Monday, June 15, 2009

oh life!


Life can be terrible complicated and yet oh so simple. I cherish the simple days, todays was one of them. A quiet Sunday, woken up by no alarm clocks, a simple brunch with Su..a trip down to Borders..then back to home. Suresh has been on leave for 2 weeks, spending time with him during work-weeks is near to impossible. He is an Educational therapist for special needs children (and i daresay he is a pro at his job!) and as much as loves the kids, he gets really drained out by the end of a day. He works with a big group of kids and his colleagues are great but his boss is quite the slave-driver and sadly (for the kids) a shrewd calculative businesswoman. I don't normally people-bash but this lady is really quite horrific.

Had to nip into Borders to buy books pertaining to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The latest module studies this form of therapy in detail, and my assignment is pending...i should have started 2 weeks ago but oh Su was on leave and I just didn't have the heart to not spend time with him! Next time we'll have time like this will be sometime next year..no year-end holidays sadly because i'll be working on another module then :( So i bought 3 books on CBT and hehe had to buy a fiction book..its like depriving a kid in a candystore! I bought F.Scott Fitzgerald's short stories that included Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I just loved the movie, an old man who is a baby, imagine that! I could relate to some themes in the story- of being lonelier than others just for being different, of knowing beyond what you would expect to know at a given age. I look young'ish but most friends will tell you I'm an old soul. Plenty of times i believe i'm not meant to be of this day and age, because I struggle with globalism's after-effects..but i would not have had the opportunities i've been given. Being a minority in Singapore you appreciate its equal opportunity system. Its odd being Me - I feel akin to India but feel like a total stranger when i'm there or amidst my own, I feel totally at ease in Singapore but do not agree with its ways of life. The lack of personal time, personal space..the pursuit of material gains, financial gains. Half of the time my friends are talking about the laptop they just 'pimped up', the Prada coat they bought, the exclusive locations for dinner. These 'ideals' give them plenty to talk about in a group, and when I walk in saying I dislike being brand-conscious and I do not aspire to buy the most talked about tech-savvy item, i get odd looks. Hmph.

Anyway, so after Borders we slipped into a cab and had dinner at home. I am a very unmotivated cook so we usually eat takeout..im really going to try to change this habit. The hubby cooks like a chef but he is so pooped after work, cant blame the guy. We sat down talking about how crazy our lives have been over the years and that after 2 years of marriage it seems to be settling bit by bit. Its a toughie bcos of my past - the dysfunctional family background, the physical/emotional abuse by folks, having nervous breakdowns and trying to bail out on life on numerous occasions, seeing myself through university and now beyond postgraduate studies, falling in love with 'the one' and sticking to my guns no matter what the folks had to say abt him. And this is just the tip of my life's iceberg mind you. I am pretty sure thats why i feel so tired with life sometimes even at age 27! My leg injuries add on to the fatigue..they're life-long injuries and i will talk abt em another time.

The whole point of this entry is that as i was moaning about the deep pain in my feet on my way home, the cab was at a traffic stop nearing my flat. An old, wobbly kneed Chinese uncle (in Singapore, we call all elders brother/sister, auntie/uncle out of respect of the various cultures and generations) held a bag of groceries in one hand and a walking-aid in the other , patiently waiting for the traffic signal to turn green later on because there wasn't enough time left before the signal turned red. I put my head down in embarassment - here I was complaining. I do feel heartened that i did notice how silly my 'woes' were, it stopped me from fretting right then. If i could have gotten outta the cab i would have helped him across the street.

So I'll live to do a good deed today, and pray for commonsense in my sorrows.
Til my next entry, much love xxx

2 comments:

  1. I totally identify with your feelings of 'being an old soul in a young body' and 'not of this age & time'. The former applied much better when I was younger :P The body has now finally caught up with the soul ;-) Imo though - a fabulous combo old soul + young body - enjoy it :)
    Also feel the same way about India and Singapore - but now that I'm going to be moving back to India soon - I've been teaching myself how to live here again amidst all the madness & chaos! Isn't it strange how just 4 yrs of living elsewhere can make you forget that you've lived and loved here all your life? If I'm anything though - I'm adaptable!
    All in all - everything in life is about perspective isn't it? I took a 6 month course in psychology & counselling @ the Linguistic Council - and my one huge takeaway was - 'Life is all about Perception', if your patient feels he has a problem - he does! Ever since, I've realized - changing perceptions is the hardest job on earth!!

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  2. Identify with the feelings of 'old soul, young body' and 'feeling torn between India & Singapore' completely. The former used to be true for me when I was younger, now the body sometimes feels older than the soul ;-) Imo - it's a fabulous combo: old soul + young body = much happiness! Enjoy it :-)

    I used to feel that way abt India & Singapore - until we decided to move back to India this year. Now that I'm moving back - I've begun teaching myself how to 're-live' amidst the resident madness and chaos! Isn't it strange how just 4 yrs of relative material comfort can make you forget the fact that you lived & loved, right here in India for all your life? But if I'm anything - I'm adaptable!

    But that's what life is all about I guess - perceptions. Took a short counselling class once and my biggest takeaway was, 'Life is all about perceptions. A patient's perception of his problem/life is all important. If he thinks he has a problem - he does!' Doesn't matter what you think! Ever since, I've realized, changing perceptions is the hardest job in the world!!

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