Pleasant surprise

Our boxes arrived this past weekend.

And they left a little patch of rainbow on the carpet

It took resistance to bury my face in the clothes and kitchen supplies just to catch a whiff of what's now the past. Feels like Christmas in September!

8 years - collected

3 days into my 1st job in Asia

...my observations confirm that:

1. I am no longer the only one who runs on the floor
2. Foreign conference calls are twice as long and twice as hard to comprehend
3. Bagel Mondays cease to exist
   
4. ...or free (skim/2%) milk for that matter
5. People are generally friendly even though they may look reserved at times
   
6. Polycom triangles are hard to come by
7. Lunch selections do not limit to salads, juice or frozen meals. There's always food in the area
   
8. I genuinely miss my Herman Miller chair
9. ...and spreading my arms out on my work area. Where's the space??!
10. I don't think my request for ergonomical equipment will fly
    
11. No other agency will have a stationery heaven like the one at Publicis on The Embarcadero
    
12. It's not a nonfat half-caf vanilla latte at Starbucks. It's, "Could you make a nonfat vanilla latte (yes nonfat) and make the coffee HALF DECAF and HALF REGULAR please?"
    
13. What's with the old dude constantly lecturing us young folks?
14. Some people wear shorts to work
15. ...and halter tops, tank tops, tube tops and the occasional mini skirt
    
16. My desk is SUPER teeny. Oh did I say that already?
17. Commuting on the train ain't as romantic as it seems in the NYC movies. Who the hell wears heels on public transportation anyways? Don't be fooled. Think BO
    
18. My PC is slow as mollasses

How are you doing?

I've been asked this question many times since the big move. Each time, I answer with a riddle: It's home but it isn't. It's weird, but not in a bad way. Everything feels familiar yet unfamiliar. Things are the same, but not really. And finally the age old, I'm not sure.

In KL, I feel comfortable with family and old friends but our house, the one my dad spent a year building, doesn't quite feel like home yet. I realize it's because I've stayed there a lot less than I have our San Francisco apartments or the BU brown stones. I haven't figured out the complicated steam shower knobs and there's no mirror in my room. My wardrobe remains empty, the bulk of my clothes arriving in a week without certainty as to whether or not they'll be homed in Singapore or KL. Don't even ask me how to work the remote.

I love this house. I just haven't learned how to make it my own yet.

And here in Singapore, the bf's place is as comfortable as a house could ever be with its cozy spaces and dust-free shelves. The bathrooms are filled with rays of sunshine in the morning, and I can tell you that there's nothing better than standing under a shower head that literally rains on your face while overlooking a "jungle." Sure there isn't enough closet space, but that could easily be solved with a trip to IKEA. I haven't washed a single dish or cooked a single meal since I arrived. My manicure is impeccable. My mind, confused.

Looking back in my life, I don't recall having any problems adapting. I mean I've moved from LA to Boston and Boston to London then Boston to San Francisco with merely 2 suitcases in hand. I've lived in so many different dorms over the summer I can't even remember the addresses. During a Social Styles team building event, I was deemed the account person with highest adaptability skills. Not a surprise, considering my history.

What makes this move more confusing is that Asia has always been home. And because most of my independent life developed while in the States, the territory I'm most familiar with, this all seems too new. Lose me downtown in New York, LA or San Francisco and I'll figure my way home. Lose me downtown in Singapore, I may still be fine. Lose me in KL, and I'm not sure. Maybe in a few months I will be.

No excuse

...for being MIA

BUT I've been spending loads of time with family and friends this past week and had no time for blogging. Plus the bf was in KL for my birthday BBQ. Pics here>

What you see above is the new addition to our family, Mr. Bunny by honbun. Since he did get me an Hermes necklace for our anniversary and is tentatively getting me a Nokia for making the big move (no kidding!) I'm letting him off easy for my birthday. After all, I have been known as "the cheap date."

Ice kacang anyone?

Not settling down just yet

Since our arrival in Singapore, there has been a lot more traveling than I'd expected. No longer do we have the luxury of just walking down town or making a short run to the pier. Every destination away from home requires an MRT stop or two, so a car comes pretty handy. Bus rides to KL are 5 hours long bearing customs/immigration in mind or 4 if you drive. The heat is not unlike Boston/NY summers but definitely takes time to adjust. Right now as I type, my glasses are slipping down the sweaty bridge of my nose. How very attractive.

Despite it all, it really is exciting to be here.

How Singapore greeted me: with down pours in September

How my country greeted me: (WTF!) at the Negeri Sembilan rest stop. Before I scare you hopeful visitors away, this rarely happens in KL, my hometown. Ahem*


All my fears were easily mitigated by a nice meal of Nasi Kerabu and Ayam Percik (gotta love Kelantan food)

...and endless puppy kisses by Lola

Ah. Home sweet home!

We're here

...safe and sound.

After spending a night in the corner of our empty apartment, tossing out the last piles of garbage, having an uncomfortable discussion with the landlord, stuffing ourselves silly with In-N-Out burgers, and moving on to a hotel for the night before our flight, we're finally here.

Locking our apartment door behind us for the last time, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. But a guitar-strumming bf helped ease the pain, and the plane ride albeit 13+4 hours long didn't feel too bad in the end.

Eeyore's welcome