Despite the imminent plans to develop Singapore’s last rural village, life still goes on at Kampong Buangkok. yg recently visited the kampong and finds two recently renovated houses – seemingly oblivious to the impending redevelopment, or perhaps the owners know something that there’s still some time to enjoy kampong life yet.

But ‘kampong’ is more than just the rural houses – it’s a lifestyle and an attitude, as yg pleasantly experiences:

in the true kampong spirit, she invited us in – total strangers to her – for a tour of the place. the upper floor will serve as a storeroom. the place has electricity, piped water and proper sanitation. the owner, who used to live in malaysia, likes the kampong way of life. of course, the very low rent is an attraction.

One of the many things our older generation laments about Singapore’s housing miracle is the loss of this Kampong Spirit – an openness to share with our neighbours, or for that matter, a community where everybody knows each other. Take a look around your neighbourhood now – how many neighbours do you know?

Of course, I’m basing this on my own personal and other anecdotal experience. If you’ve had the same experience as me, perhaps it’s not too late to regain this Kampong Spirit. All it takes is a simple “hello”. =D