It's been a while since I've written--- a lot has happened and many trips have been taken, but sometimes the simplest day-to-day details of life take up a lot of head space. Getting things sorted out -- reducing mental clutter -- is important in my world. Some good changes are happening!
1. I finally got my EP (Employment Pass) after months and months of waiting. In the beginning, I thought, oh— it’s no big deal— it will materialise eventually, but over time, I realized that I wouldn’t feel quite legal until I had it. Traveling in and out of Singapore turns out to be a bit of a hassle without it (I will write more about that soon….) Also, without it, you can’t get the many discounts offered around town nor can you obtain a library card——and anyone who knows a lick about me can attest to my love of libraries. When I received the EP card at work the other day in the middle of the class, I jumped up and down, much to the amusement of the pre-teens I was teaching.
2. I am moving to a new place with roommates who are female, super laid-back, and around my age. I will finally be able to have visitors and cook. Seriously, this “no cooking” stipulation in my current place put more of a damper on my day to day existence than I even imagined it would. As an experimental cook who loves finding new Asian ingredients to work with, walking into a supermarket proved to be sheer torture. At least 20 varieties of greens I’ve never seen or even heard of (sweet potato leaves— what the what?), dried spices and spice pastes, things like freshly pressed coconut milk and exotic fruits. . . all I can say is wow.
3. More upcoming travel! Writing and photos to come on my recent trip to Tioman, which honestly made my heart feel alive in so many ways. I am tempted to go back in September, as I have a week off, but first it’s off to Ipoh, to go to Kellie’s Castle, a place which has been on my list for ages.
Silly? Probably. But not going would be sillier. I’ve heard Ipoh, where I'll be staying, is quite cool and a bit off the usual banana backpacker's path....
I also booked this interesting hotel(where it seems like Haruki Murakami might materialise at any moment):
After Kellie's Castle, the trip is pretty open-ended, but the Perhentian Islands are on my list as are the Cameron Highlands and Taman Negara. So much to do in Malaysia, seriously!
Ta ta for now!
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