Every day, my colleagues would bring their lunch boxes in the form of tingkats - containers that are stacked vertically. Tingkat is a malay word and we used tingkats back in the day in SG and they still use em here. So cute.

Then they'd congregate to eat at a corner and chit chat during lunch time.

Although they spoke in Burmese throughout, I was contented with the food I had, which was shared with all of my colleagues who urged me to try stuff they brought from home. Actually, they always ask me to try their food but I always reject them coz damn paiseh to eat their food?? Somemore it's not a lot and I don't wanna be a beast/pig and eat.

So when my colleague told me the day before that she was gonna bring food for me the next day I quickly said, nononono. She was like, why??? I said it's ok!! You don't have to!!! I really hate to trouble people?!?! But what a nice gesture it was.

I was damn touched lah because I take it as a sign of WELCOME, YOU ARE ONE OF US NOW Hahahahah. I felt accepted into the Burmese culture and I took it as them welcoming me into their way of life.

While we were eating, one of them said that a previous intern messaged her via facebook to ask how are the current interns like. And she replied to him jokingly: "Better than you!!!!". BAAHHAHA> AWWW!!!! Dunno the degree of truth in it but I believe it!

I think these colleagues aren't my colleagues. They are my friendssss and I really like them. There's absolutely no politics in this office. I thought it was Burmese culture that everyone's like that but my colleague told me no, it just so happens that the ones in the office are so nice and awesome!??!

Not only the fact that they're nice that I'm grateful about... We can talk about so much things. About personal stuff and ideas/ thoughts about the world. They tell me how they feel about their government, I share with them what I do at home and how Singapore is like. We talk about our families, friends.... It's wonderful : ) And it's each one of them that I have that personal bond with.

Just today, I shared a conversation with a colleague about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (Daw means Ms and U means Mr in Burmese). At one point she said: "I really feel so much for her and her father. They give so much to the country..." I actually thought she was gonna cry, and it made my heart clench a bit.

So it's these conversations that I feel so glad to be able to share with my colleagues here. Language can be a barrier but none too big a barrier...

I seem to always be blessed by wonderful colleagues everywhere that I've worked at. I'm lucky indeed.