Night thoughts
The golden week has ended fittingly in damp showers. Clearly, the weather gods got the memo and ensured that the long weekend had exceptional weather, and the working days utterly dreadful. As I write this now I’m looking out over the low roofs of suburbia. A curtain of fine rain is slowly making its way across the skyline. A nourishing rain for the verdant green that seems to be pushing through in every nook and cranny. The azaleas seem to be entering their final week of flowers, the brown dead flowers that hang limply on the plant are rather jarring. Like the cherry tree, they are rather unremarkable for the majority of the year, only being of interest for a few short weeks. The dogwoods that line the street outside of my apartment block are hard workers throughout the year. Glorious, merengue white flowers, are followed by wonderful deep burgundy leaves in the autumn.
A sound of rustling amongst the dead bamboo leaves that gather in the corners of the balcony. Looking to see what’s making the sound I notice two birds, I think some form of brown-eared barbul, the ones with a distinctive long tail, who seem to be having a whale of time. Once I stand up to admire them they flitter away into the forest that gathers next door. I say forest, but really it’s a plot of land left to go wild. Two older brothers live together amidst the suburban forest. The once well-manicured garden has been left to venture upwards and increasingly outwards. A tidbit of local gossip courtesy of the greengrocer, that is now coincidentally demolished.
After the long weekend, I feel rejuvenated both mentally and physically. Last night, K and I, had a Monday night supper out. It being a Monday, and a national holiday few places were open. K managed to find a nice little place tucked away. A place one might pass and assume it to be closed. The small dishes, the sake, the conversation of the couple next us, who we were trying to work out whether they were on a date or just not very good friends. It feels strangely extravagant to be going out on a Monday night. I look over at K and wonder what luck I have had in life to be placed within her orbit. The walk we take to the restaurant is a gentle walk that allows us to just be. A feeling of time well spent.
Thank you for reading this. I’ll be back either this Friday or next week! Please do share my substack and feel free to comment or reach out.