The Wisdom of the Weekend

When one loves one’s work, as I do, it’s tempting to do nothing but. But Jack will be a dull boy if he doesn’t get out of the house. And so after making the wise choice of a morning swim, I set out into the Singapore day. It began promisingly enough with watching the local celebration of Thaipusam in the Indian community (more on this next post). This the kind of ritual that I have so admired my whole life long—the meeting point of human community, communion with the gods, life made more colorful and intensive with music, dance, food, costume, the buzz of the crowd and the crowd all ages mixed together. 

From there, on I walked to Orchard Road, from the sacred to the profane, past all the stores filled with stuff, so little of which we actually need. My goal was the Botanical Gardens and trying to follow a little map I had printed out, found myself in a neighborhood that didn’t look familiar. I had passed the Hotel Jen where I had stayed many years previously and often walked to the garden back then, but this old brain was still capable of noting, “Hmm. I don’t think this is right.”

Luckily, I don’t seem cursed with a male reluctance to ask directions, so I did and was turned around to the right direction. Suddenly, everything was now familiar and I made it into these lovely gardens, sat by the lake and read a bit and just sat and breathed in a bit of the day. On to new territory to meet some folks for dinner at a hard-to-find (but easier after asking yet more directions of people) restaurant called Original Sin and what a pleasure to sit outside in the shade under light ceiling fans and have fabulous vegetarian food (kale salad!), with three delightful music teachers. Having probably walked some 8 miles, I was happy to take the MRT Subway home and that was a different kind of pleasure, the kind I enjoyed many years in Tokyo trying to figure out a new transit system.

A short evening of reading, writing and listening to some music. In short, a perfect day.

Tomorrow, the laundry!