And so the exams are over, the party’s out and I am back in Singapore for another type of party. I never saw myself coming home so soon, but time really flies. Looking back, the flight back was not too much of a killer too and I guess I have much of the airline on-board flight entertainment system to keep my sanity at bay. Think I am starting to get rather accustomed to the 13 hours odd long flight from London and it will be a journey I will see myself traveling more often these days, really beats the traumatic near 18 hour flights I’ve taken to the states.
On yes, I’ve visited few cool places before returning. Got the visit few of my favorite theme park attractions as well as catching some sights at the Lake District. The views there are spectacular! I will be posting a massive update of my holiday trip in the UK- that provided if I can actually find time to get all my photos and blog posts sorted, not to mention getting some panoramic photos stitched for the albums.
So what I can say after spending about a year abroad in UK? Well for starters I guess the environment is definitely different. I guess the same can be said for those in the states as well. The people abroad are more sociable, friendly and courteous. It’s surprising what you can end up chatting with a stranger at the pub, train, bus or even at the grocery check-out counter. This culture is literally non-existent in Singapore. Moreover, I’ve got to meet many people from all over the world in my college, picked french as a new language and survived my first year in college!
The thing which I really looked forward to upon my return is the food, my family and yes did I mention food? Eating out in the UK is ridiculously expensive, a plate of chicken or char siew rice in Chinatown London can set you back about $10SGD and it’s the same everywhere. The humidity is quite a killer here too, and just when I was really starting to love and appreciate the weather in the UK, it’s sweat town here again.
After more than a week back home, here are some minute observations I’ve made:
– Place is not necessarily cleaner, but spit is more evident on the streets. 🙁
– The waiting time for public transport is very fast (30 mins min in UK)
– Will never cycle on the roads, motorists have no respect for cyclists here.
– MRT and bus rides reach their destinations trailblazing fast.
– It takes getting used to not greeting people in public (being more unfriendly) 😛
– The urinals here are on average mounted 10-20cm lower. *Bends lower*
Language was a very interesting thing, not many people in the UK can actually understand Singaporean English- I was told we do have an ascent which is distinctively different of that of the Chinese nationals. It’s so unique that we even use it as a tool to sieve out the Malaysians and Singaporeans from a pile of Asians!
Time and again, I often see our British friends eve and awe at the simplicity of the sentences which completely made no sense in English but carried more weight than the few words we use to describe what we actually meant. “Got already?”
Nonetheless, the longer you stay abroad, you will start to pick up the proper English language and pronunciation, now it’s time to unlearn that and switch myself to Singaporean mode and just… Enjoy Lah!
