Demolition vs. Construction

So  we live in a new subdivision out here on the edge of Suburbia . . .

Lots of new construction . . .

I was dutifully sitting down to blog early last week, just after putting WittyGirl (my daughter) on the bus, when Mexican music came blaring through the window I had left open to take in the Spring fresh air!

Incidentally, WittyGirl is a tween in middle school so I cherish & treasure every day that she lets me walk her to the bus - I know this is short-lived and this time is precious!!!!

I digress . . . 

Back to the Mexican music . . .

There is an empty lot behind us that someone has finally decided to build on.  The framers like to play their music LOUD!

At first, I was annoyed as I could no longer hear my song birds and I could no longer concentrate on my all important blog!

The music is catchy and sort of, puts you in a rhythm of floating from one task to another.

I swept, did the dishes and laundry all to a swinging, dipping, twirling step.

I watched the framers to see if they also dipped & twirled . . .

NO - but they do have a rhythm to hammering which I attribute to the music.

It put me in a good mood!  I sort of felt transported to Epcot center.

I thought of Singapore and frowned!

I decided construction is SO MUCH better than demolition.

For those of you who have lived in Singapore, you know their love affair with REMODELING.  

REMODEL became a four letter word in my book while living in Singapore.

Most Singaporean homes are either condos or semi-detached terraced homes (they share a wall w/another unit).  Only the really wealthy live in a free-standing home on land. 

We lived in a condo.

There is no such thing as drywall in Singapore!  You have to have a special drill to drill into the concrete walls to hang pictures.  Incidentally, this greatly disturbs the Engineer extraordinaire as he can do anything (he has the tool, but it is in storage in Houston) and to have to PAY a guy to hang pictures was an act against nature!

I'm not sure if the lack of drywall is due to the humidity and lack of "real air-conditioning" or what, but I suspect, that is the case. Anyway, since there isn't any drywall, one is surrounded by concrete!  Your entire cube of a condo is ALL concrete! REALLY!!!
Therefore, to REMODEL requires the detestable jackhammer!

In the four years, I lived in that condo - every unit around us was REMODELED!!!!!

YES! - I MEAN EVERY UNIT . . .

ABOVE, BELOW, ON BOTH SIDES AND CADDY CORNER ON EVERYSIDE!!!!!!

Can you tell I was bothered by this ???!!!

Bothered, is NOT the word I want to use, but this is a G rated blog!

Bothered, doesn't come close to truly explaining the bone-jarring, teeth-gritting, ear-splitting, numbness that comes from jackhammering.  This is a very lengthy process that took weeks per unit.  The worst REMODELS were the ones directly above and below our unit!

AHHHH!

You had to escape!  They worked from 9 - 5!  I left the condo at 9 am - I had to be back by 3 to get the kiddos off the bus, but we would go down and sit by the pool until 5pm.

I totally blame the REMODELS on my discovery of the TWG Tea Salon and the hours spent there, but that is a post for another day!

ANYWAY . . .

Construction is better than demolition any day!

The framers are already done and this week the roofers are here.
They also play the Mexican music that makes you dip & twirl, so I will clean my house again twirling away . . . (Out of site, of course, of WittyGirl & TSS because that would embarrass them - OMG - MOOOMMMM!).

There isn't any dancing in demolition!

For those of you Expats in Singapore - All I can suggest is GET OUT of your condo!

I highly recommend any of the TWG Tea Salons - The one on the 2nd floor of ION Orchard is my favourite - They play classical music and

Everything is made better with a pot of tea!