Just some of my mishappenings since touching down at Changi Airport.
Thought I was lost when I saw a train direction to Joo Koon at City Hall. Where the hell is Joo Koon anyway?? Got off at Orchard when I wanted to go to the Heeren. Really got lost at Somerset. Took the wrong train at Somerset. Tried opening the front door with my matric card. Tried withdrawing $0.00.
Couldn't speak proper English for the first two days. Went to bed at 12 the first night. Woke up the next morning thinking I was in Korea. Forgot I was in Singapore. Ate at the MRT station. Wondered where all my side dishes went. Look around for a water cooler in vain.
Thought a car had no driver then realised he was on the right side. Frightened a passer-by when I screamed at a cockroach.
Wonder what the next week will bring.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Stuck
Ever wondered what it's like for a funnel which got it's end corked while more stuff are continouously being dumped into it? That's how I felt yesterday at the NUS bus stop. I wanted to shit, the last bus was coming in 15 minutes and the journey was an hour more to go.
Throughout the whole journey I sat on one thigh, crossed my legs and tried to prevent my shit from being sucked back in. I felt my fingers go cold and sweat formed across my forehead as I pretended to enjoy the traffic passing by. I saw bungalow windows, impossibly long stretches of walls, traffic lights, tree trunks, and more tree trunks.
When I got off the bus, my left butt was numb and I couldn't feel my toes. But I still had time to knock into an ACS boy who smiled back at me.
The walk from the bus stop to my house seemed impossibly long, fraught with pesky cockroaches, and quiet. Walking through the house door was a relief and seeing the toilet bowl was a joy.
The moment of release came not too soon and my body eased as I heard the rhythmic "plop"s into the water below. The funnel has been uncorked.
Anyone lost their breakfast yet? ;)
Throughout the whole journey I sat on one thigh, crossed my legs and tried to prevent my shit from being sucked back in. I felt my fingers go cold and sweat formed across my forehead as I pretended to enjoy the traffic passing by. I saw bungalow windows, impossibly long stretches of walls, traffic lights, tree trunks, and more tree trunks.
When I got off the bus, my left butt was numb and I couldn't feel my toes. But I still had time to knock into an ACS boy who smiled back at me.
The walk from the bus stop to my house seemed impossibly long, fraught with pesky cockroaches, and quiet. Walking through the house door was a relief and seeing the toilet bowl was a joy.
The moment of release came not too soon and my body eased as I heard the rhythmic "plop"s into the water below. The funnel has been uncorked.
Anyone lost their breakfast yet? ;)
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Singapore culture
One of the things I’m asked most while overseas is “What is the Singapore traditional culture?”. Our response usually entails a smile, a quiet sigh and the reply “Singapore does not have a traditional culture”.
Then we'll start to reason it out that Singapore is a very young country, our grandparents were immigrants, that we are a multi-racial, mult-religious city, that there isn't a Singapore race, and maybe pepper it with our smattering knowledge of Peranakan culture caught from The Little Nyonya.
Many of the Koreans couldn't understand that there wasn't a Singapore race either. Having only seen Singaporean Chinese, most of them thought that we were the Singaporean race. To these people from homogenous countries, the fact that there were 4 major races in a land 700 times smaller than theirs seemed.. incredible. Oh, and the fact that one out of every five residents in Singapore are foreigners.
I guess Peranakan culture could be a candidate for Singaporean traditional culture. Just that it's not unique to Singapore and most Peranakans now don't know shit about beaded shoes or Nyonya cooking.
Or maybe Singapore food, which might help explain the relatively fuller bodies of Singaporeans.
The Merlion would be out. I wouldn't really want to broadcast kiasu-ism or us being a fine city either. Though it has kept our street cleanliness at a level envied by most others.
I'm sorry folks. Please do not come to Singapore unless you are looking for great food, learn English that challenges your proficiency in English, able to not litter (it's not difficult to find rubbish bins in non-MRT stations anyway), and able to not spit. The fines here are not cheap, you know.
Then we'll start to reason it out that Singapore is a very young country, our grandparents were immigrants, that we are a multi-racial, mult-religious city, that there isn't a Singapore race, and maybe pepper it with our smattering knowledge of Peranakan culture caught from The Little Nyonya.
Many of the Koreans couldn't understand that there wasn't a Singapore race either. Having only seen Singaporean Chinese, most of them thought that we were the Singaporean race. To these people from homogenous countries, the fact that there were 4 major races in a land 700 times smaller than theirs seemed.. incredible. Oh, and the fact that one out of every five residents in Singapore are foreigners.
I guess Peranakan culture could be a candidate for Singaporean traditional culture. Just that it's not unique to Singapore and most Peranakans now don't know shit about beaded shoes or Nyonya cooking.
Or maybe Singapore food, which might help explain the relatively fuller bodies of Singaporeans.
The Merlion would be out. I wouldn't really want to broadcast kiasu-ism or us being a fine city either. Though it has kept our street cleanliness at a level envied by most others.
I'm sorry folks. Please do not come to Singapore unless you are looking for great food, learn English that challenges your proficiency in English, able to not litter (it's not difficult to find rubbish bins in non-MRT stations anyway), and able to not spit. The fines here are not cheap, you know.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The things I have done after I came back
Hmz. Let's see what I've done since touching down on Saturday.
Welcomed home by a teary mother. Sighed at my loss of freedom. Saw the 4 boxes I sent home opened and rummaged through but still unpacked. Tried unpacking my 2 suitcases. Left one half-unpacked. Gave up trying to tell my mother what to do with the stuff I bought back. Caught up on some of my sleep debt. Still negotiating interest rates with the sand man.
Got woken up by thunder. Realised I was in Singapore. Installed the new messenger. Was damn happy I could use messenger. Found out how to check my results. Went through 3 different computers to check my results. Looked at dinner and sighed at being back in Singapore. Looked at dinner and sighed at being stuck at home. Realised I couldn't even go across the road to get a packet of chai boon. Watched Marley & Me on pps, watched Legally Blonde on pps, watched Transformers on pps. Realised my heart was beating really fast when I was watching transformers. Decided it was a good movie.
Put a mask on my face. Forgot about the humidity in Singapore. Started writing this blog post. Started thinking about how the rest of my 7 days will be like.
Welcomed home by a teary mother. Sighed at my loss of freedom. Saw the 4 boxes I sent home opened and rummaged through but still unpacked. Tried unpacking my 2 suitcases. Left one half-unpacked. Gave up trying to tell my mother what to do with the stuff I bought back. Caught up on some of my sleep debt. Still negotiating interest rates with the sand man.
Got woken up by thunder. Realised I was in Singapore. Installed the new messenger. Was damn happy I could use messenger. Found out how to check my results. Went through 3 different computers to check my results. Looked at dinner and sighed at being back in Singapore. Looked at dinner and sighed at being stuck at home. Realised I couldn't even go across the road to get a packet of chai boon. Watched Marley & Me on pps, watched Legally Blonde on pps, watched Transformers on pps. Realised my heart was beating really fast when I was watching transformers. Decided it was a good movie.
Put a mask on my face. Forgot about the humidity in Singapore. Started writing this blog post. Started thinking about how the rest of my 7 days will be like.
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