i am heading back to warwick. is it to close a chapter or prepare for a new one? thank you all for making my 3-week Singapore holiday one to remember.
Uncle T
2 Jan 2009
31 Dec 2008
my cafe affair 11:35 pm
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
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
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