Time is flying by. It has been a little while since my last entry and currently I am sitting on an airplane bound for Hong Kong. The sky is covered with clouds in every directions, but since we are flying above them, there is an abundance of sunshine as well.
Winter seems to be coming, my friends in Hong Kong and Taiwan have told me that it got quite cold. But I am rather sure that it will not be as cold as Germany at this time. The news have been talking about the change of weather the last days that brought a lot of snow and ice. Maybe I should have packed my warm hat, scarf and gloves when I was leaving warm Germany about 4 months ago.
Thinking about it, this is my fourth trip to Asia. During the first three trips, I was leaving usually in the first months of the year when it was still cold, usually in January or February and only came back when it was warmer already. This time, I will return to the cold weather. I think the winter depression (shorter days with less sunlight, cold temperatures, colorless surroundings) together with the reintegration and reverse culture shock will give me a rather difficult time in the next months ahead. It has always been the same after my trips.
But I am looking forward to be back home for Christmas. The climate here is just not right. I do not think that I could get into the right Christmas mood here. The weather needs to be cold outside for the right feeling. During Christmas time, it is so cold outside that one is really looking forward to come back home or another place where it is warm and comfortable. At tropical places, it is rather the other way around: it is freaking hot outside and one is looking forward to the freezing air-condition at home. Even though the shops here are already decorated and Christmas music is playing, I feel it is just odd. The two times that I have been abroad during Christmas time, I was rather lucky. First, I was an exchange student in Wisconsin and we had plenty of snow and cold weather. The second time I was in Florida. I know, normally one does not think of Florida as a cold place, but at that time, we had the coldest winter in 20 years. There was no snow, but we were still freezing outside.
Anyways, I shall try to enjoy the weather here while I still can.
The last weeks I have been living in Kuching, Malaysia. It still feels the same there, but a whole bunch of new buildings are under construction or are finished already. And I have the impression that the way they city is being built and expanding, Kuching people will have to continue to rely on their cars to get around. Much like in US cities. And public transport still needs to be improved...
When I was leaving Sarawak, I only noticed later that the customs officer did not give me an exit stamp and the officer in Johor put the exit stamp right next to the immigration stamp of Sarawak. So I had to answer a few questions at Singapore immigration about that. There was actually a Malaysian immigration officer sitting next to the Singapore official (at least I think he was a Malaysian immigration officer) who only commented
"Dunno what the are doing lah. You might have a problem going back to Sarawak, do you want to enter Singapore and risk that?" Well of course, after all I had to catch a flight from Singapore a few days later.
My days in Singapore were short this time, did not do as much as last time, but it was still enjoyable and I think I got a few more people hooked on Munchkin.
The next days in Hong Kong and Taiwan will also be rushed and I am looking forward to sleep in my big bed in Tuebingen again.
