Saturday, June 23, 2007
The Matchbox Houses
It’s a beautiful evening, a strong wind as if coming from a huge ‘giant wheel’ in the backdrop, which people call the replica of ‘The London Eye’, coupled with the twilight reflected from one of the distant buildings, creating a virtual sun in the south, Poonam sleeping in the room inside and I sitting on the sofa, watching all this and wondering for the n-th time just how much more can man articulate nature to suit himself.
I had come to Singapore with an aim, a goal and a promise. The aim was to gain an onsite experience; the goal was money in an Indian bank account and a promise to Poonam of a marriage after one year. The pendulum of time swung, left the extreme left, came to middle which was its goal and surpassed, correctly explained by Newton as momentum. It now rests on the extreme right, a momentary pause and then it will begin its journey back to the middle. The bob of time pendulum passed through many places before coming to this pause, a split second interval where you can get off it and give yourself a chance at a fresh start of a new phase, or to swing back and forth once more before facing the dilemma again. The passage of the pendulum was unanimously declared as a long journey by many, where it passes through neatly arranged houses, looking like matchboxes stacked one on top of another, passing through neatly laid out roads, which charge you differently for passing at different times, passing through different kinds of homes and pools, where few even lost their souls, and passing through tall buildings, looking to create artificial walls around the city.
The Singapore journey is coming to an end for me in a week. It has left me with memories – good and bad, friends – old lost and new found, a few strengthened relations, a sneak peek on understanding of the meaning of life and a hope – hope of a bright new life back where I left it all, the way I left it. I know change is the only constant thing in life. I also know that change is inevitable. The feeling I am having today is that of a child going back home in a summer break from his boarding school to see his parents and knowing that some of the things back home would have changed. The little child is ready for the change, ready for the next journey but will definitely miss his school – no matter how much he hates it.
I think the concept of ‘Namesake’ needs to be invoked and made an abstract class here, where all my feelings are taking shape from. At least it would give me a sense of control over the feelings and a sense of recognition as they are all from one known abstraction. It’s like making HDB houses from matchboxes, or making roads out of casts or dressing and making up the same way whatever your age. I guess I had just started living in Singapore.
I had come to Singapore with an aim, a goal and a promise. The aim was to gain an onsite experience; the goal was money in an Indian bank account and a promise to Poonam of a marriage after one year. The pendulum of time swung, left the extreme left, came to middle which was its goal and surpassed, correctly explained by Newton as momentum. It now rests on the extreme right, a momentary pause and then it will begin its journey back to the middle. The bob of time pendulum passed through many places before coming to this pause, a split second interval where you can get off it and give yourself a chance at a fresh start of a new phase, or to swing back and forth once more before facing the dilemma again. The passage of the pendulum was unanimously declared as a long journey by many, where it passes through neatly arranged houses, looking like matchboxes stacked one on top of another, passing through neatly laid out roads, which charge you differently for passing at different times, passing through different kinds of homes and pools, where few even lost their souls, and passing through tall buildings, looking to create artificial walls around the city.
The Singapore journey is coming to an end for me in a week. It has left me with memories – good and bad, friends – old lost and new found, a few strengthened relations, a sneak peek on understanding of the meaning of life and a hope – hope of a bright new life back where I left it all, the way I left it. I know change is the only constant thing in life. I also know that change is inevitable. The feeling I am having today is that of a child going back home in a summer break from his boarding school to see his parents and knowing that some of the things back home would have changed. The little child is ready for the change, ready for the next journey but will definitely miss his school – no matter how much he hates it.
I think the concept of ‘Namesake’ needs to be invoked and made an abstract class here, where all my feelings are taking shape from. At least it would give me a sense of control over the feelings and a sense of recognition as they are all from one known abstraction. It’s like making HDB houses from matchboxes, or making roads out of casts or dressing and making up the same way whatever your age. I guess I had just started living in Singapore.
