The art of relaxing

If there is one important lesson that I can learn from the Tunisians, it is the art of relaxing.

I have lived in Singapore my whole life. From the moment I was born, to the moment I started school and to my present time right now, I have only known what it is to be efficient, fast, productive. Life is fast paced in Singapore. Everything is a competition. There is always things to do, datelines to meet and stuff to accomplished in life when one lives in Singapore.

But not in Tunisia. Life is slower, more laid back and time is not of the essence. It’s nice to just chill at a cafe, drinking mint tea, seeing people walk by just like the locals, and occasionally smoking shisha. Seeing people, and time passes by while you do nothing is extremely refreshing. And somehow I feel like after all these years, it is good to slow down, and pause for a bit. Spiritually, psychologically, and physically, it can do you wonders. Not thinking of anything important, like deadlines, appointments or your personal worries back home and instead, just concerning about now and the people around you, is the best way to really appreciate the things around you.

And not only that, you get time to reflect on a lot of things. Just by sharing one’s life story, or hearing about other people’s life, puts your own life into perspective. And at the end of the day, you grow wiser, your mind opens up to new things. Because of doing nothing, you gain so many things, little things that you missed because of your hectic schedule. It’s this feeling of serenity that I’ve never felt in a long time.