An Untamed State
Slept a little last night but not a wink on my flight to finish Roxane Gay's book on An Untamed State. Great book- I had to stop my tears from falling.
Mom picked me up at the airport this afternoon. I spent the next half an hour telling her about Linh Nam- how dogs are illegally trucked into Hanoi from China; how they are hung up behind street stalls in Linh Nam where I lived for a fortnight; the predictability of breakfast, lunch and dinner; the harsh living conditions in our apartment; the strong stench of sewage in the toilet; the weak pressure of our showers; the rats in the apartment; the horrible traffic condition in Vietnam; the kids in Sapa; the beautiful caves of Halong Bay; the friends I have met; my Vietnamese students... And I ended off with Ma, I am so glad to be home.
I really am.
A fortnight in Vietnam helped me see and realise what Singapore isn't and what she is because of Lee Kuan Yew. In Singapore, I squat with weights. In Hanoi, I squat over dirty toilet bowls.
Sure, the past fortnight in Hanoi was really hard- I begged my parents to change my flight back the first night I was there. I cried on a thin and dirty pillow that night, wondering why I chose to pay a huge sum of 2k to volunteer, wondering why I picked Vietnam over Wales and Ireland.
But uncertainty is an adventure and I survived it. And I found more things to be grateful and thank Jesus for.
I MADE IT
Slept a little last night but not a wink on my flight to finish Roxane Gay's book on An Untamed State. Great book- I had to stop my tears from falling.
Mom picked me up at the airport this afternoon. I spent the next half an hour telling her about Linh Nam- how dogs are illegally trucked into Hanoi from China; how they are hung up behind street stalls in Linh Nam where I lived for a fortnight; the predictability of breakfast, lunch and dinner; the harsh living conditions in our apartment; the strong stench of sewage in the toilet; the weak pressure of our showers; the rats in the apartment; the horrible traffic condition in Vietnam; the kids in Sapa; the beautiful caves of Halong Bay; the friends I have met; my Vietnamese students... And I ended off with Ma, I am so glad to be home.
I really am.
A fortnight in Vietnam helped me see and realise what Singapore isn't and what she is because of Lee Kuan Yew. In Singapore, I squat with weights. In Hanoi, I squat over dirty toilet bowls.
Sure, the past fortnight in Hanoi was really hard- I begged my parents to change my flight back the first night I was there. I cried on a thin and dirty pillow that night, wondering why I chose to pay a huge sum of 2k to volunteer, wondering why I picked Vietnam over Wales and Ireland.
But uncertainty is an adventure and I survived it. And I found more things to be grateful and thank Jesus for.
I MADE IT
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