours in the morning. 1 of them was killed. The others on ICU, one had his fingers dangling. It was a violent robbery. Only 2 of the 4 identified culprits were arrested then. Below has the story:
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_533469.html
I couldnt believe this can happen in SG???!!!! Last time I heard something similar was probably 3 years back in Manila. Where such things could be a commonplace elsewhere.
... AND I couldnt believe I was there in Kallang exactly a day before it happened.
Ok I'm still alive..
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