Did I neglect to mention that I came home to find a new hamster cohabitating with Trixie? Millie's other half died in an accident involving a water gun and so has come to join the ranks of the lucky and lovable in my house. She looks exactly like Trixie, except that she's not as fat and has bulging eyes just like the Pardoner. Ming-ming has not warmed to her at all. So today I take Millie out for the first time so I can see how tame she is, and guess what... I discover that she's not really a she... his bright pink balls were staring me in the face... and so Millie has become Emilio...
Say hi to Emilio.

posted by beautiful at 4:29 am

SINGAPORE 1110
I got back two hours ago, feeling relieved to be back home safe. I fell ill on the fifth day of the trip and my main concern was how am I going to get through the health and immigration checkpoint? I'll be honest. I lied. All I wanted was to get off the plane, get my four pieces of luggage and zip back home for a bath. My brother poked his head in to ask me how it was. It was okay. Until I sat down to look at the Tube map I had kept and I wanted to cry. Some of my friends say that tours are for tai-tais and tough chicks go free and easy. This time I went free and easy. It was stressful - we got lost, we got irritated with each other, we got tired, we got airsick and bus sick, all we had was our stupid unreliable piece of crap London map, a Travelcard that expired without us knowing and each other. It was difficult. After we landed on Sunday afternoon, I was counting down to our departure. Getting to our hotel from the airport via Heathrow Express and then on foot was exhausting because we made many wrong turns, the Londoners didn't know the areas beyond their neighbourhood and people on the underground were pushy and impatient with 2 jetlagged and disoriented Chinese girls with big suitcases. I guess I only appreciate the entire experience now, how much I've learned from being away from the protective and convenient environment of Singapore. Even if it's been a little over a week. We were forced to be independent, because we only had each other. It wasn't all fun and relaxation. Quite the opposite actually. We were constantly on edge, looking out for pickpockets and drunk men, making sure we got on the right train, keeping out of other peoples' way... But hell, let me rest for a while, give me more money and I'd want to do it all over again. So ask me how it was. It was enriching.

IN RETROSPECT
How did I survive 8 days in a Caucasian infested country? This British woman was catty towards Debs (in front of other passengers) over some bathroom incident on our plane journey there. 'It's so typical of you Singaporeans to just push your way around. I should know, I live in Singapore.' Debs was fuming because she caimed she had the right of way. She also encountered a man on the underground who walked away from the counter when he saw her. At the Tower of London, this man stepped in front of me to block my path when I unwittingly strayed into a 'guided tour only' area. I was taken aback and offended because I felt he could have told me politely. I didn't appreciate him cutting into my path like that and I wanted to hit him. Oh well. Debs was used to it by then. She told me not to let that kind of thing bug me and spoil my day.

There was also this incident where we sat next to an American couple in Woodstock. They had no idea where Singapore was, and they kept asking us if we used the British pound and if we practised Eastern medicine. Then they started telling us about their accupuncture sessions and their muddy herbal drinks, expecting us to nod knowingly. We were baffled. Like it or not, we're surrounded by ignorant people. In and out of Singapore. The trouble is that we're all used to making generalisations. I'm guilty of it. We're all racist and closed minded freaks and that's the end of the subject.

posted by beautiful at 8:35 pm