matt's 101 in 1001

I don't believe I'm sitting here on this train, writing this journal, drinking this coffee, wearing these clothes, taking in the view of these snowy mountains. It is both so real and surreal.

In addition to this blog, I also keep a written journal of my personal thoughts, what I'm feeling, etc; something more for my own benefit, rather than this, which is a diversion out of your busy lives at best.

But today, perhaps the result of sleep-deprived delerium (as I type this, I'm approaching 40 hours without sleep, thanks to some awkwardly-timed flights and train trips), I had the epiphany I've been waiting for. After an absolutely excruciating 13-hour flight, we took the slightly more relaxed train trip from Frankfurt to Munich. The trip was amazing, with views of increasingly mountaineous and snow- and ice-covered scenery, the further we went along. As the train sidled to one of the few stops on our trip, it began to snow. I am not ashamed to say I was in awe, like a kid at Christmastime.

And that's when it hit me. Singapore was such a Westernised country, with a warm climate, where I was hanging out with friends, and where most people speak barely-adequate English (like Australia!). But here, only select people speak English and the weather is freezing! My point is, this finally feels like something significant, rather than a brief holiday away. Of course, this means the excitement has increased tenfold, but so too has the reality that I'm so far from home and it finally feels like it. Perhaps most pressing in my mind is the return of the cloud of uncertainty that's been hanging over me ever since I started to consider this trip. I'm sure I'll find my feet soon enough. But for now, I'm in this very opaque state-of-mind.

Forgot to mention our trip to Sim Lim Square yesterday as well (where shopping is a baffling ordeal). Haggling is the name of the game here, and the tactics used by some of the shopkeepers are shifty to say the least! Sim Lim Square is a massive five-story (I think) shopping complex specialising exclusively in electronics. Needless to say, it's utter pandemonium, but an experience to wander about, and avoid people offering you reams of catalogues, people attempting to sell you ridiculously overpriced goods (pre-haggle) and people trying to sell you said ridiculously overpriced goods if you so much as touch it (as per the, you make contact with it, you bought it store policy). Oh the hilarity!

Thanks all for your comments on the blog! Much appreciated! I'll be checking in soon!

Caveat: German keyboards are zany.