I was awoken from my jetlagged induced slumber around 2.30pm by news that I had been invited to the Istana and that I had to be there by 3.45pm.

I sleepily stumbled my way through lunch and drove slowly down to the official residence of our Head of State. By the time I was there I was fully awake. I drove up to the policemen guarding the back entrance, rolled down my window and casually said, "I'm here to see the President."

I've always wanted to do that!

It was pretty fun and President Nathan is a really nice chap. I told him about my swim and my studies, and he happily started telling me about his own childhood, growing up as a Straits-born Indian and confronting his own identity when a Japanese soldier asked him his nationality. Up till then, no one had questioned that they were British subjects, but the Japanese conquest forced them to start thinking about it.

After talking with him, I'm pretty sure I would vote for him if there had been an election. He is a good man, very humble and an excellent host. He was gracious and went out of his way to talk to everyone and make sure they were alright. He's not a politician, so it's not a surprise he's not well-spoken or media-savvy, but I think he epitomises many of the important characteristics we would want to see in our President. He's a good man and I like him.