February 17th
After two months of living in a two person dorm room alone, news has finally come that a roommate will be assigned to me. Details on this roommate are really sketchy, and I'm certain some of it is wrong. At least I know THIS is wrong - One, my R.A. (resident assistant for those of you who have never watched Felicity) told me that my new roommate comes from England. Two, my roommate is here on a language course to learn English as a second language. I'm no expert on linguistics, but the word "English" had to come from someplace. I can't even think of another national language used in England. Maybe they switched national languages while I was having my fever.
I'm looking forward to the new roommate, contrary to what most of my other dorm residents think. Having been through the army back home in Singapore, invasion of privacy, lack of personal space, living with other's disgusting habits have become a act as natural as breathing. I look forward to showing someone around, taking care of the person, and watching out for him.
I miss home. It's funny, the scenes that come to my mind are that of Boat Quay and sitting there with my friends by the Singapore River. For those of you who know me, I've only been there twice, and I don't go pubbing. I guess I miss the hustle and bustle of the city beat. I miss Parkway Parade, the place where I spend most of my leisure time. I miss the convenience of having a huge mall just at your backyard.
I miss the possibility of meeting up with friends. I could just say on IRC "hey let's go to Geylang and eat Tao Huay Chui" and there was the possibility of it happening. It has never happened, because I have never asked, and that is because I've never thought of that possibility being taken away from me.
I'm not anti-Singapore, like a lot of vocal people I know. Coming here, it has only proven to me what I always believed. That the Utopia you seek you can never find in a particular place, but in everyplace. It is found in the falling of leaves, in the warm morning sunshine, or in the chaste evening snow. It is found where you want to find it, and finding it, you impress upon your heart a memory of joy that helps us move on.
For those of you not from Singapore reading this "Geylang" is a place in Singapore, and "Tao Huay Chui" is Soya bean milk. Maybe we'll try it together someday.
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