Sooo, I’m 29! Have been for almost two entire days. To be honest, it doesn’t feel any different knowing that it’s the last year of my twenties and that at this age, my mum had already had me, her second kid. And I wasn’t even going to post anything about this whole birthday bullshit, until this happened:
Some kid wrote about me in his school essay about modern nomadism! I’m not entirely sure, but I’m pretty certain that it’s a kid I taught … FIVE YEARS AGO. How insane is that? That he a) remembers me after all this time, b) reads my blog (kid, if you’re reading my blog now – HI!), c) thinks I’m a good example to write about in his school essay!
Honestly, I’m pretty chuffed. I don’t think Singapore has much of a “nomadic community” at all, and I am quite pleased that I’ve earned a tiny bit of a reputation as a nomad! I’m glad to be making waves, if not in the tiny group of nomads who hail from Singapore, at least in the minds of young impressionable teens. And, if not even that, I’m pretty damn pleased with myself that some kid I taught ages and ages and ages ago still remembers me.
Seriously though. A few weeks ago, I came across an essay I’d written when I was 11 or 12, in Tamil no less about what my life would be like in 20 years. Young, innocent and naive as I was, I believed I’d be married, with two kids, holding down a steady job as a teacher, and filial enough to visit my parents every Saturday. My life is pretty far from what 12-year old Ranjani imagined it would look like. But I’d like to think 12-year old me would have liked this version of myself a lot better.
I think I’m starting to ramble. But before I go – one last announcement: I’m now officially known as Crunch! That’s right. Officially, legally and totally legit-ly. The start of a new era, perhaps. But maybe a continuation of the previous one wouldn’t be too bad either.
Happy (belated) birthday to me!
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