Gabby’s Paradise

I am again in that state of introspection, a time when my mind is connecting the electric pulses and is ready to explode with feelings and thought.

Today is a day of memory. A year ago, i stepped out of a plane from Manila, age 21 and braving a new world. Without anything to hold on to but a work approval from a landscape design company, I set forth this new life. I have promised to wash away my overly workaholic self and replacing it with a breath of life. I have awakened to a new kind of thinking; not anymore seeing success as a scholarly or of a professional matter but more of a life matter. I have a balanced life now which I divide to work, friends, loved ones, and of course, myself with the increasing priority from the first to the latter. Probably, I am becoming a new age guy and I have this new zest for life living with the guiding principle of Carpe Diem.

For the past year, I have traveled to four different countries outside Singapore which had its highlight in my trip to Hanoi, Vietnam. Some places like Malaysia and Indonesia are quite near but still a treat on its own.  They offer me slightly different feelings and I realize that each place is unique and one cannot judge too easily because of culture. China tested my skills to non-verbal communication  while it proved the point that a smile is the way to charm the hearts of people.

I have met new friends - Filipinos, Singaporeans, Westerners and Asians who have changed my perspective on things. We need to respect each other and see where another person is coming from before we judge. There are so many other beliefs and cultures here, no one is always right or wrong. I’ve lost a long time friend for some reason unknown to me, 10 years, gone in a blink. I am best buddies with one of my former lecturers in U.P. She is now a colleague of mine and we hang out and enjoy each others company as much as possible.

I developed a liking in sporting activities like kayaking in reservoirs,
biking in the rough terrain of Pulau Ubin, started playing tennis again, jogging once in
a while and other adventure activities. I’m planning to even do dragon
boating, wall climbing, and if its nice - wake boarding. I have to get
my skills back in tennis and play more badminton, do more extensive
work outs in the gym, yoga and body pump. I want to have a very active
lifestyle to keep myself going and staying fit.

I learned that yoga does a lot of good things for the mind and body. It
is not merely stretching one’s bones and muscles but it promotes better
eating habits, proper posture, a calm state of mind and a very high
level of concentration. It has become a 3x a week routine for me that
provides me peace every time I do it. Although its origins are from
Hindu beliefs, it provides a powerful tool for self awakening and a
more spiritual thought.

I learned that work should not define who you are but it only becomes a
part of what you do. Life gave us more time  to do a lot of things to
define what kind of person we are and what we want to do, it should not be
the thing that controls our lives. Work efficiently is the key here and
life can have great moment with friends in special places and not just
inside the work place.

I learned that my family is still my ultimate support group. Even without them at my side they are still my constant inspiration. My dad is now managing our farm in the province, my mom had a very successful medical operation, my eldest sister is finding out once again the meaning of love, my second sister is braving a new world in Jersey and my brother is soon pursuing his dream course. They are in my daily thoughts and I contact them at least once a week.  My mom has gone high-tech messaging me in YM if she has some thoughts. Two of my siblings have been here to Singapore and my parents are coming soon too.

I learned that love needs to transcend cultural boundaries and one must see a broader perspective to go beyond personal conventions. It is removing the walls and seeing yourself in a different eye. By accepting that we are whole in the beginning and that there is no missing piece, we understand that the person who will love us most need be someone else but the person within. Another person is just another entity where there will be some meeting of minds. Never loose identity but love with great intensity. Balance should be kept.

I learned that life in general, is not in a hurry. We are here to experience every moment and we should feel it with great intensity. I made the mistake of taking it too fast. It had its good points but I forgot to live. So now, I take it  a day at a time, still planning my life but not to the extent that I miss the present. By having such a thought I begin to feel a certain lightness. I am young. I must cherish it and the whole world opens to me like a lotus flower.

Life does seem beautiful these days.