The porters in my apartment complex are really lovely. I think I'm going to miss them when I leave. Miss feeling like there's this nice group of people I can call whenever I have any minor issues in the apartment. I have been a bit spoilt that way. There's this particular British porter who is particularly sweet. He has this way of saying my name that makes me feel like he knows me, that I am not just one of the residents among many. I like it when people do that. I suppose I really like being treated as a unique individual, and not one among many with similar characteristics. Even if the characteristics were true, say I am a student among many students, I would like to be treated as "me", not one of the many students, if that makes sense? The more they show me that they really see me, the individual, with my own individual characteristics and history, the more I like it. The more I warm up....

So coming back to this particular porter. I had a parcel to pick up today and it was his shift. I think this was probably the first time I interacted with him up close since I came back from China, so he asked, was it China you went to around December? I said yes. To which he asked how it was. And I said it wasn't the first time I went and it gets better the more familiar one gets. To which he broke that wide smile. Something made me add, "but this is also a new country for me". He was taken aback. Shocked that I would compare my experience here with China. ...And he came back with, "I hope we take good care of you". His smile was kind and mischievous. I had to concur profusely! I felt he wanted to be reassured my experience here was much better than China. I couldn't help wonder later how people tend to assume that visiting certain countries, particularly in the East, must be some sort of traumatic experience... but never stop to think that many of us are also experiencing this country as an "other" country. I guess they take it for granted that this must be superior to what we had because we have chosen to be here. I think by mentioning this country in the same breath as another country I toppled his worldview for a second...