Simple pleasures

This week has been a week where I feel like I've gotten back in touch with the simpler pleasures in life.



Firstly, I've been very much enjoying fruit. Even the dreaded durian.

Secondly, having just switched from night shifts to day shifts I've been sleeping with the shutters open and the air conditioning off; enjoying the novelty of waking up with the sun in the morning and feeling refreshed, being able to eat breakfast at breakfast time, and dinner at dinner time.

And thirdly, having mused a little recently about what things might have been like in Singapore during the great days of the British empire, I had a bit of a taste of it when going for high tea at the Ritz Carlton. I've been to a few similar high tea buffets here now (more 'English high tea' in 3 months here than in 25 years in England) but the Ritz is possibly the most classy. Being waited on in quietly luxurious surroundings, enjoying a mix of the familiar and exotic, and with a beautiful lady at my side and live lounge music in the background is a nice break from the hectic world outside and won't have changed much in style and content since the days of the Raj. Although I doubt if they had coffee-bean shaped ice cubes made out of frozen coffee then.

It's perhaps a sign of my 'Singaporeanisation' that all these things seem to centre around food.

I've also reacquainted myself with the simple pleasure and feeling of achievement after completing a long run. Which is good since I'll need to start some serious training now I have officially entered the Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon! 150 days until the 4th of December. I better begin in earnest...right after the next part of my Empire tour to Chennai next week.