Halloween Self-Portrait – The Tengah CCS Waterfall Anniversary

Quick Background

We signed up for the Tengah Centralised Cooling System (CCS) at HDB Hub, drawn by its promise of eco-friendliness and up to 30% cost savings. Like many others, we assumed we’d be well protected under a government-linked initiative.

Unfortunately, condensation and leakage issues surfaced soon after we moved in. After five unsuccessful repair attempts by SP Group’s contractors — each causing great inconvenience — we eventually requested a full refund, as they couldn’t assure us that the next attempt would finally solve the problem.

The saga dragged on until near Halloween midnight in 2024, when the CCS trunking suddenly poured water like a waterfall.

Following that incident, SP’s representatives responded with statements such as:

“We noticed a high usage of chilled water during the period...” (hinting we caused the waterfall by the overuse of the system they provided)
“If you had allowed us to open the trunking (for the sixth time), this might not have happened.”

Scene and Meaning

1. Frustrated Face

   This expression reflects the collective frustration of CCS users — a blend of astonishment and sorrow — symbolising how powerless we’ve felt seeking fair help and accountability amid this absurd ordeal.

2. Electrical Fan

   Like many others, when we reported that the CCS wasn’t cooling effectively, SP’s representatives suggested setting it to 23°C instead of Singapore’s recommended 25°C — without clarifying the potential increase in chilled-water costs.
   
   Many users have reported higher monthly chilled-water bills compared to traditional air-conditioning. Some resort to setting their CCS to higher temperatures while using fans simultaneously, just to make their rooms comfortably cool.
   
   When SP’s team visited my home, we stood before the living room’s FCU. They confidently claimed the system was “cooling well”, and indeed, I had to agree — right in front of it, it felt like standing before my air-cooler.

3. Umbrella

   This prop symbolises the endless condensation and leaking — a literal storm within my own home, especially beneath the CCS FCU. The ghostly tone captures the absurdity and helplessness we endured for months leading up to the "waterfall".

4. Pail

   Ah, the famous pail. We bought it from Giant Hypermart when we first moved in. Many residents following our CCS story recognise it — it’s become a kind of dark inside joke.
   
   We used it repeatedly after every repair attempt, to mop and contain leaks that often blocked our corridor. When the CCS waterfall finally struck, this was the first of three pails we used to collect the pouring water while mopping the surrounding ground continuously.
   
   Thanks Giant for the affordable mop set!

Behind the Scene

As Halloween 2025 approached, SP took another two-month pause in communication — no replies to my emails, as usual. Ironically, that silence inspired this shoot.

My original idea was to collaborate with a model — imagine a glamorous yet haunting concept: a woman drenched under eerie lighting, embodying the chaos. But I was too mentally drained from the CCS ordeal — constantly thinking about the issue and its emotional toll. Eventually, I realised a self-portrait featuring the actual victim (me) would carry far deeper meaning.

I’m wearing the army's green admin tee — a nod to my Singaporean roots. Having served two years of NS and completed ten reservist cycles, I'm as local as one can be, yet I never imagined something like this could happen here, and to me of all people. The faded green tee carries its own symbolism too — green for "eco-friendliness", a value CCS proudly promotes but sadly falls short of, and faded because, well, it's old, representing the "poor user" left behind in this so-called smart, sustainable system.

Between my weekly TCM visits, estate responsibilities, and sheer exhaustion, even starting this shoot felt like a mountain climb.

The process itself was gruelling. I had to climb up and down repeatedly to adjust lighting, exposure, and composition, all while posing and reviewing results. I deliberately used hard light from unflattering angles for dramatic effect. I drenched myself for realism — sometimes forgetting to re-wet my hair or clothes after drying, forcing multiple retakes.

Using a two-second timer to hide the remote before each shot made it even more challenging, especially for poses requiring both hands. What I thought might take barely an hour stretched into many, but in the end, it became one of my most emotionally significant shoots to date.

This shoot isn’t just a creative project — it’s a chapter of my real life. A symbol of endurance, frustration, and the strange beauty of fighting for fairness, even when the system leaves you out in the cold.