Holiday reflections
Staying in a villa in Bali for a couple of days has made me realise a few things.
1) I found it quite easy to wind down and get into the relaxing mode. Probably because I had been so looking forward to this getaway, even though it is just a short one. I actively tried to disconnect from devices, and do nothing. When booking this trip, I just wanted to get away from all the stress and pressure of routine life. From a different angle, this also means I have been very result-oriented, which I usually am at work. Being on holiday just means that the desired result is "Do nothing. Don't regret wasting the holiday doing stuff you normally do at home." I think the main thing is doing nothing without feeling bad. At home, I can do nothing but I always have the nagging sensation that I ought to be doing something and not lazing. That something is house chores usually.
2) This place is truly beautiful. It is so different from Singapore. It struck me that the beauty of the place is overwhelming. That is the actual reaction I felt. Maybe very humbled, by the sea and the sand and the sunset and the way the resort has been designed to fit into it.
3) Being in a villa surrounded by greenery and nature means that there are creepy crawlies all around. Ants (a few different types!), geckos, lizards, butterflies which are quite big (approx. 4" wingspan), dragonflies, mosquitoes, wasps. Even though the resort is extremely luxurious, it is nestled within the natural environment. It has taken me some mental effort to remind myself that these buildings have been added into this environment. We humans are visitors here and the buildings have been put in the way of their natural habitat. So they continue crawling around, following their own scent trails, building their nests and continuing their lives. They leave droppings around, which is the thing I dislike most. I find it very gross. More gross than dog or cat poo. But I have been reminding myself that they need to do what they naturally do, and I am the one who needs to adapt myself around them. So I wipe up any poo which irks me, without any drama, and try not to let it get to me.
This coast also has numerous caves which are home to thousands of bats. At sunset they wake up and go looking for food. They are viewed as a kind of attraction; the resort's guest information says something like "Watch the bats at sunset". Bats are not seen as pests or horror movie props. They're here and they are appreciated.
4) I'm still discomforted by open space. Being on the coast of the Indian Ocean, looking out to sea and seeing no ships at all, is scary for me. Add to that the powerful waves, and I feel a fear of being swept out to sea and lost forever. But it is also an itch that I scratch. I enjoy sitting on the beach at the edge of the water and feel it and be connected to it. Staring at the waves which appear to be as tall as myself is hypnotic. It makes me appreciate the power of nature. It also makes me think that energy is all around us, in water and wind and sun, so we could have an endless supply of clean energy if we wanted it. It has been provided with Earth.
1) I found it quite easy to wind down and get into the relaxing mode. Probably because I had been so looking forward to this getaway, even though it is just a short one. I actively tried to disconnect from devices, and do nothing. When booking this trip, I just wanted to get away from all the stress and pressure of routine life. From a different angle, this also means I have been very result-oriented, which I usually am at work. Being on holiday just means that the desired result is "Do nothing. Don't regret wasting the holiday doing stuff you normally do at home." I think the main thing is doing nothing without feeling bad. At home, I can do nothing but I always have the nagging sensation that I ought to be doing something and not lazing. That something is house chores usually.
2) This place is truly beautiful. It is so different from Singapore. It struck me that the beauty of the place is overwhelming. That is the actual reaction I felt. Maybe very humbled, by the sea and the sand and the sunset and the way the resort has been designed to fit into it.
3) Being in a villa surrounded by greenery and nature means that there are creepy crawlies all around. Ants (a few different types!), geckos, lizards, butterflies which are quite big (approx. 4" wingspan), dragonflies, mosquitoes, wasps. Even though the resort is extremely luxurious, it is nestled within the natural environment. It has taken me some mental effort to remind myself that these buildings have been added into this environment. We humans are visitors here and the buildings have been put in the way of their natural habitat. So they continue crawling around, following their own scent trails, building their nests and continuing their lives. They leave droppings around, which is the thing I dislike most. I find it very gross. More gross than dog or cat poo. But I have been reminding myself that they need to do what they naturally do, and I am the one who needs to adapt myself around them. So I wipe up any poo which irks me, without any drama, and try not to let it get to me.
This coast also has numerous caves which are home to thousands of bats. At sunset they wake up and go looking for food. They are viewed as a kind of attraction; the resort's guest information says something like "Watch the bats at sunset". Bats are not seen as pests or horror movie props. They're here and they are appreciated.
4) I'm still discomforted by open space. Being on the coast of the Indian Ocean, looking out to sea and seeing no ships at all, is scary for me. Add to that the powerful waves, and I feel a fear of being swept out to sea and lost forever. But it is also an itch that I scratch. I enjoy sitting on the beach at the edge of the water and feel it and be connected to it. Staring at the waves which appear to be as tall as myself is hypnotic. It makes me appreciate the power of nature. It also makes me think that energy is all around us, in water and wind and sun, so we could have an endless supply of clean energy if we wanted it. It has been provided with Earth.