Arrivederci

Next week this day I will probably be at the Police Station in Perugia battling over my ‘’permesso di soggiorno’’, and then running around like mad trying to buy health insurance at the post office, sitting for my entrance test and getting matriculated at the university.

It’s four more days before I leave for my one-month study in Italy and I am probably the most ill-prepared student.

I have not got my hotel accommodation booked (I need to stay temporarily at a hotel first before moving into the landlady’s), have not got my suitcase, let alone packed.

I barely got my study visa… and now the return leg of my flight has been screwed up by my travel agent. She promised to ‘’try her best’’ to try another flight, after letting the airline ‘’cancel my original booking’’, but If she screws it up again tomorrow, it would mean I would arrive Singapore later than planned, and miss a regional meeting with my boss, who would be flying here all the way from France, and who has already kindly agreed to postpone this meeting to December due to my trip. What is the point of yelling? She could not undo her irresponsible act, and it would not create any additional seat in the flight for me!

I don’t know why I am so nervous. I have gone on more ‘’exotic places’’ alone before. And I have also gone on more ‘’tough’’ business trips. But this time, it must be the pressure of juggling both work and study, and to be away for a considerable length of time.

Actually, it’s no big deal for my European colleagues – vacations are necessary and sacred for them. One of them was surprised I left behind such detailed contact info since I was ‘’on vacations’’. My boss even replied, ‘’ Janet out for a month dedicated to tortellini, spaghetti, ravioli, taglioni, ravioli i tutti quanti’’ when I asked him if I could refer urgent matters to him, in my absence. My President for Asia, also said, ‘’Enjoy, arrivederci!’’

I know one month will whoosh past in a blink of an eye. But I will miss the simple pleasures that I love here.

I will miss the horrible butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling just before my ballet lessons. Just thinking of catching up with the choreography with a very tired mind at the end of a hectic work day gives me stomach cramps. But once the music begins and the teacher starts, everything disappears, only pure joy remains.

I will miss saying hi to the friendly Starbucks guys after yoga on a quiet Saturday morning, as I order my usual double espresso and sandwich, and try to cramp one week’s worth of Italian homework just before I dash for class.

I will miss the putting on the forlorn look at my Italian tutor during class on Saturday, and saying, ‘’una pausa, per favore?’’ And when she said yes, we would dash for our much-needed espresso at McCafe, or Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

I will miss the people at the towel counter at the gym – ‘’hi Janet, you have been traveling again, long time no see…’’ Or the nod and smiles of the security guard at the Club on a Sunday morning as I leave for my run – ‘’morning – going for a run?’’

I will miss my Sunday morning runs and hearing one of the gym members say after the run, ‘’you have lost weight again?!’’

I will miss lunch appointments at Holland Village, and talk about new recipes with Aileen.

Most of all, I will miss having teh tarik and chats with dear Yannick at Far East Square.

Ah, but I will be back. And I can’t wait to catch up with friends back here again.

Ciao, arrivederci.