Winds of Change

Its been a week since I've returned to Bristol. Before that, I was away for a 2 week holiday back home in Singapore. It was warm and humid, just as I remembered it. However, due to me being in the UK for the past 5 years, my body found it extremely uncomfortable to cope to the local weather conditions. But still, I was out and about with family and catching up with friends and basically, just revisiting old sites I used to hang out when I was a teenager.

The Raffles Hotel

Unfortunately, some of these memorable sites have been demolished to make way for progress in the grand scheme of things. New buildings, shopping centres, trains stations, bus stations, roads and highways, are being built. Many places now look so new and unfamiliar to me that I sometimes feel like a tourist in my own country. And I feel quite disturbed in finding my own place unfamiliar to me. Is home a place to remind you of your roots & childhood? Or is it a place just to provide a roof over your head?

Tropical fruits

However, I am delighted to report that the food still taste the same as ever! Perhaps the reason I'm so happy is that I've found something that hasn't changed in the face of 'progress'. Just imagine me saying: the food is as reliable and delicious as ever! I think no one has ever described food as reliable.

Bright & shiny

When I arrived in Bristol, it was really chilly and cool, a huge contrast to the weather in Singapore. It felt like someone had just turned on the air conditioning. However, I felt comfortable in feeling this coolness, like I'm familiar with it already, which I should as I've been living here for 5 years. But the disturbing thought of considering Bristol my home just flitted through my mind. I'm proud of my own country and that thought made me feel like a traitor, which was really uncomfortable. Perhaps I've now become what you call a global citizen, a person who moves from place to place but doesn't really settle down and has no place to call home. Or a person that considers the world his/her home.

Tropical jungles