Gift Giving Give Up

Rain in Singapore can really keep one from going outside. This was the case of today and it was not only stopping me from going, it was also stopping Ash. We were supposed to meet at Nex by twelve thirty, but the weather was so bad that even going the few meters to the stations was impossible. Eventually we figured it out!

The rain eventually subsided enough for me to get to the subway, but it was still too heavy on the east coast where Ash lives so she got a ride with her mom. Around one o'clock we finally found each other and were so hungry we went straight to a Japanese place. Last time we were there we looked at it but I said it looked too heavy. I underestimated the restaurant, the food was really good! At Idaten Udon you could make your owl bowl of udon, which is thick noodles, but they also made rice bowls are well. Though the name and the place surely are known for the udon, we both took their Beef Sukiyaki Rice. It felt like a fast food place where we ordered directly to the man making the food and receiving our bowls over the stove. We moved our trays along the track, arriving at the next station, and put some fried sides on another plate. Fried potato, fried shrimp, fried chicken and chicken dumplings. They were all so very delicious - and surprisingly fresh even though they lay out in the open like that.

Lunch was satisfying. We ate until we could eat no more, both of us trying to eat the small amount still in the bowls. Eventually we returned our trays and walked away. Being at the mall, we looked around for a perfume-store. I wanted to buy John a welcome-home gift and since I used a lot of my favourite of his perfumes on a pillow, I thought I would be the same one. Unfortunately, perfumes are seasonal, which I find weird. The specific one John has is a Summer edition from 2011, called L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme by Issey Miyake. None of the three stores we checked had that one, only later editions, but online stores still sold them. Sadly they were too expensive and I decided not to order it.

Without a clear goal we wandered around clueless. I still wanted to find a gift for John, but it became impossible. The console Switch was out of question and a new PS4 controller as well, though I know he wants a designed one, but I think he wants to design it himself. At one point I was convinced to buy handgrips, but I managed to talk Ash into talking me out of it. Not sure how I managed that... I could not come up with many gift ideas, buying gifts is the hardest quest one could give me. Eventually I gave up, no welcome-home gift for John.

We walked up to Fairprice on the top floor. I needed someone to help me buy anti ant sprays and traps. With a phobia for ants I find it difficult to look at or touch pictures of ants, and of course they need to put pictures of ants on the bottles and packages with products to kill them. I find it unnecessary. The word ant is enough, I know what it is. Apart from both a spray and a package of traps we bought nice Japanese juice. We could have gotten a free gift since the juice had a promo, but after paying we forgot about it.

Ash had a wedding to attend later on the evening so around four we felt that we were done. I had failed in my quest to find a gift and she wanted to get home and get ready. By the gates to the subway I saw, for the first time in Singapore, free riders - two young guys sneaking in without paying. I met eyes with one of them, clearly showing that I had seen what they had done, and they ran away laughing. After living in Stockholm it is easy to see the ones not paying, but it is unusual here in Singapore. I was surprised nobody else noticed, not even the guards. Feeling no obligation to report them I continued on my way, seeing the guys talking excitedly to each other and looking at me.

At home I vacuum cleaned the apartment, making it clean and fresh for John. He will be back home tomorrow around noon and I have missed him so much! Two weeks apart, feels like a month. Last night to sleep alone, well... alone with two cats snoring by my feet.