More Days Like This

Today was a perfect day. I need more days like this.

A Perfect Day

Morning slicing
No rush
Sunny and breezy
The wind in my hair
Ninety minutes of stretching and kneading
Melting into a Thai massage induced coma
A short walk through the familiar neighborhood
My favorite Penang curry by the lake
A bit too spicy this time,
But still delicious
Quick stop for some Thai snacks
Before heading to the pool
Water the perfect temperature for lounging
And catching up with not one,
But two friends
Sunkissed, heading back as the sun set
Showered and in our pj’s
Pizza, laughs, and Netflix
The perfect end to
A perfect day

Stress Relief

It’s that time of the year where the stress has built up. It’s been almost 12 weeks since we came back from Christmas break, and we are all in need of a holiday. After school, I was frustrated. My typical response to frustration or a stressful day would be to come home, stew about it, veg out on the couch watching Netflix and eating junk food, feeling sorry for myself. But today I chose a different response. I chose to honor my commitment to the gym despite feeling cruddy.

grumpiness started
to make itself at home
the chocolate chip cookie
doing little
to stave off the feeling of frustration
dreams of the couch
coming to my rescue
played in my head

but I have an appointment
do I cancel? or do I go?
begrudgingly i went
convinced I’d do my thirty minutes
and leave

the beat started off slow
then sped up
motivating me to row
faster than normal
picking up speed
with each passing minute

endorphins taking over
the stress started to thaw
my training session
over too fast
but i was ready
for more

Breathing a Sigh of Relief

Months of preparation

Countless hours of rehearsals

Making sure everything is just right

Stress and worry taking its toll

Will they remember their lines?

Will they get the timings right?

Will the audience be impressed?

Performance day is finally here

Sweating and pacing as the audience arrives

Did I remember to put deodorant on today?

Finding my seat, it’s time to begin

With each performance, my shoulders relax a bit more

All that practice was worth it

Everyone is doing their best

The audience seems to like it

The finale is up next

Will they pull it off?

This was always the shakiest part in rehearsals

They did it!

The audience is clapping and cheering

We all breathe a huge sigh of relief

It’s over

We made it

Happy and smiling after the show. Parents were so impressed and excited about the students’ performance today!

What I Don’t Believe

I’ve written two versions of What I Believe poems (attempts #1 and #2). Today I thought I’d try my hand at what I don’t believe.

 

What I Don’t Believe

I don’t believe there’s
one right way to do something
I no longer believe that you have to be married
to be complete
I don’t believe you should be the first
to leave
I don’t believe in pretending to be someone
you’re not
I don’t subscribe to the belief that
your horoscope will tell you how to live
I don’t believe life
was meant to be lived in just one place
I’m not a believer in
holding back
I don’t believe crying
is weakness
I don’t believe kindness
is ever wasted
I don’t believe in
an eye for an eye
I’ve got no place
for superstitions in my life
I don’t believe in giving up
when you’ve failed
I don’t believe anyone
stays the same throughout their life
I don’t believe in denying
yourself the dreams you’ve always had
I don’t believe there’s
only one way to love
I don’t believe
perfection exists

Writing a poem about what I don’t believe proved to be much more difficult than writing one about what I do believe!

On Photography #sol18

As an avid traveler, photography is one of my budding hobbies. I haven’t taken a class (I probably should ) and I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I try. That’s what counts, right? 🙂 Today, as I swiped through the photos I’ve taken so far on my trip, I’ve been thinking about me as a photographer.

On Photography

At first
center it
point and click
snap, snap, snap
quantity over quality

Through the years
I’ve evolved
no longer
am I satisfied
with mediocre

Now my photos
have to
tell a story
make the viewer
wonder and
question

The focus now
is less
on the famous
or touristy
and more
on the ordinary

Catching glimpses of
everyday life
made interesting
by the angle
the framing
and the focus

Color and
lines
grab my eye
intriguing me
enticing me
to take the shot

The goal to
get the perfect shot
the right angle
subjects in and
out of focus
framing it just so
better than editing later

More concerned with
quality over quantity now
many shots
don’t make the cut
but the ones
that do
are just right

Here are a few of my favorite shots:

Days Like These #sol18

Days Like These

It’s days like these I love
waking up
when I want to
in my own time
easing into the day
no beep-beep-beep
breaking the silence
disrupting
my quiet, peaceful slumber

It’s days like these I love
being alone
no agenda whatsoever
free to do
what I want
when I want
taking my time
or rushing around
it’s up to me

It’s days like these I love
exploring a new city
no map to guide me
no predetermined list
of must-sees and
must-dos
just going where
I’m led
pulled by my desires

It’s days like these I love
resetting me
forgetting my many
responsibilities
and just living
in the moment
reflecting on my own
happiness
on days like these

The Countdown is On #sol18

The Countdown is On

One more day
just one
until
Spring Break is here
The words
that make
every teacher
around the world
jump for joy
do a little jig
high five everyone they see

One more day
just one
until
I’m packing my bags
carefully selecting the
perfect outfits
for my two trips-
one for work and
one for play

One more day
just one
until
the weight of the
term is lifted
just for a bit
and I can breathe a
sigh of relief

Just over a day
until
I’m boarding the plane
for country number
thirty-six

Singapore
here I come
in just
one more day