Monday Paradise. Celebrating having known each other for 18 months, S and I go for breakfast at The Knolls at the Capella on Sentosa on Monday morning. A very paradisiac spot on a hilltop overlooking rainforest and ocean. Quiet, calm, beautiful. Lavish spread, Christmas music, watermelon pieces shaped Like Christmas trees… Then off to work.
Influenza. Suddenly, at the office on Tuesday, in a meeting with my team, I start feeling shaky and achy, ice-cold all the way through to my bones, which, along with my muscles, are all screaming with pain. After trying to ignore these signs for a while, I finally pull myself out of the conference room, unable to focus on what people are saying let alone contribute with anything useful, and take a taxi home, where S stands ready with hugs and a cup of tea, tucking me in and hugging me in bed before going down to pick up flowers at the market. We were supposed to hang out with his sister-in-law, who is in town on business. A great opportunity for us to meet – she lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and their two kids – before we’re with the whole family in India next week. However, S has to meet her for dinner alone all week, as I can’t do anything besides feeling sorry for myself and sleeping. On Thursday morning, he takes me to the hospital, just to make sure it’s not some sort of infection… they give me two litres of liquid intravenously and 8 packets of colourful pills for my recovery. And a mask (!). I get home just in time to say a hazy, groggy goodbye to my friend, who has been staying with us for a week and now is leaving Singapore for good – at least for now 🙂 She too has picked up flowers from the market as well, and I’m sad I can’t say a proper goodbye. I’m just so depleted, haha. Very quickly, she and I became such good, close friends. She has an amazing energy about her… The good thing is, as with all of those girls leaving Singapore, I will see her in Copenhagen…
Better on Sunday. On the last day of the week, I feel well enough to read in bed (!) and to walk with S to the local mall to pick out presents for his 9-year-old niece and 7-year-old nephew. I look forward to meeting them, getting to know them, spending Christmas with them. It’s funny – normally, looking forward to Christmas means imagining everything that’s going to happen over the holidays down to the tiniest detail. This year, like last year in Bali, I only have a few ideas about what’s going to happen. It’s a new adventure, with my loving boyfriend and his family. One thing is certain – I won’t be having any funny feelings about them doing things a bit differently – as everything about this Indian/American Catholic Christmas in Goa will be completely different from my usual Protestant Danish Christmases in the cold North. In a way, that’s kind of a relief – and exciting. Well, very exciting. In the evening, I meet a friend at the Cathay Cineplex to watch the new Star Wars film – The Last Jedi. Quite selfish of me, as I cough throughout the whole thing. It’s so good though. It’s a tradition to watch those films with my family, so this is another opportunity to think of them and miss them. Luckily, my friend is a really good cinema buddy as well. And after the film, she drives me home and hands me a beautiful Christmas present she picked up for me in Hanoi last week, a delicate pink ceramics espresso cup. So sweet and thoughtful of her. I’ll find her an awesome New Years gift in Goa, haha 🙂
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