Re-so-flect-lu-tion.

It’s the time of the year. Judging from the way my resolutions turn out every year, I guess I’ll give it a miss this time round. Let’s just go for reflections instead.

If I had to use just one word to sum up 2007, I’ll choose hectic..

26 trips, 60 over flights.
2 trips per month, once every 2 weeks.
Practically 1 flight every 6 days - my skin bears testimony,so sad..

130 days out of Singapore and what was there..?

The witnessing of the once-in-5-years mega flood in Jakarta was an eye-opener – specifically to that in the heart, Just the way things in the world work, it was simply a matter of checking into a hotel for the well-to-do. For the poor – and I meant the really povertised – there was a mother carrying a baby on her back and a toddler in front, braving through waters threatening to reach her chest level and covering her beloved. Innocent children were wading through the waters on plastic basins – the ones Singaporean mums use to bathe the unknowing fortunate infants of Singapore – oblivious to reality and apparently enjoying themselves, the way all children of the world deserve to. And then the occasional kids braving the cold waters and knocking on your car windows asking for however meagre an amount available for them – forever wearing that smile even when one waves them away. Heart-wrenching. There were the opportunistic bapaks peddling their floats, wherever they got them from, at the traffic junctions. Inspiring. With the new law banning such display of entrepreneurship, whatever’s going to happen to them is anybody’s guess. Mercy on them.

A occasional complaint to a local counterpart on the Bluebird charging 40000 rupiah – 6000 by honest metering - for the total journey of Domestic Terminal to International Terminal, brought to light the justification of the 2-3 hours of queuing they have endured. I admit I had that tinge of shame at complaining unreasonably..or not?

Corrupt lady immigration officers of that communist country certainly pissed me off big time. A total image-spoiler for the ENTIRE country. I am so amazed at how my own gender has the audacity to do things so out of order! Ok call me a stick-in-the-mud, but aint these the prerogatives of our male counterparts? Never judge.

Was so excited to fly BKK for the 3rd time this year that I made up my mind way before the trip to have my shirts tailored – even though it was a crushing mad 3 days in-and-out trip. The result was a total wastage of 120 bucks for 3 pieces of lousily made shirts of chino resto-waitress FEELalike fabric. The old wives’ tale turned out true. I promise to wait patiently for a shirt.

It was barely 1 month since my foot left Myanmar that the political unrests occurred. It’ll be wise to say minimum here, but I still wish to swear at the extreme difficulty in getting a dial tone or an email reply from my agents. My applications were all running late! I wish to take the chance to thank a certain Agency, for the alarmingly fast rate of approvals. I’m starting to believe they can work efficiently. Yes I do…

The wads of CASH Myanmese carry around made me so thankful of the stability I enjoy over here in the Little Red Dot. Also, one’ll be so tickled if one sees the thick stack wrapped in plastic bags. You’ll think it was toilet-paper carried around for convenience.

My feelings of the way Koreans fight and push to get on/off/in/out of the crowded subways/crowded malls/crowded streets/crowded toilets must have resembled that of a Bungee Jumper – you are so afraid of dying for something you shldnt have. My mirage of handsome Korean princes leading me to a happily-ever-after life seems to have disappeared.. So depressing.

Constant travel with a tight schedule on unbearingly uncomfortable flights thin one’s patience. I’ve grown intolerant. A mere extra second taken in bringing up my room slippers earns you my undesirable snide remarks. A refusal to grant that discount I so think you are capable of giving earns you a complaint letter. A request for me to return the food vouchers you have given mistakenly earns you my punk rejection and ‘I want to see your manager’ ( it worked, I got to keep them ).

Another 2 weeks before the cycle begins again. Grumble grumble grumble.

What’s that again? Reflections?