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The little things I mean. Every day things, things you probably don’t even think twice about in your day-to-day life. Sometimes we’re on autopilot, maybe even lots of times, and we don’t realize how we move through this life. So I think it’s good to throw a wrench in the system every once in a while. Even if it is just some of the little things. 

1. Writing and saying the date. Today’s date, for instance, I would typically write July 23, 2008. Or 7/23/08. No longer. Now it’s 23rd July 2008 or 23/7/08. 

2. Transition from the English measurement system to the metric system. How many centimeters tall am I? I have no clue. Littleton Public Schools, I blame you. I’m sure I was taught this at some point, and I do know a bit – running a 5K, etc. –  but clearly it does not come naturally. Well now I know. I’m 167.64 cm.

I’m surprised at how often I feel like a fool for not knowing the metric system well. How fast in kilometers are we driving in this taxi? How much weight in kilograms can I lift? How much water in liters should I put in this pot? At what temperature in centigrade does a human being melt? 

3. Two dollar bills. I love this feature of Singaporean money. It’s just so great to have two dollar bills. That is all. 

4. Lah. This is just one of the little features of Singlish that I am growing to understand. It’s used at the end of sentences and is very prevalent here. I’m sure we’ll do a whole post on Singlish some day, but this is just one of the little things okay lah. 

5. Ordering coffee. How in the hell do you order a plain old black coffee? I don’t know. Unless I’m at Starbucks. Sometimes I order a long black, which is like an Americano, which is like espresso with hot water. Or sometimes you can say kopi and see what you end up with. But now I’m kind of on a cappuccino kick anyway. Mmm cappuccino. 

6. Carrying an umbrella everywhere. And I mean everywhere. It only takes getting caught in the rain one time to know that this is an imperative. Do not leave the house without an umbrella. See my earlier point about melting. 

7. Crossing the street when the cars drive on the other side. Look right, then left. No left, then right. Or just look back and forth side to side frantically and run like the wind if it looks clear. But don’t jaywalk. You get a fine for jaywalking. Big fine. 

8. No tipping. Actually this didn’t take much getting used to. I like this! The service is usually mediocre at best, but that’s okay, because you don’t have to tip. No tipping taxi drivers either. 

9. Six digit pin numbers and eight digit telephone numbers. Numbers numbers numbers boring. 

10. Chinese subtitles on everything. Actually I don’t notice it all that much anymore, but at first it kind of threw me for a loop. When they do both English and Chinese subtitles it can still get a little confusing. So many places for my eyes to look! 

I’m sure there are one million more, but these are just some of the little things that we’re slowly adapting to over here. Kisses.