On the small things
Chia Siow Boon sets out to find joy in the small encounters of everyday life – small talk, whiffs of coffee, a random ant mount, chats with the delivery lady – to embellish each regular day, work-from-home or not.
It would not take much to adjust, I surmised, when the government announced that working from home would be the default arrangement for all employees again. After all, I am no novice to “circuit breakers” anymore. The setup was ready and equipment prepared to be deployed once more. Gone are the days of relentless google searches on ultrawide monitors, ergonomic chairs and tips on how to look good on zoom.
And yet, something felt decidedly off in spite of the well-wrought familiarity of working from home. Something small but definite. It was not too long ago that returning to the office on a regular basis was practicable, but the ability to do so certainly produced changes in our daily routines. In my case, working from home again meant I no longer enjoy some of the seemingly insignificant but nevertheless pleasant everyday moments.
Gone are the small talks with the security guards who mark the start and end of each work day, aromatic whiffs of the special blend from our newly re-commissioned coffee machine wafting through the pantry, and never-ending guesses about the Tian Tian Hainanese chicken rice stall (is it truly closed for good?). There are also the little surprises one might find on the way to work, especially if your commute is as long as mine. For one, I now know there is a Phoon Huat at Buona Vista MRT!
We are now two weeks down, with two more weeks to go at the very least. In the meantime, I am trying to make time to discover the small things in life even when working from home, ironically with great determination. Recently, I discovered what looks awfully a lot like an ant mound at the park downstairs, attempted to know the nice lady who regularly delivers my online shopping, and deciphered shift patterns of groceries at the nearby minimart.
Regardless of what happens next, it is worthwhile to make time – in spite of a busy day – to indulge in the small experiences and appreciate how nicely they embellish an otherwise regular day.
