It's good to be home

The past three weeks have been a good reminder of what we miss - and don't miss - about Sg.

WHAT WE LOVE

Efficient Public Transport
We appreciate more than ever the authorities' superb urban planning skills. MRT stations are linked to the malls, and the buses and trains run on time.

In Melbourne, you can never be sure if you'll be on time. You can wait 40 minutes for a bus. If you miss it, good luck to you. Trains frequently break down or arrive late, to the extent that Connex has had to compensate passengers for delays and cancellations. You write in to complain and they send you a free one-day pass.

Makan
Thanks to hospitable relatives and friends who made time for us, we've tried all the eating places worth trying (Pek Kio for kopi, Bishan for duck rice, Soup Restaurant for samsui chicken, Ben & Jerry's, Singapore Poly Staff Centre for excellent Chinese restaurant-style cooking, Evans Road for prata and milo dinosaur).

I mean, sure, we can fry our own prata (the brand we get is actually quite good) and make chicken rice using Chng Kee's Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste, but it's not quite the same as going to the hawker centre and having it all served to you at an affordable price by pros who cook it everyday.

Shopping
I haven't shopped in two years. Not what I call serious shopping anyway.

What I miss is the boutiques in malls like Bugis Junction, where you feel like you're buying something unique instead of something that's available at any chain store.

Except for the rare trip into the city, the whole suburban shopping experience is really basic compared to the astonishing offerings at any Sg mall, especially now that every other mall is being upgraded and expanded with fancy loos and extensions with names like Vivocity, Velocity and Square 2. Singaporeans are truly spoilt for choice.

Not that I'm complaining.

Having limited options is good. You don't waste time wondering "Should I buy this or that?" When you have less, you make do with less, and you find you can get by just as well.

In Sg, I did what Singaporeans love to do: spent a lot of time window shopping and buying things that I am unlikely to get here. That should last me a good two years at least. :)

PET PEEVES

What don't I miss?

The crowds, the kancheong/kiasu culture which is alive and well (love that letter in the press by Angmoh Dan to his parents), and impatient motorists who honk if traffic is just a tad slow-moving.

People have been asking Beth what she likes most about Aus.

Her reply is always the same: "The fresh air and plenty of open spaces to run around."

To that I'll add the relaxed attitude of most Aussies, which is so refreshing and makes pleasant conversation with strangers possible.

It's good to be home.