I'm Back

Zing. I wish I had a typewriter. You know that satisfying 'Ting' sound it makes after completing a new line? That's how I feel at the moment. Like a 'Ting'.

What the hell am I talking about? It's that project I started almost two years ago. That thing called a book that I was interested in writing. The one that I'd done a large slab of, and then had wiled away time with excuses and blocks. I was literally stuck. And now I'm unstuck.

I've studied writing literature, in fact, according to my course convenor, I should be eligible for an exemption and have my Graduate Certificate in Writing soon. They tell you that 'writer's block' is a myth. That the white page can be overcome, that it's just a case of working through it with rigour and exercise.

All of that might be true, but when you're writing about yourself and the colourful life you've lived, certain sensitivities come to fruition that impede progress. It was these sensitivities that prevented me from going any further with my tale, and it's languished as a result. Part of me knew that moving here might give the creative juices a creative kick-start, I just didn't know it would come after having a shit of a day on my least favourite day of the week.

It's not like I was struck by a lightning bolt, I have been investing a lot of thought on how to attack my life's subject matter and translate it into the rest of the book since I came here, but I think the long weekend helped significantly. Typically I'd be socialising almost exhaustively on a holiday weekend, but this weekend was filled with introspection and enjoying my own company.

Then today, a quote from a dear friend of mine popped into my head and gave me the kick in the pants I needed. It encapsulated everything I was about and gave me license to invoke the key-typing fingers of fury again.

What's the quote?

I guess you'll have to read the book to find out. But I promise it will be finished.

Initial Observations about Singapore: Part 1

I've had this germinating in my head for a while. I'm making it a Part 1 as I'm sure there'll be future occurrences that will continue to astound and confound me.

1. It's fucking hot
   The first thing I thought before coming here was that 30-degree days everyday would be some sort of paradise, after all, some of the best days I've had in Australia have been around this temperature. But I didn't factor in the humidity. Looking at a cloudy sky and sweating your dick off is not an ideal situation. Especially when it happens every day without fail.
2. People get bored here
   Not much of an observation, hey? People get bored everywhere. But I get asked of locals - what do you do with your spare time? With the insinuation that there is nothing to do here. I counter with something along the lines of: between travelling around, having people visit you, games of FIFA on my XBox360, playing online poker, drinking at the various bars, eating at the many food destinations, shopping for essentials, writing, and dealing with my addiction to Facebook... what spare time? I'd be doing the same thing in Sydney!
3. Banter is non-existentWhat do I mean by banter? The usual chit-chat you'd exchange around the office or in a cab. Talking shit. I am built for this, my whole day revolves around lackadaisical observations that are perceived as cool stories and yet this doesn't really happen here. My first trip in a cab I launched into a somewhat bland note that the weather was different here to Australia. Normally that would generate all sorts of colourful expressions from a cab driver. Not here.
   "You're not from here are you?"
   "No."
   Silence. The same applies in the office, but I'm threatening to circumvent that with much yelling across the room of late.
4. They love their food
   You don't just sit down and have a drink with these people. As a matter of fact I can't remember a session I've had where this has happened. You sit down, order a drink, and all of a sudden someone remembers it's compulsory to have food with your drink. Of course, silly me. I'm not really pooh-poohing it, it's just something that's taken some adjusting to. Some of the best drinking sessions I've had have been at places like Strattons. And there you need to be very drunk to order the food.

So there you have four quasi-negative points about Singapore and where I'm living now. Am I loving it? Yes. A change is indeed a holiday and while I'm still dumbstruck by some of the concepts I'm wrapping my head around, I wouldn't have it any other way. Work's been challenging, but I have to keep reminding myself that this would be the case with any new job I was starting. Let alone in another country.

Feeling the Beat

So I'm listening to Gabriel & Dresden fresh from a Skype call with my Mum. I always wondered why travellers would tout its virtues, but I'm a fresh convert. Being able to see and hear people makes a world of difference to how you cope abroad, and my only complaint is that I can't think of everything I want to say when time aligns. I was a phone whore back in Australia, and I'm barely getting my fix here!

Last post I was acknowledging my homesickness, and it was probably an accurate reflection of one of the lows I was experiencing. While I love to post, brag, and share as much as I can while I'm here, I am guilty of putting a positive spin on things a bit much, and I think acknowledging the challenge of being far away from friends and family was cathartic in a way.

Fortunately, I've been lucky enough to get a chance to see two of my besties in Chiang Mai. At relatively short notice I jumped on a plane and visited a magical city that my friends have been raving about. The trip was short, sweet, and envy-inducing. As much as I love my job, the networking and what I do, part of me wishes I could just kick back and revel in the work-from-home lifestyle my friends enjoy. It was a pretty magical experience for me in amongst all the drinking and food, and I'll definitely return.

But I have to get some more travel out of the way first! On another whim I booked flights and accommodation to Kuala Lumpur. I have the travel bug and I have it bad. The advice I received once I arrived in Singapore was to get as much travel in as I could, and I've certainly looked to maintain that.

Another friend is in town now! Unfortunately he works seven days a week while he is here, but it's bloody good to have a dinner buddy in tow that lets you debrief. The other night we had beers, frog, dumplings and shredded pork. And he queried why I was grinning so much - pretty happy to have a visitor was my answer. It really doesn't get much better.

Now that I'm a bit more settled here, I'm looking to resume my Masters. It's been on the back-burner for a while now, and I'm keen to resume as I've got the itch. Hopefully that will result in taking the book off the shelf and finishing it off too.

I just hit a wall. It was a big, big weekend with two nights of heavy boozing, and I'll be thankful for some rest. I'll tell you the rest later ;-)

With Or Without You

Saturday morning reflection times with some yum cha in my belly. I've just about clocked up a month here and it's starting to feel like the long haul now, rather than the initial feelings that were holiday-like.

By that I mean I'm starting to get the odd pang of homesickness. I thought I was prepared as I've spent the last three years away from what I'd consider home base in Melbourne, but I had such a tight network of friends in Sydney that part of me is bitter about missing out on the good times.

Facebook is a double-edged sword. It's fantastic for keeping abreast of shenanigans, but at the same time it reminds you you're not a part of the shenanigans.

But it's funny how things work, three years ago I was probably experiencing the same feelings when I moved to Sydney, I can vaguely recall lamenting not having anybody to talk to on the phone. That changed over time - so much so that I barely remember feeling lonely there.

It's just the odd pang though. As a friend would say, it's a marathon not a sprint mate, and my pace has kept me in good stead. I'm relishing the challenge, and the bar for what I could achieve here keeps getting pushed further, even within this short period of time. It's ridiculous what's going on here, and it's hard not to be proud.

I move into my pad today. To say I'm excited is an understatement. It's a guilty treat. It will be good to finally plant some roots here. And show it off to my friends. I'm going to have a dinner party once I'm settled, as I can in this place (it has a dining room). But also, I have a number of friends coming through in the coming months - I think we have people coming through April, May, June and July thus far. Combine that with my own travel plans and I think I'm going to be okay.

But there's always going to be that odd pang of homesickness.

Feel so bohemian like you

I'm sitting in my shophouse and the Bohemian Like You came on while I was listening to old MP3s. The memories came flooding back, good times were had around the time that song was out. And it got me thinking about this new adventure I've embarked on, and whether there'll be songs that stand out in my head.

I remember when I left for Sydney, it was The End (Dirty South Remix), I even remember blogging about it and how apprehensive I was and how I was wondering how things would unfold.

I'm yet to find a song that defines this transition, but rest assured it will be something that triggers new memories too.

So I'm sitting at the end of my second week in Singapore and things have progressed a bit since the first week. The sheen has not wore off yet and everything is still a fresh experience. Especially the food, when it comes to the food I'm a man possessed, I'm not much of a photographer but I keep feeling obligated into taking snaps of the chow. Like what I gorged myself on last night when I got home.

But I transgress. I've achieved a few things this week as well. I got my first business trip under the belt, heading to Krabi for a conference on all things digital for our company and the region. It was an honour to be in the same room as some of the brightest minds in the business, and an opportunity I would have normally have to wait years for if I stayed in Australia. The pinnacle for me was presenting. My boss asked me to present the Singaporean digital landscape on our company's behalf and I lapped up the opportunity. It wasn't a long presentation, but the adrenaline rush I got from standing in front of my peers and nailing something was something else.

I actually got a bit swept away afterwards, calling Mum and waking her and then another friend and just debriefing about a new career highlight that had just been achieved.

I've managed to get the menial out of the way too. I now have an Employment Pass (the Singaporean equivalent of a Visa) and a bank account. I've looked at three places now and have signalled my intent for one of them. Waiting to hear back about that today.

I think once I have my own place I'll be truly settled. Then there's two things that need doing. One is to show my friends the town as they come through on their various travels, and the other is to do some travelling myself. I can't wait to go to Chiang Mai and see what the big deal is with some dear friends who live over there, and I also can't wait to just find some locations off the beaten track.

I'm subscribed to the travel newsletters now, and will be watching them like a hawk.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm about to rustle up some lunch with a pretty lady!

And I'm Here

Wow, I really wasn't kidding around when I said 2011 was going to be my last year in Sydney. That sure escalated quickly. Oh Lordy, what have I done to myself? In the space of three weeks I went from brohemian, brunch-loving Newtownian, to fish-out-of-water, international travelling neophyte.

And the verdict? In the words of DJ Pied Piper and The Master of Ceremonies: I'm loving it, loving it, loving it, I'm loving it like this.

I knew my friends were right, I knew the travel thing had to be done, but what I didn't know, and what I'm quickly coming to realise, is that this is pure awesome.

****

I arrived in Singapore and the first thing I noticed was the carpet. It was an ugly shade of black, grey and maroon squares. But then I looked up, and realised I was in an airport, and that I shouldn't get stuck on such pitifully dull details on my first sojourn through an international airport.

I walked out and after making sure I had all my necessary documentation, walked into a guard and asked with a faint tinge of trembling: "How do I get out of here?"

"Down that way", he said with a smile.

Being subjected to Border Security on Australian TV had me quaking in my shoes at the prospect of passing through immigration. I was envisaging savage customs officials, machine guns, and maybe a rapier.

Instead, there was smiles, stamping, and a pleasant bid on my way.

I've never experienced duty-free shopping. I've heard murmurs of what it encompasses, and the vast, bountiful value that accompanies these purchases. But 1 Litre of Smirnoff for $18 SGD?!?! Yes please. I also grabbed three Tiger cans for under $6 bucks. They came in handy later.

Picking up my luggage was wait-free, and I rather expertly got into a taxi and pointed the driver in the right direction. Perhaps the way in which I accomplished this task had gone to my head, because when I got to the street I was staying in the taxi driver exploded. I didn't say I had a Visa Card. How the shit am I meant to pay for it!

So I fucked up my first cab experience. We drove to an ATM and I got some cash out and paid the good man. I then walked up to the address I was given and had no idea where the agent was. I stood around scratching my head. I called her from a phone on my way through the airport but she was nowhere to be seen. I pondered what to do, as I didn't have a phone and figuring out a local telephone box with a currency I haven't used before seemed like way too much effort given I'd just been in the air for eight hours.

"Luke?!"

I have to say, it's was the first surreal experience in another country. Another country where you know fuck-all people. Another country where you don't expect to hear your name. I smirked. I think the penny dropped there and then that I was in for a fun ride, even the simplest little things are going to take on new meaning, and this was only the beginning.

Of course, it was the estate agent. She let me into the shophouse, and we navigated three lots of stairs to get to my pad. After an inventory check and receiving the critical "dongle" for Internet, she bade me farewell and I couldn't stop smiling. I was in my apartment, in another country, with absolutely no idea what to do.

Before I left, I spied a 7/11 on Google Maps right next to where I was, so I decided I'd go to that and get some mixer for my vodka. I grabbed my orange fruit drink, paid for it while fumbling around for the correct money, and scurried back to my pad.

I was pretty tired, and after slamming the vodka down, I had my first fitful sleep fighting between the sound of the air-conditioner blasting, and wallowing in the heat.

****

And that's how I got here. It's now my second day of work and I'm settling in. New market to learn, new procedures but I'm prepared for the challenge.

This aside, I'm now sure coming here was one of the best decisions of my life.

Impending Luminosity

Flights booked, accommodation sorted, passport (almost) on its way.

I'm right in the middle of a push to make overseas happen and I'm winning. I don't want to jinx what's going down but it's immensely satisfying getting through the rigamarole that unfurls when one decides to relocate.

I've got that same, nervous but assured sense of discontent in my belly that is ridiculously comforting. Comforting insomuch as I feel like I'm making the most of an opportunity presented to me and seizing it with two hands. This is happening. Happening it is. I can't believe after sub-conscious and conscious procrastinating I'm actually going abroad.

And I've been touched by the overwhelming positive feedback I've been getting.

"I'm so proud of you," friends have said.

"I'm so freaking jealous," others say.

And my favourite after getting told I'll be travelling to Thailand in my second week of work:

"Have you slept with a leprechaun or something?"

Maybe I have. Maybe I have.

I'm finishing up at my work desk this evening as I have Playground Weekender tomorrow - a multi-day festival that will be a great way to finish off my penultimate weekend in Australia. The majority of my crew will be up for it and it will be filled with quality time, good conversation and what a few of us like to dub: the Nectar of the Gods.

Word on the street is it's going to rain but there's no way it will dampen our sense of fun.

I come back from that on Sunday night, ready to hit overdrive with getting rid of things, a health check, and many an individual farewell. Then next Sunday, oh Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, next Sunday I hit the skies.

And I've got a feeling this is going to be even better than I'm expecting.