Who would believe you were a beauty indeed
When the days get shorter and the nights get long
Lie awake when the rain comes
Nobody will know
when you're old
when you're old
nobody will know
No crypticism or hidden messages, I just really like the way these lyrics sound together in that song.
-Zan
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Friday, February 04, 2011
Little Things: SG and Canada's differences.
Specifically, Cedar (Nanaimo) and Victoria, BC.
More specifically, In the winter season.
It's frickin cold outside (I've been there in Summer, too.)
The "green man" traffic light is white.
To be smiled at by strangers, and to smile back, is commonplace and almost expected.
"How's it going"and "Have a good one" are more common.
The sun is down by about 4.30pm.
At 10pm, the city is almost barren. Even in the pubs.
I can't believe that the DASANI BOTTLED WATER is comparable in price to the soft drinks here!
Food and drinks are expensive. Drinks from vending machines are often about $1.75 or more. In Canadian dollars.
You are more likely to be given the right of way on roads.
Cars stop really far from the zebra crossing to let you cross.
You can U-turn anywhere.
More visible homeless people.
Cars are, on average, more crappy looking.
Radio there is AAWEEESOOMMMMEEE.
Where one would find varieties of condoms near the cash register in a Singaporean mart, varieties of gum would be found in a Canadian one.
Food portions are HUGE in restaurants. In many cases, this justifies the high pricing.
When it rains, the rain is seldom a big shower. It is a little over a drizzle in intensity. It is also very annoying.
Seeing a person wearing only a t-shirt outdoors is remarkable.
Nobody wears slippers.
THE AIR. The air smells so fresh!
When you walk through a park, you step not on road, nor on concrete. You tread on the dirt, the mud and fallen leaves.
In Canada, you tip.
That's all I can mentally conjure now. I'll probably update this every time another difference comes to mind.
UPDATE: How could I forget to mention you drive on opposite sides there? In Canada, the driver seat is left, and on the roads you drive on the right lane.
-Zan
More specifically, In the winter season.
It's frickin cold outside (I've been there in Summer, too.)
The "green man" traffic light is white.
To be smiled at by strangers, and to smile back, is commonplace and almost expected.
"How's it going"and "Have a good one" are more common.
The sun is down by about 4.30pm.
At 10pm, the city is almost barren. Even in the pubs.
I can't believe that the DASANI BOTTLED WATER is comparable in price to the soft drinks here!
Food and drinks are expensive. Drinks from vending machines are often about $1.75 or more. In Canadian dollars.
You are more likely to be given the right of way on roads.
Cars stop really far from the zebra crossing to let you cross.
You can U-turn anywhere.
More visible homeless people.
Cars are, on average, more crappy looking.
Radio there is AAWEEESOOMMMMEEE.
Where one would find varieties of condoms near the cash register in a Singaporean mart, varieties of gum would be found in a Canadian one.
Food portions are HUGE in restaurants. In many cases, this justifies the high pricing.
When it rains, the rain is seldom a big shower. It is a little over a drizzle in intensity. It is also very annoying.
Seeing a person wearing only a t-shirt outdoors is remarkable.
Nobody wears slippers.
THE AIR. The air smells so fresh!
When you walk through a park, you step not on road, nor on concrete. You tread on the dirt, the mud and fallen leaves.
In Canada, you tip.
That's all I can mentally conjure now. I'll probably update this every time another difference comes to mind.
UPDATE: How could I forget to mention you drive on opposite sides there? In Canada, the driver seat is left, and on the roads you drive on the right lane.
-Zan
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Back!
With more hair than necessary.
I think it's interesting that, both times my plane touched down, I entered the country on a particular New Year's day. I reached Canada on the first of January and reached Singapore on the third of February (Chinese New year).
Summaries ahoy! But not just yet.
The transition in climate from winter-Canada to eternal-summer-Singapore has been smooth. My skin certainly agrees with the humidity. Thankfully there's been no heat shock.
I think it's interesting that, both times my plane touched down, I entered the country on a particular New Year's day. I reached Canada on the first of January and reached Singapore on the third of February (Chinese New year).
Things have changed in Marang Road. Leave for a month, and Home is no longer Home. The house got painted, Mount Faber's got parts of it blocked off for renovation (went jogging today) , and worst of all, Claire and Winnie thought it would be nice to rearrange everything in the house I own. This was cause for much anger. I'm not going to unleash it on Claire, she has enough to stress about given the schoolwork. She just needs to know why the rearranging without my supervision, direction or permission frustrates me incredibly. She must understand. That's all I need.
Looking out the balcony reminds me that trees are gone and the ground is dry and naked. It's nice to see that the grass is returning. It's wonderful to see four banana trees beginning to sprout in place of the two large stumps.
I was thinking about change during the jog. I decided that mongering about it was a futile pursuit, given that I would never escape the reality that even the things closest to me (be they people, objects, concepts, etc.) would inevitably be different in the times to come. This house I've lived in all my life could be rubble tomorrow. For about the next two years of my life, I will never see my hair grow longer than an inch or two. Trees I have been familiar with since birth may fall or be removed eventually. Even I may look through these eyes in a completely different way. There will be times where my mind is buzzing with thought and imagination, and times of dull stagnancy. I am powerless against the shifts.
What if I don't like that?
I decided that I had two options.
1) Mentally set something that would be held constant to me no matter what happened, and comfort myself with it every time a significant change occurred.
2) Embrace change.
Yea, having all my stuff rearranged hit me pretty deep.
Maybe I'm petty.
Na, don't think so.
Happy rabbit CNY!
-Zan
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