Sounds, Colors, and Shapes

I forgot how there are flies everywhere! Even in the food courts... damn, it's pretty annoying to have to fan flies away from your food all the time while you eat. They're really aggressive too! You have to swing at them like you mean it!

Also, today I went back to where I grew up, Nanyang Technological University, and looked at my Dad's offices and our old neighborhood, etc. I went and stood next to my old building and stood there looking at the forest behind it. I really miss having my entire field of view filled with all types of green. There was a really nice breeze and I felt totally immersed in the environment. It turns out that a tropical forest has its own symphony of tons of cicadas and an amazing variety of bird calls. It's actually kinda loud. I really miss that music! It just feels so relaxing to me for some reason to be standing there, feeling the warm breeze, looking off into the familiar foliage shapes, and listening to the engulfing noise.

By the old neighborhood playground, there were some kids, a few expatriate kids like myself. They were basically doing what I used to do with my brother and our friends. Just run around those streets, chasing each other, kicking a ball around, playing with the wandering cats, or sit around and do nothing. I spoke briefly to one of the boys - he was probably in earlier elementary school and spoke with a thick British accent. I wondered if, when I was growing up there, another "graduate" of our 'hood ever walked around reminiscing as I did. The playground was entirely empty, except for a little baby boy sitting on one of those rocking horses, wiggling around, making funny little noises. He looked so happy, in his own world on that horse. It was really funny. I wondered what he was seeing in his mind.

Later, I went to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve with my Dad and we saw a bunch of monkeys. Monkeys are so funny and cute! Their mannerisms are just like people. It's so funny when they scratch their heads like confused people and when they display fine manual dexterity (picking little bugs out of their fur). And the bebes!! The bebe monkeys! Hilarious! They hop around like little aimless crazies.