Mukta Arya - Criss Cross: A Medley of Thoughts

Criss Cross

A Medley of Thoughts

Mukta Arya

Copyright 2020 by Mukta Arya.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Contents

It was August 2016 and I moved to Singapore from Hong Kong. A new country, new surroundings, adjustments to my lifeit was exciting and daunting at the same time. I turned to the same channel (that I always go to) to capture my thoughts that were bubbling over in my mind while in this new placea blog.

The following pages contain my thoughts on both personal and professional topics, which I penned down while sitting in my balcony over several cups of tea, and surrounded by greenery and calm.

The thoughts/opinions in this book are my own and do not the reflect the views of the organizations that I have worked in.

It was August 2016 when I moved with my bag and baggage to the beautiful island of Singapore. A whirlwind of activities related to work, finding an apartment, new hairdresser, and cleaning agency; and catching up with long-lost friends kept me very busy that year.

When the frenzy died down and I was left to myself, only then did I discover the little treasures that Singapore hides behind its modern look.

The mlange of cultures, the greenery intertwined with concrete, the calm waters of Singapore River, the taste of the hawker centres, carrot cakes with dark sauce, Lo-Hei during Chinese New Year, outlet shopping malls, the electric scooters, the little restaurants in the riverfront in Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay, the quiet little lanes just minutes away from the bustling tourist spots, the museums with amusing histories, the weekend markets, the shows in Marina Bay Sands, the condominiums and the HDBs, pepper crab, books about Singapore, and last but not the least, my wonderful colleagues with a great sense of humour.

It has been only six months in Singapore, and I have just seen the tip of the iceberg. I am looking forward to going deep into the cultural depths of this interesting place.

How does it feel when someone from your past enters your life again?

How does it feel when your tranquil life is suddenly shaken up?

Do you take it in stride?

Do you worry about history repeating itself?

Does the excitement of the uncertainty keep you hooked?

Do you forget about the pains of the past?

Do your sweet memories overcome the shadows?

So many thoughts meander around, and finally the promise of a sweet beginning wins the battle. It is only a promise, but what stops us from dreaming of a dream that remained a dream for a long time.

My move to Singapore renewed my interest in gardening (as I had space in my apartment for this hobby). Armed with enthusiasm, I bought several plants for my balcony.

The beautiful plants gave me a wonderful feeling of being alive. For the first few days, I behaved like a doting mother, watering the plants with love and admiring them from time to time. Then I had to travel, and I forgot all about them. I came back and one of the plants had died. I was shocked and tried to revive it, but it would not come back to life.

I replaced the dead plant and started giving them more attention. Then for two days, I got so involved in my work and socializing that the plants did not come to my mind. I opened the balcony door in the morning and there I saw, my beloved plants all dead and shrivelled. I cannot forget the sight as it is imprinted in my memory.

I then realized that any living being in my home is like my own child. If I dont take care of them every day, if I dont nurture them with love and care, they will not survive. And it is true every day.

I cannot be lazy and think that they will take care of themselves. They are my responsibility, from the time I brought them into my life, and will be until I decide I dont want them in my life anymore.

Its also true for everything else in life relationships, whether they are personal or professionalthey will not bloom if we dont nurture them with love and care on a consistent basis.

The important thing is to realize that you are the one who should take the lead in providing the nourishment for the relationship. If you wait for someone else to do it, you might wake up one day and find the relationship dead and shrivelled.

I like the days when I have no planned activity.

Its on days like these that I really take a step back and think about my life and those who are important to me. Its on days like these when I realize again the value of those, whom I can call when I really feel like talking to them. These are the days when I think about all the things that I am grateful for.

On these days, I convince myself that the world has a lot for all of us, and I really should not be sweating the small stuff, when I realize that life is to be celebrated every day, that love enters your life to be cherished, that people who care for you are the ones I should take care of.

These are the days when I reaffirm to myself that there are no shortcuts in life, that nothing is impossible. What you really need is determination and an iron will.

I love the days when I dont need to set an alarm, and I just go with the flow. If I want, I order food, or just make do with what I have at home.

These are the days when I can just watch programmes on TV and laugh and cry with them.

Sometimes, I just sit in the balcony and paint my weird-looking ashtray in bright colours, and sometimes I just admire my collection of necklaces.

I really look forward to these empty days, when I am just myself.

In the past few months, I have come across many people who are content with their life and exude a form of calmness, which is very soothing. Their satisfaction with the current state, living in the moment, and enjoying the little things in life seem to be the motto of life for them.

Its true that if you sit back and think, there are plenty of things to be happy about in life. A simple cup of tea or coffee in the morning, the joy of watching your favourite TV series, the pleasure of listening to birds chirping there are endless opportunities to enjoy life.

Is it necessary to aim for the next level? A bigger apartment or house, the corner office, more clothes, shoes and bags, a fancy car? Is it possible to count our blessings and enjoy what we have, now? Is it possible to appreciate that we have a choice with regards to what to eat, wear, and where to sleep? Several people dont even have that. A lot of us can make career choices; a lot of people dont even have that choice.

I have made my choiceto be content with what I have right now and count my blessings.

Last week, I was in Vietnam with my colleague, where we volunteered to teach young adults on a specific topic. While doing an exercise to emphasize that respect is very important for all of us, I also learnt a very important lesson in life. Respect will come only when we really appreciate others and that will happen when we look at the good side of every person. There are some things we dont like about some people, but we dont have to focus on them all the time.