Welcome Back Chase

It’s been a year since I last wrote anything. It seems that after leaving China the first time, I lost the drive to write anything. I felt like I turned into one of Clive Owen’s chest hair that refused to pluck himself and jump out of his unbuttoned dress shirt. Such unwillingness to share a part of myself extended to how reclusive I became to people the past year. I became so great at alienating myself that my social life was reduced from a group of eight down to talking to the cheese cube over a glass of wine.

Looking back, I had my highs and lows. I started the year leaving Singapore in haste and finding myself back in Yansghuo on a rainy winter. High, adopting my dog Cookie; Low, adopting my dog Cookie. High, getting a career back; Low, working for real. High, falling in love; Low, falling in love even more. It was a year of happiness, and sadness, a year of regret and realizations. A year of gains and losses, and a year of optimism despite my boner for self sabotage.

This year there’s nothing I want other than to reclaim myself and find out more about what else I can be. While I have no desire for the impossible, in the lines of becoming Liam Hemsworth’s underwear or Joseph Gordon-Levit’s right hand at 4 in the morning, I do wish however that this year I get things right.

So I’d like to take you, my readers (yes, all five of you) down the alleyways of my new life. Because if you think your life isn’t worth sharing, then what is?

Leaf

I was delusional to believe this leaf would grow roots and live just a little bit longer. It never did.

Get Lost

One of the millions of things I enjoy a lot in Yangshuo is biking. I normally start my day early at 7:00 AM (only when I have no hang over) brewing myself a few cups of tea before pulling my bike out of the gate with a half eaten steamed bun on my mouth. I’d bike around town for a few minutes before taking the dirt roads to small towns somewhere. Quite often I end up in a village that’s quaint and rustic. If you get your bearings right, you wouldn’t need a map because getting lost is the fun part.

A few months back I decided to bike around just a few hours before sunset. I guess the most amazing thing I’ve seen while trying to scram my way back home despite the advancing darkness, is this massive reservoir in the middle of nowhere. It’s one of the few beautiful sunsets if ever seen.

I had to bike in total darkness afterward, but the full moon helped a lot, and the fireflies too. Yes it’s that magical.

It's Getting Cold

I’m not exactly a fan of cold weather, probably the reason why I grew up in a tropical country. But what I do love about fall and winter aside from the turning leaves is that I could get to wear shoes again. Living in a small town, sometimes a good pair of jeans, shoes and layers is overdressing, especially if you’re just on a mission for dumplings or toilet rolls. It doesn’t stop me though; the thought of dressing up to buy some green vegetables in the flea market makes me giggle.

So it's a myth. You can take solo pictures in China. They're not that many.



I love thin soled boots, but i don't like stepping on the cracks which I just did.

Mandala

On the course of my travels, I was fortunate enough to witness monks create exquisite sand mandalas. Whilst artistic, it is more of a spiritual experience that takes tremendous amount of time and effort to create. Soon after it's created, they let go of the mandala through a ritual. The sand used in the mandala is released into the water symbolizing the transitory nature of everything. That we cannot hold on long enough to anything, that even the most beautiful things in the world has to end.

In my attempt to replicate the experience, I was inspired to print paper mandalas, take tremendous amount of time coloring them and release them in the river. The whole process was cathartic and surprisingly, I greatly appreciated it.

This reminds me so much of my arts class when I was ten.



The colored pencils are sooo cute. I love sharpening them.