An Average Day in the Life of TOR (On holiday in Singapore):
9:33am
Wake up. Sniff Bolbol. Hang out with and chat to grandmother downstairs. Ask her how to make 'smore'.
10:01am
Go for a run on track behind house and continue to Bishan Park. Nod to old aunties vigorously swinging arms while walking. Swear to oneself not to eat chocolate or fried fatty stuff for whole year while acknowledging impossibility of resolution.
10:45am
Convince onself that self has run 4km and cool down by stretching. Shower.
11:00am
Smell Bolbol.
11:05am
Go out to 24hr prata shop and eat S$1.50 masala thosai and drink teh peng.
11:25am
Come home and gush about cheapness of thosai to grandmother. Drink orange juice to extinguish burning in mouth.
11:30am
Write blog entry in sister's blog detailing the average day in the life of TOR on holiday in Singapore. Think of what did yesterday and day before so can continue entry. Smell Bolbol while thinking what did yesterday.
11:35am
Read book: Peter Biddlecombe's 'I came, I saw, I lost my luggage'. Funny travel book that inspires self to visit Vienna.
Interrupted by phonecall from boyfriend in Australia. Disputes contention that self is a lazy sod that has done nothing all day while he himself has been up since crack of dawn doing healthy aussie watersports. Maintains that self has gone for run too and so has done some form of physical activity. Valiantly defends self against laughter when reveals one has only run for 40 mins. Moan about having an essay and the second draft of pleadings for the Jessup competition due yesterday. Boyfriend reiterates opinion that one is a lazy sod that should have done it instead of watching CSI last night. But one cannot help it since CSI is best TV show ever in one's opinion. Not, do take note, CSI Miami. Which as everyone knows, is shite.
12:05am
Hang up phone, continue blog entry. Hug Bolbol.
12:10am (2 days ago)
Go to Junction 8 en route to Town. Eat old chang kee currypuff and fried squid head, thereby breaking fat-free resolution. Moan to boyfriend about fat-ness. No reply since engrossed in cheapness of exotic and never-seen-before (and therefore exciting) fruit like jambu and chiku. Buy jambu and chiku for S$3. Listen to ecstatic exclamations of cheapness.
1:30pm
Proceed to centrepoint to engage in serious heavy duty shopping at Robinsons, since mother and aunt possess Robinson's card that entitles one to 5% off. Drop in at PI to say hit to Sheena since indicated that would be there. Sheena and Elton out to lunch, boyfriend fascinated by PI.
2:16pm
Subject to deferential treatment by Shisedo salesgirl once gives mother's name. Realised mother is ultra-super platinum member. Automatically entitled to 2 free gifts after buying only one product. Nicely suprised. Met aunt.
3:03pm
Revelled in nice-ness of chicken rice and cheng tng in food court. Satisfied self to great extent eating nice food in deprived state of mind.
4:12pm
Proceed home with bags of shopping to resume lazy sod-ing.
5:20pm
Sniff Bolbol. Shower.
7:30pm
Meet Sheena and Elton for dinner. Insist on going to now defunct S11 at Dhoby Ghaut even though cautioned against by said parties since sure establishment has been demolished. Wander around ex-national library area in distressed state as if part of self has also been torn down. Area is now ugly. Sadness reigns in heart. Boyfriend just wants food.
8:02pm
Eat at Plaza Sing food court. Recover in spirit. Eat the famous mee pok. Gush on about niceness of mee pok. Enjoy Sheena's and Elton's and boyfriend's company. And think: this is the life. Nice mee pok, nice friends, nice public transport and air con cinemas. Then think: I am so sad about the national library.
9:26pm
Have debate about NUS's no smoking rule over whole campus. Argue that it is repressive and excessively paternalistic for the government to make such a decision without consulting the student body. Stress that it is not decision being attacked but way made. Suppose if made by students through voting at UGM would be totally acceptable to self. Hold forth on how university days should be days of freedom to smoke, do lighter drugs, have casual but safe sex (free birth control is key) and experiment with one's sexuality on path to finding one's own identity.
Of course own self did none of above.
But ability to make choice to do above is key. Doing or potentially doing above will not and has not made people into drug addicts or prostitutes. Look at educated-in-Australia boyfriend who has done all of above and more and is fine, upstanding pillar of community. And also self who is same except not earning money yet.
Sheena and Elton say 'but this is singapore' like everyone else but in their own minds, agree. Boyfriend thinks am cute when get excited and wave arms around. Hugs me and asks me to do it again. Suspect he is not really listening but taking the piss.
12:05am
Rush for MeRt but miss last one. Take cab. Boyfriend insists on taking comfort one 'cos they are better', causing uncle in tibs cab at front of queue to come out and shout at us.
12:32am
Arrive home to find whole family still up. Smell Bolbol. Annoy sister while showing free gifts to mother.
1:04am
Annoy sister while hugging Bolbol and announcing desire to sleep to house in general. Boyfriend says why is your house so noisy I want to sleep.
1:06am
Leave boyfriend and sister fiddling with and admiring new exciting creatif zen mini mp3 player and go to sleep. Sniff Bolbol.
Wish I could be on permanent holiday in SG and not have to do work.
