Adjusting

3 weeks after I'm back, I am slowly getting used to...
the crowded and claustrophobic environment,
the many high rise buildings,
the traffic noises,
the strong food court smell and local food,
the soft bread,
the dusty environment due to all the on-going construction works,
the low toilet seats in my home,
not having greetings from people on the streets,
seeing ungracious and non-civic conscious acts i.e. pushing to go up the bus, standing in front of the MRT doorways, smoking the lifts, spitting, littering...

Still trying to...
adjust to the humid weather,
de-clutter the clutter in my house,
get used to Singaporeans' non-punctual habits,
adjust to Uncle Tan's coming home later due to work (darn Lehman Bros' senior management),
lessen my skepticism towards certain issues,
not to think too much of the green pastures, crisp air, soft comfy bed, fluffy pastries, fragrant bread, gentle cows, curious sheep, friendly Swiss......

I have managed to...
adjust to Singapore timing,
tune back to the local TV channels after months of overseas online dramas, although still trying to get used to the many advertisements,
reconnect with some friends and colleagues...

6 months isn't a long time away and some of my colleagues said it felt as if I didn't leave SG for a long time. But I felt displaced when I first arrived - the fast pace, the people, the surrounding...despite a mere 6 mths, several things have changed and perhaps some of you might not have noticed since you grew with these changes. I suddenly felt old seeing the rapid changes taking place around me.
- new buses
- new announcements on MRT trains which are louder now
- more Ah Tiongs and Caucasians in the neighbourhood
- higher food prices, some with reduced amount or quality
- more Ah Tiongs working in food courts besides beauty centres
- new shop face for some shops and major face lift for Orchard Road
- changes in the layout and paper size for Straits Times and TODAY paper
- new NTUC logo


Being 6 mths away out from home somehow opens up my senses. Perhaps I have less things to cram in my little mind. More opportunity to listen since there's no one to talk to most of the time. More time to explore, discover and appreciate. Uncle Tan was wondering why we could afford to go hiking on most weekends without having to worry what we have yet to do or what we need to do. Partly because we don't have to do much housework except the laundry, cooking and dish washing. But even if we were to do the housework, there wouldn't be much cleaning either for the place has less dust since most of the time the windows were not opened fully nor were there many cars to cause any pollution.

Over here, we have tonnes of things to do where housework is one major task other than the bills to pay and file, errands to run, sieving unwanted mails and flyers, visit in-laws, grandparents...the list seems endless...imagine having a kid...that would suck out most of the time...

Perhaps that was one of the reasons why we were drawn to want to stay and work there...but eventually these miscellaneous stuff will come to look for us once we settled there.

I'm supposed to be cleaning and de-clutter my house but just do not have the mood to do it somehow. Or rather I don't know how to start...if only I can have a man's brain for now and able to part with some of the very old things I've kept for years thinking I might need it some day or keeping them for sentimental reasons. I want to live simply but I want to also have things I could keep some items of sentimental value to reminisce the good old times when I'm old.

So perhaps it's time for my friends not to give me any more presents from now on. A card, a non-MIC chocolate or just spending time together is what I would appreciate :) In a way, this is also more environmentally friendly :) Ang Paos sound so practical but of course are welcomed nevertheless hehe ;p

Ok, still gotta go and clear some stuff before Uncle Tan nags at me subtly again...