A fall and a memory

 Can't imagine I tripped and fell... again. The last time was missing a step at an overhead bridge. This time right in front of the Sri Mariamman Temple. Was looking at its shrouded gopuram (the front tower) as well as all its sacred cows perched on its walls. Think it is undergoing a face-lift.

Each time I fell I remembered my mum telling me how she slipped and fell in Chinatown while looking for the stall that sold dried mushrooms.

I cannot wish hard enough that I had accompanied her. She is gone now but the pain and regret that I had not shown her enough care and love remain.

The parrot gang

 Whatever happened to the parrot gang at West Coast Park? They were my special attraction whenever I took a walk there. Some three or four of them would be at the park with their beautiful parrots 🦜.  

It's always such a joy to see these birds circle the sky, squawking abandonly. But at a command, they would fly back to settle on their owners' hands.

Of late however, birds and owners are no where to be seen. Hmm, hope they are gone just for a short holiday. 

Strange coincidence

 One or two bus stops after Vivo City, I saw a guy bending over the front right wheel of his car. Think he was jacking it up to change a punctured tyre. 

Another bus stop after this. I saw the same thing. Car colour the same ( looked like the previous car though I  couldn't confirm it's the same make),  punctured tyre same wheel... car parked about the same distance from the bus stop as the last troubled car. Driver bending in the same position.

Did I somehow get a glimpse of the future? Or just coincidence?

Rock of Sisyphus

 First they tell you 10,000 steps a day is good for you. That would take you approximately about 1 hr  and 45 mins. Then they say no good if you just saunter around admiring the view and smelling the roses.  Must do brisk walking. Then they say, just brisk walking not good enough, must do some strength resistance exercises to lessen muscle loss. Still not enough, must also do exercises that increase flexibility... stretch those muscles... work towards long, lean muscles.

So for about three days, I couldn't clear my cat litter very well. Couldn't stoop because of some stretching exercises which I either did wrongly or overly. The rock has rolled back on me.

But hey today, I find I could stoop a bit more! Yay! I have pushed the rock up a little bit.

Homer got it right, the guy who supposedly wrote about the adventures of ancient Greeks and Greek gods in his poems. Sisyphus, one of the characters, a king no less, was condemned by Zeus to push a rock up the hill for eternity -- a punishment for his wicked deeds. The moment Sisyphus managed to push it up a little, it came tumbling back and he had to push it up again. 

Don't we have to keep pushing this rock -- on a personal-- and macro level.  On the macro level, just when we have made some advances in fighting the pandemic, when the economy started to show signs of picking up -- and we have the Ukraine war -- and many other political unrests. We thought technology has come to the rescue.  Hurray for cars, aircon and of course handphones! But then there's climate change. 

I guess that's the human condition. We just have to keep pushing the rock. And oh, count our blessings.