happily attached

Mustering the energy to climb out of bed on a weekend can always feel like quite the climb uphill, even if you have rewarded yourself a full cycle of sleep. Even at two in the afternoon, you can still feel awfully wearied, with your next blockbuster of a dream vividly screening in your mind. It always feels easier an option to ghost an appointment to get another hour or two of shuteye, but you'd kick yourself to realise what mesmeric opportunities you might have missed.

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Weekend matinees don't come often, neither do last minute impromptu jaunts that come into fruition, but the last of April saw its way out at a heritage festival with an open secret of the best chillout spot that mimics artbox minus the crowd that is reflective of it Bangkokian origins. Keep it under wraps will you.

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The transition to evening brought upon artificial lights getting brighter as the sun went down, taking the more lazy afternoon to something more swanky - think live local musicians, their dreamlike voices singing the covers of hits both retro and contemporary. I see now why people live for live performances, there's an undeniable charm that is quite magical and intimate, lubricating the night with a sense of cosiness despite the humidity and lost grounds.

Before that though, the afternoon tended to the younger crowd, or those who's childlike wonder still remained, one of it illustrating the folklore or sisters' island. The performance was bits of cringey, with makeshift props like a scarf to represent a change of character, a haversack to take after the shell of a turtle. But long story short, it's told the tale of these two sisters who rather die than to be separated, quite literally. You see, they're happily attached. Until that doomed day, one of the girls was abducted by a rich merchant to be brought to another island for a hand in marriage because love at first sight was already a thing before romanticised western love novels hit asian shores. Who said Asians were conservative and can't show passionate affection? Though, as every dramatic story would have it, they died at sea when both non-swimmers(gee, genius move), well, drowned while trying to save each other. Hence the two islands were formed so close to make sisters' island. Tada. Of course, they didn't get swallowed by the sea before ceremoniously repeating their promise to never leave each other. Taking one for honouring their words.

If these fictional characters live a day in the modern world, would their childhood promise of staying together forever be exchanged, exaggerated and forgotten? I then wondered, would Mina secretly laugh herself silly while counting her lucky stars and thousand dollar bills from her swanky Sentosa Cove penthouse knowing she snagged a rich man while Lina gets over her separation anxiety; woman up, come face to face with reality, get a new hairdo, wardrobe and name(I imagine Lynette), apply for a 9-5 job like the rest of the affected population, making do with facetime and visits during the new year? Would they have lived a ripe old age if they grew accustomed to our cynicism towards the value of words? In the style of Carrie Bradshaw - I had a thought, when did we start growing skeptical of the things people say? Or more curiously, when did we stop meaning what we said?

ciao bello ~