Day 5 was a hard-hitting day. But the placement begins in earnest tomorrow morning, when I start doing what I actually came here to do.
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There are few cities I have been to--
I could very well leave it there, for I suspect that would suffice, but that is not the whole story...
There are few cities I have been to - with the exception of Pakistani ones, where you would have to be half-mad or in league with the Taliban (completely mad) to do this sort of thing - where going for a refreshing evening stroll is a terrible, terrible idea. In most cities we are used to, you want to leave your stuffy house to venture outside and get some fresh night air. In Singapore, it is quite the opposite! Stepping outside your air-conditioned confines will sap all your energy in a moment and have you almost gasping for the front door handle so you can get back in again and turn the fan on, even in the darkest hours of night. When you do get in, you are less refreshed and stuffier than ever! And I suppose that goes some way to explaining why people always seem to be in such a crazed hurry. Few go outside for pleasure; there is always a purpose. In my case, it is usually to seek out food. Indeed, since moving into my new house this afternoon, that is the only I reason I have been out.
Geylang, as several people have taken the liberty of pointing out to me, is the city's red light district - not that you can tell, mind, because most of the lights are perpetually green and it's enough of a day's work just finding a place to cross the road! Anyway, that is the location of my apartment, on the highest storey of Fuyuen Court on Lor 35. All the residential roads coming off Geylang Road are numbered very simply as "Lor" followed by even numbers on one side and odd ones on the other. The last one, nearest Paya Lebor MRT station, is Lor 41. It sure does break the back of navigation. The Europeans could learn a lot from this system!
Generally, it was a very hard day today. I was overwhelmed by feelings of homesickness, especially thinking of the cosy old house I left on Wessex Lane as I move into one that isn't all that nice. It's modern and well air-conditioned, but plain and not very homely, and the kitchen has a big hole in the wall behind the sink, which is a completely intentional part of the design but does nothing to keep the heat and humidity out. That was hard enough without the prospect of being turned away by the landlord when I couldn't muster enough cash to cover the deposit and the first month's rent. Ultimately, I ransomed my passport while awaiting the international bank transfer.
I have been trying to overcome these anxieties with the knowledge that most of the good things I have left behind in Southampton will soon come to an end anyway or have done so already, by which I can convince myself that, in the long term, I am better off out here.
My hope is that once I have got to know my new colleagues at Fusionopolis, those pangs of unease will dissipate as old (but treasured) friends are "augmented" with new ones. That process starts tomorrow morning. For the time being, though, that seems far off, and my main thoughts today have been for those I can't see any more.
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By
The Imperial Orange
4th October 2015
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