Three letters left to go which brings us to X, perhaps the
most challenging of the 26 little characters. Alas, along came xyst (rhymes
with mist) to save the day.
Xystus is an architectural term from ancient Greece
that refers to a covered portico outside the gymnasium where exercise could be
taken during inclement weather. The
Romans adapted the term and the usage – a xyst is a garden walk planted with
trees. Which made me think of the beautiful botanic gardens here in Singapore.
I’m going on my ninth year in Singapore,
my 11th year of living outside the US.
During that time, I’ve relied on my feet and public transportation. Since the day I returned my leased baby blue
BMW prior to heading off to Geneva (I adored that little vehicle - even if Kate
insisted it was a station wagon, I more vehemently argued it was a sport wagon)
I’ve been without personal wheels.
Kind of weird since I practically grew up with a car. The day I turned 16, there was a car waiting
for my use. Dad got a new company car
every year, but he loved car trading so there were usually a few sets of wheels
in our driveway. I recall going to a
family funeral a few hours away from our home in Indiana, a family of five in
one car, and coming back a few days later in two vehicles. Walking around the neighborhood after the
funeral, Dad had spotted a deal too good to pass by – so he wrote the check,
signed the papers, and a new pony was added to the corral.
Walking, busing and cabbing changes things. It’s a mixed bag. Depending on where I’m going and the bus
route or availability or a taxi or my stamina, it may take a lot longer. On the other hand, given the cost and
availability of parking in certain areas, walking can be the fastest way to get
something done. Case in point – it’s an
eight minute walk each way to ION. But
one evening, we were meeting friends at Sky and I’d done my hair, had on nice
shoes – and it was pouring down rain. I
asked if we could cab it – Charlie reluctantly agreed after trying to convince
me of his prowess with an umbrella.
Forty-five minutes later, the taxi had finally completed the four block
journey and delivered us at the covered drop-off spot – dry, but
exasperated. Our friends had opted to
drive themselves…and they were even later as the carpark was full and at a
standstill. They had finally ditched the
car in an illegal spot and bailed out.
What on earth does this have to do with our x word? I’m getting there.
Since we moved here, I’ve been walking regularly in the Bot Garden. It’s spacious, it’s green, it’s
peaceful. Since then, I’ve read a few
articles that espouse the health benefits and brain boosts that walking in
green spaces can provide. A few weeks
ago, I was at the doctor’s office for lung function tests – I have a bit of
My lung function has actually improved! I’m attributing most of it to walking,
particularly in the garden.
The point of this X entry?
Get outside. Find a xyst. Take a
walk. Breathe deep. Look up.
Look around. It’s exactly what
the doctor ordered.
No comments:
Post a Comment