the drive home
i have almost forgotten about this feeling. being behind the wheel, empty roads tinted yellow by the roadside lamps, total silence apart from the occasional zoom zoom of the speeding cars on the fast lane whizzing by me. i have rediscovered the joys of late night driving, where i am finally allowed to collect my thoughts and contemplate them. it's just impossible during the day where one doesn't only need to brave the infamous traffic jams but also to look out for inconsiderate drivers that seem to be mushroom-ing overnight.
reflective drives aside, another high note for the night is meeting up with friends for a yam cha (i.e. supper) session. there's something oddly comforting about sipping watermelon juice while chatting with friends about everything and nothing even though it's past 2 a.m. or sending each other off into peals of laughter by having a competition to see who could suck their balitongs (river snails, similar to escargots but with small openings, hence requiring a good amount of lung power to suck them out) out as quickly as possible. juvenile? perhaps. but what matters is the people you're with. time is yours to spend afterall.
it's at times like this that i remember why home remains the sweetest of all.
reflective drives aside, another high note for the night is meeting up with friends for a yam cha (i.e. supper) session. there's something oddly comforting about sipping watermelon juice while chatting with friends about everything and nothing even though it's past 2 a.m. or sending each other off into peals of laughter by having a competition to see who could suck their balitongs (river snails, similar to escargots but with small openings, hence requiring a good amount of lung power to suck them out) out as quickly as possible. juvenile? perhaps. but what matters is the people you're with. time is yours to spend afterall.
it's at times like this that i remember why home remains the sweetest of all.