How Was Your Weekend?
I was asked , so what do you do on a weekend?
My preferred answer was "Nothing, I just let myself free of schedules, follow-ups, the computer and just let my mind ride on the wave of liberation". The reality is very different.
Friday evening should be for chilling out, but when my commitments at work and business call, I make time for them, even then. The end of the week was normally released in catching up with mates working in the central business district, and taking a late train home to the suburbs, but now that I am living outside a capital city, I just make sure I give my inner soul a special treat. Dining out, having drinks, catching a movie or laughing with friends. I think it is important to celebrate the week, to recognise people who do not care for me and more importantly, acknowledge those who do. And then to sleep late, to not be bound by the demands of time and obligation. There is no shopping pressure, as most retail outlets are closed at the same time as offices, and sometimes I wonder how I adjusted to all that lack of shopping pleasure after work.
Living in a regional town and also having a social network in a capital city can be a difficult balancing act. I choose not to see it that way, and appreciate the ability to dart between two worlds, just as I have to sometimes walk a tightrope between two personal cultures. The essential thing for me is to plan ahead - most of my road journeys to a social gathering, a shopping centre or a stint in a lifestyle suburb involves driving about two to three hours all up, when I am not doing it in the Wollongong area. Waking up early in the nippy dawn and coming home late under moonlight does have its advantages - I assure you that it does build character. I like to build a theme around my itnerary for the weekend day and Sydney does offer its varied and diverse personalities to not offer a dull moment. Outdoors, indooors, different age groups, mountain, plains or coast, the setting for my outing can be for brunch, the whole day, walking the dog or chilling out for the evening. At times I choose to go south or west, instead of heading to the Big Smoke. Networking, or having a day's adventure with a mate, adds back things taken away during the week. I used to spend time doing some charity work, but now I have been slack on this.
What I secretly enjoy most on a weekend is to potter around the house and keep things going. The garden plants need culling, pruning or sculpturing. The car needs cleaning and vacuuming. The goldfish deserve a water change in their tank. The carpet feels better after being paid attention to. Nothing beats in contributing to winter cosiness or summer ease than cooking, be it a simple omelette or dabbling in preparing one's own soul food. In my case, I love stirring the pot when I am cooking tender neck pork cuts in soy sauce and garlic, or stir-frying a quick and simple dish of vermicelli with preferred ingredients and then adding garnish.
Sometimes Saturday mornings are reserved for that special trip to comparing products, or visiting the dentist, optometrist and hairstylist. It may also be a special sports meet up with close mates outdoors or a workout in a gym, and to remind myself why I work hard and steadily on weekdays.
One of life's simple pleasures for me is to surf the internet or read magazines or books with a hot drink or cold beverage on hand, and be able at the same time to feel the breeze or bask in the warmth of the sun. Reading restores my inner self. Then I look at my pile of laundry, washed but not ironed. I know then that Monday morning is always at the back of my mind.
My preferred answer was "Nothing, I just let myself free of schedules, follow-ups, the computer and just let my mind ride on the wave of liberation". The reality is very different.
Friday evening should be for chilling out, but when my commitments at work and business call, I make time for them, even then. The end of the week was normally released in catching up with mates working in the central business district, and taking a late train home to the suburbs, but now that I am living outside a capital city, I just make sure I give my inner soul a special treat. Dining out, having drinks, catching a movie or laughing with friends. I think it is important to celebrate the week, to recognise people who do not care for me and more importantly, acknowledge those who do. And then to sleep late, to not be bound by the demands of time and obligation. There is no shopping pressure, as most retail outlets are closed at the same time as offices, and sometimes I wonder how I adjusted to all that lack of shopping pleasure after work.
Living in a regional town and also having a social network in a capital city can be a difficult balancing act. I choose not to see it that way, and appreciate the ability to dart between two worlds, just as I have to sometimes walk a tightrope between two personal cultures. The essential thing for me is to plan ahead - most of my road journeys to a social gathering, a shopping centre or a stint in a lifestyle suburb involves driving about two to three hours all up, when I am not doing it in the Wollongong area. Waking up early in the nippy dawn and coming home late under moonlight does have its advantages - I assure you that it does build character. I like to build a theme around my itnerary for the weekend day and Sydney does offer its varied and diverse personalities to not offer a dull moment. Outdoors, indooors, different age groups, mountain, plains or coast, the setting for my outing can be for brunch, the whole day, walking the dog or chilling out for the evening. At times I choose to go south or west, instead of heading to the Big Smoke. Networking, or having a day's adventure with a mate, adds back things taken away during the week. I used to spend time doing some charity work, but now I have been slack on this.
What I secretly enjoy most on a weekend is to potter around the house and keep things going. The garden plants need culling, pruning or sculpturing. The car needs cleaning and vacuuming. The goldfish deserve a water change in their tank. The carpet feels better after being paid attention to. Nothing beats in contributing to winter cosiness or summer ease than cooking, be it a simple omelette or dabbling in preparing one's own soul food. In my case, I love stirring the pot when I am cooking tender neck pork cuts in soy sauce and garlic, or stir-frying a quick and simple dish of vermicelli with preferred ingredients and then adding garnish.
Sometimes Saturday mornings are reserved for that special trip to comparing products, or visiting the dentist, optometrist and hairstylist. It may also be a special sports meet up with close mates outdoors or a workout in a gym, and to remind myself why I work hard and steadily on weekdays.
One of life's simple pleasures for me is to surf the internet or read magazines or books with a hot drink or cold beverage on hand, and be able at the same time to feel the breeze or bask in the warmth of the sun. Reading restores my inner self. Then I look at my pile of laundry, washed but not ironed. I know then that Monday morning is always at the back of my mind.
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