cookie?

today, i met a friendly stranger who lives in the same block as me.

in a HDB block as old as mine (that's about 3-decades), situated in a less-than-prime area (apparently being in close proximity to an awesome 24-hour prata house doesn't count), you get, to loosely categorize, two kinds of neighbors: first-hand owners who have lived here almost half their lives, and temporary tenants who change hands faster than you can sneeze, the latter more often than not using their rooms as a furniture storage solution as they make their transition to a (presumably) nicer house somewhere. so when i step into the elevator, chances are i'll either meet a neighbor i've known my whole life, or a complete stranger who has little motivation to make acquaintances with.

oh, on that note, there are some old neighbors who have this permanent scowl etched on their faces, you know, the kind your parents threaten you with when you're small and you threw a tantrum about something you can't remember now, but that's another story altogether.

so anyway, i was walking home today when i realized this earphone-wearng dude was taking the same route as me, munching on Marie biscuits from a plastic bag, and as we stepped into the elevator he took out a biscuit and gave it to me.

what a funny way to say hi.