6 hours to 2012

I have been living a blur in the last 4 months, trying hard to reorientate to life back home.

So what made it so difficult settling back home this time? I guess, it wasn't really about me and myself, and it was also about me and myself.

Just had a gathering at Yokey's place and Ww, who just resettle back home after a 3 yr overseas posting, made a statement which reflected my own. 1 yr isn't a long time to be away from home but home seems to have changed quite a bit since I left. Maybe the change had already seeped in long ago but it took a long stint away to feel that impact, that "cultural shock" to feel the full impact. So what has changed?

Home seems more expensive now, dining options seem to be comparable to European standards. Coupled with a strong SGD and a weakened UK pound, my stay in UK had seem easier on my purse than expected. My country just seemed to be more expensive to live in now. Much more.

Home seems to be more crowded now. Had the luxury of working near home during the first few years of my working life and the luxury of dad's drive to office in the last 2 years before I left for Edinburgh. Coming back to a super packed MRT system made me realised how heavy this island is with 5.5 million of us sardine-packed on it. There are now more shopping malls but everywhere seems too crowded for comfort. Quiet cafes are exceptions to the norm and weekends are better spent homebound if one wants to avoid the crowd.

Home is packed with more vocal people now, who know their rights and want their voices heard. The May election had reshaped the landscape for citizen engagement and coupled with the recent "slip-ups", there have been more than enough chances to experience the power social media has bestowed to the ordinary man on the street. (to be continued...)