It has not sunk in yet, despite having made plans for it more than a year now. This would be the longest period I have been away from Singapore since I came here in 2000.

Singapore is the place I grew up. Coming here as a gawky 16 year old, Singapore was a big culture shock and I spent more than 6 months recovering from it and getting out of home sickness. Singapore is where I got my first email account - in 2000 (fell into disuse by the time gmail came by!). Singapore is where I found Deepak and it is where we got married. It is here that I learned everything about webdesign.

Singapore is home to a lot of friends who have been through the same pains and trials as I have. Those whom I know for more than 8 years. Singapore is also home to some of the best people I know.

Singapore food grew on me. Being a vegetarian, it was (still is) hard to find authentic singaporean vegetarian food. I know how much I will miss my Teh Halia and Honey prata. Not to mention the delicious Buddhist vegetarian fare of Bukit Merah and my favourite mock stuff - A bowl of hot and spicy mock prawn noodles soup.

I will miss Arab street. Most of all I will miss the National Library. Through Bookjetty and the NLB I have borrowed countless books. Read more about Africa (my flavour of the year) than I could possibly keep up with.

Singapore meant comfort and safety. I know I will miss it terribly when I am gone. Glad to know it will not be long before I come back.