One friend from the first set at one point pointed at a box, pointed at me, laughed, and said, essentially, "You named a box 'odds & ends' because THAT'S TOTALLY HELPFUL."
Well...no. Not helpful. But descriptive! Right?
That's the entry for today. Nothing BIG and EXCITING is going on at the moment. Just little moments that I want to pack away and be able to pull out in years to come. Because they make me happy, or make me laugh, or make me ponder. And that's all I want out of life. To think, to laugh, and to look around.
* Explorations:
I'm trying to take some time to explore the Singapore museums. I'm not as fond of the Singapore Art Museum (Spoiled!) (though I love the acronym - SAM), but the National Museum? Quite cool! Some pictures below, and I lovedlovedloved the video & music in the entry to the history portion. Will post a link if I can find more info online.
* Meeting People
I'm trying, I really am. I'm lucky to be surrounded by good colleagues who can occasionally be enticed out; and by other expats who may be looking for an opportunity to socialize.
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| A (blurry!) shot of home |
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| Clark Quay on a night out |
* Sporty stuff
I'm still jogging some, going to the gym, biking & heading off to pilates, but...something happened, which I mentioned in an earlier comment. It's...shall we say, unexpected?
I went to an expat gathering a couple of weeks back and met some very snazzy people, one of whom I got along with quite well. After we had talked for a while, she asked me a couple of questions which were...not unexpected or unheard of, but perhaps not ones that I usually link. The first? "So...how long will you be staying here?" The second? "Um...ever play basketball?"
The first question is not uncommon for any expat. How long have you been here, how long will you be here, where are you from, and for whom do you work are the four question that will ALWAYS come up. We're a nosy bunch, us expats!
The second question is one that I get occasionally. I may have mentioned this? I'm tall. Not so tall that it's the first thing you notice, but tall enough that it generally registers that I'm taller than the average female. I am the quintessential tall American.
But do I play basketball? NO. Emphatically no! Mostly no. Somewhat no. Maybe no. Oh, hell. Would I be willing to give it a shot? Sure.
And so I did.
I am BAD. Awful. Deplorable. I have no rhythm. I don't know the rules. I'm distracted easily. I forget that it's a game. I forget that my name on the court isn't the same as my name off the court because my name? Not that easy for everyone. I got hit in the face with the ball twice and my nose is still swollen. I pant as we run back and forth along the court. I'm still not sure who I'm guarding. I tip the ball in the wrong direction.
I love it. I want to get better. I'm so grateful that everyone is so patient and forgiving. The other women? ROCK. They're talented and kind and funny and interesting and patient (oh, so patient). I'm a little bit in love with the whole thing. We'll see how it goes, but at the moment, at least, I'm in. I'm all in. I can't wait to suck a little less at the next practice.
My active endeavors have generally been solitary. I walk, I bike, I do pilates. If I'm a bit better or a bit worse than before? I certainly notice, but I don't pretend to think that anyone else would.
Here? They will definitely notice if I get worse rather than better. And I definitely want to get better. Mostly for me. But also? Because these are COOL WOMEN who the cool women I knew back in Chicago would love. And I want to be a good representative for the Chicago women. To show that American women can be competitive and sporty and coordinated, too. To not suck and to do myself and my city proud.
Wish me luck!
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