The Tale of 3 Cities: How Cities Impact Us
A few weeks ago, we spent some time in Sydney. And it made me reflect on how a city profoundly impacts our being — our mood, how we move and interact with the world around us. A lot has been written about urban planning and designing environments, so I will not attempt to put forward my own theory. But here, a tale of how I live in each city.
Singapore
My home since 2015. Singapore often gets called names — too sterile, too safe, too boring. Yes, life in Singapore certainly has structure, routine and predictability. But the flip side of this is that safety can be liberating. The benefit of routines is that it is much easier to stick to your goals. When I am in Singapore, I follow a specific schedule most days. A few years ago, I would have barfed at this notion but now, I revel in it. My routine ensures that my days in Singapore are highly productive. And given that I travel every month, often for weeks at a time — these bursts of home time are increasingly sacred. In SG, I am in the mode of Getting Things Done. Life is busy but everything seems manageable because in Singapore, everything happens as it should. Generally on time. The lack of spontaneity used to bother me, but I am learning to use it to my advantage. To free up some mind space. And because things work like clockwork, the work of living gets done. In Singapore, I am conditioned to maximize home time and tick things off my list. Every city has its dark side but I have learnt to appreciate Singapore for the ease of business, travel, socializing and working on personal goals. Perhaps this is the first sign of middle-aged predictability.
Overheard in Singapore: Singapore is the Delaware of Asia.
Hong Kong
Former home, Forever Love. I will not comment on the current chaos in Hong Kong. This piece is based on my personal experiences over the last few visits. Hong Kong is intertwined with my 20s. Moving back from London to Asia, in the midst of the financial crisis; fascinated by the neon lights and the endless life of this island. We ran on courage and curiosity back then. Hong Kong was everything I needed then but when I visit now, I’m never sure who has changed more. Hong Kong is about speed.. from the red taxi making hairpin turns down the peak, to micro-moments that thrill you, inspire you and leave you feeling high. There is a sense of underlying impatience in Hong Kong, and that seeps into my persona when I’m back. The sound of Hong Kong is trams and tinkles of champagne glasses, undercut by staccato bursts of anger. The narrow streets and urban density of Hong Kong leave me yearning for green spaces. But when I am in Hong Kong, it’s an endless whirl of meetings, parties and art galleries: all fueled by coffee more potent than cocaine. I am not my best in Hong Kong, but I am alive, I am angry and I am bursting to tell the world about it. It’s perfect for 3 days and then the hangover hits me hard. Hong Kong is a rebel in her 20s, wanting freedom, making noise and perhaps knowing all along that it’s quite futile. The city shapes the anger in me but also often inspires me. Some of my most enraged writing and sublime photographs belong to this island.
Overheard in Hong Kong: “Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can.” — Ok, that’s Bruce Lee actually.
Sydney
We recently set up a pop-up studio for one of our key clients in Sydney. And we were lucky enough to call it home for a fortnight. I’ve been to Sydney before but it’s definitely not as familiar to us as the Asian (and now Middle Eastern) cities we typically focus on. The sunshine, the last of the Winter, the beautiful coffee and the bright blue sky. We spent a lot of time walking by piers, driving by beaches and we were so energized by the fresh air and the generally easy-going attitude of the city. And this soon seeped into our working style too — we created simple rituals — going for a walk before we started the day, having lunch al fresco — even if it was just a quick salad grabbed from the deli and taking breaks for fresh air. We also managed to finish work before 7 PM each evening which is a rarity when in field. This was the first time that we genuinely managed to have a healthy work-life balance while in field, and the team actually came back refreshed rather than exhausted.
Overheard in Sydney: If you have a Range Rover and a Fiddle Leaf Fig, you’ve made it in life!
