A Momentary Look at My Past

This is a piece of art that many people in Singapore may not have noticed. It is situated right in front of the entrance to the Fullerton Hotel. I took this picture long ago in 2007 when a friend of mine from London was visiting me in Singapore and I had to act as the tourist guide. I kind of like this picture because of the kind of expression it depicts. It reminds me of my childhood days that I spent with friends in my tiny village. I remember of going to the village pond and jumping down to the pool of water from the top of the date tree….what a life that was!! Unbelievable now even to me. I loved swimming, for which I was always chased by my mom. I used to swim for hours and hours till my eyes get red. I even almost always won the swimming race – whether under water or butterfly (It was true and believe me I am good swimming underwater). In retrospect, I enjoyed my time with my friends in the very small village in the state of Orissa. Many of my friends have left the village like me having been forced by the pragmatism of life. The simplicity of life no longer exists. Not just their absence but the advent of television has replaced that simplicity and injected a sense of artificiality into the village life. When I go back, this is what I lament about. However, it is also true that I have, in the process, been affected and become a victim of such metamorphosis.