Singapore: The Great Yard Sale

In the last 14 years, we have lived in an American five-bedroom house, a three-storey house in Oman and a three-bedroom black-and-white in Singapore. Our next destination is the tiny rabbit hutch we call home in Surrey, England which is already full of Mrs M’s shoes. Although the house has two rather splendid sheds (one of which has an extension), we had to dispose of as much as possible this weekend before the shippers arrive next week.

In the early morning of the ‘Great Yard Sale’, we drove around the estate placing beautifully crafted signs in strategic positions before making final adjustments to the displays; we opened the gates at 10am in brilliant sunshine. With the superb assistance of C & B from next door, we had sold of most of our goods by midday. At 1pm, we reduced items by 50% and at 2pm, the remaining items were free. The rack of clothes and table of free goodies were stripped within a few minutes.

At 3pm, there was only a tumble drier (since sold) and a varnished Chinese panel left; we had made a profit of $1,070, enough for a basket of groceries at Cold Storage.

As if C & B had not done enough, they took us to the Red Dot Brewhouse for dinner which featured chicken fagra (spicy wings), pork belly, satay, truffle fries, paprika fries, samosas, mimosas for the ladies and lashings of coloured ales for the gents.

I don’t remember going to sleep that night.

Postscript: On my way to the shops on Sunday morning, I spotted our inflatable whale floating gracefully in the pool of a neighbour’s house. The last time I rode that whale was in a pool overlooking the turquoise sea of the Gulf of Oman. He has gone to a good home (as did the dolphin).