This weekend was one of many firsts, or changes. Small ones, but nice ones.
Thursday was our wedding anniversary and we decided to take the long route down Changi Coast, driving alongside the runway under the canopy of trees. It was where a special occassion took place four years ago, a sweet and simple gesture - the way I like it to be. We arrived at Changi Village and looked around for a place to eat. The best bet was a homely Peranakan restaurant, which was a good choice as husband declared it not bad at all. The bill came up to just over forty dollars.
And now, I would like to thank the husband for being the best marriage partner ever: for doing the housework when I have to write my articles, for driving back home from the office to get lunch for me whenever I'm ill, for being so funny, for being so cool (liking the same television shows, yay), for buying me new shoes even though his own is overdue for replacement, for cooking dinner for me. I really enjoy all the seemingly mundane things we do together, like taking an impromptu stroll down Opera Estate to find out what's at the other end, or going to the supermarket.
On Friday evening, we decided to do something we had been planning to do for several months as part of our anniversary celebration - ride on our bikes from East Coast to Gardens by the Bay. We left after dinner. The park was relatively empty (exam time), quiet and slightly breezy, though warm. We cruised past Carl's Junior without stopping this time for Chicken Tenders and a soft drink, onto the pavements of Fort Road and the garden next to it, before reaching the bridge that connected it to the Marina Barrage. There're some pavilions for sitting on the bridge, for one to take in the view from the other side, facing the Flyer and MBS and the Benjamin Sheares Bridge. We cycled down past Marina Barrage, Satay by the Bay, the domes at Gardens and arrived at MBS, without having to cross any roads. Altogehter it took us about just over an hour to arrive. We made one round through the park and then back to the bridge. The journey home felt much faster although our knees and thighs were a little sore by then.
Cycling is not an everyday thing for us. It's more like a little adventure we plan before hand with anticipation: which route to take; will we stop a long the way for a snack? will it be a short ride or long ride? Along the way, old memories surface for discussion (the long walk during the school bbq at the beach, etc., how we bought our bikes to counter the disappointment of having to cut short our Tokyo trip two years back) and new memories are entrenched (this time: the near fall when I tried to balance my elbows on the handlebars, the surreal nearness, as husband mentioned, to the city; usually we're just at the park areas). Standing on the bikes is always mandatory - I love the breeze in my face and the inate physicality of balancing, of being at one with a machine that takes you further and faster. It's nice to be with someone for so long. You have had so many experiences together that you can just relate to. The interesting thing though is that you always discover something new about the other person in spite of that, because people develop and new circumstances bring out different responses. Of course, similarly, the same steadfast characteristics that you love are affirmed as well.
On Saturday, I went to Mama's place for my dose of closeness and pastoral care (not living with my parents make me cherish and yearn for just that little bit more time together, doing the mundane things together. Hair will always be precious time to be a daughter), and chopped off my locks (seeing too many pictures of Arizona Muse, Leigh Lerzark and Emily Weiss does that to you). Maybe one day I will have long hair again (Francoise Hardy, one day) but not today. The bob is my destiny - with it I feel that I'm not one of those typical long-haired girls on the street, that I can concentrate on more intelligent thoughts (or so I feel) (rather than: should I tie my hair? But I don't like the strain; it's making my face look haggard, it's taking such a long time to blow dry - and I must blow dry before going out because I simply can't stand having my hair limp, and wet, and flat when I go out) I turn out fattish in pictures all the time, I need more hair-ties), and, clothes with collars and back details go so much better with the neck exposed. Oh long-haired girls out there, one day I will be one of you, but today I'm feeling quite superior.
I'm supposed write my article but before that I sped-read through the past four issue of Monocle and one issue of Icon that featured architect Kengo Kuma. I'm a big fan. Husband has gone out to buy lunch and waffles from the HDB void deck stall that we're going to have with our Vanilla Beans ice cream after lunch. We are random and impromptu like that and I like it.
The end.
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