No, its not because I cannot sit in my own room and think or write. Its just somehow my room, either in Singapore or in Warwick. is often four-wallish, lacking moving objects, lacking multiple sources of ambient sounds and most of all lacking strangers.
This is the reason I like to sit at cafes to do my writethink. Even if not all cafes are less four-wallish, it tends to have the other things my room might not have that I like for writethink.
Moving objects. People, both inside and outside, move. Some cafes have ceiling fans, they move too. Cars outside street cafes move too (though this is an ability of cars not exclusive to ones just outside cafes); perhaps that's why I enjoy Paris so much.
Ambient sounds. Conversations at other tables. Yes, i eavesdrop. And the best thing at cafes is that you can choose which topics of conversation that interest you, and you only tune in to the one that interests. The hiss of coffee machines are somehow comforting. Shuffling of waiters and waitresses, clinking of glasses.
Strangers. Somehow, people watching is an excellent muse for me to do my writethink; wondering where they came from and where they are rushing to. whether they slept well last night, guessing what was the last phonecall they made, were they happy with life at the moment...Somehow the energies from other lives lends inspiration for me to think about my own.
There. Trying to make sense of my love for cafes. This year, two cafes have taken a piece of my heart: (1) Gorilla Coffee cafe, 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (2) Casa Verde cafe, Botanical Gardens, Singapore.
Do you like cafes too?
Uncle T
31 Dec 2008
round midnight 9:45 am
the crazy
I looked at my watch and it was shortly after midnight. One of us suggested leaving the car behind. We looked at each other, exchanging nervous smiles before moving on in the humid Singapore night. We naturally bunched together as we approached the entrance.
It was just a small parting in the thick tropical foliage, the entrance to the forest beyond. Someone suggested turning back, but before we knew it, we stepped in and could not even see the person in front. It was total darkness.
Our eyes started to get used to seeing in the dark.But all we made out were odd shapes that stared at us. We carefully dodged hanging branches and uneven ground. All we heard was the nightsong of the forest and our nervous attempts to make conversation as we pressed on. We were determined to get there because there was no turning back.
Then we saw it. As we made the turn, we saw it shimmer amidst the dense darkness around. The water edge. The reflection of the surrounding forest on the water seemed to create another world, undiscovered. But it was beautiful as Lower Pierce Reservoir seemed to light the end of the dark forest tunnel that seemed to go on for ages.
Funny. But we then started talking about the use of Latin in the Catholic Church.
since old days
The 5 of us met up for supper. Josephians that go way back. In fact, it has been 2.5 years since I last saw Daniel. It was nice. After the prata shop closed at midnight, we decided to head off somewhere else. Somehow, it led us to deciding to talk a maniac walk through the broadwalk trail at Lower Pierce past midnight.
Somehow the talk on Latin and the Catholic church lasted us the walk back to the car. We then headed to Kenn's poolside to talk over drinks, laughing enough to make lights turn on in the apartment block at 2am.
It was nice. Simple, raw fun. Fun that you don't have to hold back on. Fun that you find with old friends.
Thank you dear friends. I'm off, once again. A bientot, Singapore.
Uncle T
I looked at my watch and it was shortly after midnight. One of us suggested leaving the car behind. We looked at each other, exchanging nervous smiles before moving on in the humid Singapore night. We naturally bunched together as we approached the entrance.
It was just a small parting in the thick tropical foliage, the entrance to the forest beyond. Someone suggested turning back, but before we knew it, we stepped in and could not even see the person in front. It was total darkness.
Our eyes started to get used to seeing in the dark.But all we made out were odd shapes that stared at us. We carefully dodged hanging branches and uneven ground. All we heard was the nightsong of the forest and our nervous attempts to make conversation as we pressed on. We were determined to get there because there was no turning back.
Then we saw it. As we made the turn, we saw it shimmer amidst the dense darkness around. The water edge. The reflection of the surrounding forest on the water seemed to create another world, undiscovered. But it was beautiful as Lower Pierce Reservoir seemed to light the end of the dark forest tunnel that seemed to go on for ages.
Funny. But we then started talking about the use of Latin in the Catholic Church.
since old days
The 5 of us met up for supper. Josephians that go way back. In fact, it has been 2.5 years since I last saw Daniel. It was nice. After the prata shop closed at midnight, we decided to head off somewhere else. Somehow, it led us to deciding to talk a maniac walk through the broadwalk trail at Lower Pierce past midnight.
Somehow the talk on Latin and the Catholic church lasted us the walk back to the car. We then headed to Kenn's poolside to talk over drinks, laughing enough to make lights turn on in the apartment block at 2am.
It was nice. Simple, raw fun. Fun that you don't have to hold back on. Fun that you find with old friends.
Thank you dear friends. I'm off, once again. A bientot, Singapore.
Uncle T
26 Dec 2008
someday we'll do this. 10:27 pm
if someone is inspired to perform the following video some time in their life, tell me. and we can make it happen, somehow, someday. amazing.
Uncle T
Uncle T
a bit of christmas 10:48 am
One bit of Christmas was spent entertaining my 3 adorable and endearing cousins climbing all over me and my gadgets. They were part of the reason I often miss home. Watching them grow up has been a greatest privilege.
Here are some shots of them using my mac, and more to come of Christmas day. :)
Here are some shots of them using my mac, and more to come of Christmas day. :)
Uncle T
24 Dec 2008
it just crept up from nowhere 10:20 am
it crept up from nowhere.
hugging me from behind
as the snow that is not there
fall, as the carols sing.
with the luggage before me,
framed by the window and curtains,
backdropped by pre-Christmas showers,
spirited by Corrine May's carols,
i sit here awaiting for it to happen.
i sit at home, finally, for it to happen.
and yet, it crept up from nowhere.
christmas crept up on me.
we always have our own
ideal of a perfect christmas.
some wait years for it to
happen. but perhaps that
perfect christmas is for us to build. we have certain expectations, and when they are not
met, we give ourselves the
worst christmas gift
of cynicism, robbing our future
of any possible joy.
i wish you joy and thanksgiving and
hope
this christmas, every christmas.
joy doesn't always come as euphoric explosions.
joy sometimes comes in the quiet peace
that hugs you from inside, like a
big bubble bath.
after all, there were no fireworks on that
silent night, holy night,
when all was calm and
all was bright.
God bless dear friends. Merry Christmas.
Uncle T
hugging me from behind
as the snow that is not there
fall, as the carols sing.
with the luggage before me,
framed by the window and curtains,
backdropped by pre-Christmas showers,
spirited by Corrine May's carols,
i sit here awaiting for it to happen.
i sit at home, finally, for it to happen.
and yet, it crept up from nowhere.
christmas crept up on me.
we always have our own
ideal of a perfect christmas.
some wait years for it to
happen. but perhaps that
perfect christmas is for us to build. we have certain expectations, and when they are not
met, we give ourselves the
worst christmas gift
of cynicism, robbing our future
of any possible joy.
i wish you joy and thanksgiving and
hope
this christmas, every christmas.
joy doesn't always come as euphoric explosions.
joy sometimes comes in the quiet peace
that hugs you from inside, like a
big bubble bath.
after all, there were no fireworks on that
silent night, holy night,
when all was calm and
all was bright.
God bless dear friends. Merry Christmas.
Uncle T
22 Dec 2008
Glancing back at tradition. 1:05 am
Looking forward, naturally.
Perhaps its because I’m graduating, and so are friends; others are starting out on careers and marriages. So I’ve been thinking about the future; career ambitions, daydreams of kids and family life, strategic financial plans to retire early… I am sure I am not alone in looking forward in this sense; peers would also be doing the same. So looking forward is normal (or so I’m trying to convince myself here).
Glancing back at tradition
So how about looking back? I’ve been charged so often for being nostalgic so often its hackneyed. And sometimes I relent and admit I’m too “sentimental”. But today, I was not apologetic about looking backwards: looking at snippets of a culture that ran through my dad and his brothers, my grandparents, and more ancestors down the line. Today, I was blessed to share in that culture, rituals that make that culture, that possibly might, and likely so, die during my generation.
We offered incense, wine, tea, food and paper money to the different deities in the Taoist tradition at the altar that has been a prominent feature at my grandparents’ flat since a young boy. How this altar figured in my toddling days was that I was to keep away from hot burning incense. Now it makes so much more sense.
Surely this whole process is interesting and intriguing to me, where each part of the ritual has its own rules. For instance, waiting 10 minutes after offering the tea and wine before offering paper money so as to allow “digestion time” for the deities. But because I’m in a way detached as its not my religion, these religious rituals were at best, interesting and intriguing. Yet, what went beyond interesting was the respect offered to my ancestors.
Ancestral worship is rather commonplace across most religions; as Catholics, we too have “All Souls Day” as a close similarity. Yet, what struck me today was that these ancestors I was offering incense to on behalf of the family, were direct family; these were ancestors that were with the same surname, these were ancestors that included my grandfather’s father and grandmother. At that moment when I offered the incense at the ancestral tablet, I felt what a terrible pity it would be if my children would know nothing of all this.
The struggle between tradition and relevance
I believe we are in an age where forces such as consumerism, media and social-networking tools tend to complicate and possibly tear away at the process of deep self-discovery of a personal identity. Simply, it would go something like: I’m a Nike-crazy and Grey’s Anatomy-gaga person (I’m not!). Yet, its totally possible too that these forces help with making self-identity more definitive. Again, simplistically, Facebook allows us to change our status by the minute. Yet, these forces often do not encourage us to look back at the road we have taken to get to where we are, to appreciate the social construct from which we came from; where our parents, and their parents, came from. Possibly, such traditions as the one I experienced today, may be one such means to allow our past, our heritage, enter part of the self-defining process.
I won’t provide any suggestions as to how to do this. May go into a cheemalogy rant. But what I know is I somehow hope my children will know a little of their heritage, of being part of the “Foo” family, and possibly of being Chinese. But one challenge tradition has to face is the one of relevance; how relevant is tradition in self-identity, and possibly family identity?
I will ask the question, and leave it as that. How does it figure in your family? Is family even relevant in an era where heterosexually defined families may be challenged? I don’t know. Perhaps you’ll like to share with me. Please do.
Uncle T
Perhaps its because I’m graduating, and so are friends; others are starting out on careers and marriages. So I’ve been thinking about the future; career ambitions, daydreams of kids and family life, strategic financial plans to retire early… I am sure I am not alone in looking forward in this sense; peers would also be doing the same. So looking forward is normal (or so I’m trying to convince myself here).
Glancing back at tradition
So how about looking back? I’ve been charged so often for being nostalgic so often its hackneyed. And sometimes I relent and admit I’m too “sentimental”. But today, I was not apologetic about looking backwards: looking at snippets of a culture that ran through my dad and his brothers, my grandparents, and more ancestors down the line. Today, I was blessed to share in that culture, rituals that make that culture, that possibly might, and likely so, die during my generation.
Tampines, where I spent some time of my toddling years. Somewhere I hold quaintly in me.
Today, my family (or more like my grandparents) celebrated the lunar winter season with a prayer session in the Taoist tradition. For years now, as the oldest grandson of the family, I go through the motion of the rituals, having hardly any clue all these years of what I was doing. And since Taoism isn’t my religion, there was lesser impetus to figure out what was going on. I just went through the motion.We offered incense, wine, tea, food and paper money to the different deities in the Taoist tradition at the altar that has been a prominent feature at my grandparents’ flat since a young boy. How this altar figured in my toddling days was that I was to keep away from hot burning incense. Now it makes so much more sense.
Surely this whole process is interesting and intriguing to me, where each part of the ritual has its own rules. For instance, waiting 10 minutes after offering the tea and wine before offering paper money so as to allow “digestion time” for the deities. But because I’m in a way detached as its not my religion, these religious rituals were at best, interesting and intriguing. Yet, what went beyond interesting was the respect offered to my ancestors.
Ancestral worship is rather commonplace across most religions; as Catholics, we too have “All Souls Day” as a close similarity. Yet, what struck me today was that these ancestors I was offering incense to on behalf of the family, were direct family; these were ancestors that were with the same surname, these were ancestors that included my grandfather’s father and grandmother. At that moment when I offered the incense at the ancestral tablet, I felt what a terrible pity it would be if my children would know nothing of all this.
The struggle between tradition and relevance
I believe we are in an age where forces such as consumerism, media and social-networking tools tend to complicate and possibly tear away at the process of deep self-discovery of a personal identity. Simply, it would go something like: I’m a Nike-crazy and Grey’s Anatomy-gaga person (I’m not!). Yet, its totally possible too that these forces help with making self-identity more definitive. Again, simplistically, Facebook allows us to change our status by the minute. Yet, these forces often do not encourage us to look back at the road we have taken to get to where we are, to appreciate the social construct from which we came from; where our parents, and their parents, came from. Possibly, such traditions as the one I experienced today, may be one such means to allow our past, our heritage, enter part of the self-defining process.
I won’t provide any suggestions as to how to do this. May go into a cheemalogy rant. But what I know is I somehow hope my children will know a little of their heritage, of being part of the “Foo” family, and possibly of being Chinese. But one challenge tradition has to face is the one of relevance; how relevant is tradition in self-identity, and possibly family identity?
I will ask the question, and leave it as that. How does it figure in your family? Is family even relevant in an era where heterosexually defined families may be challenged? I don’t know. Perhaps you’ll like to share with me. Please do.
regardless of relevance, the reality is that my children will take this surname, inherit its heritage.
Uncle T
20 Dec 2008
Impending. Merely on the horizon 12:49 am
It is just about 6 months before I return back to Singapore and settle back here. And that eventuality is looming just on the horizon and constantly pushing itself from the back to the front of my mind, my thoughts.
Certainly, this impending eventuality, came into even clearer focus as I visited my future workplace, my future home, yesterday. Many thoughts rushed back and forth in my head, with questions spilling out of my ears; what will it be like working here, will I get a good boss, will I screw up, what's my pay like...
But I guess, worry only occupies the mind here and now, and provides no answers moving forward. It is only natural that we have doubts of the uncertain future, but we have to often pull ourselves together and do what we possibly can NOW in anticipation of future uncertainty. Whilst its often natural to worry, there is no point worrying. My steps forward, with regards to career, are slowly becoming clearer as I put aside my worries and appreciate the uncertainty of tomorrow.
Oh well, c'est la vie!
Uncle T
Certainly, this impending eventuality, came into even clearer focus as I visited my future workplace, my future home, yesterday. Many thoughts rushed back and forth in my head, with questions spilling out of my ears; what will it be like working here, will I get a good boss, will I screw up, what's my pay like...
But I guess, worry only occupies the mind here and now, and provides no answers moving forward. It is only natural that we have doubts of the uncertain future, but we have to often pull ourselves together and do what we possibly can NOW in anticipation of future uncertainty. Whilst its often natural to worry, there is no point worrying. My steps forward, with regards to career, are slowly becoming clearer as I put aside my worries and appreciate the uncertainty of tomorrow.
Oh well, c'est la vie!
Snaps@ the.future.workplace.
Uncle T
19 Dec 2008
Kontinuation of photo-tour 2:04 am
This is continuing from my previous post.
an old singapore fizzy drink.
An evening@Old School on Mt Sophia
Old School, now a complex that houses media, entertainment and art companies and outfits, was once the old MGS girls school atop Mount Sophia in the heart of the Civic District in Singapore. This was an old haunt for young kids like my dad who would visit relatives in the city from the kampungs. I wondered if it was the hill or the girls school that was the draw...
typical wall from old singapore schools.
my cooperative model. trying to look emo.
erm... mummy would yell at me taking shots like these as being wasteful. erm...the new generation might call it artistically trashy. or emo.
sneaking around the creative studios. and found a hardworking creative soul. a foreign creative soul.
we finally spotted a floating figure.
Makan@Portsdown Road
traditional fish & chips at Colbar. really nice, in my opinion. batter not overly thick, and fish is fresh, along with crisp chips.
an old singapore fizzy drink.
An evening@Old School on Mt Sophia
Old School, now a complex that houses media, entertainment and art companies and outfits, was once the old MGS girls school atop Mount Sophia in the heart of the Civic District in Singapore. This was an old haunt for young kids like my dad who would visit relatives in the city from the kampungs. I wondered if it was the hill or the girls school that was the draw...
i half-imagined seeing white figures floating between the pillars...
typical wall from old singapore schools.
my cooperative model. trying to look emo.
erm... mummy would yell at me taking shots like these as being wasteful. erm...the new generation might call it artistically trashy. or emo.
sneaking around the creative studios. and found a hardworking creative soul. a foreign creative soul.
we finally spotted a floating figure.
again, my cooperative model.
excellent live music at timbre in Old School. Fatt, the guitarist, is an amazing finger-style guitarist. do visit. and call me if you do.
some twinkle to end the evening.
Uncle T
some twinkle to end the evening.