Spending time alone - thought this was good

by Brett Blumenthal

I love to be alone. This may sound absurd, but for me, being alone is somewhat therapeutic. On one hand, you could chalk this up to the fact that I am an only child. Many only children are very comfortable being alone and are happy doing things by themselves. Or, you might think it is because I am an introvert (Although I have very extroverted moments, I am indeed an introvert at heart). Whatever the case may be, when I don't have enough time for myself, I feel drained, antsy and over stimulated. As a result, alone time becomes very important.
It doesn't matter what I do when I am alone, as long as I get my 'me time' fix. I might shop. I might write. I might take a run. I might take a bath. I might even just veg out in front of the TV. Whatever the activity, it gives me the time I need to get away from others and to let myself recharge.
Being alone isn't a statement about your relationships. Although I believe that relationships with others are a very important aspect to life and to our happiness, spending time alone is also extremely beneficial to our mental health and happiness. Here is why:
Self Discovery: Spending time alone gives you the ability to discover things about yourself and to get a real understanding of who you are. We have grown to appreciate the art of getting to know others, but in reality, it is even more important to get to know ourselves, our preferences, our likes and dislikes without other people's influences.
Higher Sense of Independence and Increased Self-Esteem: Being alone and getting comfortable with being alone gives you a higher sense of independence. Relying on yourself to make choices and decisions increases your self confidence, which then permeates other aspects of your life, including the times you are in the presence of others.
No Need to Compromise: Often, we compromise when we are in the presence of others. We usually work with one another to reach agreement on everything, from what we will have for dinner to what TV show to watch. Spending time alone allows you to indulge yourself with the things you want to do and the things you love, without any negotiation.
Rejuvenation for Your Soul: Getting away from others allows you to decompress and relax. It gives you a break from the have tos and allows you to focus on the want tos. It lets you address your own needs as opposed to everyone elses and gives you the opportunity to rejuvenate and push the 'restart' button.
A Fresh Perspective: Time alone gives you the opportunity to clear your mind and to weed through a lot of thoughts. This allows you to get to the heart of what YOU really think as opposed to being told or influenced by others and their opinions. It gives you time to reflect on what is important in your life and how you feel about every day situations that need to be addressed.
Higher Appreciation for Those You Love: Giving yourself the ability to be alone allows you to have a greater appreciation for the time you spend with others. If you never have time for yourself, you'll wish you did. It is important to find some balance in this; but once you do, you'll enjoy your relationships even more.
If you find that spending time alone is challenging, try to start with a small 'dosage' each day...even if it is for only 5 minutes. Each day, try to amp it up by a minute or so until you get to an hour. After practicing being alone, you will find it comes more naturally in time.
Do you like to spend time alone? What benefits have you seen from 'you time'?

Taiko!

Right on the next day after watching local production, I was at Esplanade for a concert. With the theme 'Treasures of Japan', Japanese shakuhachi father-son duo, Yamamoto Hozan and Yamamoto Shinzan, teamed up with Singapore Chinese Orchestra to perform Dance of the Firmament. The composer himself, Isao Matsushita, was seated a few rows in front of me. However, I failed to understand the song, and at times, was bored. It was probably too cheem for me, and the other people around me, some of whom were yawning.

The next piece Monk Jianzhen Sailing Eastward was the piece I went to the concert for. However, it wasn't the piece that I used to hear. It was a new composition, but I could kind of grasp what the song was trying to portray. I wondered if maturity brings about the ability to understand orchestral pieces. Back then when I was in orchestra myself, I knew the pieces I play because I attended so many concerts. I knew the music, when which instrument was the solo, when the music was fast, when the music was slow. It was like you know the book, but you fail to understand the story. Now ten years have passed since I last performed seriously, I read the programme notes before each piece started, and try to feel the story the composer is weaving. I feel bad that I've actually neglected the composers for so many years. Much thought must have been put into creating the music. Perhaps that Japanese composer seated near me had an influence -_-.

Anyway, the best was the final piece Hi-Ten-Yu, composed by the Japanese guy again, with the motif 'rising to heaven, played in heaven'. The highlight was the wadaiko, which is a Japanese traditional instrument often used in 'matsuri', a ritual in Japan believed to connect heaven with earth. Basically many Japanese drums of different sizes, the famed taiko performer, Eitetsu Hayashi, performed with much zest. He is a wonder to watch, and you can feel the Japanese spirit each time he hits the drum. Truly captivating and indeed as magical as he is famed. You wonder if his arms were tired from the continous playing, but his huge muscles tell you no. Just as you thought it was ending, he gives a loud Japanese shout and the whole audience was seated upright again. His performance was what brought the whole slouching audience sitting up. And of course, when the piece did end, many members of the audience was standing. I had never clapped so hard and so long at any concert. It surpassed the applause that Korean B-boyz Breakout had. It was just just just so good! And in response to the applause, he performed another piece, with his disciple this time. My gosh. His disciple had even bigger muscles! But they were really really good. Not to forget that this was after the usual encore which had the shakuhachi players! Totally impressive! It didn't matter that I was bored for most of the show, and in fact had wondered if I made a wrong choice in attending it, his performance was worthy enough. Great performance!

If there's seasons

Watched the first show of "If there's seasons", a local Chinese production by The Theatre Practice. Directed by Kuo Jian Hong, it first had its debut last year, starring Kit Chan. This is the second round they're showing this. Didn't get the best seats (got the cheapest) and so wasn't feeling exactly comfortable. But the familiar xinyao by Liang Wern Fook brought back memories of high school times. It was a teeny bit too long (lasted 3 hours or so) but it meant great value for money right? :P Fantastic performances by George Chan and co. Particularly impressive is Joanna Dong who starred as Rose. Powerful voice with good acting. Jeffrey Low as A Qiang and Oliver Pang as Junqiang were great too. And I thought that Uncle Cheng, acted by Lim Shieh Yih, did really good too. Sing Chew as Xiao Jing was also not bad, considering it's her first time in theatre acting. In fact, the whole cast was quite good really. Enjoyed myself (minus the uncomfortable seats which led me with a stiff neck after the show) tremendously! Well spent money! :))) And of course, kudos to playwright Raymond To!