The home stretch

Here we go, folks. I'm officially hitting the home stretch: my last seven days in Singapore. After that, it's home for Christmas and to wait for our Dutch visas to be issued at the Dutch embassy in Makati. 

We have no idea what date we'll be starting our new lives in Amsterdam, as Marlon's new employers won't book a flight until the visas are issued, which puts us in a kind of travel limbo. But I'm confident that at the end of this limbo is Europe, and you can't imagine how that thrills, scares and excites me.

The euphoria has been derailed somewhat by a nasty fever that has knocked me out for the past two days. I've been mostly zonked out on paracetamol, but in between naps I got into mini fits of paranoia and panic.

The first one was about finding an flat. "The flats are tiny and expensive! Everyone will be out to stiff us! We don't have money to burn like every other expat! We're not on some giant expat package! Zzzzz."

The second one was about getting things done before we leave. "I don't know what to buy Marlon for Christmas! I need to go Christmas shopping! And buy a steamer! And the Eames chairs! And Sally Hansen wax strips! And have lunch with Maya, dinner with Sila, a barbecue with office friends, and squeeze in yoga everyday and... zzzzzzz."

I had a whole list of things we wanted to do before leaving Singapore, which included finally trying Buddha Jumps Over The Wall (a mysteriously named and very expensive Chinese dish), dinner at Cocotte, brunch at the Botanic Gardens, and one last black pepper crab at Jumbo. (Is it obvious what I'll miss most about this country?) But with the clock ticking, I think I'll be content to simply pack up all our stuff, get some exercise, and say a few goodbyes. Anything else will be a luxury!