Starting "Real Life"

I got back on Monday. Though I really only got back from Israel, it feels like I got back from Israel, our dive trip, the US, and really, the whole year at INSEAD. No joke.

I came back to our new apartment which is an upgrade but a downsize. We had about 1200 sq ft, three bedrooms, three bathrooms (if you count Maria's - just in case you don't remember, Maria is our invisible, non-existent maid. There's no space for her in our new place so we left her there). We had more closets and drawers than we knew what to do with. It was dark, it was hot, it had pretty weird furniture, especially curtains, but it sure was spacious. It was, however, about an hour from EVERYWHERE other than our friends who live near us, some of our favorite restaurants, the market, and the sea. To get to work, to get downtown, to see most friends, we had to travel a lot, and it was really annoying.

We got it in our heads that we were going to move downtown, and when we started looking for apartments, we realized that we really didn't want to pay for more than one bedroom, since we don't need it, but we got pretty hooked on the idea. So, we now live near the Little India MRT, about a ten minute (15?) walk from Dhoby Ghaut, in a one bedroom. The complex was opened last year, so it's all brand new, and it's just way nicer. And brighter. And the air conditioning works. We're just figuring out how to squeeze ourselves into this space. We're working it out. Not ready to post pictures yet, though...Here are some pictures of the complex.

In addition to being in a new apartment, I have also started my job. I haven't formally announced this here yet, but pending my employment pass, which should be finished processing in the next day or so, I will be the executive director of the World Toilet Organization. It will be an extremely challenging and exciting position. I am the first person to have this position, and there hasn't been a lot of management, so considering it's been around for about eight years, there are a lot of processes to implement and things to figure out, but the organization has so much potential, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where it goes.

In other news, it's hungry ghost month again, so there are little offerings burning all over this country at all hours. I like seeing people participate in this, and the picture below is what I saw on my way to the MRT after work. Apparently, outside of the Philips factory, all DHL guys were invited to burn stuff for the hungry ghosts.