Culture Shock

Sorry for the lack of posts. I have much to blog. But my Internet is not realiable. I got an Internet stick but it won't work in my home.  Thus, I am sitting outside hammering this post ;O)

Taken as I was writing this post! :D Two stray cats just ran by, chasing each other!

I've been in Singapore for a month now.  I notice the first few weeks when I was here, I had a tendency to compare everything back home (home as in Mississauga, Canada).  

It was the most small details I would notice the difference. This was a similair experience I had in Cambodia in Feb.  At that time, I noticed and had ill feeling how each step of the stairs were so much higher than Canada.  Obviously different countries have different building codes. 

In Singapore, I noticed everything was different.  I noticed how the leaves were in such different shape compare to those in Canada. I noticed the buildings and infrastructure was different.  I noticed the lack of open small (duh, Singapore is an island with more than 5 million people).  

It was among all these comparisons which I noticed that everything in Canada was perfect. 

Yes, I had a longing for home.

....

I remembered a missionary teacher once said that you won't notice your own culture until you step out and live somewhere else.

How true!

....

So about a week and a half ago, I told myself that it is time to move on. I can spend the next two years comparing and complaining.  At the end of the day, what is there to complain? Singapore is a great city.  Things done in here are different than Canada.  Different atmosphere and different environment.  Plus, there's not much I can do anyways. I am called to serve here at OMF. I might as well abandon such negative thoughts.  Home is not in Canada.  Home is where He leads me.  So I follow.

I am now living in a single room sharing the flat with the land lady, her husband and her 20 year old son. I rarely see them and they rarely see me.  

My commute is longer compare to 'home'.  Though the commute, I learn to surf the net, catch up on personal emails coming to work.  Commute here, if not use, can be claustrophobic at times.  There's nothing like cramming in the morning bus and see how pack you can go before the bus driver decided it is time to go.

I love the local cheap foods in Singapore.  At the same time Singapore is far from low cost of living.  Brand names, high end products and anything associate with Western taste and culture, you will pay a premium for it.

I am also learning to live simply.  To really see how low I can go.  Though one is hard to discern considering right now I am paying mobile broandband (internet stick) and have a data plan for my phone as well.  Though the Internet stick is only $12/month! (the negative part is that I don't have reception in my room so I am outside sitting in the park typing this post....)

Well, this is a small bit of my culture shock.  I never realize how much I am attach to Canada.  I always thought of myself as a Canadian Chinese...but the more I experience in Singapore, the more I talk to people, explaining to them where I am from, the more I see Canada as home.

Of course, as I said before home is where the Lord is taking me....