Mind Games

On our trip to Bintan this week I found myself at the end of the day lying on my bed watching nothing important. I was planning what I needed to do when I got home. Top of my list was to run to Wal-mart on Roberts Road to pick up some stuff. I had some subconscious recollection that it had been a long time since I had stocked up on things.

Later the same night I flipped through the news which showed the political candidates running for office in Singapore. They were canvasing and talking with people in the markets and hawker stalls. For just a second I thought how it had been fun to see people live like that and now we head home the next afternoon. Then it hit me. That is my life now. Hawker stands on every corner. No Wal-mart to be found.

Isn't it odd that the mind can play tricks on us? I really did think I was heading back to Fairfax, Virginia today. I'm not sad exactly. The Hyatt family arrived last week. That will be fun for us and we are having fun in our new life. We had Easter dinner at our house with Shon and Juli's family and the Hyatts. It was a fun and rowdy dinner party for 20. After dinner Jana said she thought that I look deeply happy here. She's right. Now if my mind can just remember there is no longer Wal-mart in my vocabulary.