On my way home, I passed by Katong Shopping Centre, site of our many DOTA battles, and I started to miss my friends, one in New York and one in Wollongong,Down Under. Stopping at the junction, my neck was starting to hurt from the windsurfing. I renewed my membership for one more year. The weather at East Coast in the afternoon was perfect,there was no sun,and most importantly no rain while the rest of Singapore was getting drenched, and a hard wind was blowing, so it was perfect for seasoned windsurfers and I guess not so perfect for someone like me getting back in it after a long layoff, I got far out enough, and then spent most of the time sitting on the board, enjoying the breeze and counting airplanes on their way to Changi. The few times which I got up to try and get back to shore,inevitably the strong wind knocked me off balance and into the water. On my last attempt, the mast of the sail snapped off and I had to be pulled back to shore by Wilson. I wasn't the only one who had problems. Josephine drifted all the way to Bedok Jetty and she had to walk back to the sailing centre on foot while the people from PA towed her board and sail back. I cheered her up by sharing my potato wedges with her. Misery loves company, but it wasn't that bad. We had fun and it was funny to talk about it.

Before we started surfing, I rode all the way to the end of East Coast, to the U- shaped jetty,with the old fishermen with chocolate faces. I sat down and stared out at the sea. The wind on my face, the constant sigh of the waves at the end of their journey from far off lands. The scene was serene. I looked at the old fisherman, seated on the marble stool next to mine and we exchanged smiles without saying a word. In that moment, I felt at peace, in harmony with the world, everything that had been bothering me, relegated to an afterthought.