On moving back

There has been a lull at work recently, a lull which has given me time to sneak out and have tea with my mother, read blogs at work and catch up with friends.

Those who follow my blog know, that I only just moved back to Singapore in June last year after being away for nearly 5 years. The last six to eight months have been spent trying to adjust back and trying to rebuild a life here.

During that time, I've used this blog as a space to just vent my feelings of frustration and confusion at having to adjust to starting work(for the first time!) and living in a new city. I whinged (alot) and made constant reference to the crowds that throng the train stations, conveniently forgetting to mention the fact that the terribly efficient transport system is what allows me to get up 15 minutes later in the morning and run from work to town to meet friends easily. I don't think I did Singapore justice during those months.

There are things about Singapore that I love, really and truly love. Here's the list.

Family and Friends

What can I say? I grew up here, received the bulk of my (somewhat sketchy) education here and I have a network of friends and family here that I was never able to truly replicate in Oz.

In my first month back, I met with my aunts, had teas with my mother and sister and caught up with long lost friends. I was able to be around when my mother sprained her ankle and she in turn was able to help me out when I sprained mine in the following month.(Yes, klutziness is genetic after all!).

Plus, I'll be able to be here when an old friend gives birth to her first child and I seriously can't wait.

Church

I loved my Oz Church to bits. It was the place I went to and cried every Sunday for several months after my breakup with Ex. There, I licked my wounds and allowed myself to heal. Oz Church helped bring me back to life again. It was and still is a safe, warm and welcoming place of worship. But it was also young, pentecostal and had a really large congregation that focused more on social initiatives and not thorough grounding in the Bible.

When I came back, I knew the kind of church I was looking for. I wanted quiet, a smaller congregation and a place where I could ground myself in the Bible. My SG church is all of that and more. It was worth coming back to Singapore just for the bible study classes. I now have a fuller and deeper understanding of the Christian faith than ever before and that is a gift beyond words.

Public Transport

Forgive me while I gush.

The public transport in Singapore is unbelievably good. The trains run on time, the buses show up every 10 -15 minutes like clockwork. I don't live near the city but I'm in the city within 25 minutes of getting onto the train. While I don't always get a seat, I am always assured that on weekday mornings, a train will show up within 3 minutes of my reaching the platform. Taxis, while expensive are also relatively easy to flag. It enables my busy lifestyle and allows me to save money by not having to buy a car,two things for which I am immensely grateful.

There are other great things about Singapore. The tropical weather(love wearing tank tops and skirts every weekend!), crime free streets, good and cheap hawker food, the list does go on.

But, all that having been said though, I still stand my ground that the day will come when I will probably move away from Singapore again. There are things that I want that Singapore just does not have.

Tree lined streets, open spaces, a less demanding education system, work life balance, countryside for camping, hiking and the like, gently spaced out suburbs, affordable landed housing....in short, I'd like to move somewhere with more space, mental and physical.

But until then,I'll wear short shorts and tank tops every weekend, plan short getaways to Southeast Asian beaches, take the MRT everyday and eat my fill of yong tau foo.

Life's short, so it's probably better for me to quit whining and get with the program of enjoying Singapore while I can.

Cheers!