l'épices exotiques

I'm guilty of this: the first things that come to mind when I think 'singapore' are artificially lit soulless mall interiors, characterless mrt stations, the numerous shiny icons of global proportions, dry wide streets, endless queueing, and walking miles and miles with my groceries in tow. And MOST of the time that's enough to drain me completely of all energy, inspiration and enthusiasm.

But then, once in a while, somehow, from somewhere, I am able to muster an extra ounce of energy and determination to explore beyond these same-y confines. These excursions are always spontaneous, with no definite plan, no clear destination and absolutely no expectations. For those few little hours, the only plan is to kill some time, explore a new nook of this island and maybe in the process: get lost!

I guess it's the same, wherever you live. It's easy to let your everyday surroundings cave in on you. But these little excursions help. They almost say: 'there is a world out there, full of different colorful and exciting humans whose existence and preoccupations are nothing like yours. Do you really have a reason to stress and worry?'

Months later, I process the roll of film I happened to have at the time, and relive the experience. It's different this time, the sense of wonder and appreciation hits harder and deeper. The moments have been solidified and captured, frozen in each frame.