Touching down in Singapore

25th May 2011, 3pm GMT: I am finally back home to Singapore after 4 months. However, I felt numb when I was stepping off the plane and I wondered to myself: "How will I feel when I see my family?" I took a train to the arrival hall within the terminal and began to see and hear familiar things that I have not manage to see in the past 4 months. Malays talking in Bahasa Malay and shaking their hands which leads next to touching their heart to show that they take the other person's friendship to heart. I also hear a "Aunite" speaking Chinese, Cantonese, Singlish and Hokkien as she walked past me.

I picked up my luggage and walked out of the arrival hall but I was still feeling numb... I searched for my mother but I could not find them. I continued to walk around and saw the famous local coffee chain "Killiney" and bought one of my favorite drinks "Teh Peng" ( Milk Tea with Ice). Loved it, but I still didn't feel much...

I decided to do something that is very essential... Test the weather... I walked out of the airport doors but ensured that I took out my sweater before that. It was warm, but not as bad as I thought it will be. However, what surprised me was that I felt a little difficult to breathe. I believe that it is due to the humidity of the weather and this persisted throughout the day till my lungs got accustom to the air.

My mum and aunt were still not there as they were late to pick me up, hence I continued to stand there waiting for them and  continued trying to figure out my feelings and wonder if I will feel better when I see them.

Finally, I saw my aunt and my mum walking past me but they did not spot me and I called out to them. (Fortunately it is not because I am fat but that I was just a blind spot) My mum hugged me and the thing I was searching for came to fruit: I felt warm and home. The thing is that I having been feeling a little empty and felt something is missing in the past week or so since I parted from my roommate Michael Reaney as he is like a brother to me in the U.S. After I left him for the west coast, I felt not complete as the only family figure around me is gone. Hence, I am looking forward for my family to get rid of this disgusting emptiness, which they did.

Once I got home and saw all my family together: Grandmother, cousins, aunts, uncle, nieces and nephew I felt complete. Everything was helping me to pick up the different pieces, piecing up to wholeness.

Even having the meal that Emily, my domestic helper, made for me for dinner made me feel good. The sight and the sweet-savory taste of the soup gave me back what I miss so much... Singapore food!