Coming Home

One of my favourite songs is by that title "Home" by Michael Buble. Not so much the lyrics but the melody and the poignancy of his coming home to whatever it was he left behind.

My flight home was a rather miserable one as expected. I wasn't glad to be coming home and thus the shorter flight home seemed to be long, arduous and extremely exhausting. Add to that, I was fighting a flu which got progressively worse with each mile inching home.

During my flight from Prague to Paris, I had the sinking sensation that I would miss my connecting flight from Paris to Singapore. This was because I only had a half hour window to run from one terminal in search of the next one. My fears were unfounded. The minute I stepped off the plane door at Charles de Gaulle, Paris, I saw a friendly chap with the sign of my next flight standing there with a genuine smile on him (something really rare for the french). I was then taken through the back door onto a car and driven with much speed to the next terminal. He then brought me through the escalator and almost to the gateway of the next connecting flight. Phew! At least no one had to die whilst I searched for my connecting flight.

I had a huge and heavy carry on bag containing my precious gifts of junk (to some) and fragile pieces. I found myself also taking extreme care of the snuff bottle I got for mom, as well as the ash tray from Prague for dad. Amongst all the gifts I have for friends, these were perhaps the only two that I took extra care of. I was anxious most of all, that mom liked the exquisite bottle I got her. Initially, I wanted to get her a garnet or moldavite ring (that is a local czech precious stone) but as the metal portion of the ring was usually made of plated gold or pure silver, it seemed too cheap a present.

I also realised on the return flight from Paris to Singapore that after all the chivalry I have experienced in Europe, Singaporean men suck big time. I was in the plane, standing in the aisle waiting for a male steward to walk by so I could ask him to haul my heavy bag into the carrier compartment, when I realised that I have been standing beside a comfortably seated male Singaporean and he didn't even bother to offer his help. In the end, the french woman made her husband get out of the centre seat and help me haul my bag overhead into the carrier. *sigh* Will Singaporean men really learn even after having been abroad? Chivalry doesn't only extend to a wailing waif of a female in need of masculine aid. It generally extends to all females regardless of shape, size or strength. Wake up Singaporean men! Seriously dudes, WAKE THE FUCK UP and smell the napalm!

I touched down in Singapore and immediately developed a serious 'back home' complex. My depression was back in semi full force. It was not the start of a good time from here on. I started sweating within the confines of the airconditioned airport even in a t-shirt and jeans. Sigh.

I went out for a smoke and the humidity and heat that blasted through me made me gasp. I miss winter already. When I got in the cab, my back was drenched in sweat. The flu hit me full blast then and the fever I had killed days ago, started raging through me all over again.

When I got home, my wonderful ball of fluff jumped at me and then started jumping around in circles. Crissy wasn't sure if she should run around in circles or jump at me... she ended up sorta doing both.

I started to unpack and separate the clothes that need to be laundered, dry cleaned and put away. It was then that I realised I didn't exactly spend a lot of money as expected. Hmmm... how strange. It might also have been because I didn't have a lot of space in my backpack to buy stuff and lug it around city to city. hehe.

I am now in my second day of rest at home from the flu and the flu meds are knocking me out with each ingestion. I had trouble sleeping again last nite and finally at 5am, I had to knock myself out with half a sleeping pill. I woke at 8ish and every hour after that but finally got outtav bed at noon.

Sigh... home. I can frankly say I am not glad to be back although I do miss my dog and my folks. Sorry guys, this isn't meant to sound the way it does but I really hate it back here.