apples of gold in settings of silver

Last night, I paid a visit to my independent friend's rented flat in the boondocks, I mean, the first Housing Estate in Singapore *meaningful look*. No seriously, it's at a great location, super close to her workplace *2nd meaningful look* and really near to the MRT station. Since her online presence is sort of anonymous (a tenuous sort of), she shall be known as my independent friend henceforth. Doesn't it have a nice ring to it? Anyway, it's my 2nd time there and we're planning a party already! Woohoo! The great thing about no parents... Not that we're planning to do heinous things during this get-together, it's just that staying up and random spillages and messes when I and certain others encounter food and drink are so much less stressful than in a parent-ful house. Parents are great of course  =)  my independent friend and I concurred that however much they may annoy us at times, family is really important. Hurrah!

 

Anyway, I just came back from church camp at Batam. It was really nice to experience church and the company of family and friends away from Singapore for a while. I walked on the jetty during sunset, and it was awesome. Sea all around, green, fulsome kelp below and gorgeous colors playing off fantastical cloud-shapes in the sky above and around. A truly 3-D yet painting-like experience. A walk on the 2nd day to a further jetty was really nice too - we saw mudskippers (I was very proud to point them out and have my friends yelp in surprise as the previously camouflaged fish moved on the rocks) and crabs and other creatures - from a safe distance of course. We had entertainingly funny sermons too  =)  and pool games! Woohoo! The slight downer was that before the camp I had this romantic notion that I would find quiet spots on the island to ruminate and write in my diary - but I didn't. There were so many activities and people to talk to that I barely had time to sleep, let alone to think. Hmm. Nmind, I do value the time I got to spend with people on the camp. I will look for quiet spots in Singapore, the island that a friend of mine has so recently praised, to do my rumination. Another friend of mine who came to NUS on exchange would occasionally hop on the bus to Sentosa on a Friday afternoon and sit at the beach to read (and hopefully not get drunk). That sounds like a pretty cool idea, tho' it might cost $4 a trip including entry and bus fare. Heh.