Gainfully Unemployed

As much as I feel a little embarrassed that I’m not contributing in a productive way to the country’s economy, I can’t really bring myself to feel completely guilty for being out of work. In truth, I’m enjoying it a whole lot. It means I can spend nice little dinners out with M at night and go to her workplace to see her for lunch, her schedule permitting. It also means that I’m getting a little lazy about keeping in touch with people, so if I haven’t been writing to you/ answering your messages, I’m really really sorry! Hoon Ye gave me a huge lecture about it today, and I assure you, no message with go unanswered from this point hence.

Well, most messages anyway.


Being without work also means that I can organise random events at a moment’s notice. On Saturday, the Soci gang came over to my house for a potluck dinner and it was an evening filled with moments of immense fun. We licked virtually every plate clean and then moved on to dessert like a group of thirsty camels. Johan and my brother really hit it off, watching soccer matches on cable while the rest of us piled into the sofa bed I set up in the living room and proceeded to play charades.

Charades with this group of people is like charades with no one else I’ve ever known. The words thrown out are insanely inhuman and the resulting actions are fittingly mad. We were left in stitches trying to decide whether Johan’s rendition of Weedy Seadragon made us laugh as hard as Jonathan’s impression of a museum curator – it was like watching the two men in Blades of Glory. For the record - Jono tried to act as the curator and the exhibit at the same time, resulting in a great deal of confusion and in someone making guesses such as “constipated nude model” when he attempted to portray a T-Rex skeleton.

We basically wallowed around in the living room until after three when I dug up old junior college photos and Shah and I squealed like kids over our old friends and uniforms. I think they had a good time and I had a fantastic evening! It was nice to round up the last few months of living in my house with a gathering of close friends and good food.


At the same time, my workless civilian status allowed me to pick Marie up from the airport today when she came over to Singapore from Paris. I was SO excited when I found out Marie would be coming to stay for eight months – we parted over two years ago when I ended my exchange programme in the United States. We had always been happy to know she was coming, but her actual presence at dinner today was unbelievably surreal – as Glenn said, it felt like we were going to rush back to our hostels for dinner at any minute.

I didn’t spot her at the airport right away because she was among the last few passengers to alight the plane and I grew increasingly frantic while searching among the milling people until I saw her familiar smile. I hadn’t realised how much I missed her until I hugged her when she came trotting out of the “Nothing to Declare” aisle.

We took her out for dinner and coffee, during which Hoon Ye delivered her crushing lecture on how I would be left out of future activities if I didn’t pick up my phone. It was great to catch up with the girls and Glenn, and I admit there was even a little gossip floating around the table. At the end of the day, it’s just great to know that Marie’s only a few bus stops away for once, instead of a few continents, and I forsee an exciting eight months ahead.


So you see, I have been contributing somewhat to society. I fed and accomodated eight people for one night and I’m helping a helpless foreigner find her way around our blessed country. I know I shouldn’t get too comfortable doing it, I really need to be out there, slaving over something and bringing home the bacon (or little strips of crackling in my case).

But right at this moment, I can’t help allowing myself to enjoy this freedom just a little bit more than I should. As it is, I already have a blissfully relaxing day planned out for tomorrow.

And I can tell what that means – I need a little more Hoon Ye on my ass.

Get on that asap, Miss Kiat!