First friendships in Singapore

or: how considering spaces in which events are bound to emerge is a much better idea than designing what ought to happen

near Holland Village MRT station, March 1, 2022

Relocating to Singapore was a singularly complicated affair for us. After a prelude in the summer of 2020, it really started happening in the early weeks of 2021, and by April of the same year, the contract was finally signed. Little did we know that it would take another full nine-month pregnancy before we had cut through enough red tape and conquered a fair enough amount of Covid measures, travel restrictions, and vaccination mandates, to see us land at Changi airport. It was Christmas eve and the island was covered in a tropical thunderstorm of sorts¹.
So it happened that during the eight months from May to December, we had ample time to slowly prepare the grounds and break the ice about our plans to our family and friends and acquaintances.

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Initial reactions were mixed, to say the least.
I mean, we were prepared for quite a bit of it, but we failed to be ready for all of it.

Here is some of what people said

are you out of your mind? nature freaks, going to a concrete jungle?
a free soul like Francis is sure to end up in trouble
the…