The New Year

Jan, 2009
Singapore
The New Year

This trip to London indeed was full of utter amazements. Had an incredible stay I would say. Firstly, I met Cheen onboard. This was a miraculous happening. I remain skeptical about how wide is the network in this industry. Is the world small? Anyway, nice meeting you again! And promise, I’ll never ask you to take a seat again! Haha!

London was rather cold. I found it difficult to get used to the cold climate. It’s none other than Terence, the only person I could turn to for help when I was in London. Thank you for bringing me to Victor’s place for the New Year’s Eve dinner. I was grateful for having dinner with Terence, Victor, Janice and Tom that night. Thank you for preparing the meal. Special thanks to Janice, a nice girl who could cook well. Nice meeting you also. I had a stirring of emotion, it was so different and special as you all were actually replacing my family when they’re not around with me during this season. It seemed that they wouldn’t celebrate Chinese New Year with family after staying away from their home – Hong Kong. Anyhow, thank you very much for everything and the gifts had really come as a complete surprise to me.

This time, we went to Westfield Shopping Mall. An all-in-one shopping mall, huge, indoor and new, just opened not long ago. Shopping at Oxford Circus where I used to go was intense cold, spending idle hours to go window shopping at Westfield was just nice to me. I enjoyed the feeling having a cup of breakfast tea in the café than doing nothing in the room. I’d recommend you to have a good look at Westfield as the weakness of the pound have brought us the good news that things as branded stuff are considered cheaper and so much worth in UK. Well, it’s quite easy to get there. From High Street Kensington station, do proceed to Notting Hill Gate to get to the Central line and then to Shepherd’s Bush station. Westfield is just located at left outside the Shepherd’s Bush station.

Well, after flying across an ocean, this is over. The way from Changi Airport to my house was not easy at all, because it was the first day of Chinese New Year. I called it “no cab”. I’d never known that this will have happened to me. The intricate windings for me to get home could really drive me crazy. I would like to thanks Ching, a strong girl who impressed me a lot. The way she carried herself deserved to be learnt by me, a hopeless pamperer. I salute her tireless efforts for helping me along the way. Thank you for telling me that the pitying gaze should never be revealed on our face, because it doesn’t match up nicely. Yes, I love my smile.

I was tired and hungry after I got home. The loneliness that I was going to suffer from prompted me in missing my family shortly afterwards. They were having good time with my relatives at Pangkor Island. Since leaving from home to earn a living myself, this year was already the second time I was not around with them for Chinese New Year. We used to celebrate at Pangkor Island where all my relatives would be going back and gathering around after a year working outside. This was the time we would catch up with each other. Anyway, for me, that was a great while ago. Glad to know that they still practice doing so. I was really anxious to celebrate this season with them!

Thanks Junior (Yao Siang), my cousin for arranging the viewing webcam via MSN. He kept reporting on progress happened at Pangkor Island. According to him, their stay humdrumed on for days. I agreed. Because there’s really nothing much to do. Catching up with each other is the only consolation I think, as Junior and his family are actually quite close to us. Most of them, I believe will just lounge away the day playing cards.

It was really a dreary day to me. Well, my life in Singapore has oceans of packing and unpacking. No end. Apparently, I have just shifted to another place. To love, or not to love the place, that’s still a question…