Thanksgiving Day 2010

Exactly last year, I celebrated Thanksgiving with my sister in Chicago. It was also around that time when a strong urge to live in another country found me-- although at that time I haven’t figured out where I should relocate. I just knew I had a vast expanse of options other than my home country.

Fast forward to a year, I honestly believe I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Of course I miss home but living far away makes me appreciate what I had and what I have, the good and the bad. I may still be far from living the life I have dreamt of but it doesn’t stop me from savouring every moment of it. Afterall, I have everything and everyone I need now.

I am living happily, one day at a time. And I remain hopeful for the coming days.

To the One who made all these possible, THANK YOU.

Flat Shopping

Haven't been able to blog lately. Home-hunting is really stressing me out, without a doubt. Been searching online, calling property agents (whose fees are too darn expensive), and viewing available units. Over the course of the week, I have already jotted down the key things I need to consider before signing any contract (in order of priority):

1. Look and Feel

I am a minimalist. I like open spaces. And I only take in what is useful and necessary. This is precisely the reason display cabinets rarely work for me. I deco by simply just adding some style to every piece of useful item I buy (ie. even my laundry hangers are uniform and of the same color). Singapore flats are generally small so strategic positioning of the furniture is a must. As for the flat, it should be new or newly renovated and free of any funky odor.

2. Location

Anything within the business district is out as I don't like busy and crowded places. Remote areas are definitely out as well as I need to see living and moving things from time to time to keep my sanity. Outer central area (and a few others) is just fine. One thing nice about Singapore is that everything is within reach, so location for me just means the surroundings and less than-an-hour travel time to my workplace.

3. Budget

This should be number one but I realized I am the type who would shell out an extra $100 ($200 when I get rich =p)  for a more comfortable living space. It's still in the top three as I intend to save / invest more than what I spend.

4. Freedom to entertain guests, or at least family members.

5. Perks

Shops within walking distance. Bus stop or MRT within 150 meters. Peace-loving landlords and neighbors. Or perhaps a park nearby.. Etc.

Attention, referrers.

I Made Friends Today

Naturally, I am not the friendly-type. I am (or at least try to be) kind to 90% of the people I meet but it would take me a tremendous amount of effort to go up to a person I haven’t been introduced to and strike a conversation. Believe it or not, I am shy. Although most of the time, I’ve been mistaken for a snob or a prude. I may appear confident but deep down I cringe at the thought of approaching someone I do not know. Once I get acquainted, the walls go down and the trust goes up.

Unless I am working.

I morph into a different person when I am in business meetings / gatherings. I don’t understand why but shyness deliberately leaves me during these times. I am definitely more comfortable in business situations than in personal interactions. But today was different. I genuinely offered to share my umbrella to a fellow foreigner on my way to work. We shared some basic info during that 10-min walk to our building and I even invited my new friend to have lunch sometime. [Woah! I just asked someone out! But don’t get your hopes up, she’s a girl!!]

I realized that living someplace else can act like a placebo to counter an involuntary social discomfort. If I were home, I would probably just shift my umbrella to her direction without uttering a word. I have a handful of people I am close to in my new home. I am doing great. However, I still miss just bumping into someone I know almost always whenever I am out.. Or getting my free days packed ‘because I need to meet up with a ton of people’ from every aspect of my life. Plus, it is always a good idea to expand my network of good people.

It’s a big world and everyone is going global, so must I.