Day 3: Living in the moment

I’m never one to “live in the moment”. I’d always be caught up with events of the past, or worried about what the future might bring. Today, I learnt to let go and simply enjoy the moment.

I envisioned trying out many activities today. I had a whole list of things planned out. I wanted to visit Flight of the Gibbon and try my hand at zip-lining. I was interested to visit the Grand Canyon of Chiang Mai for sight-seeing. I hoped to go bamboo rafting at the Mae Wang District. In short, I just wanted to make the most out of the trip. What I didn’t expect was to spend the whole afternoon at Maya Lifestyle shopping mall doing pretty much nothing. I also didn’t expect myself to enjoy it.
We initially planned to conduct participatory observation of female youths while enjoying our OTOT. Although I was slightly disappointed that we had plans to work on our free day, I knew that it was necessary given the short amount of time we had left in Chiang Mai. It was best if we headed to Maya Lifestyle mall that would allow us to balance between work and leisure.

Perhaps it was a weekday, or perhaps the shopping mall just wasn’t a hang-out spot for Thai youths, Maya Lifestyle mall was rather empty. We could hardly spot any female youths around and we were ‘wasting’ our free time just walking around the mall – something we could easily do the same back in Singapore!

Yet, it was the mindless wandering that I enjoyed the most. Not needing to accomplish any goal in mind, we lost track of time as we leisurely roamed around the mall. The empty mall which initially felt devoid and desolate turned into a haven of repose. The laid-back and tranquil atmosphere was the perfect escape from the jam-packed schedule we had. It was also the ideal opportunity to bond with my fellow group mates. We spent quality time together, we talked, we shared laughter, we goofed around and we bonded over cheap but delicious macarons. At that moment, I felt at peace and contented. For once, I didn’t have to worry about the next day. All I had to do was to bask in the moment and enjoy the company of my group mates.

 

Video credit: Crystal Hong

I guess it’s the company that really matters and not the place we go.