From -7 to 30 degrees

I was still living in Vancouver when I was interviewed for a research position with FCL Global. My second 7pm (Vancouver time) interview ended with an unofficial offer for this position starting this fall in Singapore-ETH Centre – a dream opportunity, but in a not so ideal time.

Vancouver had just started getting warmer and less rainy. My partner asked me: “Can you imagine Singapore right now is 10 degrees warmer than here, and with 95% humidity?”. Little did we know that we will still be stuck in Canada in December.

I have worked remotely since the beginning of the pandemic and taught two courses online. I am now no stranger to working from home. However, starting a new position overseas with a 16-hour time difference while living in your in-law’s basement on an island has been an entirely different experience, for better or for worse.

The routine I established during COVID-19 has now shattered to pieces. I am the kind of person who likes to stick to a schedule, which has helped me adapt to the sudden changes of work-life balance due to the pandemic. In hindsight, living in a familiar city with your friends and family has also made this so much easier.

I was scrambling and desperate for a new routine when we first moved into my in-law’s house in Vancouver Island. I needed Google Maps to navigate wherever I went, knew nothing about where to get decent coffee, and could not find an authentic ramen bar. On top of all this I had to get ready for meetings at 11pm with my new colleagues in Singapore and Zurich. Still, I admit that I am very grateful for my in-laws to let us stay, and the ‘dinner is ready” call is something no one should take it for granted.

After a month, I was finally getting used to this trans-pacific work schedule, feeling productive, and learning a lot. I was a regular to the local bike trails and even signed up for a monthly gym membership.

But soon, everything changed again...

Fast forward, 10 Dec, 10:05 pm, we landed in Changi, queuing for immigration, picking up our luggage, and getting my nose swabbed for the second time within 48 hours. We were immediately impressed by how organised the arrival process was. “This is actually faster than pre-COVID travel, minus the extra paperwork we need to provide”, my wife told me on our way to the hotel.

“I know! This is going to be our home for the next two years.” I replied, while looking at all the cars zipping by even when it was close to midnight.
 

Singapore and Canada have established quarantine-free flights for fully vaccinated travellers. We were out and about and apartment-hunting the following day after our negative COVID tests. Our apartment in Singapore was available only at 1 Jan 2022 and that meant staying in a hotel for over three weeks.

I was never a fan of hotels, let alone working remotely from one. Regardless how homey the décor it has, a hotel room is a hotel room. It is temporary, foreign, and the opposite of routine and stability. Fortunately, I did not have to endure this as much as I would have if it were not during a major holiday season. I utilised all the tips & tricks I learnt and heard about working-from-home and tried to make my way through work-from-hotel in Singapore. Unfortunately, it was not pretty and I most likely will not want to try this again anytime soon.

If you have made this far into my story, you may probably tell me that all these issues are typical first-world problems, particularly with everything that is happening in the world now. It is a cliché but if there is one thing that I’ve learned during these past six months of repeated moving, adapting, and settling, it is the appreciation and gratitude of what I have now: not too greedy, not to compare against others or even against your past self.

I have come to realise how fortunate I have been after settling in our new apartment in Singapore. I am still eager to develop my new routine and keep forgetting buses are now coming from the left side of road. I am no longer desperate. I am hopeful and grateful for every small step I take. 2022 is here with new projects, new challenges, and more importantly opportunities for us to self-reflect and to learn who we are.