Rain
30 May 2008, Friday

The weather in Brisbane wasn’t the usual sunshine and blue skies when I got there.

Instead, it was grey, wet and cold.

But I suppose Brisbane needed the rain. According to my friends, it had been hot and dry for quite a long while. So apparently my arrival brought along the rains.

And boy did it rain. On my first day in Brisbane, it started to pour in the late afternoon and didn’t stop till the next morning. And it pretty much rained most of the time while I was in town.

The first night was damn cold – so cold that I had to bundle up in my jacket and wrap up in the blankets like a “bar zhang” (read: glutinous rice dumpling). Taking a shower took almost super-human effort to not be reduced to a chattering icicle although I think if anyone had seen me come out from the shower, they’d think that I was having a seizure or something – I was clenching my teeth together to stop it from chattering and my body just won’t stop shivering from the cold no matter how much I tried.

Not that I didn’t enjoy the cold weather. It was one of the things that I was looking forward to. But the rain did put a crimp on my planned itinerary. I was looking forward to a visit down to Sunshine coast but seeing the ominous weather report of rains and storms, I had to scratch that trip out.

But I tried to make the best of it. One rainy morning was spent rather comfortably at the Coffee Club – having a leisurely hot aussie brekkie and coffee while checking some work emails and uploading my photos into the laptop. I also had a rather choice seat by the window which allowed me to watch the world go by outside.

You might think that I resented the rains for spoiling my plans. But actually, I’m not sore about it. In fact, I’m rather thankful for it.

Sitting by that café window and just staring at the rain awoke some long forgotten memories. In fact, I had realized that some of my happiest memories had rain in them.

Sometimes, I think the biggest problem with life in Singapore is that we just simply move too fast. It’s only when we slow down and stop, then we are able to recall and appreciate where we’ve been.

I remember this poem that we had learnt in school. I guess it’s only now that I fully appreciate what it means.

Leisure
by W.H Davies

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.