Flashbacks at Pasir Ris

I had to send my wife and sister-in-law to their aunt's house. I am not the visiting sort. So I decided to go hang out at a coffeeshop to read one of the new books I just acquired from Borders. I walk around the coffee in the Pasir Ris neighbourhood center. Memories and flashback as I pass the coffeeshop, the sight of people eating their meals, the food, the smell, yeah! What was it I remember? Pasir Ris was where my eldest sister lives and we were living with her when we first return from Canada. It was a novel to experience life start early here in Singapore. After getting used to life in Canada and still suffering from jetlag, I was up at dawn and taking a walk around the neighbourhood, the hawkers were getting ready at 5am. In Canada, there is no wet market or coffeeshop. Only plaza and strip malls. No commercial or rather retail activities start before 10am. So my routine was to boil water first thing I wake up to make tea. It is usually cold in the house and nice hot tea will warm me up nicely. Only tv or radio to kill time if the mood to read is not there.

Seeing mostly Chinese and other Singaporeans eating is also a funny feeling after being with mostly Caucasians everywhere. Food is so easily available. All the food we brought back with our shipment of furniture, those we thought we will missed, were forgotten. Yes, I still missed the cookies and muffins. Mmm Muffin was fabulous. Saint Cinnamon was in Singapore for a short spell and was unsuccessful unlike the franchise in Australia and Philippines.

I wonder how it feels to relocate back there again. My older boys may not be able to regain their Canadian accent. B3 is still young and he is at the best age to pick up any accent. Besides the boys language skills, what else is there to offer in Canada? Singapore has been good to us. We really really appreciate and thank God for blessing us.

Pasir Ris will always be the place where I re-integrate back into Singapore the first time back from Canada.