One Year On...

This time last year I'd just landed in Singapore. Spent my birthday in a plane in between timezones.

It's been a year. Wow.

Had a really good birthday party last night. Really good caterer, two great birthday cakes. yep - TWO cakes. One chocolate and one mille crepe.



Cool new things in the past 12 months:

• I'm working with some really cool, really, really smart people. It's crazy, hectic and sometimes scarey - everything's kinda new. But it's never, ever, dull. Plus we have a pool table at work.
• Asia's totally buzzing. I don't feel like I've moved to another country as much as I've moved continents. Everything's so intertwined. I work with colleagues from 5 or 6 countries at any one time. Walk down my aisle at work and you'll hear English, Chinese, Thai, Korean, Behasa.
  
• Plus Singapore's so centrally located - fly a couple of hours in any direction and it's a whole different world..
• The Esplanade in Singapore: a really, really terrific concert venue. The Arts Fest and Dance Fest brought in some really good arts groups. I keep telling my friend Carolyn who used to be the program director there that the Esplanade's saved my life. OK - slight hyperbole - but it's a great place.
  
• People! New people...people I used to know before I left... This place has become a lot more mixed in the past five years. It's never been a big deal to hear say...French or German being spoken here. But I've started to hear a bunch of Eastern European languages too - which is kinda cool and new.
  

So, yeah - it's been a pretty terrific year. And yes, I still miss Manhattan. And I miss people.

Oh - and here's a nerdy post-script. The photo on the post is Tsutaya - a bookstore in Tokyo that's open till like, 3am. Lots of coffee and cake and art books, mags and CDs. My favourite last night spot in the city. Yeah yeah...I'm such the party animal.