As the dust settles again

Have been trying to post for the past four days but just haven't been able to muster up the energy to apply my thoughts to words- too labor-intensive. My mind and body is still painfully trying to shake up from the awful jet-lag this time round. The flight itself was surprisingly forgiving- I basically slept my way through Tokyo to Detroit (something I've never accomplished before); but for some cruel reason, adjusting back to the Eastern Time Zone has just not been fun. We're in bed by 11pm (if not 10pm every night), and all up and perky at 6-ish in the morning. Why do you think I'm blogging at 7am in the morning on a gorgeous spring day?

The trip home was great as always, albeit a little stressful this time round. It was a whirlwind just meeting everyone we wanted to meet in 20 days. Am a little sad about not spending as much time with some people as I wanted to though- my parents and sisters, my grandma too, and a couple of my close friends. More karaoke I say! And the food! Let's not even go there. Once I get all the photos uploaded, you'll see the obscene amount of eating that was involved... Suffice to say that am now in the midst of my annual post-Singapore ritual of contrition and restraint, i.e. The Diet.

Ann Arbor is beautiful this time of year. When we left, things were still a little grey, but Spring is here to stay finally- the weather's at that sweet spot where it's just warm enough to be lounging in the sun without being mucky, and breezy enough to be cool without the nippy chill of early April. Best of all, the undergrads are no where in sight, sanity has been restored, and we're reminded once again why Ann Arbor's one of the best places in this country to live, i.e. gorgeous greenery, clean streets, safe neighborhoods, great bookshops, the vibrantly intellectual environment, and basically, really nice people.

*Sigh* then December will come and I'll eat my words as I try valiantly to fit into my winter boots, jostle with obnoxious undergrads at the library, clear the slush from the front of our house, and dream of a sunny tropical island, 98% humidity and all...