at the end of our walk yesterday, we came across the galistan family service centre. it was a simple, single storey, slightly rundown building surrounded by a metal fence, but there was a welcoming air to it. we had just turned into choa chu kang road from upper bukit timah road. aj said these centres helped needy families, also the many foreign workers on the island. the banners hanging on the fence gave details of recreational programmes for maids, or…
the doorman came forward as i got down from the taxi and stepped on the gravel covered posh driveway. he looked splendid and familiar. seemed he had always been there. he was there when somerset maugham came visiting. he came forward to open the door for the japanese who changed the name of his hotel to shonan ryokan. he was most certainly there when the armenian siblings, martin and tigran sarkies, came from isfahan in persia to singapore to negotiate…