SUMMERDALE PENTHOUSE

With Minah, the ever-friendly host

Sister Power with Killer Powered Lungs

Mum with Maz's mum-in-law. Both are tough cookies to crack!

Maz with Zac who only drinks Seasons Ice Lemon Tea

With Aishah (Minah's charming daughter) from RP

Before the make-over of Yek

The reigning Ms Boon Lay 2011. The after make-over look!

The Goddess of Love worshipped by man from all walks of life

A lucky prize winner - Hajjah Sabiah Bte Sheikh Madar

Maz and I beat the youngest contestants with our pregnated-sized balloon

A rock queen was born on the 13th floor penthouse

Smoke on the water and fire on the penthouse.....

I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd. You're gonna hear Ida's voice

Don't be a Cassanova ok, Zac?

Maz and her outlaws.....oopsss... her sis-in-laws I mean!

LAY BOON LAY FOR ME

We received an invitation for a new-year gathering and visited Minah's and Ebby's Summerdale penthouse at Boon Lay Drive. My husband was engaged in his work while my two sons had their own plans. When you have two grown-up boys, it's almost impossible to get everyone at the same time for a night out. Thus, together with my mum, Maz, Zac and Tini we hopped into our Terios and ventured to one of my least visited places on Singapore's geographical map - Boon Lay at West Coast Town.

Summerdale is a 99-year leasehold development. We were welcomed warmly by our host. The unit was tastefully decorated with knick-knacks and decorative items from all over the world. Minah and Ebby have obviously been globe-trotting from Asia to Europe and from America to Ocenia. The view from the 13th floor spacious penthouse was fantastic, offering almost the whole town of Boon Lay. The MRT track was ahead of us while Boon Lay Shopping Centre and The Bluez were just within a walking distance. A private institution was just a stone's throw away. The flickering lights from the nearby residential blocks and commercial retail buildings blanketed the area pleasingly, especially on that cool breezy night. I could just pull out a rocking chair and whilst my time away in eternity anytime.

With a commanding view and a space to entertain, you won't actually need to dine at swanky and fancy restaurants. Ebby had made a good decision when he took up the penthouse unit. He must have had his Math right. The family's needs are self-sufficiently catered by the facilities abounding the area. Entertainment can just be at one's dwelling place, offering privacy and the warmth of a home with throw-ins like hospitality and graciousness. Not only do you save on tons of money, but offering an alternative way of entertaining your guests from one's penthouse is a novelty and refreshing idea.

I used to imagine Boon Lay as one of the a far-flung places in the western part of Singapore where you hardly can find life and entertainment but only old unwelcomed dull grey blocks of flats of yesteryear's. With no relatives staying around the vicinity, my GPS has never been programmed to direct me there. Was I being biased and prejudiced of the western parts of Singapore? Having been raised and lived my entire life at the eastern and southern parts of Singapore, I have to admit shamelessly that I was. I know little of Boon Lay, Jurong West or Jurong Extension for that matter

All this while, Yishun has been my guiding compass for everything that I need. I work in Yishun, stay in Yishun and shop in Yishun. There is no reason for me to crawl out from my Yishun shell. I think I have just been like a suaku, leading a comfortable life in a familiar surrounding and not been brave enough to catapult myself to places I have no bearing and connection of. A night in Boon Lay had forced me to reexamine how I should try to accept new places; with a more open mindset and see things from a wide-angled lens.

My perception of Boon Lay totally took a different view when my son Thaqif drove us there that night. Boon Lay lay in front of me as a bustling satellite town which had been given a new lease of life. Boon Lay's landscape is kicking, alive and shouting of its existence to its first-time visitors like me. We past Boon Lay Place. It had been closed and the entire road was lit up and drowned with music as the folks got ready to usher in the new year. The entire road was jam-packed with our foreign workers and local revelers. That was one way to integrate our hard-working foreign source of labour to the local community.

We ushered in the new year with games, Botak Jones steak and loads of fun and laughter. Most of Maz's in-laws were there to welcome 2011 and say goodbye to 2010. The penthouse was turned upside down as we neared midnight. Earlier on we had rocked the 13th floor with our ala-Bon Jovi, ala-Deep Purple performances and port-belly earth-shaking dancing. Shakira would love to learn some of the gyrating hip moves from our port-belly dancers.

There was almost an earthquake when my team members dolled up Yek with glossy lipstick and splashed his rosy cheeks with red fire cracker rouge. There were the 'oohhsss' and 'ahhhsss' from the men when they stealthily eyed his Marilyn Monroe's upturned dewylicious lips and alluring kohl-lined doe-eyes. With his infectious dimpled smile and a body to die for, Yek was unanimoulsy voted as our reigning Ms Boon Lay 2011 at the strike of twelve.

I didn't wait long enough to find out if Yek received any indecent proposals from the men around. The heat of the night seemed to blaze the penthouse when I left.

Roll in the slides.