A 50-year-old woman has apparently been living in Changi Airport, Singapore, for the last eight years, despite owning her own three-room apartment, which she rents out for about $1,000 a month.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told Singapore newspaper Lianhe Wanbao that she moved into Changi Airport in 2008, after being hit hard by the global financial crisis. “At the time, I was stuck in a rut and had no other choice,” she said, adding that in the beginning she was terrified by the idea of living in an airport, and only planned to do it for a short period of time, until she got back on her feet. She rented out her three-room apartment and leaned to survive in an environment that she quickly learned provides a person with pretty much everything they need. She apparently became quite comfortable with her new home, as those few nights she originally planned for turned into eight years.
Photo: Lianhe Wanbao
The woman says she eats at the airport food court and shops at the supermarkets, has access to showers, and enjoys the free air-conditioning and wi-fi. If anything, she claims she is better off now than when she first arrived. “I first came to the airport empty-handed, but after staying for some time, I have more things now,” she told Lianhe Wanbao reporters, while showing them her trolley full of clothes, toiletries, food and other daily necessities.
The $1,000 rent she collect from her apartment tenants every month is more than enough for the woman to live comfortably, but she hopes to soon move out of the airport and put a proper roof over her head. “I intend to sell the flat and apply for a smaller two-room unit, to make life easier,” she said.
Photo: Lianhe Wanbao
Interestingly, the mystery woman is not the only person who has made Changi Airport her home. The Lianhe Wanbao newspaper reports that at least 10 Singaporeans are currently living there, including a couple, and a guy who had a falling out with his roommate and avoids him by crashing at the airport every night. He goes back to his home during the day.
