Ever since I retired I no longer have to wake up at 4:30 AM, meaning that I can go to bed as late as I want to, and there are times when I actually do that. It takes me back to the age of 18, when I would stay up sleepless, and walk around the living room, dining room, kitchen, and garden while my parents and sisters were fast asleep.
A house in the daytime is not the same house at night, for neither is a person. One feels single, alone, unattached to anything else but the night, and the night is a sweet and mysterious mistress.
My consolation during these times is usually a cup of hot soup, which I savor and take time to enjoy. It makes me somewhat sleepy afterward. I can go ahead and watch a late night movie on TV, not having to worry about what time I have to rise, get dressed, and hit the road.
I live for such nights. After 40 years of working I really would like an equal, 40 years of this. Yet, I know that I would have to be 104 years old to see that through.
Jalan-jalan in Chinatown, Singapore, December 2, 2014
Photo by Sim Teow Li
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