Low Adaptability

I'm still missing my previous lifestyle tons. Perhaps I should attribute it to the fact that I have too much free time on hands, that I cant help but keep thinking about the goodness of life back then.

There were days when the alarm clock rang and I wished the moment I opened my eyes to see myself in our WH aptment; I wished the last 3 weeks were all a dream; I wished I do not have to succumb to the ovenous weather...

There were nights when I was browsing through the pictures we took in STL, and my heart pounded with heavy beats. I wished so much that I could be transported back to the hay days, to either shop the days away or spend leisure noons with TWC...

I am very certain that I've never seen such a horrendous crowd at every nook and cranny in our tiny island before. A few attempts on the train ride during weekday mid noons proved to be annoying. Not only there were not a single seat in sight despite the fact that I board at YCK stn ard 2-3pm, I see shoving and pushing at almost every stations. Driving out during the same time of the day is more agonizing. It took me 30mins to travel fm CTE AMK ave 5 to the PIE exit. I wonder why are there so many people on the move during mid noon.

It has become inevitable to make comparisons of even the tiniest aspect of life back in STL and here.

I am still hoping that one day, I do get shaken up from this dream. One day...

Goodbye

I know, there should be a proper closure to our lives in STL, to my blog. I've been so lazy to update anything, really. It could also be perhaps that I just didn't want an end to my blog. Yet, I want it to end "gracefully".

Have been back for a week. It still seems so surreal. Especially when I'm in the train, or whenever I'm squeezing my way through the throngs of crowd. These are the moments when my life come to a standstill and my mind goes back to STL. I'm trying to get used to the public transport once more, to the heat & crowd nevertheless. "Joo Koon"? I was a little lost on my 1st train ride. The crowd was something I need to really get accustomed to in no time; suddenly I felt like my own personal space has shrink considerably and everyone is standing so near me! I was indeed very conscious of the hands nearby; blame it on the media reports of the happenings during NY. Heat is another problem, not surprisingly. Couldn't live without the fan/ aircon. Meals in the KPT is still very unbearable, and I have been saying no to hot soup and porridge to my mum at home.

During the times when we walk through the aisles in NTUC,I couldn't help but keeping missing the leisure times I enjoyed shopping in Dierbergs. Come to think of it, the only time I truly enjoyed grocery shopping was when we were in STL. Wide aisles, quiet mart, slow life, best combi isn't it?

Despite the "tough" times here, I am still trying my best to integrate back into the society. Left with no other options, this is sadly the only way out...


*P.S. I haven't decide to go back to my old blog, to set up a new one, or to stop blogging indefinitely. We'll see how my life goes.

Last Post From USA

Greetings from Aleyska, Alaska. We've been in Alaska for the past week and will be heading to LA to catch our flight to Japan tonight,transiting at Seattle. It's been a fun week with awesome sights from all angles. Thick white sparkly snow makes all our pictures turn out perfect. We had tons of fun with the winter activites; dog sledding, building snowmans, soaking in the open-air hot springs at -30 degree celsius, etc. Yes u read right, freaking minus 30 degree celsius! The harsh bitter cold was pretty much unbearable, and that is my only complain. Tears & mucus froze instantly and we could feel our nostril hair freezing upon the 3rd breaths we took once we hit outdoors. It was totally insane and we weren't able to remain out in the open for long. Layerings and heat packs were insufficient to keep us warm, as our toes & fingers were constantly numb from the cold.

I'm utterly glad that we'll be bidding goodbye to the intense winter and saying hello to the sashimis and ramens waiting for us in Japan. Goodbye to pizzas and burgers too. I'm not despairing from my departure from STL yet, and I contribute that to the fact that I am still enjoying my 16-day long holidays. There were nights when I laid on my hotel bed and think of those days when I head out with TWC though. The good times we had in STL, the tranquil surroundings in WH and all the nice people I've met. Perhaps the real forlorness hasnt hit me hard yet. I'll emo-check myself again come mid jan. Tsk tsk...

As the guys are skiing down the scary snow-capped mountains now, this is where I'm blogging this particular entry; by the fireplace in the resort's lobby. Nice warm place to chill with an iced-cold sierra mist I must say. Anyway Anchorage is far less colder than Fairbanks, which is up nearer to the Artic Circle and where we experienced the bizzare -30 deg c. Thus, the temperature at where I am now is much more bearable than what I'd gone through the past few days.

Snow skiing has never been my cup my tea, after a bad experience trying to get back to base during my virgin trial in Korea 10 years back. Contradictorily, hubby is a snow-skiing fan, having gone to the extend of buying his own Oakley ski mask and ski pants, and seizing all opportunities to glide down the white mountains. I hope he doesn't come back with bruises and complains of aches. Heh...

After this winter adventure in Alaska, we'll be greeted by kawaii chicks in Tokyo & more snow in Hokkaido, before we head back home for good. I'm looking forward to the fresh sashimis and dinner with my dearest in Thai Village & Chong Qing Hotpot thereafter! Slurpz...

Last Night in Whispering Hills

With 50+ boxes of belongings moved and 7 boxes of trash cleared, the apartment is almost bare. It looks just like the day when we first shifted in 18 months ago. Memories of our arrival are still vivid, and now it's time to move on to the next phase of our lives.

As I typed away, noises made by my keyboard bounced off the white walls of my study and the room is filled with echo. That's how empty my room is now; juz the desk, chair, study lamp, my red baby and me.

Our only belongings left are whatever's in the 2 luggages and backpacks in the masters, and we're ready to hit the road come Thursday.

As I walked around every inch of the(empty) apartment one last time, my heart sanked deeper with each step I took. Those beautiful memories, the fresh crisp air coming in from the balcony, the carpeted floor, the oven, and the parcels from our online sprees... I'm saying my final goodbye to them all.

Tonight's our last night in WH, and I'm going to miss this place loads and loads and loads. It's not any fancy nice big house, but this small apartment in the middle of a quiet and peaceful landscape is made perfect by the friendly & nice people in the neighbourhood. Ron (Ronald) our maintenance guy is one exceptionally kind soul from WH, who made our living experience here far more better than I'd imagined. Just a call away, he's always here to fix a blown bulb, a choked sink/ toilet bowl, faulty this and that, etc. Never had I heard a grunt from him for being asked to fix the slightest fault in our apartment. We received a thoughtful handmade gift from him instead as a farewell cum xmas gift! Sigh, his warm smile is such a lovely sight, and it saddens me to know that he'll never be there to fix stuff for me again.

Knowing myself, I'm sure I won't be able to sleep well tonight, despite the fact that I barely had 4 hrs of sleep last night. Sigh... I wish time could come to a standstill. I wish life could be this good back in SIN. I wish, I wish, I wish......

Goodbye my beloved Hills, goodbye our little temporary apartment. Goodbye squirrels, goodbye geese. Goodbye good life, hello my new chapter.

*P.S. We'll spend a night in Hilton Garden Inn tmr, before we leave STL for good. Sob sob sob...


The movers came early today at 8am, moving all 54 boxes/items out to ship them back to SIN.
Most of the boxes in the hall were cleared.
Some of the boxes in my study, amidst the movers' hardwork.
After all our boxes have been moved. Hubby on his Macbook in the almost-bare living, except for some small belongings on the table and his jacket on the couch, as well as a small box to pack the router.
It's been 17 months since I last saw an empty study... No more bookshelf, no more boxes.
The empty dining room, and a glimpse of the fridge which is stripped bare of our magnets.
No more photo frames lined the walkway to the rooms. :(

Last Week in STL

It has been a mad week of shopping, packing & researching on the job market. I've been out every day, doing my last min buys. We headed to Plaza Frontenac on Monday, Tuesday was my last visit to Beauty First to get more OPIs, Wednesday was supposed to be our last visit to Mills and evening was spent in Bed, Bath & Beyond, we headed to West County mall for more shopping on Thursday as well as to Walmart to get more kitchenware, and today we were back in Mills again. We'll spend our Sunday in Chesterfield Mall, and I'm done with visiting all our regular malls one last time before we leave.

Having swiped my plastic more often than I thought I would, I'm going be slapped with more bills to pay next month again. It's not going to concern me much anymore, since it's going to be my last spree for eons to come! Heh... No doubt, I'm done with my shopping some weeks back, but how to resist when good deals are plastered all over the malls? I'm so glad I've got more clothes, shoes & beauty pdts again!

Packing has been quite a breeze with Hubby's help recently. Guys do indeed work more efficiently by flexing some muscles. I'm free to head out on Sat & Sun for the real last min shopping finally, just before our boxes leave us next Tues. Yipee!

I've gained some insights on the financial job market, after doing some research, and am appalled by the extremely wide range of salary offered to pple in my position. I'm not too greedy; I'll be glad to just land a role that pays me an average salary soon after we get back. :p Pray for me, ok?