Pre-blog Travel Stories

A selection of travel articles by Verne Maree, published by Expat Living Singapore from 2005 to 2016

The House that Roy & Verne Built, Part 4 – Our House

Our house, at last completed; You Will Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties; Get the Party Started; Our House; Build Me Up, Buttercup; Roy’s baby; Art Deco upstairs; man cave moments; The Lift Girl’s Lament; Bed(s) of Roses; sounding the retreat; more stuff; as the stomach churns

Let me start on a celebratory note with some party pics, including my birthday and our housewarming party on 8 March. Otherwise, we may all glaze over at the seventh picture of tiling/paving, switch off and never get to see Roy and me thoroughly enjoying our long-awaited new home.

You Will Always Find me in the Kitchen at Parties – Jona Lewie (1980)

 

Christmas Day 2024 at 543 Burns Beach Road, our first tree in 10 years: Roy, Verne, Holly, Carrie, Mia and Carl

Moving In Day was 16 December 2024. By then, the house was completely liveable, even comfortable. There was still plenty to be done: gates, landscaping and the commissioning of the lift, for example. We were able to have family over on Christmas Day, basking in the twinkle of our first Christmas tree since we left Singapore in 2016.

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A Taste of Bawah Reserve, 29-31 January 2024

Bawah Reserve, dream private island destination; friends for life, and choosing them wisely; travel agents who slack on the job; the uneventful flight of the Panamanian refugees; gorgeous Tented Beach Suite; beach babe Roy; spa bliss and sunset cruising; table-dancing at Elang Private Residence; beef rendang, popcorn prawns and so much more; homeward bound via Singapore

If you like to travel in style to exotic locations, I seriously recommend you choose your friends wisely.

One of the huge advantages of living in Singapore from 2000 to 2016, when Roy retired from a lifetime in the shipping industry to become my full-time travel agent*, was the opportunity to meet an eclectic bunch of people from all over the world. One of these is Paul Robinson. Party animal and self-proclaimed friend for life, this is a man who takes friendship so seriously that he’s virtually turned it into an art form.

Friends for Life

We’ve known Paul for over 20 years, since those early days in Singapore. Formerly with Elite Havens, where he spent most of his time visiting and rating/reviewing upmarket accommodation in exotic locations (how does one get a job like that?), he’s currently COO of gorgeous Bawah Reserve. (Click here for its outstanding website.)

Florie and Paul Robinson, murdering a couple of after-lunch cocktails last year at Chijmes, Singapore

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Tea for Two at The Green Tea House, Subiaco – July 2020

The tea-tabulous Tsutomo Iwasaki; flashback to Kagoshima 2009; of catechins, monks and samurais; a long story; An Innocent Man; Sam-san the barista-in-training

Tasting green tea at the tea-tasting-tabulous Green Tea House, Subiaco, Perth

One Wednesday afternoon in July, after a light bite of lunch at Cranked in the buzzy inner city suburb of Leederville, my new friend Debbie Uller drove me to the Green Tea House (www.greenteahouse.com.au). (Find it at Shop 17, 375 Hay Street in Subiaco; call +618 9388 7425).

Debbie at the Green Tea House – a suburban shopwindow hides a little corner of Tokyo

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