According to David W. Orr, “Our true destiny...is a world built from the bottom up by competent citizens living in solid communities, engaged in and by their places.” This is aptly quoted when we think of the community in Potong Pasir. However, in every place and community there are advantages and drawbacks which in itself makes it unique. The impression one gets on a walk around here is that people respect each other and are united. The major reason for this is that the basic needs of the residents are adequately met because humans cannot live just on “love and fresh air”.
Firstly, there are many shops around Potong Pasir for the convenience of the residents. Take for example, 7-eleven, which operates around the clock. A resident who may need to buy something to eat, perhaps, in the middle of the night could just go over to the 7-eleven store in his own residential area. Besides that, there is also a shop that boasts of cheaper prices for everyday necessities, the ‘ABC shop’ and even the ‘Good Price Shop’.
Next, something that is dear to the heart of every Singaporean - a variety of good food! Residents in Potong Pasir can enjoy food ranging from local delicacies at the shops or even fast food at joints like McDonald’s or even KFC! For those who would prefer a home-cooked meal, there is a wet market and fruit stalls with fresh produce everyday.
Besides gastronomical concerns, accessibility is a factor that residents in Potong Pasir do not have to worry about. The MRT is a key means of transport. Potong Pasir is connected to two MRT interchanges, namely Serangoon Interchange and Dhoby Ghaut interchange. Of course, there are buses and taxis plying people to all parts of Singapore.
The Community Centre plays an important role in uniting the residents. It offers varied classes ranging from piano to dance and even archery classes. Besides the indoor archery range, residents can also play other sports such as basketball and badminton. In addition, the hall can be pre-booked for special occasions such as weddings. Besides the community centre, there are clinics and religious places of worship.
We can also say that the pivotal advantage of Potong Pasir is the St Andrew’s Village that is situated here. From playschool to Junior College, children and youth have excellent educational facilities literally ‘at their doorstep’. For young children, there is even a child care centre at the Potong Pasir community centre.
The drawbacks, however, are few and negligible. For example, some residents would welcome the addition of a pharmacy to the facilities already available. This would enable transactions of basic medication to be easier and possibly save them a trip to the clinic. Other facilities that would be warmly welcomed are a sports goods shop. For many of the residents, especially the potential sportsmen at St Andrew’s schools, sports equipment would be something they would like to access easily.
Nevertheless, we believe that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Potong Pasir is a well developed community, which can facilitate the progress of its residents, and will continue to develop for the better in the coming years.
Written by: Wong See Keat, Qalish b. Rosli, Yash, Timothy Tang and Abel George.
Overall editing by Abel George. 17/1/2011. (3ST)
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