Life and Illusions

I woke up on Friday and a thought popped into my mind, "Where would today take me?" It was an ordinary school day like any other day but I didn't want it to be. I didn't want to be stuck in the same old routine, doing the same old things, seeing the same old people. I wanted to go out and live my life. But I didn't expect it to end like how it did. It's 0748h and I haven't slept since I woke up at 0930 on Friday morning.

So today's quirky story would actually be about my day, and lessons God taught me through it all. I'll skip most of it and go to the important parts.

The day started out like any other day - had REMT class, went to jam and learned a new song, went back to work on the song that I wrote on the bus on my way to school that morning, and then went to Funan in the evening. Left school at about 6. After returning my hard disk to Seagate for exchange, I had nothing to do. It was too early for dinner, so I went to Starbucks at Dhoby Ghaut hoping to catch her there. But she just left when I got there so I didn't managed to catch her at all. But I got myself a drink, took out a piece of paper and started writing.

I wrote a draft for another song, that I haven't gotten chords for yet. It's based on one of my previous stories about the boy and the kite. When I finished writing the song, I went to take 106 to go home - or so I thought. I didn't really want to go home.

When the bus stopped by Somerset, I looked into Scape and saw that the lights were on. So I thought I'd just pop by to see how things were. So went back and saw the usual few and hung out for a while and also helped them bring the stuff down and set up the stage. They needed manpower and I just happened to be there. Then after we were done at about 2+, we headed off to Meridian to play L4D 2 until 430 in the morning. I've never played the game before so I kept getting owned until I got bored of it.

Anyway, at 445 there wasn't anymore buses to take me home and everyone stayed in the east. So they left me alone in the middle of town. I decided to walk as far as I could from there. It was a good walk. I followed the road all the way to Orchard, then to Tanglin, then past Dempsey Hill, and to Holland Village. It was about 6+ when I got there, the Sun was almost up. Then I saw a park connector through Holland V so I decided to take that route, instead of following the main road. I asked a guy where it ended and he told me Clementi. I thought it wouldn't be too far off from the station so I walked all the way from one end to the other. Then I ended up in someplace I've never been before; somewhere in Clementi. Then I saw another park connector so I decided to follow it too. I asked the guy where it ended and he said it was a dead end, so I asked where Clementi was. He pointed out the direction to me and I went there. So I walked where he said and I ended up at Clementi, the Sun was fully up already at 7. So I decided to end my walk at the 188 bus stop.

Along the way I saw this Indian man who was doing something strange. He would walk for a short distance, take off his shoes, and then take out all his personal belongings: keys, coins, wallet, and money out of his wallet. After which he'd put them neatly on the floor and sit down. He wouldn't sit down for long too, he's just sit and stand immediately after. Collect all his belongings and carried on. Initially I walked past him because I didn't know what he was doing and my feet were tired and the bus stop was just up ahead. So I went to the bus stop.

But while waiting for the bus, I saw him approaching. So since the bus hadn't arrived, I walked up to him and asked him what he was doing. He ignored me at first, so I asked if he spoke any English. He smiled and gestured that he couldn't speak. So I asked him whether he was practicing some sort of ritual, he nodded and he drew a symbol in the air and pointed to the sky. I didn't know what it was, so I just walked with him a short distance and went back to sit down. But he kept doing it, and somehow something was telling me to follow him.

Just at that time, the bus came. I had to choose either to take the bus home and finally shower and rest my feet or to follow his man. Something was urging me strongly to follow the man so I didn't board the bus and followed him. I decided not to walk beside him but to watch him from a far, so as not to disturb him. After a while he turned and noticed me. He smiled but then he began to cross the road a short distance ahead. I thought he was trying to avoid me. But then I realized he was going towards a Buddhist temple. So before we officially parted ways, he turned and waved and I waved back. Up to now I have no idea what he was doing. But this thing he was doing connected to me immediately. He was walking for his god. Most people who passed him would probably have thought that he was a crazy old man and left him alone. But it somehow drew my attention.

I've read books and heard of a lot of saints making pilgrimages, walking and walking for days until their feet swell and hurt and yet they didn't complain. They were willing to suffer for their beliefs, to free themselves from the flesh. That was one thing I learned while walking from Somerset to Clementi. On the way I was singing and praising God, I greeted brother Bird and sister Cat, and the entire walk helped me focus on God and the wonders of his creation. You might not believe me, but even though I walked all that distance for 2 and a half hours, I felt that I still had the strength to run. I wanted to go for a morning jog to continue but I realized that we shouldn't take it too far. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but sometimes taking it to the extreme is not a good thing to do. The whole course of my walk was so fulfilling that I am unable to record down every single thing I've learned in such a short period of time.

You may think that I'm crazy, and it's true - I am crazy. But who's the real insane one? You or me? My feet doesn't really hurt now, though. Thank God for awesome Hush Puppies shoes.