Sunday, January 11, 2004
I reached home today, after three days away from the hussle buzz-buzz of citylife. The trip to grandma's has always seemed like a semi-annual retreat to the suburbs - no cell phones and no internet access. For my duration there, the pace of life is comfortingly slow and lazy, similar to the Southeast Asia described in the historical narrative books - many an afternoon of sweltering heat which inevitably drives one into the tempting shade. I spent my days reading, watching cable or on an occasional trip downtown (with adults, never on my own). In exchange for the usual freedom whatever, I get the company of my small extended family in return. Each time our stay draws to a close, the heart-warming moments of hugs and goodbyes, of returning to a home 300km away from my aging grandma remains most amplified in the car ride to the bus station. This feeling full of regrettable emotions is one that I must continually remind myself not to lose track of as it grows faint in the daily grind of citylife back home.
