All set..

Just received confirmation on my registration yesterday.
Paid the bond for my new accommodation, and signed the contract.
Moving in on New Years Day.

All I need now is some prata and kopi-o, watching EPL live with my buddies.

Lazy, rainy Sunday

Full Circle

Haven't done this in a while, and I think 'Yay!' deserves a reason for its name.

The past 2 years have been almost like a blur, but for the fact that time seems to go by a lot slower in Australia than in Sg. It's not just because life there in Gold Coast is more for the tourist rather than residents, but also I felt that I didn't really belong there. I just told myself that I’m in a situation where studying would be ideal, with the distraction kept to a minimum. However, distractions help to keep ones sanity. No man is an island.

I have achieved what I’ve set out to do after these years, but I think what was more meaningful was the journey, where I learnt things about myself, and my relationships with family and friends back home. Being away most of the time makes my time back home seem more concentrated and contrasted. The concentrated effect is somewhat like the ‘limited edition’ effect, i.e. not indefinite. Contrasting because I cannot help but juxtapose things around me here at home or over in Australia. To me, I see it as a win-win situation. Over here, I take advantage of all that I can (e.g. shopping for clothes, textbooks, food), and over there, I enjoy all the elements of life there that makes that place it one of the top destinations for immigrants (e.g. great weather, free parking).

It is contrasting also because I was away at a critical time where changes were happening at a furious pace here. Every time I’m back I see new buildings, new roads, my old hangout places gone, and a vastly changing social and demographic landscape. As I see the changes that are happening here being more detrimental to the less fortunate and not so well-to-do, it got me interested again about policies, politics and the keenly following all the new media channels for netizens to voice their opinions and reviews. I always try to see the reasoning from both sides, but some of the decisions that were made lately are just beyond comprehension.

I am asked quite often how come I don’t go for holidays. Being back home is a holiday in itself. Being is Australia is also like another holiday. Holidays all year round. Who can ask for more. Even when I start working there, I don’t think it will feel the same as working life here. I have seen how hard the junior doctors here have worked in TTSH while I was on attachment there. I don’t think that its’ much of a life. Work life balance there is very important, and I cannot wait to be part of the action (actually I can wait to start getting income again after 4 years…).

Ever since I have been away, I felt that everyone fussed about me a little more than I was comfortable with. I was ok with it at the start, and even initiated the gatherings. But as the years went by, I felt more like lying low and just taking it easy… but there will always be something happening, and I don’t disappoint. Sometimes I see going back to Australia as a much needed relief from everything. Hello serenity, my new old friend.

Nonetheless, it was nice to have the extended family come together today for dinner. It has been awhile since I saw some of them and it was heart-warming to see everyone having a good time. This would not have happened save my dad organizing it.

I have no regrets from the start about this decision, and I am glad that things are working out. I am also very grateful to everyone who supported me over the years, especially my family, and also my friends here and over there too. I would advise anyone to try living somewhere else if they haven’t already done so, even if it’s just for the sake of the experience.

Bus 70

Today I was pleasantly surprised to find my favorite bus captain, Chandra, in the driver's seat of bus no 70 on my way home.

I remember back in the day when I was working in Shenton Way, sometimes I would take the bus he's driving. He would greet passengers as they boarded and alighted. Every one. Most passengers would be taken aback and give a blank stare. I would to just smile at him.

But today, I had a chat with him, saying how I remembered taking him from a few years back. He then took off his driving glove to shake my hand. He also proudly showed me his collar pin, which is some prestigious award he got recently for the service he rendered. He deserved it.

Some of the regular passengers would exchange a few sentences with him, complaining about the weather and such.

Before I alighted, I went up to him and told him how much I enjoyed having him as a captain and told him to keep up the good work. Again, he took off his glove and shook my hand.

This is the kind of service which the service industry should try to emulate. But I think it's asking too much.

Good job Chandra. =)

Dump of Death (DoD)

It has been reported that those with weak hearts, e.g. the elderly, have arrested (heart stopped) while in the loo, doing the No.2.

This is the reason why.... when we're into No.2, our "rest-and-relax" aka parasympathetic system kicks is... this means blood is directed away from the muscles, and to the visceral organs (e.g. gut, kidneys)... and part of this effect is the slowing of heart rate (vagal activation).

Good to keep an eye out for friends/family that might be in this kind of situation.

Alfie

Friday night.... just back from the gym, having cooked dinner.
Chanced upon the movie "Alfie" on TV.

Just want to share its ending excerpt.

"I warned them all from the beginning.

I always said something along the lines of,

''I must advise you,

I am stamped with an invisible warning.

I will not commit. I will never marry.''

Despite my best efforts, I'm beginning to feel some small cracks

in my faux finish.

You know, when I look back on my little life,

and all the women I've known...

...I can't help but think about...

...all that they've done for me...

...and how little I've done for them.

How they looked after me, cared for me...

...and I repaid them by never returning the favour.

Yeah.

I used to think I had the best end of the deal.

What have I got?

Really?

Some money in my pocket.

Some nice threads. Fancy car at my disposal.

And I'm single.

Unattached. Free as a bird.

I don't depend on nobody.

Nobody depends on me.

My life's my own.

But I don't have peace of mind.

And if you don't have that, you've got nothing.

So...

So, what's the answer? That's what I keep asking myself.

What's it all about?

You know what I mean?"

Touch 'n Go

Back for the week in SG. The change was rather welcoming.

As usual, I packed my days here having breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, coffee, dinner, drinks, supper, mahjong, bomberman-ing, crabbing with friends/family, and the time in between appointments would be spent with Tabby (eq writing this now) and studying (or at least the attempt to).

Some of the quirks I kinda missed-but-not-really of SG life during this trip back:

Lingo
- mandarin structured english
- manglish / engdarin / malanglish
- missing words from the sentence structure
- ever changing tone (as opposed to cresendo/decresendo)

Road culture
- perpetually speeding/over-taking cars
- que jumpers
- over modified korean/japanese cars
- white headlights
- paid parking
- rear windscreen cluttered with soft toys
- the "my life revolves around my car" lifestyle
- the never ending discussion on ERP

Dining
- the "get lost and gimme your table" stare
- the "dowan leh, you wait long long for my table" stare into oblivion
- al-fry-sco dining

It's still home.

And what's wrong with shaking hands? Hais...

And I'm back to the crawing board in 48hrs. See you in December.