Standing in my spare room, surrounded by the accumulation of years' worth of possessions, I feel a sense of overwhelm wash over me. The piles of clothes, the stacks of books, the scattered trinkets and mementos – it's all too much. But as I begin to sort through the chaos, something shifts within me. I start to see the beauty in letting go, in releasing the burdens that weigh me down. It's a liberation, a freedom from the constant distraction and clutter that fills my space. Danshari, the art of decluttering, is not just about getting rid of stuff; it's also about releasing the emotional attachments to them. Continuing to sort and purge ruthlessly, I start to notice the little things. The things that I don't have any use for as of today. Drawers holding bits and bobs, some duplicates of the possessions that I own, some chipped china, shelves holding curios that are faded and worn out, collections which don't evoke the same sentiments in me as they once did, item...
As usual, at the dot of 8 pm, the Guzheng plays its stirring chords, the haunting notes beginning a slow sweep, rising to a powerful crescendo and alternating with a tranquil ebbing of melody surfing me along the waves of soul-stirring, yet a serene stretch of an hour every day. I make it a point to sit right beside my dining room window to bask in this lulling sound therapy as my neighbor downstairs diligently plays on this zither, oblivious to my admiration. What a luxury it is to have a live orchestra while I savour the last meal of the day. It's a welcome distraction to the otherwise jarring squabbling of the playful neighbourhood children. The Chạ̀wkhrāw of this– that the musical household might move one day is a foreboding thought. Foreshadowing this, deeply ingrained in me is the shattering news I had received upon returning to Singapore after an 8 month absence here. The Ramadan festive season was fast approaching at the end of March but the apartm...