Me and my stagnant social life...

I digged out an old Salsa video CD from my London boxes yesterday and started watching them. They were salsa dance performances recorded at the 2006 Salsa congress in London which Jasmine and I went to. It was a 3 days intensive salsa workshops, courses and music held at Butlins. The first salsa workshop starts as early as 8:30am and ends each day with a party at the dance hall till 3am ! It was so much fun for the Salsa addicts like us !

Watching the video made me realised how much of a social life I had back in London. I missed the all night salsa dancing, summer parties, art exhibitions and events. There were plenty to do and to go everyday of the week. The cooling weather made it easier to travel to places too.

Ever since I got back, my social life has been pretty stale. I have been swamped with work and what with the time difference with my UK office, I'll consider myself lucky if I get to leave before 8pm. Apart from the few dinner and brunch gathering with some friends, I realised my social life hasn't been particularly active ever since my return. It is so easy to slip into a work-home-TV-sleep routine and so damn hard to find my momentum to get active again ! Whatever happen to my 3-4 times of swimming a week ? Whatever happen to dancing at least twice a week ! Yoga once a week ! Economics lessons once a week ! (Ok, I still have my economics lessons but that's hardly active in a physical sense!)

Today, I finally managed to get my arse up and off to the Chevron club next to my office for a swim. There is no pool only membership. I had to get the gym membership in order to use the pool but look at it.... it's worth every penny even though I think I would only use it for the pool. It's 2 bus-stops away from my house and a 10 mins walk away from my office. There will now be no more excuses to not go for a swim at least three times a week !

The revolutionary road

I just spent the lazy Sunday afternoon watching a film called "The revolutionary road" starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio.

I felt particularly sentimental about this film especially after I wrote my last blog about Home coming - Goodbye London, I thought it relates to my situation at the moment on many levels. (well, apart from the marriage and kids! ).



The film is about two people, a couple, one who has forgo her dreams and the other who never quite figured out what he wants in life. They both decided to accept the idea of what the "perfect life" should be and spent a miserable 7 years together making the perfect life work.

One day, they decided to make a bold move to lead a brand new life in Paris with their two children. A dream that both husband and wife has suppressed for a long time. Unfortunately, a series of unexpected event started unfolding - husband got a grand promotion and wife got pregnant. Their Paris dream starts to seem unrealistic and the husband thought it seemed so much easier to just stay put and continue working out the relationship. The wife was disappointed as the only hope of rejuvenating herself is shattered but try very hard to accept the "perfect life" that society has "bestowed upon" her.

The best part of the film I thought came from a neighbour's son who is supposedly a little "not well" - insane to be precise. This insane guy saw through the misery of the couple and reprimanded them for choosing the easier way out instead of really finding out what they are made of by pursuing their own dreams.

I start to question myself if the decision to leave London and come home an easier way out instead of staying on to see what I am really made of ? Is London the only place I can see what I am made of ? Can Singapore not give me the same opportunity ? Have I given up a richer, fuller life in exchange for an easier path ? Does following my mind really a better idea than following my heart ? Am I being lazy or just being rational ?

Again, only time will tell...

Home coming - Goodbye London !

I've been back from London for 6 months now and just about adapting to a "somewhat new" Asian lifestyle and culture again. Who would have thought I'll be away for 10 years ?

On reflection, I had some of my best times and moments in London. Where better to spend the best part of a young adult life than in one of the most vibrant cosmopolitan city in the world. The freedom and independence I experienced through the liberal spirit of the arts and the society in London is pretty unforgettable - whether one agrees with it is not the point. I still miss London very much and the memories I have of it, is I believe will stay with me for a very long time.

I'm going through a lot of mixed emotions. My heart is still very much in London and yet my mind knows I should be back in Singapore. I know I can never have the best of both worlds and I decided to let my mind take the lead.

I have never really been an emotionally led person and I'm not sure if this is an advantage or disadvantage in life. I think it's always easier to use the mind to think than to use the heart to do the same job. The heart isn't meant for thinking afterall...

Anyway, time will tell if I made the right choice to return and if I can survive the landmines of the Asian lifestyle and culture once again.