Taking a breather

It was the day after polling day. I got home past midnight and was watching the results of the elections on CNA. I switched off the TV only after the PAP had finished its press conference which was broadcast live. (Though the PM announced that his party got a 'strong mandate', the mood was not one of ecstatic triumph; rather, the mood was a tad sombre, more introspective than what one would expect from a party which claims it received a strong mandate. But of course, the PAP is not given to outward display of emotions.)

And so i went to bed at two plus, slept for less than four hours and was up again. I had to catch the first train at 0610hrs to get to Admiralty station by 0630. It was Sunday, the day when Keith, Jon and I had to drive up to Kuantan to recce for our June ride. Actually, Keith was the one who drove all the way (some 12+ hours) coz it's his car that was used. Jon was the navigator and note-taker, while my task was to take photographs of prominent landmarks and sign-posts as well as designated stop-points. I took the back seat. Finally my 12x zoom canon powershot S2 came into good use. For though i was seated at the back, i could nevertheless take clear photos without the front of the car coming into view.



I was very glad to be out of town. Malaysia, though less-developed than Spore, has one thing that Singapore does not have - abundant land. Sitting in the car and journeying through the quaint towns, past plantations and verdant landscapes, i feel so much lighter, more relaxed and merrier. For many miles on the road along the East Coast, not a single concrete building would come within sight. The sun shone brightly above, the clouds drifted lazily across the sky and every now and then you can see monkeys or cows by the side of the road. It's all very idyllic and pleasing to the eye and mind. Besides discussing matters relating to our mission, i basically had a very relaxed time as a car passenger, taking in the sprawling spaciousness of the surroundings that went past the car as we joruneyed north. I don't know how often, on the whole, do Singaporeans travel abroad. But it is almost compulsive that we travel beyond our shores whenever we can afford the time and money. Just to get a breather, recharge and simply enjoy the absence from the claustrophic lifestyle and physical living in Singapore.