Time is flying ...

[mood:tired&sad]
[location:@work/SIN]

Here I am ... back again.
Unfortunately @ work, but nevertheless I am taking some time now to update my blog.

As you can see from my pictures (http://stephan.innovite.net - please send me an email if PWD is required), I've been to Kuala Lumpur last weekend, to catch up with 'old' friends of mine from VFKK & of course to see that amazing city.

So I got a bus ticket to KL, which turns out to be really cheap (around 16 Ringit - one way ~ 4 USD). I was sitting on this bus, when I was running out of battery with my laptop. Hm, I was just about to switch it off, as I saw the plugs for the power supply. Hehe ... Watching DVD & playing games the whole 4 hours. *Amazing* ...

Arrived at KL at about 10:30 pm and recognized, that I am somewhere in the city, without money and no clue where to go. The only 'white' guy, surrounded by 2000 asian people, all starring at my suitcase. Let's better hurry up and leave. Went inside Petronas towers - hell ... such a nice building - but it always looks much higher on TV?! - found an ATM, took a cab and drove to Thao's place. That damned cab driver charged me 15 Ringit - almost as much as I paid for the bus ride! *bastard* ... Anyway I was happy to be at my friends place.

Her friend Pilar, originally from Spain, but now working in Manila, was there as well. So we first got my sleeping place set up - we had to get the mattress from a friends place using a cab. Face of the cab driver was quite funny, as he saw me coming down with the mattress. *lol* ...

After all this hard work, we finally went out and discovered the nightlife of KL. Went dancing, tried to finish a whole bottle of Vodka, but emptied it the night afterwards ;) ...

Saturday was sightseeing ... Chinatown, Monorail, Courthouse etc.
As Thao was organising a pool party that night, we had to get some stuff and prepare food as well. Said - done ... 7 pm: the first guests arrived and we drank the delicious SanGria at the pool, enjoyed satay with peanut sauce and were just very happy.

It was really a VFKK re-united party, Nobu from Japan, Wesley - our local guide -, Jeje (I hope this name is spelled correctly!) & Joane, both from the Philippines, Darian from Thailand ... We've all been to VFKK in Manila / Tokyo. Half a year later - met again in Malaysia. Amazing. Was really good to catch up with them again. *fun*

On sunday, we drove down to Melaka, which is supposed to be 'the city to be' in Malaysia. *lol* ... Nice little city with a highly visible dutch influence.
In the afternoon, I took the bus back home, which was a real hell ride. I was the only 'not asian' person in there. There was not even one person speaking english!!!! *lost* ... They tried to translate everything using hand and feet, so we finally arrived at the border of Singapore. Traffic jam ... Customs ... Another traffic jam ... 1 hr waiting to get my luggage through SIN customs ... that is sooo ridicolous ... Not only, that they are searching every f****** bag, also you have to tell them the full life cycle story of every item in your suitcase. What the hell do I know, where and when I got my *tiger* underwear from?! *g* ...
I also heard, that they are tracking your petrol consumption. You are not allowed to come back into Singapore, with more petrol than you've left with. *weird*

Got to bed at around 1 am and slept like a baby until a real heavy storm kicked me out of bed. I've just moved apartments to the 20st floor and - holy - it was sooo loud. Lightnings / thunders ... and a waterfall coming down on SIN.
Next morning, the whole starbucks was flooded, but I was still able to get a cappuccino - as you might have recognized, I've changed from espresso to cap ... just to have the milk topping *g* ...

This week is kinda quiet. Work is normal - currently re-developing internal systems for a large australian bank. Quite interesting, especially as I am not from the financial area. Running from one meeting to another, solving problems (most of the time it turns out to create new probs!!) ... and as usual looking forward to the end of the day.

The next couple of weeks will be a lot of travelling.
This weekend I will go for a day trip to Bintan (small island close to Singapore). Next weekend - the looooong awaited flight to Bali, to meet Rene (aka Che) and his new girl friend. I am soooo much looking forward to that, as I haven't seen him for a very long time now. I spoke to him on the phone the other day - he is doing good and we will have a lot of things to talk about!

Other items on my agenda: Koh Samui (Kho Phangan) - to meet Manuel (friend from Munich) with his girlie there. It is also a good chance to discover the famous 'Full-Moon-Party' ... Thailand - the germans are coming!!
After that, I have to fly back to Sydney for a couple of days, to re-new my health insurrance (it is only valid for 60 days per trip!). And of course to attend to the famous long party-nights.

That's not all yet - Mid of Sept, I will finally come back to Germany!!!! *yippie* ... 14 - 20st of Sept!! Need to get my flights soon, but shouldn't be a problem. I am currently really missing my friends back home. Also Xen & James & Matt will come over to Germany to attend the Oktoberfest.

Hey .. *** stop *** stop *** stop *** .... yes ... beside of that I am also working! It is not 'just' leisure!! *g*

Friends ... Hmm ... Sandra ...
Most of you will already know, that finally Sandra and me, we had to make a decision, how to go on with our life & relationship. It turned out to be very, very difficult not to see each other for more than 4 months now.
We finally broke up - in peace! Makes me very sad, to lose someone after such a long time (~ 5 years), but I assume it is the better solution for the both of us.
Please - for all the "sapient" people out there: Keep your damned comments for your own. We both knew that it will be very hard to life in such a relationship. It finally didn't work out. The last thing we need right now are people telling us: "I always told you ..." blablablablabla ...
Beside of losing Sandra, I also lose a lot of people I met through her with whom I really had a great time. Thanks again for everything!! I really appreciated the time & I am already looking forward to see you all again: then propably in a different surrounding, but still I hope we all stay in contact.
I am always happy to receive Emails / Messages etc. from people back home - also if it takes me quite a while to answer sometimes, I am all the time willing to answer all of them.

How do I feel about it?! Hmm ... Difficult to describe: Sad - very sad indeed. Lonely ... Time is passing by and something is missing in my life. I don't even know, when I had a proper conversation with a friend the last time. All the smalltalk ... all the new people ... it is really getting too much now. All these 'surface-related-conversations" ... *aaaaargghhhh*
I am so not interested in meeting women right now, but to find good male-friends over here is very difficult, as it takes time - which I really don't have. Whenever I get closer to some people, I am leaving again. Leaves me with the question: "Where do I belong to?!" ... Sydney? Not really ... Singapore?! *lol - no* and Germany? Not any more.
Holy s*** - life is getting more & more complicated now. When I was sitting in Germany I always wanted to leave it and discover the whole wide world. Now I am doing it and I am slowly recognizing that it is harder than I've expected. Nevertheless ... no reason for me to give up, what I've started. Time will solve all issues! I am still believing in that! I just need to figure some things out ...

Anyway ... I am looking forward for tonight, as a friend from Dubai is flying in. Will be good to see her again.

Ttys (Talk to you soon) ...
Ste[ph]an