Karin Gerbens, 32
A marketing communications consultant, the native from Holland was based in Jakarta for several years with her husband, a commodity trader.
Dawn Mok, 38
A writer and publisher of a series of destination guides, she is married to a Dutch graphic designer.
When Dawn and Karin, neighbours in Everitt Road, met over a year ago, they realised they shared a common love for cats, and an affinity for all things Dutch.
Dawn, 38, is a freelance writer who is married to a Dutch graphic designer while 32-year-old Karin comes from Holland and is married to a Dutch as well.
Between them, they have seven cats.
"We were very thrilled when they moved here," said Dawn. "When I first moved here almost seven years ago with my husband, it was just us and another neighbour. But slowly, the stretch started to fill up, so we formed an unofficial welcome committee."
"I remember how Dawn welcomed us to the neighbourhood with cookies she baked," said Karin.
Prior to living in Singapore, Karin and her husband were based in Jakarta for several years, so the move to Singapore was a breeze for them.
"We were already living in Asia and we knew a bit of Bahasa Indonesia so we could mingle with the Malays. The move to Singapore was actually quite relaxed. It's very easy to go around and get things done."
Karin loved the Everitt Road shophouse the first time she saw pictures of it on the Internet. Without checking out who lived next door, she and her husband told their agent that they would take it.
"We were specifically looking at a shophouse because we like the shophouse style and it's such a Singaporean thing," she said.
Finding good neighbours, and a good friend in Dawn, was an added bonus.
"There is a Dutch saying that it's better to have good neighbours than faraway friends, so we feel lucky to live here," said Karin.
"Good neighbours are like an extension of your household," said Dawn. "You don't live exclusively. If you walk out, it's still part of your neighbourhood. We share the same five-foot way."
"It's nice that Karin and I exchange greetings when we come home or see each other in the backyard. It makes me feel more at home," she said.
"And, it's also important to trust each other."
"We trust each other with our keys," said Karin.
Within two months of knowing each other, the neighbours had exchanged each other's home keys for emergency purposes and to help each other look after their house and cats when they went on holidays.
"I appreciated it a lot that they had my key when I forgot to bring mine out," said Karin.
Dawn recalled an incident when she found Karin in her backyard one day.
"We've got to set things right," said Karin with a laugh. "I thought they were out! My cat had jumped over to their backyard and she was kind of crying. So I thought I'd just pop over the wall to get her. No bad intentions!"
"We ended up laughing and that's usually one way we have a chat," said Dawn.
The two friends are the brains behind a neighbourly event called the progressive dinner, where neighbours living in their row of shophouses troop into each other's homes for a different course of dinner.
"So we start with drinks at this house, then we go to another for starters, and another for the main course and dessert," explained Karin.
Dawn added, "It's perfect because you don't even have to put your shoes on! You just walk barefoot from house and house with your wine glass."
As someone who works from home, Dawn couldn't stress enough the importance of having a good neighbour like Karin.
"This is my home as well as office, so it's important that my environment is harmonious," she said.
Dawn appreciates how Karin offered to put her and her husband up their home when they were renovating the house.
"We took up their offer because our house was impossible to live in, and we used their rooms and bathroom," she said.
"I like it that our relationship is more than just ‘hi' and ‘bye'."
Interviewed by Adeline Ong/Little Red Ants
at Everitt Road, on 2 Oct 2009.