The toads' ceaseless croaking has finally eased somewhat, giving way to a quieter neighbourhood even as other early afternoon stirrings are emerging. There is still a drizzle falling on this last morning of March. They are the final drops from the downpour that started since 4am. I am guessing this was when the rain started as I was awakened by the loud pelting raindrops at that unearthly hour, only to slip back to heavy slumber shortly after. When I awoke again some four hours ago, at 7am, the blustery weather has still not abated. The Saturday sun was tucked behind a blanket of gloomy clouds that showed no signs of dispersing. It was perfect weather for sleeping in, but I was wide awake and couldn't get back to sleep.
After a breakfast of kway chap at the kopitiam, I returned home to enjoy the remaining cool weather. It is nice to stay at home on a rainy weekend morning, away from the air-conditioned office, cool breeze whistling, having time to think about things instead of working away as on most typical mornings. I read the papers - something which I can only do during the weekend now - and tidied my desk a little. Sitting in my room and sometimes staring at the space outside my window, I feel a very simple sense of elation within me, conscious through my own thoughts. It's a feeling of quiet comfort that one sometimes find in a moment of transient equanimity. You feel no sense of ill but experience quiet contemplation that can lead to a sense of inner peace.
I treasure my weekends very much these days. Not that they have suddenly more precious or that I was squandering my weekend life previously. But now that my weekdays are productively spent on work - very hard work - I find it so important that I get a good rest to recharge and refresh when the weekend comes. Perhaps this newfound sense of happy weekending is felt now because I was never quite able to enjoy my weekends fully when I was in my previous job. Now that I am freed of events, training sessions, clearing backlog work and a whole host of other programme-related work, I feel a greater sense of balance returning to my life. The most concrete evidence is the fact that I have been cycling more regularly; and not a weekend pass by without me either hitting the tarmac or the pool. And I love it.
The other day I was sharing with Eugene about my view of weekends. If our weekdays are spent working, and more often than not we are left drained and exhausted at the day's end, it means weekends are the only time we have to do things we like and pursue our interests: in short, to live life. This would work out to 52 weekends a year, a mere 104 days! This being the sordid reality, it becomes absolutely necessary that we spend our weekend time wisely.
I hope my healthy pursuits will sustain and become a habit. My other focus is to read more and finish the uncountable number of books lying around my desk. If you are a regular working folk like I am, I hope you've been enjoying every weekend doing the things you truly enjoy. And take time to do nothing and enjoy the rain once in a while when the morning is misty with pelting drops of water sent from the sky.
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