June 6, 2005
I can hear marbles... or am I losing mine?

IN THE 15 years I lived in my three-room HDB flat in Lorong Ah Soo, my family had to endure what sounded like marbles being dropped on the floor of the unit above mine. Strangely, this seemed to take place only at night, at times in the wee hours of the morning. Never one for confrontation, I did not speak to the occupants upstairs, and we lived with it.

We moved to Punggol 21 five years ago, and the sound of marbles dropping in the wee hours of the morning seems to have followed us. I once trotted upstairs to see what sort of neighbours I have and the occupants were an elderly woman, her weak elderly husband and their domestic help. It is unlikely they played with marbles, and certainly not in the wee hours of the morning.

From conversations with friends, I was astounded to learn that this sound of dropping marbles is a widespread phenomenon in Singapore. It seems it happens only in HDB flats. One of my friends even suggested it may be the way HDB flats are built.

As a non-believer in the supernatural, I am eager to understand this mystery that is fast becoming an urban legend. I may have a legitimate reason to ask the HDB to explain it, since it seems to inflict only flats built by it.

Joseph Wong Yong Lye

I remember the exact same conversation with "the power of three" at Yamaha
When we were talking about hearing "dropping marbles" in our homes
And i swear just the other day i was staying up late at night for my baby to finish revision
when i heard that very sound again
that i immediately thought of the same conversation
Eerie i'd say
I hope someone replies to this post on the forum soon