Several weeks ago, I made the shift to stay on campus. I’m back to being a Temasekian. Communal living isn’t new; there’s just a few adjustments that I need to get used to.

For one, being housed on level one has its pros and cons. Unlike the other residents who get to enjoy a more scenic view of the Singapore harbour, the only apparent incentive I get is the relatively shorter distance from the car park to my room.

Unlike residents who get invited to almost every night supper because of their proximity to the quadrangle, I get to enjoy hours of undisturbed peace at night just to mug.

Living on the first level adds an extra layer of defense at no extra charges to your hostel fees. The idea of having extra window grilles to protect me from petty pilferers though, portrays me as a caged animal.

But I am happy.

On the flip side though, I hate sleeping with geckos. Although they helped quite a bit in getting rid of pesky little pests, but to clean up after these lizards isn’t a job scope explicitly written for me.

Hall life brightens me up quite a bit. There are events to look forward to and more people to talk to. To an undergraduate who is constantly occupied with assignments and sometimes irritable project mates, having someone to speak to prevents my cynical self from bordering on those suicidal thoughts.

I am grateful, partly because God has made provisions that surpassed my expectations. And especially at these times when I drift further from the heavenly father, He has shown me that His grace alone is truly all I need. It is hard to comprehend the concept of a spiritually providing Father, let alone apply it in our everyday lives.