What would have been..

If everything had gone according to my very original plans a year ago..i would have flown back from UK yesterday..in time for CNY..but plans are plans & plans do change..& so, rather of coming back from UK..i came back from Msia yesterday instead..another successful trip with lotsa fun with my ssc folks..anyway, the pt is..i'm back in Sg from UK for almost 2 mths liao..

Seems like it's about time i wrap up this whole UK thing & shelf it under 'memories-till-i-die'..shall attempt to summarise my life in UK for the past half year or so..

Indeed there were ups & downs over the past half a year..in fact, i would go as far as to say..it was quite a rollercoaster ride of emotions(occupational hazard of working in a theme park), having rather extreme highs & lows..it might not be the case for everyone, but for me..every feeling & emotion seemed to get magnified many times over when i was facing it alone..

C'mon..i would never get so pek chek if i had missed a bus connection in Sg..but in UK, it was enuf for me to kick a lamppost(i really did, seriously)..or be in a really good mood for the whole day just cos i picked up 50pence from the ground..

But one thing i really learnt is tat..there is really such a thing as 'simple happiness'..I dun claim to be a highly stressed executive who worked 20hrs days when i was still working in Sg..as cliched as it sounds..but it's really when u slow down the pace of life..tat's when u start to appreciate the simple things in life..seeing a beautiful sunrise on the way to work..jogging in the park when the weather is perfect..coming home after a long day at work to a bowl of piping hot ktt during winter..eating fresh blueberries when they're in season..

I also have my days of 'chi ku'(literally 'eat bitter'..wat's the english term for it? hardship?)..like when i was travelling alone..& i was trying to save money..there were occasions where i would buy a lettuce which has started to yellow & is gonna expire the next day(& therefore had its price reduced)..i would simply peel off the outer layers & eat the inner layers which would be still relatively fresh..it was a good way to save money since i wouldn't be able to finish it all by myself anyway & it would not be practical to stuff the half-eaten lettuce into an already-bursting backpack..

And more often than not, my choice of meals are dependant on the day's special offer in the supermarket..i even started to eat parsley as a veg cos it's cheap over there(i drew the line at mushrooms though..no matter how cheap & fresh they were)

While this is not the first time i'm travelling alone, it's the longest 'holiday' i had on my own..& i've discovered some inconveniences of travelling alone..my top peeve being visiting the loo..imagine carrying a big backpack & a not-tat-small daypack..and nature calls..this being UK, one should never leave items unattended..the risk of them being stolen is not as great as them being mistaken for bomb parcels..& since i dun fancy lugging them into the toilet cubicle with me, i often have to resort to asking cafe staff to look after my bags for me..

The above scenario sort of repeats inself when u walk into a busy fastfood joint and u have to decide between juggling the food tray in one hand & your daypack in the other or risk having your belongings being blown up to bits..

Not forgetting the 'who's-gonna-take-photo-for-me' instances..it's not so bad when u're in crowded areas when u just have to be thick-skinned & ask passerbys..but when u're in some ulu places(& i've been to quite a few) u have no choice but to be 'creative'..i've propped up my camera using trash bins..tree branches..rocks..fences..& wat-have-u..

On the brighter side, i kinda enjoyed the anonymity tat comes along when u're alone in a foreign country..i never had to worry about bumping into people i know..call me anti-social if u like..but sometimes u just wanna be able to do wat u want..wear wat u want..do stupid things tat u'll never do back in ur own country..all without worrying about being spotted by others..

I guess some of these experiences are really once-in-a-lifetime..being a strawberry picker(never again!)..watching military tattoo(dun mind but very expensive)..the 2 good frens i made in the park..seeing the sunrise on the way to work on my birthday while on the line with good frens..all priceless memories..

When u have the time..one really think a lot more..thinking about life..thinking about people-whom-i-thought-meant-a lot-to-me-but-really-wasn't..thinking about people-whom-i-never-realise-meant-so-much-to-me..& of cos..thinking wat to eat for dinner :Þ

And as 'rou ma' as it seems..absence does really make the heart fonder..& of cos, thanks to technology, i dun usually have to go long before receiving a 'how are u doing' email or a 'good morning' sms greeting..but like wat i've been saying..sometimes the best things are those are back-to-basics..the perfect example? The good ole autograph book ..

So do i think if all this half a year had been worth it..u bet..



Some of my previously unpublished photos at http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=tthjh81.67go9old&x=0&y=jicdta