DAY TWO

Two days in at the Elephant Nature Park, and I was already getting used to the slow pace of life. The morning started with a big hearty vegetarian breakfast, followed by a tour around the park where we got acquainted with the elephants. We learnt about the stories behind their injuries and their behavior towards people. Before we knew it, it was already lunch. The whole morning was simply spent doing one thing – elephant-watching. The afternoon was no different: adult elephants, baby elephants, bathing elephants, elephants, elephants, elephants…

As repetitive and dreary as it sounded, I could take my time to observe and think with greater ease. The slower pace of things gave me the space to really consider my surroundings, fully take in events and process it all onto this blog. Maybe it was the fact that I was “forced” to partake in a session of intense introspection, or the fact that there was nothing else to do, but as the pace of life slowed down, so did my thoughts and perception of everything that was happening around me.

I found that intentionally and critically taking in my surrounding made me more aware of my place in the world.

“Why do people exploit these animals?”

“Who should take responsibility of the plight of the elephants? The government? The countrymen? The consumers? Or should it just be humans in general?”

“What, then, can I as a young person in Singapore, seemingly distant from all these issues, do to make a difference?”

Questions such as these came less naturally than I hoped but it was important in enabling me to think beyond myself (or my feelings) and to instead embrace each and every issue as a complex intertwining of different stakeholders.

Thoughtfully taking in my surroundings made me feel like I was fully experiencing life and all its messy glory. This was definitely a luxury that I don’t experience much back home, where I tend to allow commitments to overwhelm and run my life. However, I’m convicted that the pace of life should not determine my attitude in dealing with life events and issues. Instead, I’m bringing back home this new outlook and embracing life’s messiness.