Lonely soul

For a lonely soul, you're having such a nice time.
(Nothing in my way, Under the Iron Sea, Keane)


Dear all,

From my blogs, Facebook pictures and all the other things I tell you via mail or otherwise, you must think that all I do is travel and spend my time with friends visiting Singapore. Well, that's probably true for 75% of the time outside the office and there’s nothing else I’d rather spend my time on. But what do I do the other 25% of my spare time then? What do I do when I'm home alone? Well, if you’re interested, read on… here's a little diary-like account of what my previous week was like, in between dad, Jeannie and Ying Wei leaving and Taco landing...

Sunday
11.00pm: I just said goodbye to Ying Wei at the airport and I have a Skype-date with Darja. We have business to discuss :-) ! Where can I do my dive master’s course and work afterwards, should I freelance or get myself employed with a diving school? Can I work on live-aboards? Where can I live, what diving gear should I buy, when is it low season so that I can travel, etc, etc, etc.... Darja and I are both very excited about everything... we already have so many plans together! Go to Dahab, Mozambique, Sudan, all diving trips of course! A year is going to be much much too short!!!!

12.30am: I get a sms from a friend from Holland "Can I call you?". So after I close the Egypt-line, I get a call from Holland. We catch up in 45 mins, agree that he will definitely come and visit and after I hang up the phone, I do a little dance of happiness and eagerness in my living room. I really can't wait to get to Egypt...

1.30am: I go to bed with 2 self-imposed projects for the week: clear all my paperwork and finish my Australia photo album. I started editing it online several weeks ago but haven't had the time to finish and order. This week is quiet. No visitors, no dinner dates, only yoga on Wednesday and an appointment Thursday at my beauty salon followed by drinks with a friend, so plenty of time to finish it. Or so I think...

Monday
8.00pm: I get home from the office & skip dinner. Time to do some work. I haven't archived any papers since end of last November. Since then, I've moved, applied for all the utilities for my new home, received annual summaries from various companies, credit card bills that need filing... it's a stack of about 25 cm thick and I've been procrastinating long enough. So I turn up the volume of my CD player, roll up my sleeves (well, not really, it's 30 degrees so I'm wearing a spaghetti top) and get to work. 30 mins later I’m sitting on the floor with a mess of papers around me and 6 different folders to put them in: “house Amsterdam”, “house Singapore”, “employment Singapore”, “employment Netherlands”, “bank statements”, “miscellaneous”... I punch holes, remove staples, recover old bills that have luckily all been paid, find missing papers... 2 hours later, I'm done. I feel cleansed and organised again (funny, that organised feeling never seems to last long with me though… :-) ). One project down, one to go.

10.00pm: My computer rings. I have a Skype-date with mom. We talk about everything and nothing.

11.15pm: I start writing my blog for the week. Time to tell the world that I'm going to Egypt. I want Timmo to read it before I publish it and I shed many tears while writing it. But at the same time, it feels like a relief. It's not hard to find the right tone, but it's difficult to find the accurate words. How do you bring across what you want to say, without saying what needs to stay private?

2.00am: Time for bed, I'm exhausted. But what a fruitful day...

Tuesday:
6.30pm: I have an appointment with a financial planner. I have to start thinking about what I'm going to do with my enormous fortune. Better invest it wisely before I piss it all into the Red Sea. Although the latter would be more my kind of style, I guess some professional advice never hurt anyone. He'll come up with a proposal next week.

8.00pm: I'm standing by the bus stop to go home. I have my earphones in, but from the corner of my eye, I spot a tall, white guy and I think he's speaking Dutch. I casually take out one of my earplugs to confirm what I'm hearing. Yes, definitely Dutch, but I don't know the guy. And I can't see who he's talking to, for that I have to not so casually turn my head around. I can't help myself and look anyway. Hey, it's Erik! My Dutch neighbour, colleague and friend! We all get into the same bus and they invite me for dinner with them. Clay pot rice, famous joint in Singapore, just around the corner from our house. Yep, dad, it's the place you recommended! I think about my photo album project, but I'm weak. And the new guy seems interesting. He works for some international risk agency in Singapore, but his Malay wife and 5 (five!) kids are in Penang. He's lived all over the world and over the course of dinner, we have the most lively and random conversations.

11.30pm: I get home, belly full with delicious food and I crawl behind the computer again. I work on my Facebook and LinkedIn connections (better get my networks updated before I leave the bank!) and I surf on nu.nl to catch up on the Dutch news before I go to bed at 1.30am.

Wednesday:
7.30pm: Time for my yoga class. Always a gratifying hour. A fellow yoga student, suggests to drive me home and grab a bite somewhere. I think about my photo album project, but I'm weak. So we have a wonderful mutton soup and salted fish fried rice around the corner. Yes, dad, it's the one you recommended! :-) And we talk about women stuff. Details of which I shall certainly not publish here.

11.00pm: I'm home. I turn on my PC and check out all the sweet comments you posted on my blog. Tears in my eyes again. Do I really have to wait until June before I can go to Egypt? I do some search on the internet for flights... because a totally naughty but cool travel plan is taking shape in my head... :-)

2.00am: Not really tired, but better go to bed.

Thursday:
7.00pm: Time for my waxing job. Why do women do that to themselves?

8.00pm: Drinks with a friend. We go to Timber, across from Boat Quay. Vodka limes, pizza and good talks. I will miss Singapore, I think...

11.00pm: I'm home. Public holiday tomorrow, so I crash on the couch and watch telly, for the first time this week. I think about my photo album project, but I'm weak. CSI, Law & Order, CSI, Hustle, CSI, Spooks... oh shit, it's 4 am! Sleep tight, don't let the mosquito's bite!

Friday:
11.30am: I wake up, have to pick up my last belonging at Villa Marina: my bike. I linger around the house, don't look forward to cycling through the city in the scorching sun, but I've pushed this forward much too long already.

1.30pm: For the first time in months I'm at Villa Marina again. Much to my relief, it doesn't feel like home anymore, so I’m fine walking around the grounds. But then again, my home is always where my toothbrush is, so no surprises there. I go to the basement, unlock my bike (which I intend to sell on eBay) and cycle home, losing about 2 litres of sweat in the process. I get home, change into my bikini, jump into the refreshing pool and decide I should perhaps get started on my dive master’s training. So I do 50 laps (it's a small pool) and feel really good about myself. I sunbathe a bit and get ready for a new yoga class, in a gym I've never been to, but my yoga friend is going to introduce me.

4.00pm: Now I really feel good about myself. Cycling, swimming and yoga in one day! I treat myself to a pair of new glasses, buy a new stock of lenses and go home.

5.30pm: This time, no excuses! I get behind my PC and open up the photo book software. Australia pictures, here we go! What great memories fly around my screen...

6.30pm: A friend in Holland pops online so we catch up via chat. What in the world would I do without the internet?

10.00pm: I think the photo album is pretty much done. I'm really chuffed with it. Completed my self-imposed projects for the week! I decide to let the book rest for a day, relook at it tomorrow for final touch ups before I send it for printing. I open Facebook and write messages to a bunch of old (boy)friends from Argentina (from 20 years ago!) that found me on the internet. The wonders of these modern ages... While writing, all these memories come back to me... what a great youth I had!

12.30am: SMS from Taco! His flight from Bangkok has landed and he will be here soon. Jippie!

1.15am: The doorbell rings. There's the man! We have a couple of G&T's at home and then decide to explore Geylang. We end up drinking beers on the street, sitting on these yellow plastic chairs among the locals. We talk, drink, talk, laugh, talk and talk... About what has been, what is to come. About his fantastic wedding last February, his honeymoon, his expat ambitions, my expat experiences, cultural differences, our mutual friends... By the time we check our watches, it's 5.30am. WHAT? Five thirty? Ok, time to go, so we stagger home.

5.45am: I'm home. But this time, I'm not alone in the house.

I'm definitely having such a nice time...

And you?

x-Y-x