• Being aware of the passing scenery when commuting to work – noticing the colour of the sky, the playfulness of the clouds, and the tension in your body when snarled in traffic
• Breathing through the stressful moments of the work day, remaining emotionally unattached to the outcome of any potential conflicts
• Smelling the aroma of your food before eating, and savoring the flavour in your mouth before swallowing
• Feeling the texture and temperature of the ground when walking barefoot outside
• Being aware of every scent outside – of the roses, fresh-cut grass, car exhaust, and even the occasional skunk
• Sitting beneath the starry sky, remembering how small we are in the general scheme of things, remembering that we may make mountains out of molehills, but these still remain molehills in comparison to the grandeur of the universe

The roses in our backyard

Silat is an umbrella term used to describe the martial art forms practiced throughout the Malay Archipelago. Silat is a combative art of fighting and survival and it has been developed in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam civilizations for centuries into social culture and tradition.

Many of my friends in our nation’s capital are interested and/or practice this internal martial art. I am curious. When I have more time back here, I am going to do some inquiring.