Away and back again
I was recently back in Asia for a short holiday and work. All I can say is phew! For someone who’s on her first international job posting, coming back to home base brings immense joy and at the same time, an acute sense of nostalgia. You go back to the things that you love with family and friends who’ve been there for the ride. And there is simply nothing better :)
In Dubai, I learnt that you can have almost anything and everything that you want. At a certain price…. Aha! You can get groceries delivered, maids will come clean your house, you can book a massage and have the masseuse come to your door step. So many conveniences! But at the same time, it takes ages to get paper work filled out, there is just too many red tape to get through when you need something done at work and people just cling to their archaic beliefs no matter what. I guess familiarity is something that you will eventually grasp.
Prior to the Little Red Dot, I first landed in Hong Kong for a short three-day stint of press interviews for the company. One thing I have to say is that, boy it feels good to be back in Asia. For all its trappings, Dubai can’t seem to capture the authenticity of the food and hospitality found in Asia. Hear that dim sum makers? Even Malaysia has you beat in this one.
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| It was all gloomy on the outside plus work interviews and a partial food coma thereafter |
Then it was home-bound! One thing I have to say is that, home is a lot more bearable when you don’t live with your parents. Ironically, it feels that mum and I are a lot closer now that we are out of each other’s hair.
So what really is the difference between Singapore and Dubai, you ask? Well, to me it's a case of convenience vs familiarity. On home ground, you have sop much less to worry about. You have your friends, your family, you know how everything works, your home is there and you know where to get things, should anything happen to fail.
In Dubai, I learnt that you can have almost anything and everything that you want. At a certain price…. Aha! You can get groceries delivered, maids will come clean your house, you can book a massage and have the masseuse come to your door step. So many conveniences! But at the same time, it takes ages to get paper work filled out, there is just too many red tape to get through when you need something done at work and people just cling to their archaic beliefs no matter what. I guess familiarity is something that you will eventually grasp.
Heh, so what did I get up to at home then?
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| It happened to be the worst haze that Singapore has ever had. To capitalize on it, we had our demo at the top of the Marina Bay Sands so that we can get our haze on! |
And of course, when you are in Singapore, there is always time for indulgence of the gastronomic kind
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| And this is just the tip of the iceberg... |
I think it’s a give and take. While I certainly do love my conveniences, I am not so set in my ways that I insist on doing things in certain ways. I believe in learning new things and adapting to other ways too. Therefore, I am quite happy to report that I quite like it here in sandy Dubai. It’s much easier to adapt when you’ve made solid connections with really lovely people. There are lesser things to whinge about, espeically in times where you wake up and think: how the hell did I end up here?
Well, everything happens for a reason, right? ;)
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