I’ve been at my new company for a little over a month and it has been great so far. I’m enjoying the feeling of working downtown. You can feel the energy and drive. But I can also sense how this can be tiring too. I guess luckily I work for the creative industry so there’s always something thrilling that’s scheduled.

I’ve discovered…

• The uncles stationed outside Tanjong Pagar MRT giving out the same flyers everyday. I want to be environmentally conscious but I also understand these old men stand there and get paid a few dollars just to distribute flyers. Instead of snubbing them every morning, I take a flyer and smile. Then I trash the flyer (selling office equipment to PR application services) at the paper recycling bin. lol
• It’s crazy to have lunch anytime from noon until 2:00pm. The CBD eateries are crowded to the brim. Best to have brunch around 11:30pm and then a light snack around 2:30pm. I had a whole downtown eatery to myself at 2:30pm.
• Salads, wraps, all things “take-away friendly” are the norm downtown. And the service is fast at some places. Like they have five people passing you from ordering, to toppings, to cashier… like a well-oiled machine.
• As expected, food downtown costs much more. I used to spend SGD 4.50 to 6.00 for lunch time back at my previous company. Now, lunch is about SGD 7.00 to 9.00. And, sometimes when you have so many options to choose from… it’s hard to actually pick something!
• Going home at 6:30pm via the MRT is a bit harsh. Rush hour! Best time to leave the office is actually past 7:00pm when the MRT is a bit more manageable.

I’m totally feeling the CBD vibe. I’m aware that perhaps this is only the honeymoon phase and one day I’ll simply blend into the crowd. I think I worked my ass for this. I never experienced working in Makati during my six years in the Philippine capital. And in my first two years in Singapore, I was working at a location in the middle of an estate that has more swimming pools than public playgrounds.