You don't realise just how high the ambient noise levels are in an Asian city like Singapore until you leave it for the calm of a place like Auckland.
The rumble of an approaching MRT train and the squabling of tenants children are all replaced by...well nothing really, just a sense of quiet.
This is the first time in nearly four years that I have returned to the land of my birth and it is fair to say that I did so with mixed feelings. I enjoy the buzz of activity in the East and visual stimulation of the tropics.
Add to this a good dose of wanderlust and you can appreciate that a return to the relative quiet of New Zealand was something I was not sure that I would fully appreciate.
But my apprehension was misplaced as the welcome of old friends and the sight of old haunts made me feel that I was truly coming home.
Our suitcases are full of goodies that are either unobtainable in Singapore or are highly priced. Such NZ signature foods as Hubbards muesli and Kapiti cheeses have all found a space for the return journey.
On our final night (a Saturday) loh and behold; a party of drunken Japanese men turned our adjoining apartment into a raucous bar. As if we hadn't had enough of this inconsiderate culture in our own Singapore condo. It was quite literally a rude awakening.
Friday 29 January 2010
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