2023 Week 29: It's Over

My 37th birthday came and went; the universe remained indifferent. But holy shit, I am now more than twice as old as I was when I was 18. I have lived two lifetimes! Yet the first 18 years seem much more significant than the second. 

I must not be maudlin or melancholy. I have a lot to be grateful for. Without constant reminding, however, the treacherous human heart gets used to what you have, and it always wants more.

On Monday Jon and I went for yoga in the morning, had lunch, went to M&S to buy reduced-to-clear naan, scones, and crumpets. Then he went home while I whiled away a glorious hour at the back of Ngee Ann City reading Dracula. (I'm glad that a tiny bit of forest remains along Orchard Boulevard. Although most of it is gone now thanks to whatever new MRT line is coming up.) 

I worked from 2pm to 6pm, then came home and had dinner - naan and chicken salad - while watching part 1/3 of Gone With the Wind. That movie has no business being this good. 

(There you go. How many people can say their typical Monday consists of yoga, reading, 4 hours of pleasant physical work, a homemade dinner, and a good movie?)

Tuesday I went for a morning walk then met up with parents and grandma and grandaunt for porridge buffet at Crystal Cafe. I loved it - I am such an old person. We obviously overate and spent the afternoon sleeping it off.

Wednesday I worked the full day, feeling very under the weather.

Thursday still on the verge of falling sick; but very nice day; went to Heavens to eat appam and thosai and then to IKEA. I went a little crazy in the home office section getting inspiration for my room. But in the end I didn't buy anything for my room - just a couple of things for the kitchen - colander, box grater, plates.

(Again - IKEA and thosai on a random Thursday.)

Friday I woke up feeling definitely sick. Not a nice thing to feel on your birthday, especially when you had plans to go to the beach. I didn't really feel up for a long day out so we just had lunch at the bus interchange and went to Macritchie Treetop Walk. 

(How lucky are we to have the treetop suspension bridge all to ourselves?! We could have swung there undisturbed for an hour.)

On the way back Jon got attacked by a monkey with big bollocks, we saw a wild boar mommy with 2 or 3 piglets, and then we encountered 2 hill mynas while stretching at the playground! Hill mynas are now my favourite bird. Here's a video of them:

On Saturday I put eye makeup on Jon and was late for food rescue - I got lost in Serangoon, taking the bus round and round - oh but I didn't mind it at all! Somehow a good book + moving conveyance = pure pleasure. I was in high spirits and went for wheel yoga class. Then went to Kino to work from 6pm to 10pm. Jon met me at the MRT station and we caught up at McDonald's.

As for today. I feel I have been far too sluggish lately, so at 11am I sprang out of the door, got on my bike, and did a wee bit of Deliveroo. Cycled to Bishan North for lunch, came home, read, napped, woke up...

Spent the evening meal prepping - I cooked 2 packets of beef mince, sauteed a head of cabbage, shredded 4 carrots for salad, and sliced up a cucumber. I dislike doing all this work, but I feel I must, because eating properly seems to be a matter of necessity rather than choice "at my age". 

The week's obsessions have been: my room, Dracula, Gone With the Wind, yoga, cycling again, and my used book business on Carousell.

There you have it. I am now 37 and I have a good life.