We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect | Anais Nin, on journalling.
And this has always been a personal approach to the reasons I write. I realize when I travel, I am constantly in a travel buzz; capturing moments, seeing new places here and there, meeting new people with cool stories to share, trying local delicacies and culture, moving, roaming and going. And writing is a way for me to relive those moments, however small or seemingly insignificant they might be.
Strolling the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake of the capital of Vietnam was definitely my kind of evening. Of course, the limelight of the evening was the still lapping of the calm lake itself, which sets an almost tranquil kind of peacefulness in the atmosphere. As the crimson sun sets and the temperature dips gradually to about 14 degrees Celsius, the lake and the streets were still very much alive. Old well-dressed men with berets and sunglasses chilled together while looking out at the tranquil water. I could only imagine that they were discussing about how their grandchildren were or perhaps just about the ducks in the lake. Women in their windbreakers were actively dancing aerobics to music, with their occasional stare at awkward tourists taking pictures of them (us included!) And can I say that, exercising by the lake is big here in Vietnam!
As I walked and took in the beautiful evening, I thought to myself: "I would want to retire here."
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