Oh walk, my walk! How did i live without thee?

I woke up at 6.30am and pondered, should I go back to sleep as after all it’s a Saturday & I’ve worked a long week? Or should I attempt to walk 7km to beat my daily 5km routine walk? After lying in bed dreaming of Mr Wonderland, the latter got the better of me and I decided to get out of bed to burn off the whole durian (ok it was a small udang merah durian only) I ate the night before and head for my walk, to the dismay of my fat kitty cat who wanted to cuddle some more.

The roads in my neighbourhood were surprisingly quieter than usual – perhaps due to the increased Covid cases in the surrounding areas and EMCO declared in one part of OKR yesterday. Still Kakak, the road sweeper and the security guards at condos & guarded housing areas were already at work. They never fail to wave and say good morning as I walk by and I wish them as well. The kakak chuckled as she said Selamat Pagi Sayang. I wonder how many people walk by and acknowledge them as human beings – thankful for their work to keep our roads clean and pick up the rubbish that passer-bys conveniently and casually discard in public; and for keeping our homes and communities safe day in, day out. These people are definitely champions to me. Without them, life would be a bit harder for us.

An unusual flower plant which is so pretty

As the gentle breeze blew against my face, there were moments when it was absolutely silent and only the cooing, chirping and singing of the birds could be heard. It was like a serene musical concert going on. Such bliss, such serenity. I am thankful that I live in an area where there’s still a lot of greenery – lots of plants and trees. Beautiful flowers with their vibrant colours looked like they were happily thriving in their own natural habitat. There was even a caterpillar and cocoon on one. I even caught sight of a tree with low hanging fruit. And of course the big regal trees, tall big and commanding – reaching out to the sky with its majestic beauty. These trees must be at least 50years old. Oh the tales they would tell of what they had seen in their life – I’m sure it will be nothing short of interesting.

Then I got to The Slope (or some call it the hill). A popular short steep hike up to an abandoned temple – exactly 225 steps it takes me to get to the top. I managed to climb it 4 times today before the sun started to get stronger. I reckon now that after the 4^th climb, it actually feels easier – perhaps I shall attempt 5 climbs tomorrow. That slope can get pretty crowded in the evening. It has its regular visitors – the young lady with her little dog, who gets tired walking up and down the slope that often its owner has to carry it up the slope as she continues her daily routine. Then there’s the group of men who claim they’re only able to climb the slope repeatedly coz they have each other to talk to – chatter that keeps their mind off the effort they need to put into the climb. We have people listening to their music, news and podcast as they climb. And the occasional hunks who flex their muscles as they not only climb up but instead sprint up the slope! The Police Patrol car passes by and everyone double checks their social distancing, whilst the teens on their bikes at the bottom of the slope adjust their masks and wonder whether they should be heading home as they see their parents in the distance. The Slope is definitely the highlight of my walk, always something new to notice daily and a challenge in many different ways.

As I continued my walk, I passed people taking their dogs for a walk. They were of all shapes and sizes (the dogs I mean…. And also the people I may say so). Some wave and say hi. Some dogs are friendly and come up to say hi as well. I saw maids watering the plants, washing the cars, scrubbing the floor and some wave as they vacumn the upper floors. Some dare not look up (probably told by their employer to not talk to any strangers). A couple were out taking their kitten for a walk on a leash. And someone was asleep in their car with the car engine running. I once even saw a car parked at the side of the road with the car door open and the driver slumped on the steering wheel (it’s a regular sight) so I figured that he must have returned in the wee hours of the morning from a night out of drinking that he was too intoxicated to make it out of the car. He’s fine as I see him zooming by in his black fancy car. I saw an aunty who reminded me of my mum. In the evening she’s busy sweeping the main road in front of her house, just like how my mum did. And this morning i saw her walking around admiring the beautiful flowery plants she must have planted by the roadside. Its admirable how people take such pride in wanting to make a difference with their natural skills. All these little things never cease to amaze me. I was even cat called by 2 teens on their motorbike without their helmet on – imagine me a 53yr old still being cat called, not bad.

This pandemic and the MCOs had allowed me to develop this new habit of a daily walk. It started with my friend inviting me to join her for an evening walk at the Bukit Jalil Park. It was a lazy walk which I later discovered was 3km. That gradually increased and when the parks were closed during the EMCO, I decided to try walking around my neighbourhood. I was pleasantly surprised that there were many quiet routes with not many people around and it was a variety of sights. Soon I was able to achieve 5km in an hour and at least 6,000 steps. It has been a blessing in disguise for me as after sitting in front of my laptop and working for at least 10hours a day, its such a relief to be able to be outdoors and walk by myself, in total peace, with just the breeze blowing. It clears my head, allows me to breathe better, gets my circulation moving and I’ve lost inches so I feel fitter, firmer and lighter. And one of my favourite parts of my walk is at the end, when I stand inside my condo compound and watch the sunset – everyday is different. The colour of the sky, the piece of art it provides. The peaceful still of nightfall. I thank God for being blessed with such natural beauty and pleasures. That moment and the walk really does make me feel very blessed that I am living in a peaceful country and I realise that I don’t really need a lot in my life to keep me happy. I don’t need a lot of riches – I’ve been there, done that. Today, I feel healthy and the smiles & waves & hellos from likeminded strangers whom you can see enjoy their walk too, make my day enjoyable too.

However, Lelong signages and House For Sale outside houses also show the reality of the ill-effects of the pandemic. I say a prayer for the owner of the house. I can imagine the torment, stress and worry he and his family must have gone through, not being able to make the monthly bank loan instalments. I can imagine the pain the family must have endured having to move out of their home. I wonder where they are today and how are they coping? I pass empty playgrounds and wonder how are the children coping being cooped up at home. I am thankful that I have balconies at home where even my cats are able to sit out on and watch the cars and people go by. And I can open up my doors and windows and have the wind blow thru throughout the day. It’s the simple things in life that I appreciate. I just need simple things to keep me happy these days.

I check my health meter and guess what? I had passed the 7km mark! I did it! I broke my record and now have a new personal record. I could have walked some more but the sun was already strong and my head was bustling with ideas of what to write and my fingers were itching to touch the keyboard. Its been a great start to my weekend. A friend told me to get up and do whatever makes me happiest and I am glad that I chose to go for a walk. I now wonder how did I survive so long without going for a walk daily? Its rejuvenating and refreshing and it makes “me time” even more pleasurable. So I hope that if you have been attempting to exercise daily that this article would inspire you to make that first step and to just do brisk walking – 1 km in 10 mins which is equivalent to 1,000 steps. And hopefully like me the birds, plants, flowers, kakaks, security guards, dogs and fellow walkers would bring more than sunshine and simple happiness into your life.

Take care, Stay safe and healthy!