I went solo to my friend's boyfriend's surprise birthday party last night. There're a couple of things which were unusual about this situation.

1. I was going solo, unable to find anyone to go with me (who would actually enjoy the crowd that would be there).
2. I didn't know anyone there other than my friend, her boyfriend and the other birthday celebrant (who is someone I dated briefly last year, but things didn't work out as we didn't have too much in common).
   
3. It was in Joo Chiat, a place I've been to now only twice in my life.

I wasn't sure whether I'd have a good time, given how I was feeling. I mean, I didn't know that many people there, and the crowd... well, other than my friend, another girl there and myself, everyone else was essentially an American-born something or other. Now, I find Americans generally fine, but sometimes, if you get too many of them together, they get rather frat-boy like.

There were some minor celebrities there, as it turned out. Someone who used to be on Eye for a Guy and was among last year's Cleo Eligible Bachelors, as well as an American who is apparently dating the supporting actress in L'Enfant. At first, I was rather sceptical of the latter's story (I mean, c'mon, a French actress dating a Singapore-based American? What are the odds of that?), until I found a friend of mine who knew the other side of the story and corroborated it. Immensely small world we live in, I tell you.

Other than these verifications of the six degrees of separation theory, the party had other notable highlights, such as featuring awesomely delicious Mexican food catered by Margarita's (108 Faber Drive, Tel: 67771782), piñatas and great masks (it was a Masquerade theme party). Now, I am a sucker for Mexican food, and the refried beans, guacamole, nacho cheese sauce and beef enchiladas were absolutely scrumptious. I hear the restaurant's on the expensive side, so I'm glad I got a chance to try the food out at my friend's party.

It's times like these that make me wonder just a little whether I really could survive that well out of Singapore. Singapore is my home, and I love her a lot, but sometimes, it drives me crazy, just doing the same thing day in, day out, and just encountering the same small-minded people at least 75% of the time. But I have a lot of friends here, friends who have made this place so much more bearable than it would otherwise have been.

And compared to Hong Kong at least, this place has music. It may not compare in terms of vibrancy and liveliness, but Singapore has music. Internationally-renowned DJs and bands come to Singapore on a regular basis, and it's not too inconvenient to go check them out. Clubs here have actual dance floors where people can go let their hair down.

Yes, there're cities in this world that can beat Singapore when it comes to the music and clubbing scene, but there isn't any place that you can name which can beat it when it comes to my friends.