A day of rest

Today was a lazy day. My family just whiled away the time relaxing after the hectic celebrations of Christmas. Thanks, Kelly, for the brownies. They were delicious as always.

At around 5 today we left the house to go out to Seletar reservoir for a walk in the park. It's been awhile since I have been able to just walk about in some park peacefully, without a care in the world, almost. In those few hours I just refused to let any worries cloud my mind.

Then we left the reservoir to make a drive towards Sembawang Park, next to the sea. Along the way we passed by great open spaces, all rarities in Singapore, that seemed so lush, green and empty. It was like we had passed out of Singapore to a greener and fresher country. Then all of a sudden we drove past this field that was dotted with brown skeletons of trees, all of them leafless. It struck me deeply because I was reminded of the German countryside in winter as one crosses the border into Switzerland. And in that moment I yearned to be abroad, back somewhere in Europe, preferably that German countryside. That field, and following that, all the surrounding landscape, seemed so foreign. For the rest of the journey I sat wondering at how suddenly Singapore didn't seem local anymore, and that even as I reached home, somehow the place didn't seem that familiar.

And I remembered that, of course, we are all wayfarers, passing through a land that is not home.