Angelina Hue

2023 had been a whirlwind of activities at work and a mind-boggling amount of travel. It often felt like a game of catch-up, on repeat. Fortunately, there were pockets of peace and discovery that kept me grounded and inspired. Looking back on my reflections for 2022 and my intention for a gentle life, happy to say that I’m on track.

Staying Sane on the Road

I kept losing track when counting the number of business trips I had in 2023. Based on the number of Mount Fuji stickers in my passport, work led me to Japan eight times. There were six consecutive weeks of work trips that resulted in a simmering fatigue that I extinguished before things boiled over. There were many new faces and presentations and plenty of friendly banter. 

I don’t like small talk and prefer for conversations to have more depth. I try my best to listen and resist the perpetual urge to multi-task in meetings. All these take effort, to be present and engaged. Being a borderline introvert, such interactions can be exhausting. To keep me from feeling depleted, I carved out time to recharge. From soaking in onsens (making good use of my time in Japan!) to blocking time on my calendar to have lunch and exercise.

Revival in the Land of the Rising Sun

Aside from enjoying the hot baths, I extended some trips to visit art exhibitions when in Japan. Discovered works by Munakata Shiko and Yamashita Kiyoshi whose respective large woodblock prints and Impressionist-inspired pointillist techniques were fascinating. Spotted mesmerising pieces by familiar artists like Pierre Soulages, Fernand Léger, and Olafur Eliasson.

The cherry on the cake was finally visiting a Saul Letter exhibition. As I bent over the light boxes to examine the colour slides and watched the larger-than-life projections of his pictures, I kept chuckling at my fine luck of being in Tokyo when “Origins in Color” was on show at Bunkamura.

Also explored Japan’s niche phenomenon of jazz kissaten. Often referred to by its abbreviated form of “kissa,” kissaten is the Japanese version of a cafe where coffee is served alongside pasta and toast. Never mind that kissaten – written in kanji as “喫茶店” – literally means a “tea-drinking shop”! Jazz kissa is a subset of kisseten. These are often run by elderly Japanese men who are jazz fanatics. Within the vinyl-covered walls, caffeine and alcohol accompany recordings playing over high-end stereo systems in a revered ambiance.

A few jazz kissas that stood out: Johnny’s in Morioka where the cheery owner, Ken Terui, is passionate about Japanese jazz and loves making puns in English. Being in Eagle Yotsuya in Tokyo was like being in a temple where the contemporary and avant garde jazz would lull customers into a reverie. I took a shine to Matsuura Zenji, the jolly proprietor of BOP in Hakodate, who would hunch over with his giant magnifying glass when pointing out jazz mementos to us.

Revisiting Friends and Old Gems

We finally returned to Europe after being away for several years. A belated rentrée of sorts as the seasons changed with trees turning red and gold and days becoming shorter. Grateful to have had some weeks to catch up in person with friends in Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. This included my former French professor after more than a decade!

Over the past years, more friends have started families. Most people I know seem to work more – a trend contrary to John Maynard Keynes’ prediction in 1930 that continued economic growth over the century would reduce the workweek to 15 hours. All the more why I’m grateful to family and friends who make time to keep in touch via emails, text messages or to meet.

Strolling around my former stomping grounds in Paris and Brussels, it was reassuring to see that many small businesses including my favourite bakeries and bookstores had survived the pandemic. I love wandering amidst these low-rise, high-density neighbourhoods where there’s so much life and activity on the street level. Things feel human-scale here. Unlike the towering skyscrapers and massive malls of sameness in Singapore and Hong Kong that can be overwhelming.

Earlier in 2023, we spent several days in Siem Reap. The only other time I had been there was almost two decades ago. I had my reservations about returning after hearing how some of the ancient grounds had become overrun by tourists. I didn’t want to tarnish my memories of the places I had been.

Am glad we made our way there last April. What a complete change of environment from what we are accustomed to. It was uplifting to ride in the open-air remork with the wind in our hair, never mind the dust getting into the eyes and the diesel fumes.

Walking amongst remnants of centuries-old structures was humbling and fascinating. As was standing beneath the white frangipani blooms on the trees that have emerged from the top of the crumbled towers at Phnom Bok. Time felt both ephemeral and eternal.

Ichigo Ichie

Last weekend, while out with my cousin at a bookshop, she pointed out a book bearing “Ichigo Ichie” on the cover. I had encountered this Japanese idiom several times in 2023 and it stuck in my consciousness. 

Written in kanji as “一期一会,” the proverb means “one lifetime, one meeting”. Four simple characters that come together to embody a profound approach and way of life. Where every encounter only happens once in this life. 

For instance: Playing Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence on the piano with one key that’s out of tune as my niece crawls about at my feet. Climbing a mountain enrobed in a fog and reaching the peak, our faces wet from sweat and condensation. Leaning on a ledge talking to an old friend as we looked out into the distant lights and there’s a gentle breeze in the evening air. Flying out from Tokyo on my last work trip of the year and spotting Mount Fuji cloaked in a warm glow as the sun was setting. 

Even a routine activity will not be the same as other iterations. Which in turn affects how we experience that moment. 

Hence my wish for 2024 is to be more present, to cherish more of each moment and encounter. How about you?