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Article from The Straits Times, 13th January 2001
My Green Heaven
In this section of The Straits Times, you usually read about some pretty serious stuff. How to manage your career, how to deliver presentations, how to communicate effectively and articles of related nature. As a corporate warrior in the 21st century, what do you do to de-stress, to unwind, re-charge your batteries, to have a more balanced lifestyle. And you need to do all these to continue to work well and move on in your career, and life. A healthy body, a healthy mind - I'm sure you must know this!
For the past couple of months, I have included in my weekly routine, walks at MacRitchie Reservoir. Come Saturdays and Sundays, when I am not away on business travel, I will take brisk walks around the reservoir perimeter. This can be anytime between noon and 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Whenever I share this with friends and business associates alike, it never fails to elicit this response: "What? 12 o'clock, it must be really hot! You must be crazy. Can't you do it later in the afternoon when it is cooler?"
Let me repeat what I typically will say. "Not at all, under the shelter of the tall trees in the reservoir grounds, it is, as a matter of fact, even more cooling than walking along Orchard Road or staying at home." "No, you must be kidding." "No, seriously, don't take my word, come experience it yourself!" And, I always add, this beats walking the treadmill in an air-conditioned gymnasium, anytime! As to why I do it during those hours, there are less people.
During my younger days, I used to enjoy jogging along the same track as the MacRitchie Runners (MR25). A lower back injury during my Hong Kong-based years in the early 1990s has, cruelly, put a stop to my jogging days.
From the end of the winding bridge (the end nearer the vehicular exit), you go onto the track. What is (to me, at least) music to the ears, is the sound of track shoes making contact with small stones on that stretch of the track as you begin the journey. Once you clear this relatively short stretch, you can either take the track that continues under the canopy of tall trees or choose to walk along the perimeter of the reservoir. If you choose the latter, you will be treading mostly on even ground. You will encounter some minor 'uphill and downhill' stretches should you take the 'sheltered' track - straining your thigh muscles as you go up and taking the risk of slipping as you go down, should the grounds be wet. To describe this philosophically, it is akin to life, you cannot have your cake and eat it as well.
What I find immensely peaceful is the 'peacefulness' as you go along your walk. If you are alone, and I usually am, you do not have the chance to talk, besides the occasional 'Hi' as you pass someone else coming in the opposite direction. I forgot to mention that the perimeter track is wide enough for only one person at any time, for the major part. Sometimes, the tranquility of my walk is disturbed by the sound of a monitor lizard's scuttling away on ground scattered with dry leaves - and they usually do this when they hear footsteps coming. Initially, you get a little apprehensive, will they turn around and attack my poor foot? After some experience, you get used to it and do not even bother to look where the noise is coming from, just in case it is something else potentially more dangerous. In any case, the monitor lizards are probably more afraid of you than you of them!
Jogging on the trail that most organizers choose when doing a MacRitchie cross-country run competition will see you taking a left at the sign post that says "Leonie Road". You go out on the main road and double back to the starting point via the vehicular road, taking in carbon monoxide fumes along the way.
However, I choose to go straight at this point and this route will take me to the border adjacent to the SICC. This area was very recently fenced up, to put a stop to joggers straying onto the golf greens? Or, stray golf balls hitting joggers? Not sure who put up the fence, but it does not bother me a bit as this is the usual point where I double back.
If you wish, just let your mind go 'blank'. Look at the calm reservoir waters, the many trees or just stare blankly ahead. If you really have to think of work or your next business deal, I can happily share that it can sometimes bring you an unexpected, 'out-of-the-box' answer or business solution. Just this Sunday, I thought of a new approach on how to run a workshop planned for one of my clients in early 2001.
For a sun lover, I usually prefer the perimeter route. On a windy day, it is sheer heaven. Perspiration all over my body, the hot sun beating down on the skin and the wind blowing on your face - shiok!
At the conclusion of each 50 minutes-or-so walk, I will say my usual little prayer of thanksgiving for having completed the walk successfully and give myself a pat on the back for not allowing life's other distractions to deny me this newly-discovered, weekly ritual.
Care to join me? See you next Saturday, rain or shine. And to my friend James, many thanks for re-introducing me to the wonderful MacRitchie Reservoir (and saving me over a hundred bucks each month). Now I do not have to step into an air-conditioned gym ever again for my weekly fixes.
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