This vacation I…

Spent Chinese New Year with the family. This year, I learned that many of my distant relatives are Chinese teachers. I saw my cousin and her husband twice, the first time at my grandfather’s, and the second at their new flat. Pebbles the dog is as overweight and happy as ever.

Communed with nature. The treetop walk at MacRitchie Nature Reserve, that is. The walk to the bridge was quite lovely (but warm), the actual treetop walk was a little too short and non-death-defying (even Mum agreed), and only in Singapore does the last section of a nature walk run along a major road. The heat made me feel quite unwell.

Watched a movie in the cinema. Xiamen is not known for English language movie theatres (mainly because there aren’t any). Due to my mother’s irrational crush on Keanu Reeves, we were taken to watch Constantine in Balestier’s Shaw Plaza. I went along with it because: 1) she’s seen all the other films I wanted to see, and 2) it’s based on Hellblazer, which I haven’t read, but looks all right.

Went to Zouk on Mambo night. I haven’t been to Zouk in ages, let alone Mambo night. As I’ve informed Neil many a time, I was there when Zouk started Mambo night, in 1993. Back then, it was bone-crushingly busy, with queues to get in lasting practically all night. Only the coolest dancers had the balls to get up on the hexagonal platforms. Oh, how times have changed. When on God’s green earth did it become cool to mime the lyrics to songs? When did those who mimed identically become the people to emulate? In short, when did 80’s pop line dancing get hip? I need to know.

Saw Kristen. Which was a lovely, lovely thing. We spent one evening searching fruitlessly for a decent pub to have drinks — underscoring how truly uncool we are.

Caught up on my reading. Went to Borders and proceeded to purchase The System of the World, Fleshmarket Close, Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Harry Potter an the Order of the Phoenix (I may be late, but I got the hardcover edition for a mere S$7.95). Also bought Death’s Acre at a later date, and re-read Roots. I’ve read everything but The System of the World.

Bought CDs. I think we spent a lot of money on new CDs. We got the Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Sarah McLachlan, The Killers, Bloc Party, Green Day, and Franz Ferdinand newies. We probably walked away with more, but those are the ones I remember right now.

Ate my way through Singapore. Black Angus. Prawn noodles. Minced pork noodles. Prata at Farrer Court. Ipoh hor fun.

And now I’m back in Xiamen.