I will be leaving this place soon, and heaven knows when I'll be back. Probably not till next year.
What will I miss, people ask?
Somehow, I don't think it'll be the food.
Family and friends I will miss, definitely, but to what extent? I am not particularly close to anyone, and friendships are virtually (forgive the pun) maintained through MSN these days(that's what has been going on for the past.... 8-9 months, for me at least...)
It's the little things, I suppose.
The view of the reservoir from my window.
The sunset that irritates me from 5-6pm daily. (because of the *beep*ing glare it causes)
The wet, green smell after the rain. (Yes I live in a well vegetated area, thank heavens.)
Dammit, probably even my neighbour's noisy parrot.
And the trees. I am very very attached to tropical vegetation thankyewverymuch. The beautiful flame-of-the-forest that I admire every time I cross the overhead bridge. The weird tree with white blossoms below the flyover en route to school. The humongous tree overgrown with strangling fig in Fort Canning. The old droopy tree that dangles its branches in a frequently overlooked section of the Singapore River. Will miss them all.
And no, I am not mad. Or overly sentimental. Trees are worth worshipping.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Monday, September 04, 2006
A Brief Sojourn into the Land of Pink and Purple Taxis
Day #1
I write this in my frigid hotel room overlooking a sign saying “Applied Physics” and another describing the foot reflexology services of “Miss Puke”. My stomach is so bloated stuff threatens to exit from either above or below, and I am on the verge of breathing fire (thanks to my exceedingly spicy dinner). To top it all of, I have had three servings of coffee today (caffeine overload alert) and am quite insanely perky. As a result, this entry is likely to be terribly garbled and not make much sense at all.
Where am I? Somewhere in the middle of a tangled mess of hopelessly congested roads, highways and alleys, beset on all sides by garish pink taxis and dangerous sofa-bearing tuk-tuks. Bangkok, naturally.
Day #2
Hmmm… haven’t been in this city for what, four, five years? I never cared much for it in the past. But it calls to me now, singing its siren song… (Buy, buy buy! Very cheap, buy!) Sadly, I find it irresistible. I am not one who is easily tempted by long swishy skirts. But here, I find myself drooling at every third swishy skirt that so happens to be in my path. The variety here is mind-blowing. Utterly mind-blowing. And though the prices have gone up somewhat throughout the years, one can still get a very good deal, if one knows where to look (and if one avoids shopping malls that scream 'DEES EES A TOUURISS TRAAAP!"). There is plenty of stuff here that suits Schmetterling's very exacting tastes, and Schmetterling is very very happy about that. Service is almost universally excellent, and I find myself smiling more in one day than I've smiled for the past half of the year, simply because there are fewer pompous assholes here.
I also think that Thai massages are quite highly overrated. Perhaps having all the breath squashed out of me just isn't my thing. Don't get me wrong- it wasn't exactly painful or anything... it's just that I am not too amenable to having feet and elbows push into my back.
Day #3
I swear they put sugar in EVERYTHING. Including fruit juice. To think I was marvelling at the sweetness of Thai watermelons. Anyway, I like Thai salads. If I become a vegetarian I think Thailand might be a good place to retire.
Nothing much of note, just this. Walking on the streets can be quite hazardous, for there are shrines (and thus clouds of flies accompanying the offerings) leaping out at you from unexpected corners. And university students wear cute uniforms.
I write this in my frigid hotel room overlooking a sign saying “Applied Physics” and another describing the foot reflexology services of “Miss Puke”. My stomach is so bloated stuff threatens to exit from either above or below, and I am on the verge of breathing fire (thanks to my exceedingly spicy dinner). To top it all of, I have had three servings of coffee today (caffeine overload alert) and am quite insanely perky. As a result, this entry is likely to be terribly garbled and not make much sense at all.
Where am I? Somewhere in the middle of a tangled mess of hopelessly congested roads, highways and alleys, beset on all sides by garish pink taxis and dangerous sofa-bearing tuk-tuks. Bangkok, naturally.
Day #2
Hmmm… haven’t been in this city for what, four, five years? I never cared much for it in the past. But it calls to me now, singing its siren song… (Buy, buy buy! Very cheap, buy!) Sadly, I find it irresistible. I am not one who is easily tempted by long swishy skirts. But here, I find myself drooling at every third swishy skirt that so happens to be in my path. The variety here is mind-blowing. Utterly mind-blowing. And though the prices have gone up somewhat throughout the years, one can still get a very good deal, if one knows where to look (and if one avoids shopping malls that scream 'DEES EES A TOUURISS TRAAAP!"). There is plenty of stuff here that suits Schmetterling's very exacting tastes, and Schmetterling is very very happy about that. Service is almost universally excellent, and I find myself smiling more in one day than I've smiled for the past half of the year, simply because there are fewer pompous assholes here.
I also think that Thai massages are quite highly overrated. Perhaps having all the breath squashed out of me just isn't my thing. Don't get me wrong- it wasn't exactly painful or anything... it's just that I am not too amenable to having feet and elbows push into my back.
Day #3
I swear they put sugar in EVERYTHING. Including fruit juice. To think I was marvelling at the sweetness of Thai watermelons. Anyway, I like Thai salads. If I become a vegetarian I think Thailand might be a good place to retire.
Nothing much of note, just this. Walking on the streets can be quite hazardous, for there are shrines (and thus clouds of flies accompanying the offerings) leaping out at you from unexpected corners. And university students wear cute uniforms.
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