The Time of Farewells

Singapore, I am leaving you... with a foggy eye, and a lump in my throat.

Four and a half years in tropical Singapore are coming to a close as I ready to leave for New Delhi, India.  It has been bittersweet re-connecting with so many friends these past few days.  I have had such warm relationships with wonderful people in Singapore. And this really brings out the fact that this life is made up of the people we meet and come to love each day.  Here are some moments of my departure...

Good friends from all over the globe... at Fort Canning.

The picnic at Fort Canning Park.  My probable most favorite location in the whole city-island of Singapore is Fort Canning Park -- the old British military station on top of a hill in the centre of town in between the triangle of City Hall, Clarke Quay, and Dhoby Ghaut.  When I first moved to Singapore, so many years ago, I lived in a hotel for a month that was located adjacent to the park.  I'd go for a stroll in the evenings among the cobblestone paths, the hundred year trees, and the bullfrog chorus.  It was a magical place to me in my new home.  And this past weekend it was the location of my farewell picnic.  I organized an outdoor lunch for a close group of friends on top of the hill and right beside the fort gate.  It was a wonderful time full of happy faces, good food, and some playful games that I had brought along. A favorite was probably the two Balloon Helicopters that I brought.

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Me with the Chow family at the farewell dinner.

Uncle Chow, Alek, Weng Kiong (my 'older brother').

Tonight, I had a farewell dinner with the Chow family.  I moved in with Uncle Chow of Chinatown, Singapore about eight months ago now!  What was supposed to be a two month experiment in learning Mandarin Chinese, has turned into a  lifetime friendship with a large Singapore family.  Uncle Chow calls me his god-son now, and I call him my god-father.  I have met all of his Children and have really been invited into their family.  It is an experience that cannot be fully described.  ... Tonight they invited me to a farewell dinner at a most-delicious Chinese vegetarian restaurant at the Pearl's Centre at Outram Park.  The food was excellent, and it was a great chance to enjoy a last evening with their family before I leave for India.  Three of Uncle Chow's children were able to make it, along with their spouses and some of the grand-children.  We had a great time. Weng Kiong, Uncle Chow's only son, generously treated us to dinner and his family gave me some very touching and kind souvenirs to remember them by.  One of the gifts was a small book where they had each written me a message.  I will say I was most touched by the note from their youngest daughter... who is probably 10 or 11 years old, and who was the one who unambiguously defeated me at checkers when we played for the first time at Chinese New Year.  Quite profound for her age, she said "...the hardest thing to do is to say goodbye; but at least it has a "good" attached to it, and that promises a better tomorrow..."  What a bright little girl!  It was a wonderful evening, and I will miss them all dearly.