Tuesday, February 19, 2008

A 'natur'al dialogue

"Bye, see u later, alligator" That is how my lil boy bids bye to me these days, every single time he steps out of that door. Today was different. Today I said goodbye to him...in the morning... after a huge list of do's and don'ts to my husband. "Remember to give him his milk...His b'fast is on the table, do see that he eats up everything...His bus comes at 10.50 ..be there..."

Needless to say i was maneouvered out by G and the door shut firmly (lovingly?) on my face.

One would have thought that i was going away for a few days with all the preparations and instructions. But that was just me leaving early to attend an orientation workshop on Tai Chi. My boy leaves for kindergarten at 11:00 in the morning and i was quite sure i would not be able to attend this workshop slotted around the same time. But the darling hubby voulunteered to see him off to his school bus and go to work a little late. (okay, okay, i did thank him...that 'was' sweet of him!!!)

So everything set ,the hundred instructions messaged (:D), i reached the Botanical Gradens, just in time for the workshop. Tai Chi was something which had intrigued me for many years now, and i was quite glad to make use of this opportunity to know more about it. Besides the prospect of visiting the Botanical gardens was quite tempting. The Gardens proved to be the perfect backdrop for a class on mental and physical health.


Tai Chi is an ancient martial art and is actually called Taijiquan. It is more well known now for the soft and graceful exercises.

The instructor was an old gentleman who soon dispelled any doubts as to his strength and agility. Graceful, agile and flexible, he was a joy to watch. There are many forms of Tai Chi (Yang, Wu and Chen) and this class was more to highlight its use in reducing stress, and increasing flexibility and stamina though a series of smooth flowing movements. It goes without saying that it requires immense patience and dedication to master the art. It was an informative class and among other things, we did learn

never to stand still with our knees straight, keep them slightly bent...that way the wear and tear on the knee is less..

that it is not as easy as it looks.

about yin and yang

to kick our butts with our feet


the verdict... i still would take good ol' walking anyday...or perhaps yoga as a means of relaxation...this was so not me...but then again, i may take up the challenge of learning something new...

I had 3 more hours to spare before getting back home and i spent it exploring parts of the gardens i had not seen before. Disregarding my protesting muscles, I walked and walked. They have an interesting ginger garden and the famous orchids with flowers named after famous celebrities who had visited the place...This one was named in honor of the late Usha Narayanan

It was a most peacuful walk, serene and undisturbed. Like everything else in Singapore, the place is thoughtfully planned and landscaped. It truly is a walker's delight.Hours spent with my thoughts in the lap of nature...timeless!

I also visited the nearby orchard road, the ultimate shopping paradise for those crazy about the branded stuff. A tasty lunch, sighing at the perfect dresses and catching up on reading on the ride home completed a perfect day (can you believe i happened to be reading "The diary of a mad housewife")?

A fulfilling day indeed! and yes, inspite of those hundred instructions, G did forget to give him his milk, and the school bus had to wait quite a while for them...!!! It was one of those days where it really didn't matter!

22 comments:

Guruprasad said...

poor hubbies! they can never ever win, can they? :P

here's a humorous take (pls make sure your hubby reads this) - http://guruprasad.blogspot.com/2008/01/please-appreciate-him.html

--xh-- said...

wow, such a wonderful day. and so swet of G to help you attend something u wanted to learn.

~nm said...

A day well spent is what I call it! It must have been good to have a day just for you? Yeah?

So you going in for more session of Tai chi?

And you so aptly said, it was one of those days when it doesn't matter :D I think each of us mothers or wives should have such days to us!

Gazal said...

busy or not so busy...mommys too need some peace
most of us associate exercise with just sweat,run and huff puff...
i glad to see that you enjoyed the session.
(p.s i shd get a prize for commenting on all three blogs)

Sairekha said...

Do tell us more about Tai-Chi... On maturer reflection... A few pictures (of you in Tai-chi poses) would also be helpful:)
Glad you had a nice day:) And Hubby should be given more responsibility like this - he'll get there, soon:)

rayshma said...

i really like the way u write! :) it's like... it makes me go wow! and smile at the same time! :D
tai-chi... hmm... interesting... some day i'll give it a shot.. maybe!

rayshma said...

oh boy... my comment disappeared... :(

Rambler said...

hey looks like you had a good day, and yes Tai Chi, it would be fun to read more as you discover it

Jaya said...

Glad to know you enjoyed your day out. The first time I saw someone practising TaiChi without knowing that they were, well I don't think I should mention what crossed my mind. But yes it was years back and now I have grown much wiser.

Prats said...

Tai chi....heheh...atleast that gave you good reason to take a break. And its ok for the bus to wait, or if the lil one didn't have his milk for a day, if it meant hubby dear, got the hang of things..
And yes, the botanical gardens is a delight. I loved that place...

Preethi said...

Men !! I wonder how they manage to forget everything we tell them!! Tai chi sounds very interesting.. you should post some pictures of you doing tai chi.. that will be good practice :) Sounds like a perfect day.. a walk through the serene gardens, window shopping(??) and the lazy lunch... and of course the book!! Sounds like my kinda day.. I need a Mommy's day out now!!

Sumana said...

Oh wow, TA. Well I always have this argument with DH as to why the instructions just remain as is and not followed. But good to know you had a great day.

Padma said...

sweet!

I had tried a tai chi class at my gym, but never went back for it, honestly because i felt out of place, everyone else was atleast 60 in my class. Not an excuse, i know :(

Keshi said...

if I ever become a mommy I'd be so dead b4 my kid reaches the age 3. cos Im so lazy LOL!

Keshi.

aMus said...

@ keshi...

no, you won't...when you become a mommy, you will be surprised at the hidden energy you can muster up for your kid...trust me!!!

@ padma...
probably older people are drawn more to it, because it does not need the high level energy of aerobics ...

@ sumana...
heh..heh...yeah, i did...


@ preethi...
sadly? i have no pictures of moi at the class but probably the organisers took some...

and window shopping...i can't do more than that at the the prada, gucci and loius vuitton stores, can i?

aMus said...

@ prats...
heh..heh..i think he fully appreciates the whole prcess now...esp te one where the boy says at the nth minute that he HAS to use the toilet...why do you think they got late?...:D

@ joy...
:)it does look like slow motion dancing...but we were doing the basic moves...

@ rambler..
like i said , i am more inclined towards yoga...

@ rayshma..
thanks for spotting that error... now was that what made you smile..:)

@ ziah...
amateur reflections? :D...all i know is that my thigh muscles have finally made peace with me today..

@ gazal...
just for that...
i've given you a big detailed thank you on your blog :D

we all need days out....it brings peace on the home front :)

@ nm...
hmmm...me continuing with Tai Chi...i don't think so...
yeah it was a good day out...

@ --xh--
yessir, it was extremely sweet of him...but isn't that what living with someone is all about, giving and taking?

@ gp...
poor hubbies...!!! :(
like i said before..its about giving and taking...this was a thoughtful gesture on his part...weighed against many on my part too :D

Sandhya said...

Hi Suma...

When I was reading this, I was feeling the same.... nice garden.

Suma i wanna know more abt Tai- Chi. This seems to be interesting.... how long it takes time to learn all these exercies??/
wats d benefit of these specially????

waiting for ur comment...

dame's diary said...

What a perfect day!!

rayshma said...

hehe... as i sed, i hadn't noticed it when i commented... :D so, no! :P

aMus said...

@ sandhya...

how long? depends on person to person...have left a comment on your site...do look here too

www.rchongtaichi.com

@ dd...

perfect in all ways!! :)...thanx for the b'day wishes...

@ ray...
:D

WhatsInAName said...

Wow!
Learnt a lot from this post

never to stand still with our knees straight, keep them slightly bent...that way the wear and tear on the knee is less..

No wonder they follow this in Bharatanatyam too!
I envy you ..such a great day you had! :) Hope I get such a chance too
BTW, please accept my belated greetings on you birthday. Looks like we are of same age! :) I just turned 36 as well!

Preethi said...

wow. more than anything else i enjoyed the way you enjoyed your day! I read the post and i was at peace with myself. mmm..........