This month felt long, and maybe unproductive, but I think we can classify it as “rest” even if it was uncomfortable rest.

(On this note I would point to the book Four Thousand Weeks that does talk about this). I had not initially expected to spend a full month in SG, but it became the case as I sought to plan towards a Mongolia trip that I had agreed with friends when they managed to get leave between the Good Friday and Labour Day public holidays. I’ll be going up a week earlier to Beijing, spending 2 weeks with them in Mongolia and then eventually probably travelling one more week in Kazakhstan on my own - that will in essence be my month 4. I have done much less planning for this trip than I did for South Africa and Namibia - partly because I’m travelling with friends for a large bit so I’m less worried, and also the internet states that Beijing and Kazakhstan are safe for female solo unlike all the reddit threads that I saw for Africa (LOL it really does make a difference in my mental prep). My flight was booked as of 24th March, and I will depart on Monday the 14th of April.

But back to what I have been doing in Month 3: I had the opportunity to catch up with quite a number of friends which has been lovely. I spent time with my family. On the health front we are also seeing progress!

I switched my physio and am SO PLEASED because my knee finally seems to be getting better after 3/4 of a year of general soreness - nothing too bad to affect daily life but bad enough that I couldn’t plan hikes. My new physio was able to in one session diagnose and switch my exercises to much more targeted ones by comparing the differences in my 2 legs and observing the way I move, whereas the previous one just encouraged general strengthening of both legs (which would still continue the muscle imbalance) and the ortho also suggested exercises to help me knee alignment but which did not deal with the root cause of the pain. So having progress right now feels like a big win and step in the right direction! A reminder that second (or third) opinions help and yes boring day to day stuff that matters in the long run.

In other mundane seemingly boring topics: I cooked! and read.

I found that without any time pressure I can actually sustain my interest in cooking and show patience in trying new things, whereas previously while working my brain would usually switch off when trying something that I was unfamiliar with. It reminds me again of the Four Thousand Weeks for <ortals book which talks about how we can learn anything but usually we are not willing to accept the time required to learn. For my first dish, I tried mushroom soup, and I also cooked ABC soup + a quick rice cooker meal. I cooked with my mum to learn how she does ABC soup, and I realise how much easier and valuable it is to learn with someone guiding you, so we learn the tips tricks and diversity in the way we cook rather than just follow a generic recipe online. For instance, my mum showed me how she chops carrots (in the way she did it with her mum) and I also discovered the magic of dried ingredients such as dried mushrooms or dried scallop.

That being said, I did reach a point of impatience. In my third week in Singapore, I decided to book a last minute 4D3N trip to Langkawi where I stayed at a female hostel.

Everyone there was extremely young, and most of them appeared to be from European countries. I suppose most Singaporeans would typically just book a private room in Langkawi as it would be fairly cheap. The trip turned out to be much less social than I expected given the demographic of the hostel (I now understand why some travellers have age concerns while backpacking SEA), but it was interesting to experience the slower pace of life in Langkawi, something that the locals there recognise and often verbally express their appreciation of. The people there seem to enjoy their lives and they seem content. I spoke to the taxi grab drivers who ferried me around, who often asked why I was travelling solo but also made conversation about the difference between life in a busy city like Singapore and gave tips on places to visit. I internally debated whether I should have said that I was meeting family, or come up with some excuse, but I suppose my guard was slightly less alert given that it is Langkawi, and that it felt sufficiently easy to blend in as a Chinese Singaporean.

The beaches in Langkawi are calming - even when it is crowded there is still enough space for everyone and it has a vibrant atmosphere. And if people want more solitude they can still walk to the far end of the beach where there is more than plenty of space. I can also see how people can just go for early morning swims in the ocean or just relax there without anyone bothering. I visited a waterfall and just sat there quietly for quite a long time without being worried about someone coming by and disturbing. This does not feel possible in Singapore where there is such little space.

I returned from Langkawi with about a week to prepare for my next long trip.