bel far niente

I was halfway through the 21st story of Eat Pray Love when I come across this beautiful Italian phrase - bel far niente - which means the beauty of doing nothing. The book highlighted Elizabeth's difficulty to appreciate bel far niente. Her consistent need to find something to do is something which many of us can relate to personally. Alright, I am guilty of this too as, often, I find myself taking on more than what I can handle. She made a distinction between entertainment and pleasure. Do you engage in the activities because you truly enjoyed it or is it simply because you need to be entertained? I confess. I read news and books not because I enjoy reading. Reading is more out of habit, a personal obligation to be up to date with the news, nothing bad can come out of it and mainly because I cannot just do nothing. I check my emails compulsively not because I am expecting any emails, but because I need to do something.

Gone were the days in Europe where sit and stare is a way of life. Back in Singapore, I cannot fathom sitting at a cafe, sipping coffee and watching the world goes by. The lazy weekend stroll along la Seine river, the picnicking in Luxembourg gardens and the people watching at Sacred Coeur were all replaced. They were replaced by the brisk walk to catch the next bus 95 that arrives at Bouna Vita and overtake crowds at Dhoby Ghaut Exchange, the fast food delivery to the work desk and people watching in the crowded Engineering canteen (to spot the group that is vacating their table). C'est la vie.

How i wish that I am able to sit and stare and enjoy the moment of "my" time with myself. By taking a snapshot of my life at that moment to freeze the inevitability of time. In retrospect, that was why this blog was titled Moment. For the occasional visitor, for myself, for the passing stranger to stop for a moment and take a closer look at what is happening around us.

"eat pray love."-cj

My equivalent version of the book will be titled Eat Sleep Stone.