Jumpstarting a cold engine

A pergola of wisterias in full bloom in Hokkaido, June 2010

It's harder than I thought it would be.

There are so many things I can write about to jumpstart this blog again, like talking about some of the interesting things I did during my recent brief break to Taipei and Sapporo.

While I was there, I took some pictures but unlike in the old days, I spent much less time snapping away from my camera and more on savouring the little inane details like how a particular shade of colour in the petals of an unfamiliar flower caught my eye and made me linger.

And also how surprised I was to stand under a pergola of blooming purple wisterias intertwined with an unidentified similar-looking white blossoms, caught in the heady scent wafting down from it, much like the scent of jasmine.

I just stood there rooted, enveloped in a sense of unexplained peace and joy, amid the perfume which totally blew me away.

I remembered thinking if only I could have that fragrance in a bottle and that peaceful feeling in a bag, to be taken out every now and then whenever I needed it. :)

Such was the way I went about experiencing this trip in a way I never did before.

I took the time to sit and stare, to touch and feel, to linger and slow down my pace. I no longer feel the urge to pack in so much just to keep up with the others. It did raise some eyebrows among those who knew me and went with me on previous trips to other places. But I didn't feel the need to explain. I really couldn't be bothered anymore.

This is how I feel about most things these days. Not trying too hard to be what others expect me to be all the time just to please them.

Oh .. I find Taipei unexciting. Yes, there are lots to eat and lots to do/buy etc but there is also a certain emptiness about the city that doesn't appeal to me at all. Perhaps I compare it to Hokkaido too much.

I shall want to talk about my onsen experience in the next post. It changed the way I perceive myself. :D